His power full founds within an organ weak; In common fenfe, fenfe faves another way. Hel. If I break time, or flinch in property And well deferv'd! Not helping, death's my fee; King. Make thy demand. Hel. But will you make it even? King. Ay, by my fceptre, and my hopes of heaven. To chufe from forth the Royal Blood of France; King, Here is my hand, the premiffes obferv'd,. More fhould I question thee, and more I must; [Exeunt. SCENE SCENE IV. Changes to Roufillon. Enter Countefs and Clown. Count. Come on, Sir; I fhall now put you to the height of your breeding. Clo. I will fhew myfelf highly fed, and lowly taught; I know my business is but to the court. Count. But to the court? why, what place make you special, when you put off that with fuch contempt; but to the court! Clo. Truly, Madam, if God have lent a man any manners, he may eafily put it off at court: he that cannot make a leg, put off's cap, kifs his hand, and fay nothing, has neither leg, hands, lip, nor cap; and indeed fuch a fellow, to fay precifely, were not for the court: but for me, I have an answer will ferve all men. Count. Marry, that's a bountiful anfwer that fits all questions Clo. It is like a barber's chair, that fits all buttocks; the pin-buttock, the quatch-buttock, the brawn-buttock, or any buttock. Count. Will your anfwer ferve fit to all queftions? Clo. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attor ney, as your French crown for your taffaty punk, as Tib's rush for Tom's fore-finger, as a pancake for ShroveTuesday, a morris for May-day, as the nail to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a fcolding quean to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the friar's mouth, nay, as the pudding to his fkin. Count. Have you, I fay, an anfwer of fuch fitnefs for all questions? Clo. From below your Duke, to beneath your conftable, it will fit any question. Count. It must be an aufwer of most monftrous fize, that must fit all demands Clo. But a trifle neither, in good faith, if the learned fhould fpeak truth of it: here it is, and all that belongs to't. Ask me, if I am a courtier:it fhall do you no harm to learn. Count. To be young again, if we could: I will be a fool fool in a queftion, hoping to be the wifer by your answer. I pray you, Sir, are you a courtier? Clo. O Lord, Sir, there's a fimple putting off: more, more, a hundred of them. Count. Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves you. Clo. O Lord, Sir,-- -thick, thick, spare not me. Count I think, Sir, you can eat none of this homely meat. Clo. O Lord, Sir, you. -nay, put me to't, I warrant Count. You were lately whipp'd, Sir, as I think. -spare not me. Clo. O Lord, Sir, Count. Do you cry, O Lord, Sir, at your whipping, and Spare not me? Indeed, your O Lord, Sir, is very fequent to your whipping: you would anfwer very well to a whipping, if you were but bound to’t. Clo. I ne'er had worfe luck in my life, in my O Lord, Sir; I fee, things may ferve long, but not serve ever. Count. I play the noble housewife with the time, to entertain it fo merrily with a fool. Clo. O Lord, Sir,why there't ferves well again. Count. An end, Sir; to your bufinefs: give Helen this, And urge her to a present answer back. Commend me to my kinfmen, and This is not much. my fon: Clo. Not much commendation to them? Count. Not much employment for you; you underAand me? Clo. Moft fruitfully, I am there before my legs. [Exeunt. SCENE V. Changes to the Court of France. Enter Bertram, Lafeu, and Parolles. Laf. They fay, miracles are paft; and we have our philofophical perfons to make modern, and familiar, things fupernatural and caufelefs. Hence is it, that we make trifles of terrors; enfconfing ourselves into feeming A ridicule on that foolish expletive of fpeech then in vogue at court. feeming knowledge, when we fhould fubmit ourselves to an unknown * fear. Par. Why, 'tis the rareft argument of wonder that hath fhot out in our later times. Ber. And fo 'tis. Luf. To be relinquish'd of the artists Par. So I fay, both of Galen and Paracelfus. Laf. That gave him out incurable, Par. Why, there 'tis, fo fay I too. Par. Right, as 'twere a man affur'd of an— Par. Juft, you fay well: fo would I have faid. Laf. Afbewing of a heav'nly effect in an earthly actor. Par. That's it, I would have faid the very fame. Laf. Why, your dolphin is not luftier: for me, I fpeak in refpect Par. Nay, 'tis ftrange, 'tis very ftrange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he's of a most facinerious fpirit, that will not acknowledge it to be theLaf. Very hand of heav'n. Par. Ay, fo I fay. Laf. In a moft weak. *** Par. And debile minifter, great power, great tran fcendence: which should indeed give us t a farther ufe to be made than alone the recov'ry of the King; as to be Laf. Generally thankful. SCENE VI. Enter King, Helena, and attendants. the King. VOL. III. Unknown, for fupernatural. Two or three words feem to have been dropt here, which appear to have been to this purpose, give us notice, that there is f this] a further use to be made. Laf. Luftick, as the Dutchman fays: I'll like a maid the better while I have a tooth in my head: why, he's able to lead her a corranto. Par. Mort du Vinaigre! is not this Helen? King. Go call before me all the Lords in court. Sit, my preferver, by thy patient's fide; And with this healthful hand, whose banish'd fenfe The confirmation of my promis'd gift; Which but attends thy naming. Enter three or four Lords. Fair maid, fend forth thine eye; this youthful parcel O'er whom both fov'reign power and father's voice Thou haft power to chufe, and they none to forfake. King. Peruse them well: 'Not one of those but had a noble father. [She addreffes herfelf to a Lord Hel. Gentlemen, heaven hath, through me, reftor'd The King to health. you. All. We understand it, and thank Heaven for We blush that thou should'st chuse, but be refus'd; King. Make choice, and fee, Who fhuns thy love, fhuns all his love in me. fuit? Hel. |