speak truth of it: here it is, and all that belongs to 't. Ask me, if I am a courtier; it shall do you no harm to learn.

Count. To be young again, if we could, I will be a fool in question, hoping to be the wiser by your answer. I pray you, sir, are you a courtier ?

Clo. O, sir-There's a simple putting off-more, more, a hundred of them.

Count. Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves you.

Clo. O, sir!-Thick, thick, spare not me.

Count. I think, sir, you can eat none of this homely meat.
Clo. O, sir-Nay, put me to 't, I warrant you.

Count. You were lately whipped, sir, as I think.

Clo. O, sir-Spare not me.

Count. Do you cry, 'O, sir,' at your whipping, and 'spare not me?' Indeed, your O, sir,' is very sequent to your whipping; you would answer very well to a whipping, if you were but bound to 't.

Clo. I ne'er had worse luck in my life in my-'0, sir:' I see, things may serve long, but not serve ever.

Count. I play the noble housewife with the time, to entertain it so merrily with a fool.

Clo. O, sir-Why, there't serves well again.

Count. An end, sir, to your business. Give Helen this,

And urge her to a present answer back:

Commend me to my kinsmen and my son;

This is not much.

Clo. Not much commendation to them.

Count. Not much employment for you: you understand me? Clo. Most fruitfully; I am there before my legs.

Count. Haste you again.

[Exeunt severally.

C

SCENE III.-Paris. A Room in the King's Palace.

Enter BERTRAM, LAFEU, and PAROLLES.

Laf. They say, miracles are past; and we have our philosophical persons, to make modern and familiar things supernatural and causeless.8 Hence is it that we make trifles of terrors; ensconcing ourselves into seeming knowledge, when we should submit ourselves to an unknown fear.

Par. Why, 'tis the rarest argument of wonder that hath shot out in our latter times.

Ber. And so 'tis.

Laf. To be relinquish'd of the artists—

Par. So I say; both of Galen and Paracelsus.

Laf. Of all the learned and authentic fellows-
Par. Right; so I say.

Laf. That gave him out incurable

Par. Why, there 'tis ; so say I too.
Laf. Not to be helped—

Par. Right: as 'twere, a man assured of an—

Laf. Uncertain life and sure death.

Par. Just, you say well; so would I have said.

Laf. I may truly say, it is a novelty to the world.

Par. It is, indeed: if you will have it in shewing, you shall read it in-what do you call there?—

Laf. A shewing of a heavenly effect in an earthly actor.
Par. That's it I would have said; the very same.

Laf. Why, your dolphin is not lustier: 'fore me I speak in respect―

Par. Nay, 'tis strange, 'tis very strange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he is of a most facinorous spirit,10 that will not acknowledge it to be the―

Laf. Very hand of heaven.

Par. Ay, so I say.

Laf. In a most weak

Par. And debile minister, great power, great transcendence:

which should, indeed, give us a further use to be made, than alone the recovery of the king, as to be

Laf. Generally thankful.

Par. I would have said it; you say well. Here comes the king.

Enter King, HELENA, and Attendants.

11

Laf. Lustic, as the Dutchman says: I'll like a maid the better, whilst I have a tooth in my head. Why, he's able to lead her a coranto.

Par. Mort du vinaigre! Is not this Helen?

Laf. I think so.

King. Go, call before me all the lords in court.

Sit, my preserver, by thy patient's side;

[Exit an Attendant.

And with this healthful hand, whose banish'd sense
Thou hast repeal'd, a second time receive

The confirmation of my promis'd gift,

Which but attends thy naming.

Enter several Lords.

Fair maid, send forth thine eye: this youthful parcel
Of noble bachelors stand at my bestowing,

O'er whom both sovereign power and father's voice
I have to use: thy frank election make;
Thou hast power to choose, and they none to forsake.
Hel. To each of you one fair and virtuous mistress
Fall, when love please!—marry, to each, but one ! 12
Laf. I'd give bay curtal,13 and his furniture,
My mouth no more were broken than these boys',
And writ as little beard.

King.

Peruse them well:

Not one of those, but had a noble father.

Hel. Gentlemen,

Heaven hath, through me, restor❜d the king to health.

All. We understand it, and thank heaven for you.

Hel. I am a simple maid; and therein wealthiest,

That, I protest, I simply am a maid :—

Please it your majesty, I have done already :
The blushes in my cheeks thus whisper me,

'We blush, that thou shouldst choose; but, be refus'd,
Let the white death sit on thy cheek for ever;

We'll ne'er come there again.'

King.
Who shuns thy love shuns all his love in me.

Make choice; and, see,

Hel. Now, Dian, from thy altar do I fly;

And to imperial Love, that god most high,
Do my sighs stream.-Sir, will you hear my suit?
First Lord. And grant it.

Hel.

Thanks, sir; all the rest is mute. Laf. I had rather be in this choice, than throw ames-ace 14 for my life.

Hel. The honour, sir, that flames in your fair eyes,
Before I speak, too threateningly replies:

Love make your fortunes twenty times above
Her that so wishes and her humble love!
Second Lord. No better, if you please.
Hel.
My wish receive,
Which great Love grant! and so I take my leave.

Laf. Do all they deny her ? 15 An they were sons of mine, I'd have them whipped; or I would send them to the Turk.

Hel. Be not afraid [To a Lord] that I your hand should take ;

I'll never do you wrong for your own sake:

Blessing upon your vows! and in your bed

Find fairer fortune if you ever wed!

Laf. These boys are boys of ice, they'll none have her.

Hel. You are too young, too happy, and too good,

To make yourself a son out of my blood.

Fourth Lord. Fair one, I think not so.

Laf. There's one grape yet-I am sure, thy father drunk wine. -But if thou be 'st not an ass, I am a youth of fourteen; I have known thee already.

Hel. I dare not say, I take you [To BERTRAM]; but I give Me and my service ever whilst I live

Into your guiding power.-This is the man.

King. Why then, young Bertram, take her, she 's thy wife. Ber. My wife, my liege! I shall beseech your highness, In such a business give me leave to use

But never hope to know why I should marry her.

King. Thou know'st, she has rais'd me from my sickly bed.
Ber. But follows it, my lord, to bring me down
Must answer for your raising? I know her well;
She had her breeding at my father's charge:

A poor physician's daughter my wife !--Disdain
Rather corrupt me ever!

King. 'Tis only title 16 thou disdain'st in her, the which
I can build up. Strange is it, that our bloods,
Of colour, weight, and heat, pour'd all together,
Would quite confound distinction, yet stand off
In differences so mighty. If she be

All that is virtuous (save what thou dislik'st,
A poor physician's daughter), thou dislik'st
Of virtue for the name.

But do not so:

From lowest place when virtuous things proceed,
The place is dignified by the doer's deed:

Where great additions swell and virtue none,

It is a dropsied honour: good alone

Is good without a name; vileness is so:

The property by what it is should go,
Not by the title. She is young, wise, fair ;
In these to nature she's immediate heir;
And these breed honour: that is honour's scorn,
Which challenges itself as honour's born,
And is not like the sire: honours thrive,