KING

The Florentines and Senoys are by the ears, Have fought with equal fortune, and continue A braving war. Nay 'tis most credible, we here receive it, A certainty vouched from our Cousin Austria, With caution, that the Florentine will move us For speedy aid: wherein our dearest friend Preiudicates the business, and would seem To have us make denial. He hath armed our answer, And Florence is deni'de before he comes: Yet for our Gentlemen that mean to see The Tuscan service, freely have they leave To stand on either partly. What's he comes here. Youth, thou bearest thy Father's face, Frank Nature rather curious then in hast Hath well composed thee: Thy Father's moral parts Mayest thou inherit too: Welcome to Paris. Would I were with him he would always say, (Me thinks I hear him now) his plausive words He scattered not in ears, but grafted them To grow there and to bear: Let me not live, This his good melancholy oft began On the Catastrophe and heel of pastime When it was out: Let me not live (quoth he) After my flame lacks oil, to be the snuff Of younger spirits, whose apprehensive senses All but new things disdain; whose judgements are Mere father's of their garments: whose constancies Expire before their fashions: this he wished. I after him, do after him wish too: Since I nor wax nor honey can bring home, I quickly were dissolved from my hive To give some Labourers room. Farewell young Lords, these warlike principles Do not throw from you, and you my Lords farewell: Share the advice betwixt you, if both gain, all The gift does stretch it self as it's received, And is enough for both. No, no, it cannot be; and yet my heart Will not confess he owes the malady That does my life besiege: farewell young Lords, Whither I live or die, be you the sons Of worthy French men: let higher Italy (Those bated that inherit but the fallen Of the last Monarchy) see that you come Not to woo honour, but to wed it, when The bravest questant shrinks: find what you seek, That fame may cry you loud: I say farewell. Those girls of Italy, take heed of them, They say our French, lack language to deny If they demand: beware of being Captives Before you serve. Farewell, come hither to me. I'll see thee to stand up. I would I had, so I had broke thy pate And asked thee mercy for't. No. What her is this? Now good Lafew, Bring in the admiration, that we with thee May spend our wonder too, or take off thine By wondering how thou tookest it. Thus he his special nothing ever prologues. This haste hath wings indeed. Now fair one, do's your business follow us? I knew him. We thank you maiden, But may not be so credulous of cure, When our most learned Doctors leave us, and The congregated College have concluded, That labouring Art can never ransom nature From her inaydible estate: I say we must not So stain our judgement, or corrupt our hope, To prostitute our past-cure malady To empirics, or to dissever so Our great self and our credit, to esteem A senseless help, when help passed sense we deem. I cannot give thee less to be called grateful: Thou thoughtest to help me, and such thanks I give, As one near death to those that wish him live: But what at full I know, thou knowest no partly, I knowing all my peril, thou no Art. I must not hear thee, fare thee well kind maid, Thy pains not used, must by thy self be paid, Proffers not took, reap thanks for their reward. Art thou so confident? Within what space Hopest thou my cure? Upon thy certainty and confidence, What darest thou venture? Go call before me all the Lords in Court, Fit my preserver by thy patients side, And with this healthful hand whose banished sense Thou hast repealed, a second time receive The confirmation of my promised gift, Which but attends thy naming. Peruse them well: Not one of those, but had a Noble father. Make choice and see, Who shuns thy love, shuns all his love in me. Why then young Bertram take her she's thy wife. Knowest thou not Bertram what she ha done for me? Thou knowest she ha raised me from my sick lie bed. 'Tis only title thou disdainest in her, the which I can built up: strange is it that our bloods Of colour, weight, and heat, poured all together, Would quite confound distinction: yet stands off In differences so mighty. If she be All that is virtuous (save what thou dislikest) A poor Physicians daughter, thou dislikest Of virtue for the name: but do not so: From lowest place, whence virtuous things proceed, The place is dignified by the doers deed. Where great additions swell's, and virtue none, It is a dropsied honour. Good a lone, Is good without a name? Vileness is so: The property by what is 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 honours scorn, Which challenges it self as honours born, And is not Like the fire: Honours thrive, When rather from our acts we them derive Then our foregoers: the mere words, a slave Deboshed on every tomb, on every graven: A lying Trophy, and as oft is dumb, Where dust, and damned oblivion is the Tomb. Of honoured bones-indeed, what should be said? If thou canst Like this creature, as a maid, I can create the rest: Virtue, and she Is her own dower: Honour and wealth, from me. Thou wrongest thy self, if thou shouldst strive to choose. My Honor's at the stake, which to defeat I must produce my power. Here, take her hand, Proud scornful boy, unworthy this good gift, That dost in vile misprision shackle up My love, and her desert: that canst not dream, We poizing us in her defective scale, Shall weigh thee to the beam: That wilt not know, It is in Us to plant thine Honour, where We please to have it grow. Cheek thy contempt: Obey Our will, which travails in thy good: Believe not thy disdain, but presently Do thine own Fortune's that obedient right Which both thy duty owes, and Our power claims, Or I will throw thee from my care for ever Into the staggers, and the careless lapse Of youth and ignorance: both my revenge and hate Losing upon thee, in the name of justice, Without all terms of pity. Speak, thine answer. Take her by the hand, And tell her she is thine: to whom I promise A counterpoise: If not to thy estate, A balance more repleat. Now pray you let me see it. For mine eye, While I was speaking, oft was fastened too't: This Ring was mine, and when I gave it Hellen, I bade her if her Fortune's 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? I am wrap worser in dismal thinkings. I wonder sir, sir, wives are monsters to you, And that you fly them as you swear them Lordship, Yet you desire to marry. What woman's that? Come hither Count, do you know these Woe men? Me thought you said You saw one here in Court could witness it. Wherefore hast thou accused him all this while. I would I had that corporal soundness now, As when thy father, and my self, in friendship First tried out soldiership: he did look far Into the service of the time, and was Discipled of the bravest. He lasted long, But on us both did haggish Age steal on, And wore us out of act: It much repairs me To talk of your good father; in his youth He had the wit, which I can well observe To day in our young Lords: but they may jest Till their own scorn return to them unnoted Ere they can hide their levity in honour: So Like a Courtier, contempt nor bitterness Were in his pride, or sharpness; if they were, His equal had awaked them, and his honour Clock to it self, knew the true minute when Exception bid him speak: and at this time His tongue obey worser his hand. Who were below him, He used as creatures of another place, And bowed his eminent top to their low ranks, Making them proud of his humility, In their poor praise he humbled: Such a man Might be a copy to these younger times; Which followed well, would demonstrate them now But goers backward. I fill a place I know't: how long is't Count Since the Physician at your father's died? He was much famed. If he were living, I would try him yet. Lend me and arm: the rest have worn me out With several applications: Nature and sickness Debate it at their leisure. Welcome Count, My son's no dearer. Methinks in thee some blessed spirit does speak His powerful found, within and organ weak: And what impossibility would slay In common sense, sense saves another way: Thy life is deer, for all that life can rate Worth name of life, in thee hath estimate: Youth, beauty, wisdom, courage, all That happiness and prime, can happy call: Thou this to hazard, needs must intimate Skill infinite, or monstrous desperate, Sweet practiser, thy Physic I will try, That ministers thine own death if I die. Make thy demand. I by my Sceptre, and my Hope's of help. Here is my hand, the premises observed, Thy will by my performance shall be served: So make the choice of thy own time, for I Thy resolved Patient, on thee still rely: More should I question thee, and more I must, Though more to know, could not be more to trust: From whence thou canst, how tended on, but rest Unquestioned welcome, and undoubted blessed. Give me some help here hoa, if thou proceed, As high as word, my deed shall match thy deed. Good fortune, and the favour of the King Smile upon this Contract: whose Ceremony Shall seem expedient on the now born brief, And be performed to night: the solemn Feast Shall more attend upon the coming space, Expecting absent friends. As thou lovest her, Thy love's to me Religious: else, do's err. We lost a Jewel of her, and our esteem Was made much poorer by it: but your son, As mad in folly, lacked the sense to know Her estimation home. My honoured Lady, I have forgiven and forgotten all, Though my revenges were high bent upon him, And watched the time to shoot. Praising what is lost, Makes the remembrance deer. Well, call him hither, We are reconciled, and the first view shall kill All repetition: Let him not ask our pardon, The nature of his great offence is dead, And deeper then oblivion, we do bury the incensing relics of it. Let him approach A stranger, no offender; and inform him So it's our will he should What says he to your daughter, Have you spoke? Then shall we have a match. I have letters sent me, that sets him high in fame. I am not a day of season, For thou mayest 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. 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 quickest decrees the inaudible, and noiseless foot of time Steals, ere we can effect them. You remember The daughter of this Lord? Well excused: That thou didst love her, strikes some scores away From the great count: 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 graven, Oft our displeasures to our selves unjust, Destroy our friends, and after weep their dust: Our own love waking, cries to see what's done,e While shameful hate sleeps out the afternoon. Be this sweet Helens knell, and now forget her. Send forth your amorous token for fair Maudlin, The main consents are had, and here we'll stay To see our widowers second marriage day: Which better then the first, Oh deer heaven bless, Or, ere they meet in me, Oh Nature cease. Platus himself, That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine, Hath not in nature's mystery more science, Then I have in this Ring. 'Twas mine, 'twas Helens, Who ever gave it you: then if you know That you are well acquainted with your self, Confess 'twas hers, and by what rough enforcement You God it from her. She called the Saints to surety, That she would never put it from her finger, Unless she gave it to your self in bed, Where you have never come: or sent it us Upon her great disaster. Thou speakest it falsely: as I love mine Honour, And makest connecturall fears to come into me, Which I would feign shut out, if it should prove That thou art so inhumane, it'll not prove so: And yet I know not, thou didst hate her deadly, And she is dead, which nothing but to close Her eyes my self, could win me to believe, More then to see this Ring. Take him away, My forepast proofs, how ere the matter fallen Shall taze my fears of little vanity, Having vainly feared too little. Away with him, We'll sift this matter further. The heavens have thought well on thee Lafew, To bring forth this discovery, seek these suitors: Go speedily, and bring again the Count. I am afeard the life of Hellen (Lady) Was foully snatched. Sir for my thoughts, you have them ill to friend, Till your deeds gain them fairer: prove your honour, Then in my thought it lies. What sayest thou to her? Find him, and bring him hither. She hath that Ring of yours. What Ring was yours I pray you? Know you this Ring, this Ring was his of late. The story then goes false, you threw it him Out of a Casement. You boggle shrewdly, every feather starts you: Is this the man you speak of? Tell me sirrah, but tell me true I charge you, Not fearing the displeasure of your master: Which on your joust proceeding, I'll keep off, By him and by this woman here, what know you? Come, come, to the purpose: Did he love this woman? How I pray you? How is that? As thou art a knave and no knave, what and equi vocal Companion is this? But wilt thou not speak all thou knowest? Thou hast spoken all already, unless thou canst say they are married, but thou art too fine in thy evidence, therefore stand aside. This Ring you say was yours. Where did you buy it? Or who gave it you? Who lent it you? Where did you find it then? If it were yours by none of all these ways, How could you give it him? This Ring was mine, I gave it his first wife. Take her away, I do not Like her now, To prison with her: and away with him, Unless thou tellest me where thou hadst this Ring, Thou diest within this hour. Take her away. I think thee now some common Customer. She does abuse our ears, to prison with her. Is there no exorcist Beguiles the truer Office of mine eyes? Is't real that I see? Let us from point to point this story know, To make the even truth in pleasure flow: If thou be'st yet a fresh vncropped flower, Choose thou thy husband, and I'll pay thy dower. For I can guess, that by thy honest aid, Thou keptest a wife her self, thy self a Maid Of that and all the progress more and less, Resolduedly more leisure shall express: All yet seems well, and if it end so meet, The bitter passed, more welcome is the sweet. The Kings a Beggar, now the Play is done, All is well ended, if this suit be won, That you express Content: which we will pay, With strift to please you, day exceeding day: Ours be your patience then, and yours our parts, Your gentle hands lends us, and take our hearts.