and made such pestiferous reports of men very nobly held, can serve the world for no honest use; therefore you must die. Come, headsman, off with his head.

Par. O Lord, Sir; let me live, or let me see my death!

1 Sold. That shall you, and take your leave of all your friends. [Unmuffling him. So look about you; Know you any here ? Ber. Good inorrow, noble captain.

2 Lord. God bless you, captain Parolles. 1 Lord. God save you, noble captain.

2 Lord. Captain, what greeting will you to my lord Lafeu? I am for France.

1 Lord. Good captain, will you give me a copy of the sonnet you writ to Diana in behalf of the count Rousillon? an 1 were not a very Coward, I'd compel it of you; but fare you [Exeunt BERTRAM, LORDS, &c. 1 Sold. You are undone, captain: all but your scarf, that has a knot on't yet.

well.

Par. Who cannot be crush'd with a plot ?

1 Sold. If you could find out a country where but women were that had received so much shame, you might begin an impudent nation. Fare you well, Sir; I am for France too; we Exit. shall speak of you there. Par. Yet am I thankful: if my heart were great,

'Twould burst at this: Captain, I'll be no more; But I will eat and drink, and sleep as soft As captain shall: simply the thing I am

crown ;

Whate'er the course, the end is the renown. [Exeunt.

SCENE V.-Rousillon.-A Room in the COUNTESS' Palace.

Enter COUNTESS, LAFEU, and CLOWN. Laf. No, no, no, your son was misled with 1 snipt-taffata fellow there; whose villanous saffron would have made all the unbaked and doughy youth of a nation in his colour: your daughter-in-law had been alive at this hour; and your son here at home, more advanced by the king, than by that red-tailed humble-bee I speak of.

Count. I would I bad not known him! it was the death of the most virtuous gentle-woman,

had partaken of my flesh, and cost me the dearest groans of a mother, I could not have owed her a more rooted love.

Laf. 'Twas a good lady, 'twas a good lady: we may pick a thousand salads, ere we light on such another herb.

Clo. Indeed, Sir, she was the sweet-marjoram of the salad, or, rather the berb of grace.

Laf. They are not salad-herbs, you knave, they are nose-herbs.

Clo. I am no great Nebuchadnezzar, Sir, I have not much skill in grass.

Laf. Whether dost thou profess thyself; a knave, or a fool?

Clo. A fool, Sir, at a woman's service, and a knave at a man's.

Laf. Your distinction?

Clo. I would cozen the man of his wife, and

needful,

Ere I can perfect mine iutents, to kneel:

Time was, I did him a desired office,

Dear almost as his life; which gratitude bosom Would Through flinty Tartar's

forth

aiding,

And by the leave of my good lord the king, We'll be, before our welcome.

Wid. Gentle madam,

You never had a servant, to whose trust

Your business was more welcome.

Hel. Nor you, mistress,

Laf. So you were a knave at his service, in

Clo. Why, Sir, if I cannot serve you, I can serve as great a prince as you are.

Laf. Who's that? a Frenchman ?

Clo. Faith, Sir, he has an English name, but his phisnomy is more hotter in France, than there. Laf. What prince is there?

Clo. The black prince, Sir; alias, the prince of darkness; alias, the devil.

Laf. Hold thee, there's my purse: I give

Το

bour

thou talkest of; serve him still.

dower,

in his court. I am for the house with the warrow gate, which I take to be too little for pa to enter; some, that humble themselves, may; but the many will be too chill and tender:

I. e. An honest death. + Commanda. ↑ End. $ there was a fashaus yellow starch for bands and ruffles, to which Lainn alludes. 11. e. Rue. • Deduce.

For mover.

+ Lascivious.

and they'll be for the flowery way, that leads to the broad gate, and the great fire.

Laf. Go thy ways, I begin to be a-weary of thee; and I tell thee so before, because I would not fall out with thee. Go thy ways; let my horses be well looked to, without any tricks. Clo. If I put any tricks upon 'em, Sir, they shall be jades' tricks; which are their own right [Exit. by the law of nature.

Laf. A shrewd knave, and an unhappy. Count. So he is. My lord, that's gone, made himself much sport out of him: by this authority he remains here, which he thinks is a patent for his sauciness; and, indeed, he has no pace, but runs where he will.

Laf. 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 promised 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?

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

Laf. His highness comes post from Marseilles, of as able body as when he numbered thirty; he will be here to-morrow, or I am deceived by him that in such intelligence hath seldom failed.

Count. It rejoices me, that I hope I shall see him ere I die. I have letters, that my son will be here to-night: I shall beseech your lordship, to remain with me till they meet together.

Laj. Madam, I was thinking with what manners I night safely be admitted.

Count. You need but plead your honourable privilege.

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

Re-enter CLOWN.

ACT V.

night,

as one,

Sir.

Mischievously unhappy, waggish.

+ Scotched like a piece of meat for the gridiron. A gentleman Falconer.

Gent. And you.

He

Gent. The king's not here. Hel. Not here, Sir?

Gent. Not, indeed:

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

Wid. Lord, how we lose our pains! Hel. All's well that ends well; yet; Though time seems so adverse, and means

unfit.

I do beseech you, whither is he gone?
Gent. Marry, as I take it, to Rousillon;
Whither I am going.

Hel. 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.

Gent. This I'll do for you.

Hel. And you shall find yourself to be well thank'd,

Whate'er falls more.-We must to horse again ;Go, go, provide. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.-Rousillon.-The inner Court of the Countess' Palace.

Enter CLOWN and PAROLLES. Par. Good monsieur Lavatch, give my lord Lafen 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 moat, and smell somewhat strong of her strong displeasure.

Clo. Truly, fortune's displeasure is but sluttish, if it smell so strong as thou speakest of: I will henceforth eat no fish of fortune's buttering. Pr'ythee, allow the wind.

Par. Nay, you need not stop your nose, Sir; I spake by a metaphor.

Clo. Indeed, Sir, if your metaphor stink, I will stop my nose; or against any man's metaphor. Pr'ythee, get thee further.

Pur. Pray you, Sir, deliver me this paper.

Clo. Fob, pr'ythee, 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 fallen 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 smiles of comfort, and leave him to your lordship.

[Exit CLOWN. Par. My lord, I am a man whom fortune bath cruelly scratched.

Laf. And what would you have me to do? Wherein 'tis too late to pare her nails now.

have you played the knave with fortune, that she should scratch you, who of herself is a good lady, and would not bave kraves thrive long under her? There's a quart d'ecu for you: Let

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 iny fears of little vanity,
Having vainly fear'd too little.-Away with
bim;-

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. Gracions sovereign,

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

not;

Here's a petition from a Florentine,

Who bath, 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| to me, and my honour's puid to him. He 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 have thought well on thee, Lafen,

To bring forth this discovery.-Seek these sui

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 deuy 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 bonour,

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: Oh! 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 bere 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 he be
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.