Clown.
Hel.
My mother greets me kindly;14Q0396 Is she well?
Clo.
She is not well; but yet she has her health:
she's very merry; but yet she is not well: but, thanks
be given, she's very well, and wants nothing i'the world;
but yet she is not well.
Hel.
If she be very well, what does she ail, that
-- 42 --
she's not very well?
Clo.
Truly, she's very well, indeed, but for two things.
Hel.
What two things?
Clo.
One, that she's not in heaven, Whither God
send her quickly! the other, that she's in earth, From
whence God send her quickly!
Enter Parolles.
Par.
Bless you, my fortunate lady!
Hel.
I hope, sir, I have your good will to have mine
own good fortunes. note
Par.
You had my prayers to lead them on; and, to
keep them on, have them still.—O, my knave! How
does my old lady?
Clo.
So that you had her wrinkles, and I her money,
I would she did as you say.
Par.
Why, I say nothing.
Clo.
Marry, you are the wiser man; for many a
man's tongue shakes out his master's undoing: To say
nothing, to do nothing, to know nothing, and to have
nothing, is to be a great part of your title; which is
within a very little of nothing.
Par.
Away, thou'rt a knave.
Clo.
You should have said, sir, before a knave thou'rt
a knave; that is, before me thou'rt a knave: this had
been truth, sir.
Par.
Go to, thou art a witty fool, I have found thee.
Clo.
Did you find me in yourself, sir; or were you
taught to find me? The search, sir, was profitable; and
much fool may you find in you, even to the world's
pleasure, and the encrease of laughter.
Par.
A good knave, i'faith, and well fed.—
Madam, my lord will go away to-night;
-- 43 --
A very serious business calls on him.
The great prerogative and right of love,
Which, as your due time claims, he does acknowledge;
But puts it off on a note compell'd restraint:
Whose want, and whose delay, is strew'd with sweets;
Which they distill now in the curbed time,
To make the coming hour o'erflow with joy,
And pleasure drown the brim.
Hel.
What's his will else?
Par.
That you will take your instant leave o'the king,
And make this haste as your own good proceeding,
Strengthen'd with what apology you think
May make it probable need.
Hel.
What more commands he?
Par.
That, having this obtain'd, you presently
Attend his further pleasure.
Hel.
In every thing
I wait upon his will.
Par.
I shall report it so.
Hel.
I pray you.—Come, sirrah.
[Exeunt.
Edward Capell [1767], Mr William Shakespeare his comedies, histories, and tragedies, set out by himself in quarto, or by the Players his Fellows in folio, and now faithfully republish'd from those Editions in ten Volumes octavo; with an introduction: Whereunto will be added, in some other Volumes, notes, critical and explanatory, and a Body of Various Readings entire (Printed by Dryden Leach, for J. and R. Tonson [etc.], London) [word count] [S10601].
