to you, when I have held familiarity with fresher clothes: but I am now, sir, muddy'd in fortune's moat, and smell somewhat strong of her strong displeasure. Clo. Truly, fortune's displeasure is but sluttish, 5 if it smell so strongly as thou speak'st of: I will henceforth eat no fish of fortune's buttering. Pr'ythee, allow the wind'. Par. Nay, you need not stop your nose, sir; I spake but by a metaphor. Clo. Indeed, sir, if your metaphor stink, I will stop my nose; or against any man's metaphor. Pr'ythee, get thee further. Par. Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper. Clo. Foh! pr'ythee, stand away; A paper from fortune's close-stool to give to a nobleman! Look, here he comes himself. Enter Lafcu. Here is a pur of fortune's, sir, or of fortune's cat, (but not a musk-cat) that has fallen into the unclean fishpond of her displeasure, and, as he says, is muddy'd withal: Pray you, sir, use the carp as you may; for he looks like a poor, decay'd, ingenious, foolish, rascally knave. I do pity his distress in my smiles of comfort, and leave him to your lordship. [Exit Clown. Par. My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly scratch'd. Flourish. Enter King, Countess, Lafeu, Lords, King. We lost a jewel of her; and our esteem 15 Count. 'Tis past, my liege: And I beseech your majesty to make it King. My honour'd lady, I have forgiven and forgotten all: 20 Though my revenges were high bent upon him, And watch'd the time to shoot. 25 30 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 she should scratch you, who of herself is a good lady, and would not have knaves thrive long under her: 35 There's a quart d'ecu for you: Let 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 Par. My name, my good lord, is Parolles. 40 Laf. This I must say, But first I beg my pardon.-The young lord Of richest eyes; whose words all ears took captive; King. Praising what is lost, [hither;- Gent. I shall, my liege. ness. King. Then shall we have a match. I have let Cox'my passion; give me your hand:-How does 45 That set him high in fame. your drum? Par. O my good lord, you were the first_that found me. Laf. Was I, in sooth? and I was the first that lost thee. Par. It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace, for you did bring me out. Enter Bertram. King. I am not a day of season, For thou may'st see a sun-shine and a hail 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 55 out. [Sound trumpets.] The king's coming, I know by his trumpets-Sirrah, inquire further after me; I had talk of you last night: though| 2 Ber. My high-repented blames, Not one word more of the consumed time. That is, stand to the windward of me. The meaning is, I testify my pity for his distress, by encouraging him with a gracious smile. A quibble is intended on the word Paroles, which in French is plural, and signifies words. * Esteem here means reckoning or estimate. i. e. completely, in its full extent. i. e. in the spring of early life, when the man is yet green. Oil and fire suit but ill with blude, and therefore Dr. Warburton reads, blaze of youth. The inaudible and noiseless foot of time Ber. Admiringly, my liege: At first King. Well excus'd: [late, That thou dost love her, strikes some scores away As she had made the overture, she ceas'd, In heavy satisfaction, and would never Receive the ring again. King. Plutus himself, 5 That knows the tinct 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, 10 Confess 'twas hers, and by what rough enforcement You got it from her: she call'd the saints to surety, That she would never put it from her finger, Unless she gave it to yourself in bed, (Where you have never come) or sent it us 15 Upon her great disaster. 20 25 30 Laf. Come on, my son, in whom my house's I saw upon her finger. Ber. Her's it was not. [eye, 40 King. Now, pray you, let me see it; for mine [her I would relieve her: Had you that craft, to reave Of what should stead her most? Ber. My gracious sovereign, Howe'er it pleases you to take it so, The ring was never her's. Count. Son, on my life, I have seen her wear it; and she reckoned it Laf. I am sure, I saw her wear it. [it: Ber. You are deceived, my lord, she never saw In Florence was it from a casement thrown me, Wrapp'd in a paper which contain❜d the name 50 55 King. Thou speak'st it falsely, as I love mine And mak'st conjectural fears to come unto me, Which I would fain shut out: If it should prove. That thou art so inhuman,-'twill not prove so;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 see this ring.-Take him away. [Guards seize Bertram. My fore-past proofs, howe'er the matter fall, Shall tax my fears of little vanity, Having vainly fear'd too little.-Awaywith him ; We'll sift this matter further. Ber. If you shall prove This ring was ever her's, you shall as easy King. I am wrapp'd in dismal thinkings. Whether I have been to blame, or no, I know not; Who hath for four or five removes', come short Laf. I will buy me a son-in-law in a fair, and Of her that threw it: noble she was, and thought CO toll him: for this, I'll none of him. Removes are journies or post-stages. Alluding to buying horses in fairs, and paying toll for them to prove they were honestly come by. Enter Enter Bertram, guarded. I am afeard, the life of Helen, lady, Count. Now, justice on the doers! [you, Dia. I am, my lord, a wretched Florentine, women? 5 10 Luf. I saw the man to-day, if man he be. He's quoted for a most perfidious slave, King. She hath that ring of yours. Ber. I think, she has : certain it is, I lik'd her, Ber. My lord, I neither can nor will deny Dia. If you shall marry, You give away this hand, and that is mine; Dia. I must be patient ; You, that turn'd off a first so noble wife, You give away heaven's vows, and those are mine; 25 And give me mine again. You give away myself, which is known mine; That she, which marries you, must marry me, Laf. Your reputation comes too short for my 30 highness Till your deeds gain them: Fairer prove your ho- Dia. Good my lord, Ask him upon his oath, if he does think He had not my virginity. King. What say'st thou to her? Ber. She's impudent, my lord; And was a common gamester to the camp. Count. He blushes, and 'tis it: Of six preceding ancestors, that gem Conferr'd by testament to the sequent issue, King, Methought you said, You saw one here in court could witness it. Dia. I did, my lord, but loth am to produce So bad an instrument; his name's Paroll, s. 35 40 Ber. I have it not. King. What ring was yours, I pray you? [late. King. Know you this ring? this ring was his of Dia. I have spoke the truth. [him Ber. My lord, I do confess the ring was hers. King. Tell me, sirrah, but tell me true, I charge Par. So please your majesty, my master hath 45been an honourable gentleman; tricks he hath uad in him, which gentlemen have. King. Cone, come, to the purpose; Did he love this woman? Par. 'Faith, sir, he did love her: But how? 50 King. How, I pray you? Par. He did love her, sir, as a gentleman loves That is, decease, die. i. e. value. Quoted has the same sense as noted. See note 3, p. 13. i. e. only to speak a truth. King. But wilt thou not speak all thou know'st? Pur. Yes, so please your majesty! I did go between them, as I said; but more than that, he loved her, for, indeed, he was mad for her, and talk'd of Satan and of limbo, and of furies, and 15 know not what: yet I was in that credit with them at that time, that I knew of their going to bed;| and of other motions, as promising her marriage, and things that would derive me ill will to speak of, therefore I will not speak what I know. King. Thou hast spoken already, unless thou canst say they are marry'd: But thou art too fine' in thy evidence; therefore stand aside.-This ring, you say, was yours? Dia. Ay, my good lord. King. Where did you buy it? or who gave it you? Dia. It was not given me, nor did I buy it. Dia. It was not lent me neither. King. Where did you find it then? Dia. I found it not. King. If it were yours by none of all these ways, How could you give it hini? Dia. I never gave it him. Laf. This woman's an easy glove, my lord; she goes off and on at pleasure. King. The ring was mine, I gave it his first wife. Dia. I'll never tell you. Dia. I'll put in bail, my liege. King. I think thee now some common customer2. Dia. Because he's guilty, and he is not guilty; [Pointing to Lafeu. King. She does abuse our ears; to prison with her. Dia. Good mother, fetch my bail.-Stay, royal [Exit Widow. sir: The jeweller, that owes the ring, is sent for, 1 Though yet he never harm'd me, here I quit him: Re-enter Widow, with Helena. 15 Hel. No, my good lord; is but a shadow of a wife you see, The name, and not the thing. Ber. Both, both; oh, pardon! [maid, Hel. Oh, my good lord, when I was like this I found you wond'rous kind. There is your ring, And, look you, here's your letter; This it says, When from my finger you can get this ring, And are by me with child, &c.—This is done : 20 Will you be mine, now you are doubly won? Ber. If she, my liege, can make me know this clearly, 25 30 I'll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly. Hel, If it appear not plain, and prove untrue, [To the Countess. Lof. Mine eyes smell onions, I shall weep anon. -Good Tom Drum, lend me a handkerchief; [to Parolles.] So, I thank thee: wait on me home, I'll make sport with thee: Let thy courtesies alone, they are scurvy ones. King. Let us from point to point this story know, [To Diana. 45 The king's a beggar, now the play is done: Too fine, here means full of finesse; too artful. This word is used not very properly for enchanter. ? i, e. a common woman. [Exeunt. 3 i. e. owns. |