A CT V. SCENE, the Court of France, at

Marseilles.

Enter Helena, Widow, and Diana, with two

Attendants.

B

H E L E N A.
UT this exceeding posting day and night

Muft wear your Ipirits low; we cannot help it.

But since you've made the days and nights as one,
To wear your gentle limbs in my affairs ;
Be bold, you do fo grow in my requital,
As nothing can unroot you. In happy time,

Enter a Gentleman,
This man may help me to his Majesty's ear,
If he would spend his power. God save you, Sir.

Gent. And you.
Hel. Sir, I have seen you in the court of France.
Gent. I have been sometimes there.

Hel. I do presume, Sir, that you are not fallen
From the report that goes upon your goodness ;
And therefore, goaded with most sharp occasions
Which lay nice manners by, I put you to
The use of your own virtues, for the which
I shall continue thankful.
Gent. What's

your

will?
Hel. That it will please you
To give this poor petition to the King;
And aid me with that store of power you have,
To come into his presence.

Gent. The King's not here.
Hel. Not here, Sir?

Gent.

1

Gert. Not, indeed.
He hence remov’d last night, and with more haste
Than is his use.

Wid. Lord, how we lose our pains !

Hel. All's well, that ends well yet,
Tho' time seem so adverse, and means unfit :
I do beseech you, whither is he gone ?

Gen. Marry, as I take it, to Roufillon,
Whither I'm going.

Hel. I beseech you, Sir,
Since you are like to see the King before me,
Commend this paper to his gracious hand;
Which, I presume, shall render you no blame,
But rather make you thank your pains for it.
I will come after you with what good speed
Our means will make us means.

Gent. This I'll do for you.

Hel. And you shall find your self to be well thank'd, What-e'er falls more. We must to horse again. Go, go, provide.

[Exeunt. SCEN E changes to Rousillon.

Enter Clown, and Parolles. Par.

OOD Mr. Levatch, give my Lord Lafeu

this letter; I have ere now, Sir, been better known to you, when I have held familiarity with fresher cloaths ; (23) but I am now, Sir, muddied in fortune's moat, and smell somewhat strong of her strong displeasure.

Cla.

G

(23) But I am now, Sir, muddied in Fortune's Mood, and smelt somewhat strong of her strong Displeasure.] Fortune's Mood is, without Question, good Sense, and very proper : and yet I verily believe, the Poet wrote as I have restor'd in ihe Text; in Foriune's Moat: because the Clown in the very next Speech replies, I will henceforth eat no Filh of Fortune's buttering, and agaio, when he comes to repeat Parolles's Petition to Lafeuthat hath fall'n into the unclean Fishpond of her Displeasure, and, as he says, is muddied wirbal. And again, Pray you, Siro use

the

Clo. Truly, fortune's displeasure is but fluttish, if it smell so strongly as thou speak'st of: I will henceforth eat no fish of fortune's butt'ring. Pr'ythee, allow the wind.

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

Clo. Indeed, Sir, if your metaphor stink, I will stop my nose against any man's metaphor. Pry'thee, get thee further. Par. Pray you, Sir, deliver me this

paper. Clo. Foh! prythee, stand away ; a paper from fortune's close-itool, 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 fish pond of her displeasure, and, as he says, is muddied withal. Pray you, Sir, use the carp as you may; for he looks like a poor, decayed, ingenious, foolish, ralcally knave. (24) I do pity his diftress in my fimilies of comfort, and leave him to your Lordfhip.

Par. My Lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly scratch'd.

the Carp as you may, &c. In all which Places, 'cis obvious, a Moat, or Pond, is the Allusion. Besides, Parolles smelling strong, as he says, of Fortune's strong Displeasure, carries on the same Image: For as the Monts round old Seats were always replenift'd with Fish, so the Clown's joke of holding his Nose, we may presume, proceeded from This -because la Chambre base was always over the Moat: and therefore the Clown humourously says, when Parolles is presling him to deliver his Letter to Lord Lafcu. -Foh! po'yihee, stand away: A Paper from Fortune's Closeftool, to give to a Nobleman!

(24) I do pity his Distress in my Smiles of comfort,] This very humourous Passage my Friend Mr. Warburton rescued from Nonsense most happily, by the Insertion of a single Letter, in the Manner I have reform'd the Text. These Similies of Comfort are ironically meant by the Clown; as much as to say, you may perceive, how much I think he deserves Comfort, by my calling him Fortune's Cat, Carp, rascally Knave, &c.

Laf.

Laf. And what would you have me to do? 'tis too Jate to pare her nails now. Wherein have you play'd the knave with fortune, that she should scratch you, who of her self is a good Lady, and would not have knaves thrive long under her ? there's a Quart-d'ecu for you: lec the justices make you and fortune friends ; I am for other business.

Par. I beseech your honour, to hear me one single word.

Laf. You beg a single penny more: come, you fall ha't, save 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, insooth ? and I was the first, that loft thee.

Par. It lyes in you, my Lord, to bring me in some grace, for you did bring me out.

Laf. Out upon thee, knave! dost thou put upon me at once both the office of God and the Devil ? one brings thee in grace, and the other brings thee out. [Sound Trumpets.] The King's coming, i know, by his trum· pets. Sirrah, inquire further after me, I had talk of

you last night; tho you are a fool and a knave, you fall eat; go to, follow. Par. I praise God for you,

[Exeunt. Flourish. Enter King, Countess, Lafeu, the two

French Lords, with attendants.
King. We loft a jewel of her, (25) our esteem
Was made much poorer by it; but your son,

As

(25)

ony Efteem Was made much poorer by it : --) What's the Meaning of the King's Efteem being made poorer by the Loss of Helen? I think, it can only be understood in one Sense; and that Sense won't carry Water: i. e. We fuffer'd in our Enimation by her

Lorse

As mad in folly, lack'd the sense to know
Her estimation home.

Count. 'Tis paft, my Liege ;
And I beseech your Majesty to make it
Natural rebellion, done i'th' blade of youth,
When oil and fire, too strong for reason's force,
O'erbears it, and burns on.

King. My honour'd Lady,
I have forgiven and forgotten all;
Tho' my revenges were high bent upon him,
And watch'd the time to shoot.

Laf. This I must say,
But first I beg my pardon; the young Lord
Did to his Majesty, his mother, and his lady,
Offence of mighty note; but to himself
The greatest wrong of all. He loft a wife,
Whole beauty did aftonish the survey
Of richest eyes; whose words all ears took captive;
Whose dear perfection, hearts, that scorn'd to serve,
Humbly called mistress.

King. Praising what is loft,
Makes the remembrance dear. Well call him

hither ;
We're reconcil'd, and the first view shall kill
All repetition : let him not ask our pardon.
The nature of his great offence is dead,
And deeper than oblivion we do bury
Th' incensing relicks of it. Let him approach,
A stranger, no offender; and inform him,
So 'tis our will he should.

Gent. I shall, my Liege. Loss. But how to: Did the King contribute to her Misfortunes? Nothing like it. Or did he not do all in his Power to prevent them? Yes; he married Bertram to her. We must certainly read therefore;

We lost a Jewel of her ; our Eftate

Was made much poorer by it : Thu's the certain Consequence of any one's losing a Jewel, for their Eftate to be made proportionably poorer according 10 the Value of the Loss.

Mr. Warburt un.