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King. Methinks, in thee fome bleffed spirit doth speak:
His power full founds within an organ weak;
And what impoflibility would flay

In common fenfe, sense faves another way.
Thy life is dear; for all that life can rate
Worth name of life, in thee hath estimate:
Youth, beauty, wisdom, courage, virtue, all
That happinefs and prime can happy call;
Thou this to hazard, needs muft intimate
Skill infinite, or monftrous defperate.
Sweet practifer, thy phyfic I will try;
That minifters thine own death, if I die.

Hel. If I break time, or flinch in property

Of what I fpoke, unpitied let me die,

And well deferv'd! Not helping, death's my fee;
But if I help, what do you promise me?

King. Make thy demand.

Hel. But will you make it even ?

King. Ay, by my fceptre, and my hopes of heav'n.
Hel. Then fhalt thou give me, with thy kingly hand,
What husband in thy power I will command.
Exempted be from me the arrogance-

To chufe from forth the Royal blood of France;
My low and humble name to propagate
With any branch or impage of thy itate:
But fuch a one thy vaffal, whom I know
Is free for me to ask, thee to bestow.

King. Here is my hand, the premiffes obferv'd,
Thy will by my performance fhall be ferv'd:
So, make the choice of thine own time; for I,
Thy refolv'd patient, on thee ftill rely.

More fhould I question thee, and more I muft;
(Though more to know, could not be more to truft):
From whence thou cam'ft, how tended on,-but rest
Unqueftion'd welcome, and undoubted blest.
Give me fome help here, hoa! if thou proceed
As high as word, my deed shall match thy deed.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

Changes to Roufillon.

Enter Countess and Clown.

Count. Come on, Sir; I fhall now put you to the height of your breeding.

Clo. I will fhew myfelf highly fed, and lowly taught; I know my bufinefs is but to the court.

Count. But to the court? why, what place make you fpecial, when you put off that with fuch contempt; but

to the court!

Clo. Truly, Madam, if God have lent a man any manners, he may eafily put it off at court: he that cannot make a leg, put off's cap, kifs his hand, and fay nothing, has neither leg, hands, lip, nor cap; and indeed fuch a fellow, to fay precifely, were not for the court: but for me, I have an anfwer will ferve all men. Count. Marry, that's a bountiful answer that fits all queftions.

Clo. It is like a barber's chair, that fits all buttocks; the pin-buttock, the quatch-buttock, the brawn-buttock, of any buttock.

Count. Will your anfwer ferve fit to all queftions? Clo. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attor ney, as your French crown for your taffaty punk, as Tib's ruth for Tom's fore-finger, as a pancake for Shrove-Tuesday, a morris for May-day, as the nail to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a fcolding quean to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the friar's mouth, nay, as the pudding to his fkin.

Count. Have you, I fay, an anfwer of fuch fitness for all queftions?

Clo. From below your Duke, to beneath your conftable, it will fit any queftion.

Count. It must be an answer of moît monftrous fize, that muft fit all demands.

Clo. But a trifle neither, in good faith, if the learned fhould fpeak truth of it: here it is, and all that belongs to 't. Afk me, if I am a courtierit fhall do Jou no harm to learn.

Count. To be young again, if we could: I will be a VOL. III.

fool in a queftion, hoping to be the wifer by your anfwer. I pray you, Sir, are you a courtier ?

Clo. O Lord, Sir,there's a fimple putting : more, more, a hundred of them.

off:

Count. Sir, I am a poor friend of your's, that loves you.

Glo. O Lord, Sir, -thick, thick, fpare not me. Count. I think, Sir, you can eat none of this homely meat.

Clo. O Lord, Sir,

rant you.

-nay, put me to't, I war

Count. You were lately whipp'd, Sir, as I think.
Clo. O Lord, Sir,- -fpare not me.

Count. Do you cry, O Lord, Sir, at your whipping, and Spare not me? Indeed, your O Lord, Sir, is very fequent to your whipping: you would anfwer very well to a whipping, if you were but bound to't.

Clo. I ne'er had worfe luck in my life, in my

O Lord, Sir; I fee, things may ferve long, but not ferve ever.

Count. I play the noble hufwife with the time, to entertain it fo merrily with a fool.

Clo. O Lord, Sir,-why there't ferves well again. Count. An end, Sir; to your business: give Helen this, And urge her to a prefent answer back.

Commend me to my kinfmen, and my fon:
This is not much.

Clo: Not much commendation to them?

Count. Not much employment for you; you underftand me?

Clo. Moft fruitfully, I am there before my legs.
Count. Hafte you again.

[Exeunt. SCENE V. Changes to the court of France.

Enter Bertram, Lafeu, and Parolles.

Laf. They fay, miracles are paft; and we have our philofophical perfons to make modern, and familiar, things fupernatural and caufelefs. Hence is it, that we make trifles of terrors; enfconfing ourfelves into * A ridicule on that foolish expletive of fpeech then in vogue

at court.

feeming knowledge, when we fhould fubmit ourselves to an unknown * fear.

Par. Why, 'tis the rareft argument of wonder that hath fhot out in our later times.

Ber. And fo 'tis.

Laf. To be relinquifh'd of the artists

Par. So I fay, both of Galen and Paracelfus.
Laf. Of all the learned and authentic fellows-
Par. Right, fo I say.

Laf. That

gave him out incurable,—

Par. Why, there 'tis, fo fay I too.

Laf. Not to be help'd,

Par. Right, as 'twere a man affur'd of an-
Laf. Uncertain life, and fure death,-

- Par. Juft, you fay well: fo would I have faid. Laf. I may truly fay, it is a novelty to the world. Par. It is indeed, if you will have it in fhewing, you shall read it in, what do you call there--

Laf. A fhewing of a heavenly effect in an earthly actor. Par. That's it, I would have faid the very fame. Laf. Why, your dolphin is not luftier: for me, I fpeak in refpect

Par. Nay, 'tis ftrange, 'tis very strange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he's of a moft facinerious fpirit, that will not acknowledge it to be the Laf. Very hand of heav'n.

Par. Ay, fo I fay:

Laf. In a moft weak

Par. And debile minifter, great power, great tranfcendence; which fhould indeed give us †*** a farther ufe to be made than alone the recov'ry of the King; as to be

Laf. Generally thankful.

SCENE VI. Enter King, Helena, and attendants.

Par. I would have faid it, you faid well. Here comes the King.

* Unknown, for fupernatural.

+ Two or three words feem to have been dropt here, which appear to have been to this purpose, give us [notice, that there is of this] a further ufe to be made.

Laf. Luftick, as the Dutchman fays: I'll like a maid the better while I have a tooth in my head: why, he's able to lead her a corranto.

Par. Mort du Vinaigre! is not this Helen?
Laf. 'Fore God, I think fo.

King. Go call before me all the Lords in court:
Sit, my preferver, by thy patient's fide;

And with this healthful hand, whofe banish'd sense
Thou haft repeal'd, a fecond time receive.

The confirmation of my promis'd gift;
Which but attends thy naming.

Enter three or four Lords.

Fair maid, fend forth thine eye; this youthful parcel
Of noble bachelors ftand at my beftowing,

C'er whom both fov'reign power and father's voice
I have to ufe; thy frank election make;

Thou haft power to chufe, and they none to forfake.
Hel. To each of you one fair and virtuous mistress
Fall, when love pleafe! marry, to each but one.-
Laf. I'd give bay curtal and his furniture,

My mouth no more were broken than these boys,
And writ as little beard.

King. Perufe them well:

Not one of thofe but had a noble father.

[She addrefes herself to a Lord. Hel. Gentlemen, heaven hath, through me, reftor'd The King to health.

All. We understand it, and thank heaven for you.
Hel. I am a fimple maid, and therein wealthieft,
That, I proteft, I fimply am a maid.

Fleafe it your Majefty, I have done already:
The blufhes in my cheeks thus whifper me,

We blush that thou fhould'ft chufe, but be refus'd;
Let the white death fit on thy check for ever,
We'll ne'er come there again.

King. Make choice, and fee,

Who fhuns thy love, fhuns all his love in me.
Hel. Now, Dian, from thy altar do I fly,
And to impartial Love, that god moft high,
Do my fighs ftream. Sir, will
1 Lord. And grant it.

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