King. Ay, by my sceptre, and my hopes of heaven. Hel. Then shalt thou give me, with thy kingly hand, What husband in thy power will command: To choose from forth the royal blood of France; King. Here is my hand; the premises observed, More should I question thee, and more I must; Though, more to know, could not be more to trust; From whence thou camest, how tended on :-but rest Unquestion'd welcome, and undoubted bless'd.— SCENE II. Rousillon. A room in the Countess's palace. Count. Come on, sir: I shall now put you to the height of your breeding. Clown. I will show myself highly fed, and lowly taught: I know my business is but to the court. Count. To the court! why, what place make you special, when you put off that with such contempt ? But to the court! Clown. Truly, madam, if God have lent a man any manners, he may easily put it off at court: he that cannot make a leg, put off's cap, kiss his hand, and say nothing, has neither leg, hands, lip, nor cap; and, indeed, such a fellow, to say precisely, were not for the court; but, for me, I have an answer will serve all men. Count. Marry, that's a bountiful answer, that fits all questions. Clown. It is like a barber's chair, that fits all buttocks; the pin-buttock, the quatch-buttock, the brawn-buttock, or any buttock. Count. Will your answer serve fit to all questions? Clown. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney, as your French crown for your taffeta punk, as Tib's rush 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 scolding quean to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the friar's mouth; nay, as the pudding to his skin. Count. Have you, I say, an answer of such fitness for all questions? Clown. From below your duke to beneath your constable, it will fit any question. Count. It must be an answer of most monstrous size, that must fit all demands. Clown. But a trifle neither, in good faith, if the learned should speak truth of it: here it is, and all that belongs to 't. Ask me, if I am a courtier; it shall do you no harm to learn. Count. To be young again, if we could.-I will be a fool in question, hoping to be the wiser by your answer. I pray you, sir, are you a courtier ? Clown. O Lord, sir; -there's a simple putting off;-more, more, a hundred of them. Count. Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves you. Clown. O Lord, sir;--thick, thick, spare not me. Count. I think, sir, you can eat none of this homely meat. Clown. O Lord, sir;-nay, put me to 't, I warrant you. Count. You were lately whipped, sir, as I think. Clown. O Lord, sir;-spare not me. 2 Count. Do you cry, O Lord, sir,' at your whipping, and spare not me?' Indeed, your O Lord, sir,' is very sequent to your whipping; you would answer very well to a whipping, if you were but bound to 't. Clown. I ne'er had worse luck in my life, in my 'O Lord, sir:' I see, things may serve long, but not serve ever. Count. I play the noble housewife with the time, to entertain it so merrily with a fool. A ridicule on that expletive, then in vogue at court. 2 Properly follows. Clown. O Lord, sir;-why, there't serves well again. Count. An end, sir, to your business. Give Helen this, And urge her to a present answer back : Clown. Not much commendation to them. Count. Not much employment for you: you understand me? Clown. Most fruitfully; I am there before my legs. Count. Haste you again. [Exeunt severally. SCENE III. Paris. A room in the King's palace. Enter BERTRAM, LAFEU, and PAROLLES. La. They say, miracles are past; and we have our philosophical persons, to make modern1 and familiar things supernatural and causeless. Hence is it, that we make trifles of terrors; ensconcing ourselves into seeming knowlege, when we should submit ourselves to an unknown fear.2 Par. Why, 'tis the rarest argument of wonder, that hath shot out in our latter times. Ber. And so 'tis. 1 Ordinary. 2 Fear is here an object of fear. La. To be relinquished of the artists, Par. So I say; both of Galen and Paracelsus. La. Of all the learned and authentic fellows,Par. Right, so I say. La. That gave him out incurable,— Par. Why, there 'tis; so say I too. La. Not to be helped, Par. Right; as 'twere, a man assured of an— Par. Just; you say well; so would I have said. La. I may truly say, it is a novelty to the world. Par. It is, indeed: if you will have it in showing, you shall read it in,- -What do you call there ?—— La. A showing of a heavenly effect in an earthly actor. Par. That's it I would have said; the very same. La. Why, your dolphin 1 is not lustier: 'fore me, I speak in respect Par. Nay, 'tis strange, 'tis very strange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he is of a most facinorous spirit, that will not acknowlege it to be the La. Very hand of Heaven. Par. Ay, so I say. La. In a most weak Par. And debile minister, great power, great transcendence; which should, indeed, give us a |