The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, William Shakespeare [book recommendations based on other books txt] 📗

man of his wife, and do his service.

LAFEU. So you were a knave at his service, indeed.

CLOWN. And I would give his wife my bauble, sir, to do her service.

LAFEU. I will subscribe for thee; thou art both knave and fool.

CLOWN. At your service.

LAFEU. No, no, no.

CLOWN. Why, sir, if I cannot serve you, I can serve as great a prince as you are.

LAFEU. Who’s that? A Frenchman?

CLOWN. Faith, sir, ‘a has an English name; but his fisnomy is more hotter in France than there.

LAFEU. What prince is that?

CLOWN. The Black Prince, sir; alias, the Prince of Darkness; alias, the devil.

LAFEU. Hold thee, there’s my purse. I give thee not this to suggest thee from thy master thou talk’st of; serve him still.

CLOWN. I am a woodland fellow, sir, that always loved a great fire; and the master I speak of ever keeps a good fire. But, sure, he is the prince of the world; let his nobility remain in’s court. I am for the house with the narrow gate, which I take to be too little for pomp to enter. Some that humble themselves may; but the many will be too chill and tender: and they’ll be for the flow’ry way that leads to the broad gate and the great fire.

LAFEU. Go thy ways, I begin to be aweary of thee; and I tell thee so before, because I would not fall out with thee. Go thy ways; let my horses be well look’d to, without any tricks.

CLOWN. If I put any tricks upon ‘em, sir, they shall be jades’

tricks, which are their own right by the law of nature.

Exit

LAFEU. A shrewd knave, and an unhappy.

COUNTESS. So ‘a is. My lord that’s gone made himself much sport out of him. By his authority he remains here, which he thinks is a patent for his sauciness; and indeed he has no pace, but runs where he will.

LAFEU. I like him well; ‘tis not amiss. And I was about to tell you, since I heard of the good lady’s death, and that my lord your son was upon his return home, I moved the King my master to speak in the behalf of my daughter; which, in the minority of them both, his Majesty out of a self-gracious remembrance did first propose. His Highness hath promis’d me to do it; and, to stop up the displeasure he hath conceived against your son, there is no fitter matter. How does your ladyship like it?

COUNTESS. With very much content, my lord; and I wish it happily effected.

LAFEU. His Highness comes post from Marseilles, of as able body as when he number’d thirty; ‘a will be here tomorrow, or I am deceiv’d by him that in such intelligence hath seldom fail’d.

COUNTESS. It rejoices me that I hope I shall see him ere I die.

I have letters that my son will be here tonight. I shall beseech your lordship to remain with me tal they meet together.

LAFEU. Madam, I was thinking with what manners I might safely be admitted.

COUNTESS. You need but plead your honourable privilege.

LAFEU. Lady, of that I have made a bold charter; but, I thank my God, it holds yet.

 

Re-enter CLOWN

 

CLOWN. O madam, yonder’s my lord your son with a patch of velvet on’s face; whether there be a scar under ‘t or no, the velvet knows; but ‘tis a goodly patch of velvet. His left cheek is a cheek of two pile and a half, but his right cheek is worn bare.

LAFEU. A scar nobly got, or a noble scar, is a good liv’ry of honour; so belike is that.

CLOWN. But it is your carbonado’d face.

LAFEU. Let us go see your son, I pray you; I long to talk with the young noble soldier.

CLOWN. Faith, there’s a dozen of ‘em, with delicate fine hats, and most courteous feathers, which bow the head and nod at every man.

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ACT V. SCENE 1.

Marseilles. A street

 

Enter HELENA, WIDOW, and DIANA, with two ATTENDANTS

 

HELENA. But this exceeding posting day and night Must wear your spirits low; we cannot help it.

But since you have made the days and nights as one, To wear your gentle limbs in my affairs, Be bold you do so grow in my requital As nothing can unroot you.

 

Enter a GENTLEMAN

 

In happy time!

This man may help me to his Majesty’s ear, If he would spend his power. God save you, sir.

GENTLEMAN. And you.

HELENA. Sir, I have seen you in the court of France.

GENTLEMAN. I have been sometimes there.

HELENA. I do presume, sir, that you are not fall’n 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.

GENTLEMAN. What’s your will?

HELENA. 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.

GENTLEMAN. The King’s not here.

HELENA. Not here, sir?

GENTLEMAN. Not indeed.

He hence remov’d last night, and with more haste Than is his use.

WIDOW. Lord, how we lose our pains!

HELENA. All’s Well That Ends Well yet,

Though time seem so adverse and means unfit.

I do beseech you, whither is he gone?

GENTLEMAN. Marry, as I take it, to Rousillon; Whither I am going.

HELENA. I do beseech you, sir,

Since you are like to see the King before me, Commend the 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.

GENTLEMAN. This I’ll do for you.

HELENA. And you shall find yourself to be well thank’d, Whate’er falls more. We must to horse again; Go, go, provide. Exeunt

ACT V SCENE 2.

Rousillon. The inner court of the COUNT’S palace Enter CLOWN and PAROLLES

 

PAROLLES. Good Monsieur Lavache, give my Lord Lafeu this letter. I have ere now, sir, been better known to you, when I have held familiarity with fresher clothes; but I am now, sir, muddied in Fortune’s mood, and smell somewhat strong of her strong displeasure.

CLOWN. Truly, Fortune’s displeasure is but sluttish, if it smell so strongly as thou speak’st of. I will henceforth eat no fish of Fortune’s butt’ring. Prithee, allow the wind.

PAROLLES. Nay, you need not to stop your nose, sir; I spake but by a metaphor.

CLOWN. Indeed, sir, if your metaphor stink, I will stop my nose; or against any man’s metaphor. Prithee, get thee further.

PAROLLES. Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper.

CLOWN. Foh! prithee stand away. A paper from Fortune’s close-stool to give to a nobleman! Look here he comes himself.

 

Enter LAFEU

 

Here is a pur of Fortune’s, sir, or of Fortune’s cat, but not a musk-cat, that has fall’n into the unclean fishpond 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, rascally knave. I do pity his distress in my similes of comfort, and leave him to your lordship.

Exit

PAROLLES. My lord, I am a man whom Fortune hath cruelly scratch’d.

LAFEU. And what would you have me to do? ‘Tis too late to pare her nails now. Wherein have you played 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? There’s a cardecue for you. Let the justices make you and Fortune friends; I am for other business.

PAROLLES. I beseech your honour to hear me one single word.

LAFEU. You beg a single penny more; come, you shall ha’t; save your word.

PAROLLES. My name, my good lord, is Parolles.

LAFEU. You beg more than word then. Cox my passion! give me your hand. How does your drum?

PAROLLES. O my good lord, you were the first that found me.

LAFEU. Was I, in sooth? And I was the first that lost thee.

PAROLLES. It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace, for you did bring me out.

LAFEU. Out upon thee, knave! Dost thou put upon me at once both the office of God and the devil? One brings the in grace, and the other brings thee out. [Trumpets sound] The King’s coming; I know by his trumpets. Sirrah, inquire further after me; I had talk of you last night. Though you are a fool and a knave, you shall eat. Go to; follow.

PAROLLES. I praise God for you. Exeunt

ACT V SCENE 3.

Rousillon. The COUNT’S palace

 

Flourish. Enter KING, COUNTESS, LAFEU, the two FRENCH LORDS, with ATTENDANTS

 

KING. We lost a jewel of her, and our esteem Was made much poorer by it; but your son, As mad in folly, lack’d the sense to know Her estimation home.

COUNTESS. ‘Tis past, my liege;

And I beseech your Majesty to make it Natural rebellion, done i’ th’ 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.

LAFEU. 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 serve Humbly call’d mistress.

KING. Praising what is lost

Makes the remembrance dear. Well, call him hither; We are 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 do we bury

Th’ incensing relics of it; let him approach, A stranger, no offender; and inform him So ‘tis our will he should.

GENTLEMAN. I shall, my liege. Exit GENTLEMAN

KING. What says he to your daughter? Have you spoke?

LAFEU. All that he is hath reference to your Highness.

KING. Then shall we have a match. I have letters sent me That sets him high in fame.

 

Enter BERTRAM

 

LAFEU. He looks well on ‘t.

KING. I am not a day of season,

For thou mayst see a sunshine and a hail In me at once. But to the brightest beams Distracted clouds give way; so stand thou forth; The time is fair again.

BERTRAM. 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 Th’ inaudible and noiseless foot of Time Steals ere we can effect them. You remember The daughter of this lord?

BERTRAM. Admiringly, my liege. At first I stuck my choice upon her, ere my heart Durst make too bold herald of my tongue; Where the impression of mine eye infixing,