Parolles, and
Attendants.
King.
Farewell, young lords: these warlike principles
Do not throw from you:—and you, my lords, farewell9 note.—
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.
'Tis 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
-- 228 --
Will not confess he owes the malady10 note
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,) see1 note
, 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. I 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.
Both.
Our hearts receive your warnings.
King.
Farewell.—Come hither to me.
[The King retires to a couch.
1 Lord.
O, my sweet lord, that you will stay behind us!
Par.
'Tis not his fault, the spark.
2 Lord.
O, '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't, boy, steal away bravely.
-- 229 --
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 with2 note
. 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 cicatrice3 note, 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.
[Exeunt Lords.
Par.
Mars dote on you for his novices!—What will
you do?
Ber.
Stay; the king4 note—
[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; for
they wear themselves in the cap of the time: there do
muster true gait; eat, speak, and move under the
influence of the most received star; 11Q0405and though the
devil lead the measure, 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.
[Exeunt Bertram and Parolles.
-- 230 --
Enter Lafeu.
Laf.
Pardon, my Lord, [Kneeling.] for me and for my tidings.
King.
I'll see thee to stand up5 note.
Laf.
Then here's a man 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.
Goodfaith, across. But, my good lord, 'tis thus;
Will you be cur'd of your infirmity6 note
?
King.
No.
Laf.
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 that's able to breathe life into a stone,
Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary7 note
With spritely fire and motion; whose simple touch
Is powerful to araise king Pepin, nay,
To give great Charlemaine a pen in's hand8 note,
And write to her a love-line. 11Q0406
King.
What her is this?
Laf.
Why, doctor she. My lord, there's one arriv'd,
-- 231 --
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,
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.
Nay, I'll fit you,
And not be all day neither.
[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 uncle9 note,
That dare leave two together. Fare you well.
[Exit.
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.
King.
I knew him.
Hel.
The rather will I spare my praises towards him;
Knowing him, is enough. On's bed of death
Many receipts he gave me; chiefly one,
Which, as the dearest issue of his practice,
-- 232 --
And of his old experience th' only darling,
He bad me store up as a triple eye,
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 power,
I come to tender it, and my appliance,
With all bound humbleness.
King.
We thank you, maiden;
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 ransom 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 babes1 note. Great floods have flown
-- 233 --
From simple sources; and great seas have dried,
When miracles have by the greatest been denied.
Oft expectation fails, and most oft there
Where most it promises; and oft it hits,
Where hope is coldest, and despair most fits 11Q04072 note.
King.
I must not hear thee: fare thee well, kind maid.
Thy pains, not us'd, must by thyself be paid:
Proffers, not took, reap thanks for their reward.
Hel.
Inspired merit so by breath is barr'd.
It is not so with him that all things knows,
As 'tis with us that square our guess by shows;
But most it is presumption in us, when
The help of heaven we count the act of men.
Dear sir, to my endeavours give consent;
Of heaven, not me, make an experiment.
I am not an impostor, that proclaim
Myself against the level of mine aim;
But know I think, and think I know most sure,
My art is not past power, nor you past cure.
King.
Art thou so confident? Within what space
Hop'st thou my cure?
Hel.
The greatest grace lending grace,
Ere twice the horses of the sun shall bring
Their fiery torcher his diurnal ring;
Ere twice in murk and occidental damp
Moist Hesperus hath quench'd his sleepy lamp;
Or four and twenty times the pilot's glass
Hath told the thievish minutes how they pass,
What is infirm from your sound parts shall fly,
Health shall live free, and sickness freely die.
King.
Upon thy certainty and confidence,
-- 234 --
What dar'st thou venture?
Hel.
Tax of impudence,
A strumpet's boldness, a divulged shame,
Traduc'd by odious ballads; my maiden's name
Sear'd otherwise; ne worse of worst extended3 note,
With vilest torture let my life be ended.
King.
Methinks, in thee some blessed spirit doth speak,
His powerful sound within an organ weak;
And what impossibility would slay
In common sense, sense saves another way.
Thy life is dear; for all, that life can rate
Worth name of life, in thee hath estimate;
Youth, beauty, wisdom, courage, all4 note
That happiness and prime5 note can happy call: 11Q0408
Thou this to hazard, needs must intimate
Skill infinite, or monstrous desperate.
Sweet practiser, thy physic I will try,
That ministers thine own death, if I die.
Hel.
If I break time, or flinch in property
Of what I spoke, unpitied let me die;
And well deserv'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?
-- 235 --
King.
Ay, by my sceptre, and my hopes of heaven6 note.
Hel.
Then shalt thou give me with thy kingly hand
What husband in thy power I will command:
Exempted be from me the arrogance
To choose from forth the royal blood of France,
My low and humble name to propagate
With any branch or image of thy state;
But such a one, thy vassal, whom I know
Is free for me to ask, thee to bestow.
King.
Here is my hand; the premises observ'd,
Thy will by my performance shall be serv'd:
So make the choice of thy own time; for I,
Thy resolv'd patient, on thee still rely.
More should I question thee, and more I must,
Though more to know could not be more to trust,
From whence thou cam'st, how tended on; but rest
Unquestion'd welcome, and undoubted blest.—
Give me some help here, ho!—If thou proceed
As high as word, my deed shall match thy deed.
[Flourish. Exeunt.
J. Payne Collier [1842–1844], The works of William Shakespeare. The text formed from an entirely new collation of the old editions: with the various readings, notes, a life of the poet, and a history of the Early English stage. By J. Payne Collier, Esq. F.S.A. In eight volumes (Whittaker & Co. [etc.], London) [word count] [S10101].
