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 shall ba't save your word.

Par. My name, my good lord, is Parolles. Laf. You beg more than one word then. Cox' my passion! give me your hand :-How does 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.

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. [Trumpets sound.] The king's coming, i know by bis trumpets.-Sirrah, inquire further after me; I had talk of you last night: though you are a fool and a kuave, you shall eat; go tu, follow.

Par. I praise God for you.
[Exeunt.
SCENE III.-The same.-A Room in the
COUNTESS' Palace.

Flourish. Enter KING, COUNTESS, LAFEU,
LORDS, GENTLEMEN, Guards, &c.
King. We lost a jewel of her; and our es-

teem +

Was made inuch poorer by it: but your son,
As mad in folly, lack'd the sense to know
Her estimation home.

Count. 'Tis past, my liege:

And I beseech your majesty to make it
Natural rebellion, done i'the blaze 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;

Though 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 lost a wife,
Whose beauty did astonish the survey

Of richest eyes; whose words all ears took captive;

Whose dear perfection, hearts that scorn'd to

For thou may'st see a sun-shine and a bail
In me at once: But to the brightest beams
Distracted clouds give way; so stand thou forth,
The time is fair again.

Ber. My high-repented blames,⚫
Dear sovereign pardon to me.

King. All is whole;

Not one word more of the consumed time.
Let's take the instant by the forward top;
For we are old, and on our quick'st decrees
The inaudible and noiseless foot of time
Steals ere we can effect them: You remember
The daughter of this lord?

Ber. Admiringly, my liege: at first

I stuck my choice upon her, ere my heart
Durst make too bold a herald of my tongue :
Where the impression of mine eye infixing,
Contempt his scornful perspective did lend me,
Which warp'd the line of every other favour;
Scorn'd a fair colour, or express'd it stoi'u;
Extended or contracted all proportions,
To a most hideous object: Thence it came,
That she, whom all men prais'd, and whom
myself,

Since I have lost, bave lov'd, was in mine eye
The dust that did offend it.
King. Well excus'd;

That thou didst love her, strikes some scores away

From the great compt: But love, that comes too late,

Like a remorseful pardon slowly carried,
To the great sender turns a sour offence,
Crying, That's good that's gone our rash

faults

Make trivial price of serious things we have,
Not knowing them, until we know their grave.
Oft our displeasures to ourselves unjust,
Destroy our friends, and after weep their dust:
Our own love waking cries to see what's doue,
While shameful hate sleeps out the afternoon.
Be this sweet Helen's knell, and now forget
her.

Send forth your amorous token for fair Maudlin :
The main consents are bad; and here we'll stay
To see our widower's second marriage-day.

Count. Which better than the first, O dear

eye,

While I was speaking, oft was fasten'd to't.-
This ring was mine; and, when I gave it Helen,
I bade her, if her fortunes ever stood
Necessitied to help, that by this token

I would relieve her: Had you that craft, to reave her

Of what should stead her most?

Ber. My gracious sovereign, Howe'er it pleases you to take it so, The ring was never ber's.

Count. Son, on my life,

I have seen her wear it; and she reckou'd it
At her life's rate.

Laf. I am sure, I saw her wear it.

Ber. You are deceiv'd, my lord, she never saw it :

In Florence was it from a casement thrown me, Wrapp'd in a paper, which contain'd the name Of her that threw it: noble she was, and thought

I stood engag'd: † but when I had subscrib'd

Faults repented of to the utmost. In the sense of unengaged.

And yet I know not :-thou didst hate deadly,

her

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.-Away with
him ;-

We'll sift this matter further.

Ber. If you shall prove

This ring was ever her's, you shall as easy
Prove that I husbanded her bed in Florence,
Where yet she never was.

(Exit BERTRAM, guarded.

Enter a GENTLEMAN.

King. I am wrapp'd in dismal thinkings.
Gent. Gracious sovereign,

Whether I have been to blame, or no, I know

not;

Here's a petition from a Florentine,

Who hath, for four or five removes, come short
To tender it herself. I undertook it,
Vanquish'd thereto by the fair grace and speech
Of the poor suppliant, who by this, I know,
Is here attending; her business looks in her
With an importing visage; and she told me,
In a sweet verbal brief, it did concern
Your highness with herself.

King. [Reads.] Upon his many protestations to marry me, when his wife was dead, I blush to say it, he won me. Now is the count Rousillon a widower; his vows are forfeited He to me, and my honour's paid to him. stole from Florence, taking no leave, and I follow him to his country for justice: Grant it me, O king; in you it best lies: otherwise a seducer flourishes, and a poor maid is undone. DIANA CAPULET. Laf. I will buy me a son-in-law in a fair, and toll him for this, I'll none of him.

King. The heavens bave thought well on thee,
Lafeu,

To bring forth this discovery.-Seek these sui

fors :

Go, speedily, and bring again the count.

[Exeunt GENTLEMAN, and some attend

Count. Now, justice on the doers! Enter BERTRAM, guarded.

King. I wonder, Sir, since wives are monsters to you,

And that you fly them as you swear them lordship,

Yet you desire to marry.-What woman's that? Re-enter GENTLEMAN, with WIDOW, and

DIANA.

Dia. I am, my lord, a wretched Florentine,
Derived from the ancient Capulet;
My suit, as I do understand, you know,
And therefore know how far I may be pitied.
Wid. I am her mother, Sir, whose age and
honour

Both suffer under this complaint we bring,
And both shall cease without your remedy.
King. Come hither, count; Do you know
these women?

Ber. My lord, I neither can nor will deny But that I know them: Do they charge me further?

Dia. Why do you look so strange upon your wife ?

Ber. She's none of mine, my lord.
Dia. If you shall marry,

You give away this hand, and that is mine;
You give away heaven's vows, and those are

mine;

You give away myself, which is known mine;
For I by vow am so embodied your's,
That she, which marries you, must marry me,
Either both or none.

Laf. Your reputation [To BERTRAM.] comes too short for my daughter, you are no husband for her.

Ber. My lord, this is a fond and desperate creature,

Whom sometime I have laugh'd with: let your highness

Lay a more noble thought upon mine honour, Than for to think that i would sink it here.

King. Sir, for my thoughts, you have them ill to friend,

Till your deeds gain them: Fairer prove your honour,

Than in my thought it lies!

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. + Dia. He does me wrong, my lord; if I were

80,

He might have bought me at a common price.
Do not believe him: Ob! behold this ring,
Whose high respect, and rich validity,
Did lack a parallel; yet, for all that,
He gave it to a commoner o'the camp,
If I be one.

Count. He blushes, and 'tis it:
Of six preceding ancestors, that gem
Conferr'd by testament to the sequent issue,
Hath it been ow'd and worn. This is his wife;
That ring's a thousand proofs.

King. Methought, you said,
You saw one here in court could witness it.
Dia. I did, my lord, but loath am to pro-
duce

So bad an instrument! his name's Parolles.
Laf. I saw the man to-day, if man be he.
King. Find him, and bring him hither.
Ber. What of him?

He's quoted for a most perfidious slave,
With all the spots o'the world tax'd and de-

bosh'd;

Whose nature sickens, but to speak a truth: Am I or that, or this, for what he'll utter, That will speak any thing?

• Decease, die.

+ Gamester when applied to a female, then meant a common woman. * Value. Noted.

Debauched.

King. She bath that ring of your's.

Ber. I think, she has certain it is, I lik'd her,

And boarded her i'the wanton way of youth:
She knew her distance, and did angle for me,
Madding my eagerness with her restraint,
As all impediments in fancy's course
Are motives of more fancy; and, in fine,
Her insuit coming with her modern grace, t
Subdued me to her rate: she got the ring;
And I had that, which any inferior might
At market-price have bought.

Dia. I must be patient;

You, that turn'd off a first so noble wife,
May justly diet me. I pray you yet,

(Since you lack virtue, I will lose a husband,)
Send for your ring, I will return it home,
And give me mine again.

charge you,

Not fearing the displeasure of your master, (Which, on your just proceeding, I'll keep off,) By him, and by this woman here, what know you?

Par. So please your majesty, my master hath been an honourable gentleman; tricks he hath had in him, which gentlemen have.

King. Come, come, to the purpose: Did he love this woman?

Par. 'Faith, Sir, he did love her; But how? King. How, pray you?

Par. He did love her, Sir, as a gentleman loves a woman.

King. How is that?

Par. He loved her, Sir, and loved her not. King. As thou art a knave, and no knave :What an equivocal companion is this!

Par. I am a poor man, and at your majesty's command.

Laf. He's a good drum, my lord, but a naughty

Par. 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 talked of Satan, and of limbo, and of furies, and I know not what: yet I was in that credit with them at that time, and I knew of their going to bed; and of other motions, as promising ber marriage, and things that would derive me ill will to speak of, therefore I will not speak what I know.

King. Thou hast spoken all already, unless thou canst say they are married: But thou art too fine in thy evidence: therefore staud aside.This ring, you say, was your's?

Dia. Ay, my good lord.

King. Where did you buy it; or who gave it you?

Dia. It was not given me, nor I did not

buy it.

King. Who lent it you?

Dia. It was not lent me neither.
King. Where did you find it then?
Dia. I found it not.

King. If it were your's by none of all these ways,

How could you give it him?

Dia. I never gave it him. Laf. This woman's an easy glove, my lord; she goes off and on at pleasure.

King. This ring was mine, I gave it his first

wife.

Dia. It might be your's, or her's, for aught I know.

:

King. Take her away, I do not like her now; To prison with her and away with him.Unless thou tell'st me where thou had'st this ring,

Thon diest within this hour.

Dia. I'll never tell you.

King. Take her away.

Dia. I'll put in bail, my liege.

King. I think thee now some common custo.

mer..

Dia. By Jove, if ever I knew man, 'twas you.

King. Wherefore bast thou accus'd him all this while ?

Dia.

Because he's guilty, and he is not guilty;

He knows I am no maid, and he'll swear to't: I'll swear I am a maid, and he knows not. Great king, I am no strumpet, by my life;

I am either maid, or else this old man's wife. [Pointing to LAPKU. King. She does abuse our ears; to prison with her.

Dia. Good mother, fetch my bail.-Stay, royal Sir; [Exit WIDOW. The jeweller, that owes + the ring, is sent for, And he shall surety me. But for this lord, Who hath abus'd ine, as he knows himself, Though yet he never harm'd me, here I quit

bim:

He knows himself, my bed he hath defil'd ;
And at that time he got his wife with child:
Dead though she be, she feels her young one

kick;

So there's my riddle, One, that's dead, is quick :
And now behold the meaning.

Re-enter WIDOW, with HELENA.
King. Is there no exorcist
Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes?
Is't real, that I see?

Hel. No, my good lord;

'Tis but the shadow of a wife you see, The name and not the thing.

Ber. Both, both; O pardon!

Hel. O my good lord, when I was like this maid,

found you wond'rous kind. There is your

I'll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly.
Hel. If it appear not plain, and prove un-
true,
Deadly divorce step between me and you!-
O my dear mother, do I see you living?

Laf. Mine eyes smell onions, I shall weep anon:-Good Tom Drum, [70 PAROLLES.] lend me a bandkerchief: So, I thank thee: wait on

To make the even truth in pleasure flow :If thou be'st yet a fresh uncropped flower, [To DIANA.

Advancing.

All is well ended, if this suit be won,
The king's a beggar, now the play is done :

That you express content; which we will pay,

With strife to please you, day exceeding day:

dower;

For I can guess, that, by thy honest aid,
Thou kept'st a wife herself, thyself a maid:-
Of that, and all the progress, more and less,
Resolvedly more leisure shall express :
All let seems well; and, if it end so meet,
The bitter past, more welcome is the sweet.
[Flourish.

parts;

Your gentle hands lend us, and take our hearts.

[Exeunt.

1. e. Hear us without interruption, and take our Farts, support and defend us.