For speedy aid; wherein our dearest friend
Prejudicates the business and would seem
To have us make denial.

First Lord.

His love and wisdom,

Approved so to your majesty, may plead
For amplest credence.

King.
He hath arm'd our answer,
And Florence is denied before he comes:
Yet, for our gentlemen that mean to see
The Tuscan service, freely have they leave
To stand on either part.

Sec. Lord.

It well may serve

A nursery to our gentry, who are sick
For breathing and exploit.

10

King.

What's he comes here?

Enter BERTRAM, LAFEU, and Parolles.

First Lord. It is the Count Rousillon, my good

lord,

Young Bertram.

King.

Youth, thou bear'st thy father's face;
Frank nature, rather curious than in haste,
Hath well composed thee. Thy father's moral
parts

Mayst thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris.

Ber. My thanks and duty are your majesty's. King. I would I had that corporal soundness now, As when thy father and myself in friendship First tried our soldiership! He did look far Into the service of the time and was Discipled of the bravest : he lasted long ; But on us both did haggish age steal on

ful.

17. breathing, exercise.

20. curious, minutely care

20

26. he did look far into the service of the time, had keen insight in the affairs of war.

And wore us out of act. It much repairs me
To talk of your good father. In his youth
He had the wit which I can well observe
To-day in our young lords; but they may jest
Till their own scorn return to them unnoted
Ere they can hide their levity in honour:
So like a courtier, contempt nor bitterness
Were in his pride or sharpness; if they were,
His equal had awaked them, and his honour,
Clock to itself, knew the true minute when
Exception bid him speak, and at this time
His tongue obey'd his hand: who were below him
He used as creatures of another place

And bow'd his eminent top to their low ranks,
Making them proud of his humility,

In their poor praise he humbled.

Such a man

Might be a copy to these younger times;

Which, follow'd well, would demonstrate them now But goers backward.

Ber.

His good remembrance, sir,

Lies richer in your thoughts than on his tomb;
So in approof lives not his epitaph

As in your royal speech.

King. Would I were with him! He would
always say-

Methinks I hear him now; his plausive words
He scatter'd not in ears, but grafted them,

30. act, active service.

36. So like a courtier, he was so like a true courtier, that neither contempt nor bitterness, etc.

40. Exception, contradiction. 41. his hand, its (i.e. the clock's).

42. i.e. he treated them with the ceremonious politeness due to strangers.

VOL. III

30

40

50

45. In their poor praise he humbled, he himself being humbled by receiving their praise, as they were honoured by his condescension. But the reading is not altogether satisfactory.

50. in approof, in general recognition.

129

53. plausive, winning.

K

To grow there and to bear,-'Let me not live,'—
This his good melancholy oft began,

On the catastrophe and heel of pastime,
When it was out,-'Let me not live,' quoth he,
'After my flame lacks oil, to be the snuff
Of younger spirits, whose apprehensive senses
All but new things disdain; whose judgements are
Mere fathers of their garments; whose constancies
Expire before their fashions.' This he wish'd:
I after him do after him wish too,

Since I nor wax nor honey can bring home,
I quickly were dissolved from my hive,

To give some labourers room.

Sec. Lord.

You are loved, sir;

They that least lend it you shall lack you first.
King. I fill a place, I know 't. How long is 't,

count,

Since the physician at your father's died?

He was much famed.

Ber.
Some six months since, my lord.
King. If he were living, I would try him yet.
Lend me an arm; the rest have worn me out
With several applications: nature and sickness
Debate it at their leisure.

My son's no dearer.
Ber.

Welcome, count;

Thank your majesty.

59. to be the snuff of younger spirits, to be regarded as a worn-out old man by the young.

60. apprehensive, easily im

[Exeunt. Flourish.

pressed.

60

70

74. With several applications, with a succession of different treatments.

SCENE III. Rousillon. The COUNT'S palace.

Enter COUNTESS, Steward, and Clown.

Count. I will now hear; what say you of this gentlewoman?

Stew. Madam, the care I have had to even your content, I wish might be found in the calendar of my past endeavours; for then we wound our modesty and make foul the clearness of our deservings, when of ourselves we publish them.

Get you

Count. What does this knave here? gone, sirrah: the complaints I have heard of you I do not all believe: 'tis my slowness that I do 10 not; for I know you lack not folly to commit them, and have ability enough to make such knaveries yours.

Clo. 'Tis not unknown to you, madam, I am a poor fellow.

Count. Well, sir.

Clo. No, madam, 'tis not so well that I am poor, though many of the rich are damned: but, if I may have your ladyship's good will to go to the world, Isbel the woman and I will do as we may.

Count. Wilt thou needs be a beggar?

Clo. I do beg your good will in this case.
Count. In what case?

Clo. In Isbel's case and mine own.

Service is

no heritage and I think I shall never have the blessing of God till I have issue o' my body; for they say barns are blessings.

3. even your content, completely content you.

19. go to the world, be married.

20

28. barns. The later Folios attempt to render the quibble more obvious by printing

'bearns.'

Count. Tell me thy reason why thou wilt marry. Clo. My poor body, madam, requires it: I am 30 driven on by the flesh; and he must needs go that the devil drives.

Count. Is this all your worship's reason?

Clo. Faith, madam, I have other holy reasons, such as they are.

Count. May the world know them?

Clo. I have been, madam, a wicked creature, as you and all flesh and blood are; and, indeed, I do marry that I may repent.

Count. Thy marriage, sooner than thy wicked

ness.

Clo. I am out o' friends, madam; and I hope to have friends for my wife's sake.

40

Count. Such friends are thine enemies, knave. Clo. You're shallow, madam, in great friends; for the knaves come to do that for me which I am aweary of. He that ears my land spares my team and gives me leave to in the crop; if I be his cuckold, he's my drudge: he that comforts my wife is the cherisher of my flesh and blood; he 50 that cherishes my flesh and blood loves my flesh and blood; he that loves my flesh and blood is my friend: ergo, he that kisses my wife is my friend. If men could be contented to be what they are, there were no fear in marriage; for young Charbon the puritan and old Poysam the papist, howsome'er their hearts are severed in religion, their heads are both one; they may joul horns together, like any deer i' the herd.

45. are shallow in, have slight comprehension of.

47. ears, ploughs.

48. to in, to get in, harvest. 55. Charbon

Poysam.

These names possibly stand for 'Chairbonne' and 'Poisson,' 'alluding to the respective lenten fare of the Puritan and the Papist.'

58. joul, dash.