Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

All that is virtuous (save what thou dislik'st,
A poor physician's daughter), thou dislik'st
Of virtue for the name: but do not so:
From lowest place when virtuous things proceed,
The place is dignify'd by the doer's deed:
Where great addition swells, and virtue none,
It is a dropsied honour: good alone
Is good, without a name; vileness is so:
The property by what it is should go,
Not by the title. She is young, wise, fair;
In these to nature she's immediate heir;
And these breed honour: that is honour's scorn,|
Which challenges itself as honour's born,
And is not like the sire: Honours best thrive
When rather from our acts we them derive
Than our foregoers: the mere word's a'slave,
Debauch'd on every tomb; on every grave,
A lying trophy; and as oft is dumb,

[blocks in formation]

Where dust, and damn'd oblivion, is the tomb
Of honour'd bones indeed. What should be said? 20
If thou canst like this creature as a maid,
I can create the rest: virtue, and she,
Is her own dower: honour and wealth, from me.
Ber. I cannot love her, nor will strive to do't.
King. Thou wrong'st thyself, if thou should'st 25
strive to chuse.
[glad

Hel. That you are well restor'd, my lord, I'm
Let the rest go.

King, My honour's at the stake; which to defeat';

claims;

Laf. Your ford and master did well to make his recantation.

Par. Recantation?-My lord? my master?
Laf. Ay; Is it not a language I speak?

Pur. A most harsh one; and not to be under-
stood without bloody succeeding. My master?
Laf. Are you companion to the count Rousillon?
Par. To any count; to all counts; to what is

man.

Laf. To what is count's man; count's master is of another style.

Par. You are too old, sir; let it satisfy you, you are too o'd.

Luf. I must tell thee, sirrah, I write man; to which title age cannot bring thee.

Par. What I dare too well do, I dare not do.

Laf. I did think thee, for two ordinaries', to 30be a pretty wise fellow; thou didst make tolerable vent of thy travel; it might pass: yet the scarfs, and the bannerets, about thee, did manifoldly dissuade me from believing thee a vessel of too great a burden. I have now found thee; when I lose 35 thee again, I care not; yet art thou good for nothing but taking up'; and that thou art scarce worth.

40

I must produce my power: Here, take her hand,
Proud scornful boy, unworthy this good gift;
That dost in vile misprision shackle up
My love, and her desert; that canst not dream,
We, poizing us in her defective scale,
Shall weigh thee to the beam; that wilt not know,
It is in us to plant thine honour, where
We please to have it grow: Check thy contempt:
Obey our will, which travails in thy good:
Believe not thy disdain, but presently
Do thine own fortunes that obedient right,
Which both thy duty owes, and our power
Or I will throw thee from my care for ever,
Into the staggers, and the careless lapse
Of youth and ignorance; both my revenge and 45
Loosing upon thee in the name of justice, hate,
Without all terms of pity: Speak; thine answer.
Ber. Pardon, my gracious lord; for I submit
My fancy to your eyes: When I consider,
What great creation, and what dole of honour,
Flies where you bid it, I find, that she, which late
Was in my nobler thoughts most base, is now
The praised of the king; who, so ennobled,
Is, as 'twere, born so.

King. Take her by the hand,

And tell her, she is thine: to whom I promise
A counterpoise; if not to thy estate,

50

Par. Hadst thou not the privilege of antiquity upon thee,

Laf. Do not plunge thyselftoo far in anger, lest thou hasten thy trial; which if--Lord have mercy on thee for a hen! So, my good window of lattice, fare thee well; thy casement I need not open, for I look through thee. Give me thy hand.

Par. My lord, you give me most egregious indignity.

Luf. Ay, with all my heart; and thou art worthy of it.

Par. I have not, my lord, deserv'd it. Laf. Yes, good faith, every dram of it; and I will not bate thee a scruple.

Pur. Well, I shall be wiser.

Laf. E'en as soon as thou canst, for thou hast to pull at a smack o' the contrary. If ever thou be'st 55bound in thy scarf, and beaten, thou shalt find what it is to be proud of thy bondage. I have a desire to hold my acquaintance with thee, or rather my

2

The French verb defaire (from whence our defeat) signifies to free, to d sembarrass, as well as to destroy; and in this sense, we apprehend, defeat is here used. Alluding to that species of the staggers, or the horses' apoplexy, which makes the animal dash himself with destructive violence against posts or walls. The brief is the contract of espousal, or the licence of the church, in which the especial cause shall be assigned. Ordinary here means dinner. To take up means to contradict, to call to account, as well as to pick of the ground.

4.

knowledge;

knowledge; that I may say in the default', he is a man I know.

Par. My lord, you do me most insupportable vexation.

5

Laf. I would it were hell-pains for thy sake, and my poor doing eternal: for doing, I am past, as I will by thee, in what motion age will give me leave. [Exit. Pur. Well, thou hast a son shall take this disgrace off me; scurvy, old, filthy, scurvy lord!-10 Well, I must be patient; there is no fettering of authority. I'll beat him, by my life, if I can meet him with any convenience, an he were double and double a lord. I'll have no more pity of his age, than I would have of-I'll beat him, an if I|15 could but meet him again.

Re-enter Lafeu.

Laf. Sirrah, your lord and master's marry'd, there's news for you; you have a new mistress. Par. I most unfeignedly beseech your lord-20 ship to make some reservation of your wrongs: He is my good lord: whom I serve above, is my master.

Laf. Who? God?
Par. Ay, sir.

25

Laf. The devil it is, that's thy master. Why dost thou garter upthy arms o' this fashion? dost make hose of thy sleeves? do other servants so Thou wert best set thy lower part where thy nose stands. By mine honour, if I were but two 30 hours younger, I'd beat thee: methinks, thou art a general offence, and every man should beat thee. I think, thou wast created for men to breathe themselves upon thee.

Par. This is hard and undeserved measure, 35 my lord.

Laf. Go to, sir; you were beaten in Italy for picking a kernel out of a pomegranate; you are a vagabond, and no true traveller : you are more saucy with lords, and honourable personages, 40 than the heraldry of your birth and virtue gives you commission. You are not worth another word, else I'd call you knave. I leave you. [Ex. Enter Bertram.

Par. Good, very good; it is so then.-Good, 45 very good; let it be conceal'd a while.

Ber. Undone, and forfeited to cares for ever!!
Par. What is the matter, sweet-heart?
Ber. Although before the solemn priest I have
I will not bed her.

[sworn, 50

Par. What? what, sweet-heart?
Ber. O my Parolles, they have married me:-
I'll to the Tuscan wars, and never bed her.

Par, France is a dog-hole, and it no more merits
The tread of a man's foot: to the wars!

Ber. There's letters from my mother; what the
I know not vet.
[import is,
Pur. Ay, that would be known: To the wars,
my boy, to the wars!

He wears his honour in a box unseen,
That hugs his kicksy-wicksy' here at home;
Spending his manly marrow in her arms,

Which should sustain the bound and high curvet
Ot Mars's fiery steed: To other regions!
France is a stable; we that dwell in't, jades;
Therefore, to the war.

B. r. It shall be so; I'll send her to my house,
Acquaint my mother with my hate to her,
And wherefore I am fled; write to the king
That which I durst not speak: His present gift
Shall furnish me to those Italian fields,
Where noble fellows strike War is no strife
To the dark house, and the detested wife.
Par. Will this capricio hold in thee, art sure?
Ber.Gowith me to my chamber,and advise me.
I'll send her straight away: To-morrow
I'll to the wars, she to her single sorrow.
Par. Why, these balls bound; there's noise
in it.'Tis hard;

A
young man married, is a man that's man'd:
Therefore away, and leave her bravely; go:
The king has done you wrong; but hush! 'tis
[Exeunt.

So.

SCENE IV.

Enter Helena and Clɔwn. Hel. My mother greets me kindly; Is she well? Clo. She is not well; but yet she has her health: she's very merry; but yet she's not well: but, thanks be given, she's very well, and wants nothing i' the world; but she is not well.

Hel. If she be very well, what does she ail, that she's not very well?

Clo. Truly, she's very well, indeed, but for two things.

Hel. What two things?

Clo. One, that she's not in heaven, whither God send her quickly! the other, that she's on earth, from whence God send her quickly! Enter Parolles.

Par. Bless you, my fortunate lady! Hel. I hope, sir, I have your good-will to have mine own good fortunes.

Par. You have my prayers to lead them on; and to keep them on, have them still.-O, my knave! how does my old lady?

Clo. So that you had her wrinkles, and I her money, I would she did as you say. Par. Why, I say nothing.

Clo. Marry, you are the wiser man; for many a man's tongue shakes out his master's undoing: To say nothing, to do nothing, to know nothing, and to have nothing, is to be a great part of your title: which is within a very little of nothing.

Par. Away, thou'rt a knave.

Clo. You should have said, sir, before a knave, thou art a knave; that is, before me, thou art a 55knave; this had been truth, sir.

Par. Go to, thou art a witty fool, I have found thee.

Clo. Did you find me yourself, sir? or were you taught to find me? The search, sir, was 60 profitable; and much fool may you find is you, even to the world's pleasure, and the increase of laughter.

1i. e. at a need. Doing is here used obscenely. is a made word in ridicule and disdain of a wife.

4

'Sir T. Hanmer observes, that kicksy-wicksy Probably meaning a smoky house.

Par. A good knave, i'faith, and well fed.Madam, my lord will go away to-night; A very serious business calls on him. The great prerogative and right of love, [ledge Which, asyour due, time claims, he does acknowBut puts it off by a compell'd restraint; [sweets, Whose want, and whose delay, is strew'd with| Which they distil now in the curbed time, To make the curbed hour o'erflow with joy, And pleasure drown the brim.

Hel. What's his will else?

[king,

Par. That you will take your instant leave o' the And make this haste as your own good proceeding, Strengthen'd with what apology you think, May make it probable need'.

Hel. What more commands he?

Par. That, having this obtain'd, you presently Attend his further pleasure.

Hel. In every thing I'wait upon his will.
Par. I shall report it so.

[Exit Parolles.

5

10

[blocks in formation]

Jat's

Laf. And shall do so ever, though I took him prayers. Fare you well, my lord: and believe this of me, There can be no kernel in this light nut; the soul of this man is his clothes: trust him not in matter of heavy consequence; I have kept of them tame, and know their natures.15 Farewell, mousieur: I have spoken better of you, than you have or will deserve at my hand: but we must do good against evil, Par. An idle lord, I swear.

Hel. I pray you.-Come, sirrah. [To the Clown. 20 [Exeunt.

[blocks in formation]

25

30

Laf. I have then sinned against his experience,
and transgressed against his valour; and my state 35
that way is dangerous, since I cannot yet find in
my heart to repent: Here he comes; I pray you
make us friends, I will pursue the amity.
Enter Parolles.

Par. These things shall be done, sir.
Laf. I pray you, sir, who's his taylor?

Par. Sir?

[blocks in formation]

Ber. Will she away to-night?

Par. As you'll have her.

40

45

Ber. I have writ my letters, casketed my trea-50
Given order for our horses; and to-night, [sure,
When I should take possession of the bride,--
And, ere I do begin,-

Laf. A good traveller is something at the latter
end of a dinner; but one that lies three thirds, and 55
uses a known truth to pass a thousand nothings
with, should be once heard and thrice beaten.-
God save you, captain.

Ber. Is there any unkindness between

my

lord!

2

[blocks in formation]

Hel. I have, sir, as I was commanded from you, Spoke with the king, and have procur'd his leave For present parting; only, he desires

Some private speech with you.

Ber. I shall obey his will.

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

On my particular: prepar'd I was not
For such a business; therefore am I found
So much unsettled : This drives me to intreat you,
That presently you take your way for home;
And rather muse 3, than ask, why I entreat you:
For my respects are better than they seem;
And my appointments have in them a need,
Greater than shews itself, at the first view,
To you that know them not. This to my mother.
[Giving a letter.

Twill be two days ere I shall see you; so

I leave you to your wisdom.

Hel. Sir, I can nothing say,

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

[blocks in formation]

'That is, a specious appearance of necessity. Theobald says, that this odd allusion is not introduced without a view to satire. It was a foolery practised at city entertainments, whilst the jester or zany was in vogue, for him to jump into a large deep custard, set for the purpose, to set on a quantity of barren spectators to laugh, as our poet says in his Hamlet. i, e, wonder. i. e. I own.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Flourish. Enter the Duke of Florence, two French 20
Lords, with Soldiers.

Duke. So that, from point to point, now
have you heard

The fundamental reasons of this war;

III.

sing; pick his teeth, and sing: I know a man that
had this trick of melancholy, sold a goodly manor
for a song.

means to come.
Count. Let me see what he writes, and when he

Clo. I have no mind to Isbel, since I was at court: our old ling and our Isbel's o'the country are nothing like your old ling and your Isbels 'the court: the brain of my Cupid's knock'd out;

Whose great decision hath much blood let forth, 25 and I begin to love, as an old man loves money, And more thirsts after.

[blocks in formation]

Duke. Therefore we marvel much, our cousin 30 Would, in so just a business, shut his bosom Against our borrowing prayers.

2 Lord. Good my lord,

The reasons of our state I cannot yield',
But like a common and an outward man2,
That the great figure of a council frames
By self-unable motion: therefore dare not
Say what I think of it; since I have found
Myself in my uncertain grounds to fail
As often as I guess'd.

Duke. Be it his pleasure.

[nature,

2 Lord. But I am sure the younger of our That surfeit on their ease, will, day by day, Come here for physick.

Duke. Welcome shall they be;

And all the honours, that can fly from us,

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

SCENE II.

Rousillon, in France.

Enter Countess and Clown.

[Exeunt.

Count. It hath happened all as I would have had it, save that he comes not along with her.

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

with no stomach.

Count. What have we here? Clo. E'en that you have there. [Exit. Count. [reads a letter.] "I have sent you a daughter-in-law: she hath recover'd the king, "and undone me. I have wedded her, not bed"ded her; and sworn to make the not eternal. "You shall hear, I am run away; know it, be"fore the report come. If there be breadth 35" enough in the world, I will hold a long distance. My duty to you.

Your unfortunate son,

"BERTRAM." This is not well, rash and unbridled boy, 40 To fly the favours of so good a king; To pluck his indignation on thy head, By the misprising of a maid too virtuous For the contempt of empire.

45

50

55

Count. By what observance, I pray you? Clo. Why, he will look upon his boot, and 60 sing; mend the ruff, and sing; ask questions, andi

1i. e. I cannot inform you of fellows.

Re-enter Clown.

Clo. O, madam, yonder is heavy news within, between two soldiers and my young lady.

Count. What is the matter?

Clo. Nay, there is some comfort in the news, some comfort; your son will not be killed so soon as I thought he would.

Count. Why should he be killed?

Clo. So say I, madam, if he run away, as I hear

he does: the danger is in standing to't; that's the Here they come, will tell you more: for my part, loss of men, though it be the getting of children.

I only hear, your son was run away..

Enter Helena and two Gentlemen.

1 Gen. Save you, good madam.
Hel. Madam, my lord is gone, for ever gone.
2 Gen. Do not say so.

i. e. one not in the secret of affairs.

Meaning, our young

Corent.

Count. Think upon patience.-'Pray you, gen-
tlemen,-

I have felt so many quirks of joy, and grief,
That the first face of neither, on the start, [you?|
Can woman me unto't:-Where is my son, Tpray 5
2 Gen. Madam, he's gone to serve the duke of
Florence:

We met him thitherward; for thence we came,
And, after some dispatch in hand at court,
Thither we bend again.

[passport. 10
Hel. Look on this letter, madam; here's my
"When thou canst get the ring upon my
finger, which never shall come off, and shew
me a child begotten of thy body, that I am
"father to, then call me husband; but in
"such a Then I write a Never."

[ocr errors]

This is a dreadful sentence.

Count. Brought you this letter, gentlemen?

1 Gen. Ay, inadam ;

15

Count. Not so, but as we change our courtesies.
Will you draw near?

[Exeunt Countess and Gentlemen,
Hel.'Till I have no wife. I have nothing in Irance.
Nothing in France, until he has no wife!
Thou shalt have none, Rousillon, none in France,
Then hast thou all again. Poor lord, is't i
That chase thee from thy country, and expose
Those tender limbs of thine to the event
Of the none-sparing war; and is it I
That drive thee from the sportive court, where thou
Wast shot at with fair eyes, to be the mark

Of smoky muskets? Oyou leaden messengers,
That ride upon the violent speed of fire,
Fly with false aim; move the still-piercing air
That sings with piercing, do not touch
ford!
my
Whoever shoots at him, I set him there;
Whoever charges on his forward breast:
I am the caitff, that do hold him to it;

And, for the contents' sake, are sorry for our pains. 20 And though I kill him not. I am the cause

Count. I pr'ythee, lady, have a better cheer;

If thou engrossest, all the griefs are thine,
Thou robb'st me of a moiety: He was my son;
But I'do wash his name out of my blood, [he?
And thou art all my child.-Towards Florence is 25
2 Gen. Ay, madam.

Count. And to be a soldier?

2 Gen. Such is his noble purpose: and, believe't,
The duke will lay upon him all the honour
That good convenience claims.
Count. Return you thither?

[speed.

1 Gen. Ay, madam, with the swiftest wing of Hel. ""Till I have no wife, I have nothing in "France."

"Tis bitter.

Count. Find you that there?

Hel. Ay, madam.

His death was so effected: better 'twere,

I met the ravin lion when he roar'd
With sharp constraint of hunger; better 'twere,
That all the miseries, which nature owes,
Were mine at once: No, come thou home, Rousil
Whence honour but of danger wins a scar; [lon,
As oft it loses all; I will be gone:

My being here it is, that holds thee hence;
Shall I stay here to do't? no, no, although
30 The air of paradise did fan the house,
And angels offic'd all: I will be
gone;
That pitiful rumour may report my flight,
To consolate thine ear. Come, night; end, day!
For, with the dark, poor thief, I'll steal away.[Exit.
SCENE III.

[Reading. 35
[which

1 Gen. "Tis but the boldness of his hand, haply, His heart was not consenting to.

Count. Nothing in France, until he have no wife! 40
There's nothing here, that is too good for him,
But only she: and she deserves a lord,
That twenty such rude boys might tend upon,
And call her hourly, mistress. Who was with him?
1 Gen. A servant only, and a gentleman
Which I have some time known.

Count. Parolles, was't not?

1 Gen. Ay, my good lady, he.

Count. A very tainted fellow, and full of wick

[blocks in formation]

45 A charge too heavy for my strength; but yet We'll strive to bear it for your worthy sake, To the extreme edge of hazard.

Duke. Then go forth;

And fortune play upon thy prosperous helm,

My son corrupts a well-derived nature [edness: 50 As thy auspicious mistress!

With his inducement.

1 Gen. Indeed, good lady,

The fellow has a deal of that, too much,

Which holds him much to have 2.

Count. You are welcome, gentlemen.

Iwill entreat you, when you see my son,
To tell him that his sword can never win

The honour that he loses more I'll entreat you
Written to bear along.

2 Gen. We serve you, madam,

In that and all your worthiest affairs.

55

Br. This very day,

Great Mars, I put myself into thy file:
Make me but like my thoughts; and I shall prove
A lover of thy drum, hater of love.

SCENE IV.

Rosillon, in France.

Enter Countess and Steward.

[Exeunt

Count. Alas! and would you take the letter ofher? 60 Might younot know, she would do as she has done, By sending me a letter? Read it again.

That is, when thou canst get the ring, which is on my finger, into thy possession. vices stand him in stead. 3. e. the air that closes immediately.

[blocks in formation]
« ZurückWeiter »