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Laf. Ay, is it not a language I speak?

Par. A moft harsh one, and not to be understood without bloody fucceeding. My mafter!

Laf. Are you companion to the Count Roufillon? Par. To any Count; to all Counts; to what is man, Laf. To what is Count's man; Count's master is of another ftvle..

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Pár. You are too old, Sir; let it fatisfy you, you

are too old

Laf. I must tell thee, firrah, I write man; to which title age cannot bring thee.

Par. What I dare too well do, I dare not do.

Laf. I did think thee, for two ordinaries, to be a pretty wife fellow: thou didst make tolerable vent of thy travel; it might pafs: yet the scarfs and the bannerets about thee did manifoldly diffuade me from believing thee a veffel of too great a burthen. I have now found thee; when I lofe thee again, I care not: yet art thou good for nothing but taking up, and thatthou'rt fcarce worth.

Par. Hadft thou not the privilege of antiquity upon thee

Laf. Do not plunge thyfelf too far in anger, left thou haften thy trial; which if, Lord have mercy on thee for a hen! fo, my good window of lattice, fare thee well; thy cafement I need not open, I look thro' thee. Give me thy hand.

Par. My Lord, you give me moft egregious indig nity.

Laf. Ay with all my heart, and thou art worthy of it.

Par. I have not, my Lord, deferv'd it.

Laf. Yes, good faith, ev'ry dram of it; and I will not bate thee a fcruple.

Par. Well, I fhall be wifer

Laf. Ev'n as foon as thou can'ft, for thou haft to pull at a fmack o'th' contrary. If ever thou beeft bound in thy fearf and beaten, thou fhalt find what it is to'. be proud of thy bondage. I have a defire to hold my acquaintance with thee, or rather my knowledge, that I may fay in the default, he is a man I know.

Par. My Lord, you do me moft infupportable vexation.

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Laf. I would it were hell-pains for thy fake, and my poor doing eternal: for doing, I am pait † ; *** will by thee, in what motion age will give me leave. [Exit. Par. Well, thou haft a fon fhall take this difgrace off me; scurvy, old, filthy, fcurvy Lord!Well, I must be patient, there is no fettering of authority. I'll beat him, by my life, if I can meet him with any convenience, an he were double and double a Lord. I'll have no more pity of his age, than I would have of—I'll beat him, an if I could but meet him again.

Re-enter Lafeu.

Laf Sirrah, your lord and mafter's married; there's news for you: you have a new mistress.

Par. I moft unfeignedly befeech your Lordship to make some reservation of your wrongs. He, my good Lord, whom I serve above, is my master.

Laf. Who? God?

Par. Ay, Sir.

Why doft doft make thou wert

Laf. The devil it is that's thy mafter. thou garter up thy arms o' this fathion? hofe of thy fleeves? do other fervants fo? best fet thy lower part where thy nofe ftands. By mine honour, if I were but two hours younger, I'd beat thee, Methinks thou art a general offence, and every man fhould beat thee. I think thou waft created for men to breathe themselves upon thee.

Par. This is hard and undeserved meafure, my Lord. Laf. Go to, Sir; you were beaten in Italy for picking a kernel out of a pomegranate; you are a vagabond, and no true traveller: you are more fawcy with Lords and honourable perfonages, than the heraldry of

+ Here is a line loft after past; fo that it should be diftinguished by a break with afterifks. The very words of the loft line it is impoffible to retrieve; but the fenfe is obvious enough. For doing I am paft; age has deprived me of much of my force and vigour; yet have till enough to fhew the world I can do myself right; as I will by thee, in bat motion [or in the best manner] age will give me leave.

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your birth and virtue gives you commiffion. You are not worth another word, elfe I'd call you knave. I leave you. [Exit.

SCENE VIII. Enter Bertram.

Par. Good, very good, it is fo then. ry good, let it be conceal'd a while.

-Good, ve

Ber. Undone, and forfeited to cares for ever!
Par. What is the matter, fweet heart!

Ber. Although before the folemn pricft I've fworn,

I will not bed her.

Par. What? what, fweet heart!

Ber. O my Parolles, they have married me: I'll to the Tufcan wars, and never bed her.

Par. France is a dog-hole, and it no more merits

the tread of a man's foot: to th' wars.

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Ber. There's letters from my mother; what the import is, I know not yet.

Par. Ay, that would be known: to th' wars, my boy, to th' wars.

He wears his honour in a box, unfeen,

That hugs his kickfy-wickfy here at home;
Spending his manly marrow in her arms,

Which fhould fuftain the bound and high curvet
Of Mars's fiery fteed: to other regions
France is a ftable, we that dwell in't jades,
Therefore to th' war.

Ber. It fhall be fo, I'll fend her to my house,
Acquaint my mother with my hate to her,
And wherefore I am fled; write to the King
That which I durft not speak. His present gift
Shall furnish me to those Italian fields,
Where noble fellows ftrike. War is no ftrife
To the dark house, and the detefted wife.

Par. Will this capricic hold in thee, art fure?
Ber. Go with me to my chamber, and advise me.

Il fend her ftraight away: to-morrow.

I'll to the wars, the to her fingle forrow.

: Par. Why, thefe balls bound, there's noife in it.'Tis hard;

A young man married, is a man that's marr'd:
Therefore away, and leave her bravely; go,

The

The King hath done you wrong: but, huh! 'tis fo. [Exeunt.

SCENE IX. Enter Helena and Clown.

Hel. My mother greets me kindly, is fhe well? Clo. She is not well, but yet fhe has her health; fhe's very merry, but yet fhe is not well: but, thanks be. given, fhe's very well, and wants nothing i' th' world; but yet he is not well.

Hel. If the be very well, what does fhe ail, that fhe's not very well?

Clo. Truly, fhe's very well, indeed, but for two things,

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Hel. What two things?

Clo. One, that fhe's not in heav'n, whither God fend her quickly; the other, that fhe's in earth, from whence God fend her quickly!

Enter Parolles.

Par. Blefs you, my fortunate Lady!

Hel. I hope, Sir, I have your good-will to have mine own good fortune.

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 fhe did as you say.

Par. Why, I fay nothing.

Clo. Marry, you are the wifer man; for many a man's tongue fpeaks out his mafter's undoing. To fay 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 faid, Sir, before a knave th'art a knave; that's, before me th'art 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 fearch, Sir, was profitable, and E 2

much

much fool may you find in you, even to the world's pleasure, and the increase of laughter.

Par. A good knave, i'faith, and well fed..
Madam, my Lord will go away to night,
A very ferious bufinefs calls on him.
The great prerogative and rite of love,

Which, as your due, time claims, he does acknow-
But puts it off by a compell'd restraint: [ledge;
Whofe want and whofe delay is ftrew'd with sweets
Which they diftill now in the curbed time,

To make the coming hour o'erflow with joy,
And pleasure drown the brim.

Hel. What his will elfe?

Par. That you will take your inftant leave o' th' King,

And make this hafte 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 prefently

Attend his further pleasure.

Hel. In every thing I wait upon his will.

Par. I fhall report it fo.

Hel. I pray you. Come, firrah,

[Exit Parolles.

[To Clown. [Exeunt.

SCENE X. Enter Lafeu and Bertram.

Laf. But I hope your Lordfhip thinks not him a foldier.

Ber. Yes, my Lord, and of very valiant approof.
Laf. You have it from his own deliverance.
Ber. And by other warranted teftimony.

Laf. Then my dial goes not true; I took this lark for a bunting.

Ber. I do affure you, my Lord, he is very great in knowledge, and accordingly valiant.

Laf. I have then finned against his experience, and tranfgrefs'd against his valour; and my state that way is dangerous, fince I cannot yet find in my heart to repent. Here he comes; I pray you, make us friends, I will purfue the amity.

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