ACT SCENE I.-Marseilles. A Street. Enter HELENA, Widow, and DIANA, with two Attendants. Hel. 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, This man may help me to his majesty's ear, Hel. Sir, I have seen you in the court of France. Hel. I do presume, sir, that you are not fallen From the report that goes upon your goodness; And 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. Hel. That it will please you Gent. The king's not here. Not here, sir? Wid. Lord, how we lose our pains! Hel. All's well that ends well, yet; Though time seem so adverse, and means unfit. I do beseech you, whither is he gone? Hel.. Gent. Enter Clown and PAROLLES. Par. Good monsieur Lavatch, 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 moat, and smell somewhat strong of her strong displeasure. Clo. Truly, fortune's displeasure is but sluttish, A gentleman falconer patch of velvet on's face: whether there be a scar under it, 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. Laf. A scar nobly got, or a noble scar, is a good livery of honor! so, belike, is that. Clo. But it is your carbonadoeds face. Laf. Let us go see your son, I pray you; I long to talk with the young noble soldier. Clo. 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. V. if it smell so strong as thou speakest of: I will henceforth eat no fish of fortune's buttering. Prythee, allow the wind. Par. Nay, you need not stop your nose, sir; 1 spake but 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. Par. Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper. Clo. Foh, 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 hath cruelly scratched. Laf. 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. Par. I beseech your honor, to hear me one single word. Laf. You beg a single penny more: come, you shall ha't; save your word. Par. My name, my good lord, is Parolles. Laf. You beg more than one word, then.-Cox' my passion! give me your hand:-How does your drum? Par. O my good lord, you were the first that found me. Laf. Was I, in sooth? and I was the first that lost thee. Par. It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace, for you did bring me out. Laf. 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; had talk of you last night: though you are a fool and a knave, you shall eat; go to, follow. Par. I praise God for you. SCENE III.-A Room in the Countess's Palace. Flourish. Enter King, Countess, LAFEU, Lords, Gentlemen, Guards, &c. King. We lost a jewel of her; and our esteem' Was made much poorer by it: but your son, As mad in folly, lack'd the sense to know Her estimation home.2 Count. 1 Reckoning or estimate. 'Tis past, my liege: 2 Completely, in its full extent And I beseech your majesty to make it Natural rebellion, done i'the blaze of youth; When oil and fire, too strong for reason's force, O'erbears it, and burns on. King. My honor'd lady, Of richest eyes; whose words all ears took captive; We are reconcil'd, and the first view shall kill I shall, my liege. Laf. All that he is hath reference to your highness. King. Then shall we have a match. I have letters sent me, That set him high in fame. Laf. Enter BERTRAM. He looks well on't. Make trivial price of serious things we have, Count. Which better than the first, O dear heaven, Or, ere they meet, in me, O nature, cease! Laf. Come on, my son, in whom my house's name Must be digested, give a favor from you, To sparkle in the spirits of my daughter, That she may quickly come.-By my old beard, And every hair that's on't, Helen, that's dead, Was a sweet creature; such a ring as this, The last that e'er I took her leave at court, I saw upon her finger. Ber. King. Now, pray you, let me see it; for mine eye, While I was speaking, oft was fasten'd to't.This ring was mine; and, when I gave it Helen, I bade her, if her fortunes ever stood Necessitied to help, that by this token Hers it was not. I would relieve her: Had you that craft, to reave her Of what should stead her most? Ber. My gracious sovereign, Son, on my life, King. I am not a day of season,* For thou mayst 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. Ber. Dear sovereign, pardon to me. All is whole; Ber. Admiringly, my liege: at first King. Plutus himself, That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine, Ber. She never saw it. King. Thou speak'st it falsely, as I love mine honor; And mak'st conjectural fears to come into me Gracious sovereign, Gent. Who hath for four or five removes,' come short King. [Reads.] Upon his many protestations to King. The heavens have thought well on thee, To bring forth this discovery.-Seek these suitors:- [Exeunt Gentleman, and some Attendants. Ask him upon his oath, if he does think King. What say'st thou to her? Ber. She's impudent, my lord. Count. He blushes, and 'tis it: King. Methought, you said, Now, justice on the doers! He's quoted for a most perfidious slave, King. I wonder, sir, since wives are monsters to And that you fly them as you swear them lordship, women? King. She hath that ring of yours Ber. I think she has: certain it is, I liked her, Ber. I have it not. The same upon you. finger. Gamester, when applied to a female, then meant a em mon woman. • Noted. • Debauch'd. Love. Her solicitation concurring with her appearance of being common. Ay, my lord. King. Tell me, sirrah, but tell me true, I charge you, Not fearing the displeasure of your master, (Which, on your just proceeding, I'll keep off,) By him, and by this woman here, what know you? Par. So please your majesty, my master hath been an honorable gentleman; tricks he hath had in him, which gentlemen have. King. Come, come, to the purpose: Did he love this woman? Par. 'Faith, sir, he did love her; But how? Par. He did love her, sir, as a gentleman loves a woman. King. How is that? Par. He loved her, sir, and loved her not. King. As thou art a knave, and no knave:What an equivocal companion is this? Par. I am a poor man, and at your majesty's command. orator. Laf. He's a good drum, my lord, but a naughty Dia. Do you know, he promised me marriage? Par. 'Faith, I know more than I'll speak. King. But wilt thou not speak all thou know'st? Par. Yes, so please your majesty; I did bego tween them, as I said; but more than that, he loved her, for indeed he was mad for her, and talked of Satan, and of limbo, and of furies, and I know not what: yet I was in that credit with them at that time, that I knew of their going to bed; and of other motions, as promising her marriage, and things that would derive me ill will to speak of, therefore I will not speak what I know. King. Thou hast spoken all already, unless thou canst say they are married: But thou art too fine in thy evidence: therefore stand asideThis ring, you say, was yours? Dia. Ay, my good lord. King. Where did you buy it? or who gave it you? Dia. It was not given me, nor I did not buy it. King. Who lent it you? Dia. It was not lent me neither. King. Where did you find it then? Dia. I found it not. King. If it were yours by none of all these ways, How could you give it him? Dia. I never gave it him. Laf. This woman's an easy glove, my lord; she goes off and on at pleasure. King. This ring was mine, I gave it his first wife. Dia. It might be yours or hers for aught I know. King. Take her away, I do not like her now; To prison with her, and away with him.— Unless thou tell'st me where thou hadst this ring, Thou diest within this hour. Dia. I'll never tell you. King. Take her away. Dia. Because he's guilty, and he is not guilty; sir; The jeweller, that owes he ring, is sent for Re-enter Widow, with HELENA. King. Is there no exorcist Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes? Is't real, that I see? Hel. "Tis but the shadow of a wife you see, No, my good lord; The name, and not the thing. I Ber. Both, both; O pardon! found you wondrous kind. There is your ring, Hel. O, my good lord, when I was like this maid, And, look you, here's your letter; This it says, When from my finger you can get this ring, And are by me with child, &c. This is done: Will you be mine, now you are doubly won? Ber. If she, my liege, can make me know this I'll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly. [clearly, Hel. If it appear not plain, and prove untrue, Deadly divorce step between me and you !— O, my dear mother, do I see you living? Laf. Mine eyes smell onions, I shall weep anon: Good Tom Drum, [To PAROLLES.] lend me a handkerchief: So, I thank thee: wait on me home, I'll make sport with thee: Let thy courtesies alone, they are scurvy ones. King. Let us from point to point this story know, To make the even truth in pleasure flow :If thou be'st yet a fresh uncropped flower,[To DIANA. For I can guess, that, by thy honest aid, Choose thou thy husband, and I'll pay thy dower Thou kept'st a wife herself, thyself a maid.— Of that, and all the progress, more and less, Resolvedly more leisure shall express: All yet seems well; and if it end so meet, The bitter past, more welcome is the sweet. [Flourish TAMING OF THE SHREW. A LORD. PERSONS REPRESENTED. CHRISTOPHER SLY, a drunken Tinker.) Persons in the Induction. BAPTISTA, a rich Gentleman of Padua. GREMIO, HORTENSIO, Suitors to Bianca. TRANIO, } Servants to Lucentio. GRUMIO, Servants to Petruchio. PEDANT, an old Fellow, set up to personate Vin KATHARINA, the Shrew, Daughters to Baptista. Tailor, Haberdasher, and Servants attending on SCENE, sometimes in Paʊa; and sometimes in PETRUCHIO's House in the Country. INDUCTION.* 1 Beat or knock. This line and scrap of Spanish is used in burlesque from an old play called Hieronymo, or the Spanish Tragedy. An officer whose authority equals that of a constable. Bitch. Strained. And couple Clowder with the deep-mouth'd brach. 1 Hunt. Why, Belman is as good as he, my lord; Lord. Thou art a fool; if Echo were as fleet, 1 Hunt. I will, my lord. Lord. What's here? one dead, or drunk? See, doth he breathe? 2 Hunt. He breathes, my lord: Were he not warm'd with ale, This were a bed but cold to sleep so soundly. Lord. O monstrous beast! how like a swine he lies! Grim death, how foul and loathsome is thine image! A most delicious banquet by his bed, 1 Hunt. Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose. |