Par. Ay, sir. Laf. The devil it is, that's thy master. Why dost thou garter up thy 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 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, 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, than the commission of your birth and virtue gives you heraldry. You are not worth another word, else I'd call you knave. I leave you. [Exit. Enter BERTRAM. Par. Good, very good; it is so then. Good, 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 sworn, I will not bed her. 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 import is, I know not yet. Par. Ay, that would be known. my boy, to the wars! He wears his honour in a box, unseen, To the wars, That hugs his kicky-wicky 20 here at home; Ber. It shall be so I'll send her to my house, Par. Will this capricio hold in thee, art sure? Ber. Go with 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 marr'd : 20 A cant term for a wife. "The dark house is a house made gloomy by discontent. Ic Henry IV. Hotspur says of Glendower, "he's as tedious As is a tire horse, a railing wife; SCENE IV. The same. Another Room in the same. Enter HELENA and Clown. 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 is not well: but thanks be given, she's very well, and wants nothing i'the world; but yet 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 in 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 had 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'rt a knave; that is, before me thou'rt a knave: this had been truth, sir. Par. Go to, the art a witty fool: I have found thee. Clo. Did you find me in yourself, sir? or were you taught to find me? The search, sir, was profitable; and much fool may you find in you, even to the world's pleasure, and the increase of laughter. Par. A good knave, i'faith, and well fed.'Madam, my lord will go away to-night; A very serious business calls on him. Which, as your due, time claims, he does acknowledge; But puts it off to a compell'd restraint;' Whose want, and whose delay, is strew'd with sweets, To make the coming hour o'erflow with joy,3 Hel. What's his will else? Par. That you will take your instant leave o'the king, And make this haste as your own good proceeding, Perhaps the old saying, “better fed than taught," is alluded t here, as in a preceding scene, where the clown says, “ I will show myself highly fed and lowly taught." 2 That is, puts it off in obedience to an enforced restraint; the passive, compell'd, for the active, compelling. H. 3 The meaning appears to be, that the delay of the joys, and the expectation of them, would make them more delightful when they come. The curbed time means the time of restraint: whose want means the want of which; referring to prerogative and rite. 4 A specious appearance of necessity. 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. Hel. I pray you. Come, sirrah. [Exeunt. SCENE V. Another Room in the same. Enter LAFEU and BERTRAM. Laf. But I hope your lordship thinks not him a soldier. Ber. Yes, my lord, and of very valiant approof. Laf. Then my dial goes not true: I took this lark for a bunting.' Ber. I do assure you, my lord, he is very great in knowledge, and accordingly valiant. Laf. I have, then, sinn'd against his experience, and transgress'd against his valour; and my state 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. [To BERTRAM.] These things shall be done, sir. Laf. Pray you, sir, who's his tailor? Par. Sir? Laf. O! I know him well. Ay, sir; he, sir, is a good workman, a very good tailor. Ber. [Aside to PAROLLES.] Is she gone to the king? The bunting nearly resembles the sky-lark; but has little or no song, which gives estimation to the sky-lark. |