ACT II.

SCENE I-Paris. A room in the King's palace. Flourish. Enter King, with young Lords taking leave for the Florentine war; Bertram, Parolles, and attendants.

King. Farewell, young lord, these warlike principles,

Do not throw from you :-and you, my lord, fare

well:

Share the advice betwixt you; if both gain all,
The gift doth stretch itself as 'tis receiv'd,

And is enough for both.

1- Lord.

It is our hope, sir,

After well-enter'd soldiers, to return

And find your grace in health.

King. No, no, it cannot be; and yet my heart Will not confess he owes the malady

That doth my life besiege. Farewell, young lords;
Whether I live or die, be you the sons

Of worthy Frenchmen; let higher Italy
(Those 'bated, that inherit but the fall
Of the last monarchy,1) 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: say, farewell.

2 Lord. Health, at your bidding, serve your majesty !

King. 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.3

Both.

Our hearts receive your warnings.

(1) i. e. Those excepted who possess modern Italy, the remains of the Roman empire.

(2) Seeker, inquirer.

(3) Be not captives before you are soldiers.

King. Farewell.-Come hither to me.

[The King retires to a couch. 1 Lord. O my sweet lord, that you will stay be

hind us.

Par. 'Tis not his fault; the spark

2 Lord. Ô, 'tis brave wars! Par. Most admirable: I have seen those wars. Ber. I am commanded here, and kept a coil with; Too young, and the next year, and 'tis too early. Par. An thy mind stand to it, boy, steal away bravely.

Ber. I shall stay here the forehorse to a smock, Creaking my shoes on the plain masonry,

Till honour be bought up, and no sword worn, But one to dance with 2 By heaven, I'll steal away. 1 Lord. There's honour in the theft.

Par.

Commit it, count. 2 Lord. I am your accessary; and so farewell. Ber. I grow to you, and our parting is a tortured body.

1 Lord. Farewell, captain.

2 Lord. Sweet monsieur Parolles !

Par. Noble heroes, my sword and yours are kin. Good sparks and lustrous, a word, good metals:You shall find in the regiment of the Spinii, one captain Spurio, with his cicatrice, an emblem of war, here on his sinister cheek; it was this very sword entrenched it: say to him, I live; and observe his reports for me.

2 Lord. We shall, noble captain.

Par. Mars dote on you for his novices! [Exeunt Lords.] What will you do? Ber. Stay; the king

[Seeing him rise. Par. Use a more spacious ceremony to the noble lords; you have restrained yourself within the list of too cold an adieu: be more expressive to them;

(1) With a noise, bustle.

(2) in Shakspeare's time it was usual for gentlemen to dance with swords on.

for they wear themselves in the cap of time,1 there, do muster true gait,2 eat, speak, and move under the influence of the most received star; and though the devil lead the measure,3 such are to be followed: after them, and take a more dilated farewell. Ber. And I will do so.

Par. Worthy fellows; and like to prove most sinewy sword-men. [Exe, Bertram and Parolles. Enter Lafeu.

Laf. Pardon, my lord, [Kneeling.] for me and for my tidings.

King. I'll fee thee to stand when here's a man

Laf.

Stands, that has brought his pardon. I would, you
Had kneel'd, my lord, to ask me mercy; and
That, at my bidding, you could so stand up.
King. I would I had; so I had broke thy pate,
And ask'd thee mercy for't.

Laf.

But, my good lord, 'tis thus;
Of your infirmity?

King.

Laf

Good faith, across :4
Will you be cur'd

No.

O, will you eat

No grapes, my royal fox? yes, but you will,
My noble grapes, an if my royal fox

Could reach them: I have seen a medicine,5
That's able to breath life into a stone;

Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary,6
With sprightly fire and motion; whose simple touch
Is powerful to araise king Pepin, nay,

To give great Charlemain a pen in his hand,
And write to her a love-line.

King.

What her is this?

(1) They are the foremost in the fashion.

(2) Have the true military step. (3) The dance. (4) Unskilfully; a phrase taken from the exercise at a quintaine.

(5) A female physician._ (6) À kind of dance.

VOL. III.

B

Laf. Why, doctor she: My lord, there's one arriv'd,

If you will see her,-now, by my faith and honour, If seriously I may convey my thoughts

In this my light deliverance, I have spoke

With one, that, in her sex, her years, profession,1 Wisdom, and constancy, hath amaz'd me more Than I dare blame my weakness: Will you see her (For that is her demand,) and know her business? That done, laugh well at me.

King. Now, good Lafeu, Bring in the admiration; that we with thee May spend our wonder too, or take off thine, By wond'ring how thou took'st it.

Laf

And not be all day neither.

Nay, I'll fit you,

[Exit Lafeu.

King. Thus he his special nothing ever prologues.

Re-enter Lafeu, with Helena.

Laf. Nay, come your ways.

King

This haste hath wings indeed:

Laf. Nay, come your ways;

This is his majesty, say your mind to him:
A traitor you do look like; but such traitors
His majesty seldom fears: I am Cressid's uncle,2
That dare leave two together; fare you well. [Ex.
King. Now, fair one, does your business follow us?
Hel. Ay, my good lord. Gerard de Narbon was
My father; in what he did profess, well found.3
King. I knew him.

Hel. The rather will I spare my praises towards him;

Knowing him, is enough. On his bed of death
Many receipts he gave me; chiefly one,
Which, as the dearest issue of his practice,
And of his old experience the only darling,

(1) By profession is meant her declaration of the object of her coming.

(2) I am like Pandarus.

(3) Of acknowledged excellence.

He bade me store up, as a triple eye,1

Safer than mine own two, more dear: I have so :
And, hearing your high majesty is touch'd
With that malignant cause wherein the honour
Of my dear father's gift stands chief in
I come to tender it, and my appliance,
With all bound humbleness.

power,

maiden ;

King.
We thank you,
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 ransome nature
From her inaidable estate,-I say we must not
So stain our judgment, 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 past sense we deem.
Hel. My duty then shall pay me for my pains:
I will no more enforce mine office on you;
Humbly entreating from your royal thoughts
A modest one, to bear me back again.

King. I cannot give thee less, to be call'd grateful;

Thou thought'st 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 know'st no part;
I knowing all my peril, thou no art.

Hel. What I can do, can do no hurt to try,
Since you set up your rest 'gainst remedy:
He that of greatest works is finisher,

Oft does them by the weakest minister:
So holy writ in babes hath judgment shown,
When judges have been babes.2 Great floods have
flown

From simple sources ;3 and great seas have dried,

(1) A third eye.

(2) An allusion to Daniel judging the two Elders. (3) i. e. When Moses smote the rock in Horeb.