spoken better of you, than you have or will defervé ať my hand, but we must do good against evil. [Exit. Par. An idle lord, I fwear.

Ber. I think fo.

Par. Why, do you not know him?

Ber. Yes, I know him well, and common fpeech Gives him a worthy pafs. Here comes my clog.

SCENE XI.

Enter Helena.

Hel. I have, Sir, as I was commanded from you, Spoke with the King, and have procur'd his leave For prefent parting; only, he defires

Some private speech with you.

Ber. I fhall obey his will.

You must not marvel, Helen, at my course,
Which holds not colour with the time; nor does
The miniftration and required office

On my particular. Prepar'd I was not
For fuch a business; therefore am I found
So much unfettled: this drives me to intreat you,
That presently you take your way for home,
And rather mufe, than afk, why I intreat you,
For my respects are better than they seem,
And my appointments have in them a need
Greater than fhews itself at the first view,
To you that know them not. This to my mother.

[Giving a letter. "Twill be two days ere I fhall see you, fo

I leave you to your wisdom.

Hel. Sir, I can nothing fay,

But that I am your most obedient fervant.
Ber. Come, come, no more of that.

Hel. And ever shall

With true obfervance feek to eke out That,

Wherein tow'rd me my homely stars have fail'd

Το

To equal my great fortune.

Ber. Let that go:

My hafte is very great.

Farewel; hie home.

Hel. Pray, Sir, your pardon.

Ber. Well, what would you fay?

Hel. I am not worthy of the wealth I owe;
Nor dare I say, 'tis mine, and yet it is;

But, like a tim'rous thief, moft fain would steal
What law does vouch mine own.

Ber. What would you have?

Hel. Something, and scarce fo much

indeed

I would not tell you what I would, my Lord

yes;

Strangers and foes do funder and not kifs.

nothing,

'faith,

Ber. I pray you, ftay not: but in hafte to horse.
Hel. I fhall not break your bidding, good my

4

Lord.

[Exit Helena. Ber. Where are my other men, Monfieur ?

wel.

Go thou tow'rd home, where I will never come,
Whilst I can shake my sword, or hear the drum :
Away, and for our flight.
Par. Bravely, Couragio!

4 In former copies : Hel. I shall not break your Bidding, good my Lord: Where are my other men? Monfieur, farewel.

Ber. Go thou toward home,

where I will never come.] What other Men is Helen here enquiring after? Or who is the fuppos'd to ask for them? The old Countefs, 'tis certain, did

fare

[Exeunt.

A C T. III. SCENE I

The Duke's Court in Florence.

Flourish. Enter the Duke of Florence, two French Lords, with Soldiers.

S

DUKE.

O that, from point to point, now have you heard
The fundamental reasons of this war,

Whofe great decifion hath much blood let forth,
And more thirfts after.

I Lord. Holy feems the quarrel

Upon your Grace's part; but black and fearful

On the oppofer.

Duke. Therefore we marvel much, our coufin France Would, in fo just a business, shut his bosom Against our borrowing prayers.

2 Lord. Good my Lord,

The reafons of our ftate I cannot yield",
But like a common and an outward man
That the great figure of a council frames.
By felf unable motion; therefore dare not
Say what I think of it, fince I have found
Myself in my incertain grounds to fail
As often as I gueft.

Duke. Be it his pleasure.

2 Lord. But I am fure, the younger of our nation, That furfeit on their eafe, will day by day

Come here for phyfick.

Duke. Welcome fhall they be:

And all the honours, that can fly from us,

Shall on them fettle. You know your places well.
When better fall, for your avails they fell;
To-morrow to the field.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Changes to Roufillon, in France.

Enter Countefs, and Clown.

Count. T hath happen'd, all as I would have had it

all as

I

fave, that he comes not along with her.

Clo. By my troth, I take my young Lord to be a very melancholy man."

Count. By what obfervance, I pray you.

Clo. Why, he will look upon his boot, and fing; mend his ruff, and fing; afk queftions, and fing; pick his teeth, and fing. I knew a man that had this trick of melancholy, fold a goodly manor for a fong. Count. Let me fee what he writes, and when he [Reads the Letter.

means to come.

Clo. I have no mind to Ibel, fince I was at court. Our old ling, and our Ifbels o' th' country, are nothing like your old ling, and your Ibels o' th' court: the brain of my Cupid's knock'd out; and I begin to love, as an old man loves mony, with no ftomach. Count. What have we here?

Clo. E'en that you have there.

Countess reads a letter.

.

[Exit.

I have fent you a danghter in-law: fhe bath recovered the King, and undone me. I have wedded her, not bedded her; and fworn to make the not eternal. You shall bear, I am run away; know it, before the report come. VOL. III.

Z

If

If there be breadth enough in the world, I will hold a long distance. My duty to you.

This is not well; rash and unbridled boy,
To fly the favours of fo good a King,
To pluck his indignation on thy head;
By the mifprizing of a maid, too virtuous
For the contempt of empire.

Re-enter Clown.

Clo. O Madam, yonder is heavy news within between two foldiers and my young lady.

Count. What is the matter?

Clo. Nay, there is fome comfort in the news, fome comfort; your fon will not be kill'd fo foon as I thought he would.

Count. Why fhould he be kill'd?

Clo. So fay I, Madam, if he run away, as I hear he does; the danger is in ftanding to't; that's the lofs of men, though it be the getting of children. Here they come, will tell you more. For my part, I only hear, your fon was run away.

SCENE III.

Enter Helena, and two Gentlemen.

1 Gen. Save you, good Madam.

Hel. Madam, my Lord is gone, for ever gone. 2 Gen. Do not fay fo.

Count. Think upon patience-'Pray you, gentlemen, I've felt fo many quirks of joy and grief, That the first face of neither, on the start,

Can woman me unto't. Where is my fon ?