Hel. I am not worthy of the wealth I owe; Nor dare I say, 'tis mine; and yet it is; But, like a timorous thief, most fain would steal What law does vouch mine own.

Ber. What would you have?

Hel. Something; and scarce so much: -nothing, indeed.

I would not tell you what I would; my lord, 'faith, yes;

Strangers, and foes, do sunder, and not kifs.
Ber. I pray you, stay not, but in haste to

horse.

Hel. I shall not break your bidding, good

my lord.

Ber. Where are my other men, monsieur?

Farewel.

[Exit HELENA.] Go thou toward home; where I will never come, Whilst I can shake my sword, or hear the

drum:

Flourish. Enter the Duke of Florence, attended; two French Lords, and others.

Duke. So that, from point to point, now have you heard

The fundamental reasons of this war;

Whose great decision hath much blood let forth

And more thirsts after.

1. Lord. Holy seems the quarrel Upon your grace's part; black and fearful

On the opposer.

Duke. Therefore we marvel much, our cousin
France

Would, in so just a business, shut his bosom
Against our borrowing prayers.

2. Lord. Good my lord,

The reasons of our state I cannot yield,
But like a common and an outward man,
That the great figure of a council frames
By self-unable motion: therefore dare not
Say what I think of it; since I have found
Myself in my uncertain grounds to fail
As often as I guefs'd.

Duke. Be it his pleasure.

2. Lord. But I am sure, the younger

nature,

of our

That surfeit on their ease, will, day by day,
Come here for physick.

Duke. Welcome shall they be;

And all the honours, that can fly from us,
Shall on them settle: You know your places well;
When better fall, for your avails they fell:
To-morrow to the field.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.]

Rousillon. A Room in the Count's Palace.

Enter Countefs and Clown.

Count. It hath happened all as I would have had it, save, that he comes not along with her. Clown. By my troth, I take my young lord to be a very melancholy man.

Count. By what observance, I pray you?

Clown. Why, he will look upon his boot, and sing; mend the ruff, and sing; ask questions, and sing; pick his teeth, and sing: I know a man

that

that had this trick of melancholy, sold a goodly manor for a song:

Count. Let me see what he writes, and when he means to come. [opening a letter.] Clown. I have no mind to Isbel, since I was at court: our old ling and our Isbels o'the country, are nothing like your old your Isbels o'the court: the brains of

ng ad

knock'd out; and I begin to love, as an old man loves money, with no stomach.

Count. What have we here? Clown. E'en that you have there. [Exit.] Count. [reads.] I have sent you a daughter-inlaw: she hath recovered the king, and undone me. I have wedded her, not bedded her; and sworn to make the not eternal. You shall hear, I am run away; know it, before the report come... If there be breadth enough in the world, I will hold a long distance. My duty to you.

Your unfortunate son, BERTRAM. This is not well, rash and unbridled boy, To fly the favours of so good a king; To pluck his indignation on thy head, By the misprizing of a maid too virtuous For the contempt of empire.

Re-enter Clown.

Clown. O madam, yonder is heavy news within, between two soldiers and my young lady.

Count. What is the matter?

Clown. Nay, there is some comfort in the news, some comfort; your son will not be kill'd so soon as I thought he would.

Count. Why should he be kill'd?

Clown. So say I, madam, if he run away, as I hear he does: the danger is in standing to't; that's the lofs of men, though it be the getting

of children. Here they come, will tell you more: for my part, I only hear, your son was

away.

1

run

[Exit Clown.]

Enter HELENA, and two Gentlemen.

1. Gen. Save you, good madam.

Hel. Madam, my lord is gone, for ever gone. 2. Gen. Do not say so.

Count. Think upon patience. - 'Pray you, gentlemen,

I have felt so many quirks of joy, and grief,
That the first face of neither, on the start,
Can woman me unto't:
Where is my son, I

pray you?

2. Gen. Madam, he's gone to serve the duke of Florence:

We met him thitherward; for thence we came, And, after some dispatch in hand at court, Thither we bend again.

Hel. Look on his letter, madam, here's my pafsport.

[reads.] When thou canst get the ring upon my finger, which never shall come off, and shew me a child begotten of thy body, that I am father to, then call me husband: but in such a then I write a

never.

This is a dreadful sentence.

Count. Brought you this letter, gentlemen? 1. Gen. Ay, madam;

And, for the contents' sake, are sorry for our pains.

Count. I pr'ythee, lady, have a better cheer; If thou engrossest all the griefs are thine, Thou robb'st me of a moiety: He was my son; But I do wash his name out of my blood, And thou art all my child. Towards Florence is he?

2. Gen. Such is his noble purpose: and, be

lieve't,

The duke will lay upon him all the honour
That good convenience claims.
Count. Return you thither?

1

1. Gen. Ay, madam, with the swiftest wing of speed.

Hel. [reads.] Till I have no wife, I have nothing in France. "Tis bitter.

Count. Find you that there?
Hel. Ay, madam.

1. Gen. 'Tis but the boldness of his hand, haply, which

His heart was not consenting to.

Count. Nothing in France, until he have no

wife!

There's nothing here, that is too good for him, But only she; and she deserves a lord,

That twenty such rude boys might tend upon, And call her hourly, mistrefs.Who was with

him?

1. Gen. A servant only, and a gentleman Which I have some time known.

Count. Parolles, was't not?

1. Gen. Ay, my good lady, he.

Count. A very tainted fellow, and full of wickedness:

My son corrupts a well-derived nature
With his inducement.

1. Gen. Indeed, good lady,

The fellow has a deal of that, too much,
Which holds him much to have.

Count. You are welcome, gentlemen.

I will entreat you, when you see my son,
To tell him, that his sword can never win
The honour that he loses: more I'll entreat you