Act V, Scene 1 Marseilles. A street.

Enter HELENA, Widow, and DIANA, with two
Attendants

 

HELENA But this exceeding posting day and night
Must wear your spirits low; we cannot help it:
But since you have made the days and nights as one,
To wear your gentle limbs in my affairs,
Be bold you do so grow in my requital
As nothing can unroot you. In happy time;
  [Enter a Gentleman]
  This man may help me to his majesty's ear,
If he would spend his power. God save you, sir.
Gentleman And you.
HELENA Sir, I have seen you in the court of France.
Gentleman I have been sometimes there.
HELENA I do presume, sir, that you are not fallen
From the report that goes upon your goodness;
An therefore, goaded with most sharp occasions,
Which lay nice manners by, I put you to
The use of your own virtues, for the which
I shall continue thankful.
Gentleman What's your will?
HELENA That it will please you
To give this poor petition to the king,
And aid me with that store of power you have
To come into his presence.
Gentleman The king's not here.
HELENA Not here, sir!
Gentleman Not, indeed:
He hence removed last night and with more haste
Than is his use.
Widow Lord, how we lose our pains!
HELENA ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL yet,
Though time seem so adverse and means unfit.
I do beseech you, whither is he gone?
Gentleman Marry, as I take it, to Rousillon;
Whither I am going.
HELENA 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.
Gentleman This I'll do for you.
HELENA And you shall find yourself to be well thank'd,
Whate'er falls more. We must to horse again.
Go, go, provide.
  [Exeunt]

 

Act V, Scene 2 Rousillon. Before the COUNT's palace. 

Enter Clown, and PAROLLES, following

 

PAROLLES Good Monsieur Lavache, give my Lord Lafeu 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
mood, and smell somewhat strong of her strong
displeasure.
Clown Truly, fortune's displeasure is but sluttish, if it
smell so strongly as thou speakest of: I will
henceforth eat no fish of fortune's buttering.
Prithee, allow the wind.
PAROLLES Nay, you need not to stop your nose, sir; I spake
but by a metaphor.
Clown Indeed, sir, if your metaphor stink, I will stop my
nose; or against any man's metaphor. Prithee, get
thee further.
PAROLLES Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper.
Clown Foh! prithee, stand away: a paper from fortune's
close-stool to give to a nobleman! Look, here he
comes himself.
  [Enter LAFEU]
  Here is a purr 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 similes of comfort and leave him to
your lordship.
  [Exit]
PAROLLES My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly
scratched.
LAFEU And what would you have me to do? 'Tis too late to
pare her nails now. Wherein have you played the
knave with fortune, that she should scratch you, who
of herself is a good lady and would not have knaves
thrive long under her? There's a quart d'ecu for
you: let the justices make you and fortune friends:
I am for other business.
PAROLLES I beseech your honour to hear me one single word.
LAFEU You beg a single penny more: come, you shall ha't;
save your word.
PAROLLES My name, my good lord, is Parolles.
LAFEU You beg more than 'word,' then. Cox my passion!
give me your hand. How does your drum?
PAROLLES O my good lord, you were the first that found me!
LAFEU Was I, in sooth? and I was the first that lost thee.
PAROLLES It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace,
for you did bring me out.
LAFEU Out upon thee, knave! dost thou put upon me at once
both the office of God and the devil? One brings
thee in grace and the other brings thee out.
  [Trumpets sound]
  The king's coming; I know by his trumpets. Sirrah,
inquire further after me; I had talk of you last
night: though you are a fool and a knave, you shall
eat; go to, follow.
PAROLLES I praise God for you.
  [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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All's Well the Ends Well Antony & Cleopatra As You Like It Cardenio Comedy of Errors Coriolanus
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The Merry Wives of Windsor A Mid Summer Night's Dream  Much Ado About Nothing Othello Pericles Richard II
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