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Enter HELENA, Widow, and DIANA
| HELENA
|
That you may well perceive I have not wrong'd you,
One of the greatest in the Christian world
Shall be my surety; 'fore whose throne 'tis needful,
Ere I can perfect mine intents, to kneel:
Time was, I did him a desired office,
Dear almost as his life; which gratitude
Through flinty Tartar's bosom would peep forth,
And answer, thanks: I duly am inform'd
His grace is at Marseilles; to which place
We have convenient convoy. You must know
I am supposed dead: the army breaking,
My husband hies him home; where, heaven aiding,
And by the leave of my good lord the king,
We'll be before our welcome. |
| Widow |
Gentle madam,
You never had a servant to whose trust
Your business was more welcome. |
| HELENA
|
Nor you, mistress,
Ever a friend whose thoughts more truly labour
To recompense your love: doubt not but heaven
Hath brought me up to be your daughter's dower,
As it hath fated her to be my motive
And helper to a husband. But, O strange men!
That can such sweet use make of what they hate,
When saucy trusting of the cozen'd thoughts
Defiles the pitchy night: so lust doth play
With what it loathes for that which is away.
But more of this hereafter. You, Diana,
Under my poor instructions yet must suffer
Something in my behalf. |
| DIANA |
Let death and honesty
Go with your impositions, I am yours
Upon your will to suffer. |
| HELENA
|
Yet, I pray you:
But with the word the time will bring on summer,
When briers shall have leaves as well as thorns,
And be as sweet as sharp. We must away;
Our wagon is prepared, and time revives us:
All's well that ends well; still the fine's the crown;
Whate'er the course, the end is the renown. |
| |
[Exeunt |
Enter COUNTESS, LAFEU, and Clown
| LAFEU |
No, no, no, your son was misled with a snipt-taffeta
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. |
| COUNTESS
|
I would I had not known him; it was the death of the
most virtuous gentlewoman that ever nature had
praise for creating. If she had partaken of my
flesh, and cost me the dearest groans of a mother, I
could not have owed her a more rooted love. |
| LAFEU |
'Twas a good lady, 'twas a good lady: we may pick a
thousand salads ere we light on such another herb. |
| Clown |
Indeed, sir, she was the sweet marjoram of the
salad, or rather, the herb of grace. |
| LAFEU |
They are not herbs, you knave; they are nose-herbs.
|
| Clown |
I am no great Nebuchadnezzar, sir; I have not much
skill in grass. |
| LAFEU |
Whether dost thou profess thyself, a knave or a fool?
|
| Clown |
A fool, sir, at a woman's service, and a knave at a man's.
|
| LAFEU |
Your distinction? |
| Clown |
I would cozen the 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 talkest 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 flowery 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
looked 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 he 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 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? |
| 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 numbered thirty: he will be here
to-morrow, or I am deceived by him that in such
intelligence hath seldom failed. |
| COUNTESS
|
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. |
| 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 livery
of honour; so belike is that. |
| Clown |
But it is your carbonadoed 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. |
| |
[Exeunt] |
To view other scenes in
the show click below:
|
Full Text |
Act III, Scene 3 Before the Duke's Palace/Act III, Scene 4 Count's Palace |
|
Act I, Scene 1 Rousillon, The Count's Palace |
Act III, Scene 5Without the walls, a tucket far off |
|
Act I, Scene 2 The King's Palace |
Act III, Scene 6 Camp before Florence/Act III, Scene 7 Florence The Widow's House |
|
Act I, Scene 3 Count's Palace |
Act IV, Scene 1 Without the Florentine Camp |
|
Act II, Scene 1 King's Palace |
Act IV, Scene 2 Florence The Widow's House |
|
Act II, Scene 2 Count's Palace |
Act IV, Scene 3 The Florentine Camp |
|
Act II, Scene 3 King's Palace |
Act IV, Scene 4 Florence The Widow's House/Act IV, Scene 5 Count's Palace |
|
Act II, Scene 4 King's Palace/Act II, Scene 5 King's Palace
|
Act V, Scene 1 Marseilles, A Street/Act V, Scene 2 Rousillon Before the Count's Palace |
|
Act III, Scene 1 Duke's Palace/Act III, Scene 2 Count's Palace |
Act V, Scene 3 Rousillon, The Count's Palace |
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Well That Ends Well sections:
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