Count. Why, Helen, thou shalt have my leave, and love, To those of mine own court; I'll stay at home, [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I-Paris. A Room in the King's Palace. Flourish. Enter KING, with young LORDS taking leave for the King. Farewell, young lord, these warlike principles And is enough for both. 1 Lord. It is our hope, Sir, After well-enter'd soldiers, to return And find your grace in health. King. No, no, it cannot be; and yet my heart That doth my life besiege. Farewell, young lords; The bravest questant* shrinks, find what you seek, 2 Lord. Health, at your bidding, serve your majesty! They say, our French lack language to deny, Both. Our hearts receive your warnings. [The KING retires to a couch. 1 Lord. O my sweet lord, that you will stay behind us! Par. "Tis not his fault: the spark 2 Lord. O, 'tis brave wars! Par. Most admirable: I have seen those wars. Ber. I am commanded here, and kept a coilt with; Par. An thy mind stand to it, boy, steal away bravely. Creaking my shoes on the plain masonry, Till honour be bought up, and no sword worn, But one to dance with! By heaven, I'll steal away. 1 Lord. There's honour in the theft. Par. Commit it, count. 2 Lord. I am your accessary; and so farewell. Ber. I grow to you, and our parting is a tortured body. 1 Lord. Farewell, captain. 2 Lord. Sweet Monsieur Parolles ! Par. Noble heroes, my sword and yours are kin. Good sparks and lustrous, a word, good metals:-You shall find in the regiment of the Spinii, one Captain Spurio, with his cicatrice, an emblem of war, here on his sinister cheek; it was this very sword intrenched it: say to him, I live; and observe his reports for me. 2 Lord. We shall, noble captain. Par. Mars dote on you for his novices! What will you do? Ber. Stay, the king [Exeunt LORDS.] [Seeing him rise. Par. Use a more spacious ceremony to the noble lords; you have restrained yourself within the list of too cold an adieu: be more expressive to them; for they wear themselves in the cap of the time,t there, do muster true gait, eat, speak, and move under the influence of the most received star; and though the devil lead the measure, § such are to be followed: after them, and take a more dilated farewell. Ber. And I will do so. Par. Worthy fellows; and like to prove most sinewy sword[Exeunt BERTRAM and PAROLLES. men. Enter LAFEU. Laf. Pardon, my lord [Kneeling], for me and for my tidings. King. I'll fee thee to stand up. Laf. Then here's a man Stands, that has brought his pardon. I would, you Had kneel'd, my lord, to ask me mercy; and That, at my bidding, you could so stand up. King. I would I had; so I had broke thy pate, And ask'd thee mercy for't. Laf. Goodfaith, across:|| But my good lord, 'tis thus; Will you be cured King. No. Laf. O, will you eat No grapes, my royal fox? yes, but you will, My noble grapes, an if my royal fox Could reach them: I have seen a medicine, T * A mere dress-sword. †They are the foremost in the fashion. Have the true military step. The dance. A failure; a phrase taken from the exercise at a quaintaine. That's able to breathe life into a stone; * Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary, To give great Charlemain a pen in his hand, King. What her is this? Laf. Why, doctor she: My lord, there's one arrived, In this my light deliverance, I have spoke With one, that, in her sex, her years, profession, King. Now, good Lafeu, Bring in the admiration; that we with thee May spend our wonder too, or take off thine, By wond'ring how thou took'st it. Laf. Nay, I'll fit you, And not be all day neither. [Exit LAFEU. King. Thus he his special nothing ever prologues. Re-enter LAFEU, with HELENA. Laf. Nay, come your ways. King. This haste hath wings indeed. Laf. Nay, come your ways; This is his majesty, say your mind to him: A traitor you do look like; but such traitors King. Now, fair one, does your business follow us? Hel. The rather will I spare my praises towards him; Many receipts he gave me; chiefly one, Which, as the dearest issue of his practice, Safer than mine own two, more dear; I have so: King. We thank you, maiden; But may not be so credulous of cure, * A lively dance. Well esteemed. + Pandarus. A third eye. [Exit. When our most learned doctors leave us; and To empirics; or to dissever so Our great self and our credit, to esteem A senseless help, when help past sense we deem. King. I cannot give thee less, to be call'd grateful: Hel. What I can do, can do no hurt to try, Oft does them by the weakest minister: So holy writ in babes hath judgment shown,, When judges have been babes.* Great floods have flown, When miracles have by the greatest been denied. Where most it promises; and oft it hits, Where hope is coldest, and despair most sits. King. I must not hear thee; fare thee well, kind maid; Thy pains, not used, must by thyself be paid: Proffers, not took, reap thanks for their reward. Hel. Inspired merit so by breath is barr'd: It is not so with him that all things knows, As 'tis with us that square our guess by shows: But most it is presumption in us, when The help of heaven we count the act of men. Dear Sir, to my endeavours give consent; Of heaven, not me, make an experiment. I am not an impostor, that proclaim Myself against the level of mine aim;† But know I think, and think I know most sure, My art is not past power, nor you past cure. King. Art thou so confident? Within what space Hop'st thou my cure? Hel. The greatest grace lending grace, Ere twice the horses of the sun shall bring Their fiery torcher his diurnal ring; Ere twice in murk and occidental damp Moist Hesperus hath quench'd his sleepy lamp; *An allusion to Daniel judging the two elders. Or four-and-twenty times the pilot's glass Hel. Tax of impudence, A strumpet's boldness, a divulged shame,- King. Methinks, in thee some blessed spirit doth speak ; In common sense, sense savest another way. Hel. If I break time, or flinch in property || Of what I spoke, unpitied let me die; And well deserved: Not helping, death 's my fee; King. Make thy demand. Hel. But will you make it even? King. Ay, by my sceptre, and my hopes of heaven. Hel. Then shalt thou give me, with thy kingly hand, What husband in thy power I will command: Exempted be from me the arrogance To choose from forth the royal blood of France; King. Here is my hand; the premises observed, More should I question thee, and more I must: [Flourish. Exeunt. *The worst said of me that can be said of the worst. + Valued place. |