Par. Nay, you need not to ftop your nose, Sir; I pake but by a metaphor..

Clo. Indeed, Sir, if your metaphor flink, I will ftop my nofe against any man's metaphor. Pr'ythee, get thee further.

Par. Pray you, Sir, deliver me this paper.

Clo. Foh! pr'ychee, stand away; a paper from Fortune's clofe-ftool, to give to a Nobleman! look, here he comes himself.

Enter Lafeu.

Here is a pur of Fortune's Sir, or Fortune's cat, (but not a musk-cat) that hath fall'n into the unclean fishpond of her displeasure, and, as he fays, is muddied withal. Pray you, Sir, ufe the carp as you may; for he looks like a poor, decayed, ingenious, foolish, rafcally knave. I do pity his diftrefs in my fimilies of comfort, and leave him to your i ordship.

Par. My Lord, I am a man whom Fortune hath cruelly fcratch'd.

Laf. And what would you have me to do! 'tis too late to pare her nails now, Wherein have you play'd the knave with Fortune, that the fhould feratch you, who of herself is a good lady, and would not have knaves thrive long under her? there's a quart d'ecu for you: let the juftices make you and Fortune friends; I am for other bufinefs.

Par. I befeech your Honour to hear me one fingle word.

Laf. You beg a fingle penny more: come, you fhall ha't, fave your word.

Par. My name, my good Lord, is Parolles.

Laf. You beg more than one word then. Cox' my paffion! give me your hand: how does your drum? Par. O my good Lord, you were the first that found

me.

Laf. Was I, in footh? and I was the first that loft thee.

Par. It lies in you, my Lord, to bring me in fome grace, for you did bring me out.

Laf. Out upon thee, knave! doft thou put upon me at once both the office of God and the devil? one

brings thee

[Sound trump race, and the other brings thee out.

King's coming, I

by his trumpets. Sirrah, inquire further after me, I had talk of you laft night; tho you are a fool and a knave, you fhall eat; go to, follow.

Par. I praife God for

you.

[Exeunt.

Flourish. Enter King, Countefs, Lafeu, the two French Lords, with attendants.

King. We loft a jewel of her, our esteem * "Was made much poorer by it; but your fon, As mad in folly, lack'd the fense to know Her eftimation home.

701 Count. Tis paft, my Liege;

And I beseech your Majefty to make it
Natural rebellion, done i' th' blaze of youth,
When oil and fire, too strong for reafon's force,
O'erbears it, and burns on.

King. My honour'd Lady,

Thave forgiven and forgotten all;

Tho' my revenges were high bent upon him,
And watch'd the time to fhoot.

Laf. This I must say,

But first I beg my pardon; the young Lord

Did to his Majefty, his mother, and his lady,
Offence of mighty note; but to himself

The greatest wrong of all. He loft a wife,

Whole beauty did astonish the furvey

Of richest eyes; whofe words all ears took captive Whose dear perfection, hearts that fcorn'd to serve, Humbly call'd Mistress.

King. Praifing what is loft,

Makes the remembrance dear. Well

hither;

We're reconcil'd, and the firft view fhall kill
All repetition let him not ask our pardon.
The nature of his great offence is dead,
And deeper than oblivion we do bury

-call him

Efteem is here used for eftimation, in the sense of worth, eftate.

T

VOL. III.

K

Th❜

Th' incenfing relics of it. Let him approach,
A ftranger, no offender; and inform him,
So 'tis our will he should.

Gent. I fhall, my Liege.

[Exit.

King. What fays he to your daughter ? Have you fpoke?

4

Laf. All that he is, hath reference to your Highnefs.

King. Then fhall we have a match. I have letters

こ fent me,

That fet him high in fame.

SCENE IV. Enter Bertram.

Laf. He looks well on't,

King. I'm not a day of season,

For thou may'ft fee a fun-fhine and a hail

In me at once; but to the brightest beams

Distracted clouds give way; fo ftand thou forth, d

The time is fair again.

Ber. My high-repented blames,

M

Dear Sovereign, pardon to me. und top yara aft LẤT King. All is whole,

Not one word more of the confumed time,

Let's take the inftant by the forward top;

For we are old, and on our quick'ft decrees at aff

Th' inaudible and noiseless foot of time

Steals, ere we can effect them. You remember.
The daughter of this Lord?

Ber. Admiringly, my Liege. At first

I ftuck my choice upon her, ere my heart w
Durft make too bold a herald of my tongue :
Where the impreffion of mine eve infixing,
Contempt his fcornful perfpective did lend me,
Which warp'd the line of every other favour;
Scorch'd a fair colour, or exprefs'd it ftol'n;
Extended or contracted all proportions
To a most hideous object: thence it came,
That fhe whom all men prais'd, and whom myfelf,
Since I have loft, have lov'd, was in mine eye
The duft that did offend it.

King. Well excus'd or

That thou do'ft love her, ftrikes fome fcores away

From the great 'compt'; but love that comes too late,

RA

Like a remorfefub pardon flowly carried,
To the great fender turns a four offence,
Crying, that's good that's gone our rafh faults
Make trivial price of ferious things we have, A
Not knowing them until we know their grave.
Oft our difpleasures, to ourselves unjust,
Deftroy our friends, and, after, weep their duf
Our own love waking cries to see what's done,
While fhameful hate fleeps out the afternoon. 4 qui l'
Be this fweet Helen's knell; and now forget her.
Send forth your amorous token for fair Maudlin,
The main confents are had, and here we'll stay i
To fee our widower's fecond marriage-day:

7

Count. Which better than the firft, O dear heav'n Or, ere they meet, in me, O nature, ceafe !15 [blefs, Laf. Come on, my fon, in whom my houfe's name Must be digefted: give a favour from you

To fparkle in the fpirits of my daughter,

That the may quickly come. By my old beard, sa [Bertram gives a ring. And ev'ry hair that's on't, Helen, that's dead,

Was a sweet creature: fuch a ring as this,

The laft time e'er fhe took her leave at court, om vol I saw upon her finger.

Ber. Her's it was not.

King. Now, pray you, let me fee it: for mine eye, While I was fpeaking, oft was faften'd to't.

This ring was mine; and, when I gave it Helen, ur I bade her, if her fortunes ever stood

Neceffitied to help, that by this token

I would relieve her. Had you that craft to reave het Of what should ftead her moft?.

Ber. My gracious Sovereign, Howe'er it pleases you to take it fo,

The ring was never her's.

Count, Son, on my life,

I've seen her wear it, and the reckon❜d it

At her life's rate.

Laf. I'm fure I faw her wear it.

Ber. You are deceiv'd, my Lord, fhe never faw.it. In-Florence was it from a cafement thrown me, an Wrapp'd in a paper, which contain’d the name

Of her that threw it. Noble fhe was, and thought
I ftood engage'd; but when I had fubfcrib'd
To mine own fortune, and inform'd her fully,
I could not anfwer in that course of honour
As the had made the overture, the ceas'd
In heavy fatisfaction, and would never
Receive the ring again.

King. Plutas himself,

That knows the tinet and multiplying medicine,
Hath not in nature's mystery more science,

Than I have in this ring. 'Twas mine, 'twas Helen's,
Whoever gave it you: then if you know,

That you are well acquainted with yourself,
Confefs 'twas her's, and by what rough inforcement
You got it from her. She call'd the faints to furety,
That the would never put it from her finger,

Unlefs fhe gave it to yourself in bed,

(Where you have never come), or fent it us

Upon her great disaster.

す

Ber. She never faw it.

King. Thou speak'ft it falfely, as I love mine ho

nour;

fo

And mak'ft conject'ral fears to come into me,
Which I would fain fhut out. If it fhould prove
That thou art fo inhuman-'twill not prove
And yet I know not---thou didst hate her deadly,
And she is dead; which nothing, but to close
Her eyes myself, could win me to believe,
More than to fee this ring. Take him away.
Guards feize Bertram.
My forepaft proofs, howe'er the matter fall,
Shall tax my fears of little vanity,

Having vainly fear'd too little. Away with him,
We'll fift this matter further.

Ber. If you fhall prove

This ring was ever her's, you fhall as eafy

Prove that I hufbanded her bed in Florence,

Whether

King. I'm wrapp'd in dismal thinkings.
Gent. Gracious Sovereign,