Here is a pur of fortune's, sir, or of fortune's cat, (but not a musk-cat,) that has fallen into the unclean fishpond of her displeasure, and, as he says, is muddied withal: Pray you, sir, use the carp as you may; for he looks like a poor, decayed, ingenious, foolish, rascally knave. I do pity his distress in my smiles of comfort, and leave him to your lordship. [Exit Clown. Par. My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly scratched. Laf. And what would you have me to do? 'tis too late to pare her nails now. Wherein bave you played the knave with fortune, that she should scratch you, who of herself is a good lady, and would not have knaves thrive long under her? There's a quart d'ecu for you: Let the justices make you and fortune friends; I am for other business. Par. I beseech your honour, to hear me one single word. Laf. You beg a single penny more: coine, you shall ha't; save your word*. Par. My name, my good lord, is Parolles. Laf. You beg more than one word then. Cox' my passion! give me your hand :-How does your drum ? Pur. O my good lord, you were the first that found me. Laf. Was I, in sooth? and I was the first that lost thee. Pur. It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace, for you did bring me out. Laf. Out upon thee, knave! dost thou put upon me at once both the office of God and the devil? one brings thee in grace, and the other brings thee out. [Trumpets sound.] The king's coming, I know by his trumpets. Sirrah, inquire further after me; I had talk of you last night: though you are a fool and a knave, you shall eat; go to, follow. Par. I praise God for you. SCENE III. The same. [Exeunt. A Room in the Flourish. Enter King, Countess, LAFEU, esteem + Was made much poorer by it: but your son, 'Tis past, my liege: Though my revenges were high bent upon him, We are reconciled, and the first view shall kill Laf. All that he is hath reference to your Laf. He looks well on't. King. I am not a day of season ¶, For thou may'st see a sun-shine and a hail In me at once: But to the brightest beams Distracted clouds give way; so stand thou forth, The time is fair again. Ber. My high-repented blames **, Dear sovereign, pardon to me. King. All is whole; Not one word more of the consumed time. Let's take the instant by the forward top; For we are old, and on our quick'st decrees The inaudible and noiseless foot of time Steals ere we can effect them: You remember The daughter of this lord? Ber. Admiringly, my liege: at first I stuck my choice upon her, ere my heart Durst make too bold a herald of my tongue: Where the impression of mine eye infixing, Contempthis scornful perspective did lend me, Which warp'd the line of every other favour; Scorn'd a fair colour, or express'd it stol'n; Extended or contracted all proportions, To a most hideous object: Thence it came, That she, whom all men praised, and whom myself, Since I have lost, have loved, was in mine eye The dust that did offend it. Well excused: King. That thou didst love her, strikes some scores [too late, From the great compt: But love, that comes Like a remorseful pardon slowly carried, away I bave forgiven and forgotten all; My honour'd lady, • You need not ask ;-here it is. + Reckoning or estimate. Completely, in its full So in As you Like it :-to have "seen much and to have nothing, is to have rich eyes and poor hands." ii. e., The first interview shall put an end to all recollection of the past. i. e.. Of uninterrup.ed rain. ** Faults repented of to the utmost. extent. To the great sender turns a sour offence, Or, ere they meet, in me, O nature, cease! saw it: In Florence was it from a casement thrown me, I stood ingaged*: but when I had subscribed forcement Plutus himself, Whoever gave it you: Then, if you know That you are well acquainted with yourself, Confess 'twas hers, and by what rough en[surety, You got it from her: she call'd the saints to That she would never put it from her finger, Unless she gave it to yourself in bed, (Where you have never come,) or sent it us Upon her great disaster. Ber. She never saw it. King. Thou speak'st it falsely, as I love mine honour; And makest conjectural fears to come into me, Which I would fain shut out: If it should prove That thou art so inhuman,-'twill not prove [deadly, so; And yet I know not:-thou didst hate her [Exit BERTRAM, guarded. Enter a Gentleman. King. I am wrapp'd in dismal thinkings. Gent. Gracious sovereign, Whether I have been to blame, or no, I know Here's a petition from a Florentine, [not; Who hath, for four or five removes §, come To tender it herself. I undertook it, [short Vanquish'd thereto by the fair grace and speech Of the poor suppliant, who by this, I know, Is here attending: her business looks in her With an importing visage; and she told me, In a sweet verbal brief, it did concern Your highness with herself. King. [Reads.] Upon his many protestations to marry me, when his wife was dead, I blush to say it, he won me. Now is the count Rousillon a widower; his vows are forfeited to me, and my honour's paid to him. He stole from Florence, taking no leave, and I follow him to his country for justice: Grunt it me, O king; in you it best lies; otherwise a seducer flourishes, and a poor maid is undone. DIANA CAPULET. Laf. I will buy me a son-in-law in a fair, and toll him : for this, I'll none of him. King. The heavens have thought well on thee, Lafeu, [suitors:To bring forth this discovery.-Seek these Go, speedily, and bring again the count. [Exeunt Gentleman, and some Attendants. I am afeard, the life of Helen, lady, Was foully snatch'd. Count. Now, justice on the doers! Enter BERTRAM, guarded. sters to you, King. I wonder, sir, since wives are mon [ship, And that you fly them as you swear them lordYet you desire to marry.-What woman's that? Re-enter Gentleman, with Widow, and DIANA. Dia. I am, my lord, a wretched Florentine, In the sense of unengaged. + The philosopher's stone. the proper consciousness of your own actions, Post-stages. i. c., That you have Pay toll for him. Derived from the ancient Capulet: Both suffer under this complaint we bring, Ber. My lord, I neither can, nor will deny But that I know them: Do they charge me further? [wife? Dia. Why do you look so strange upon your Ber. She's none of mine; my lord. Dia. If you shall marry, You give away this hand, and that is mine; You give away heaven's vows, and those are mine; You give away myself, which is known mine; Laf. Your reputation [To BERTRAM.] comes too short for my daughter, you are no husband for her. Ber. My lord, this is a fond and desperate creature, [your highness Whom sometime I have laugh'd with: let Lay a more noble thought upon inine honour, Than for to think that I would sink it here. King. Sir, for my thoughts, you have them ill to friend, Till your deeds gain them: Fairer prove your King. What say'st thou to her? were so, He might have bought me at a common price: Count. He blushes, and 'tis it: Ber. What of him? He's quoted for a most perfidious slave, Am I or that, or this, for what he'll utter, King. And boarded her i'the wanton way of youth: Dia. Ber. Dia. The same upon your finger. his of late. [a-bed. Dia. And this was it I gave him, being King. The story then goes false, you threw Out of a casement. Dia. [it him I have spoke the truth. Enter PAROLLES. Ber. My lord,I do confess, the ring was hers. King. You boggle shrewdly, every feather Is this the man you speak of? [starts you.Dia. Ay, my lord. King. Tell me, sirrah, but tell me true, I charge you, Not fearing the displeasure of your master, (Which, on your just proceeding, I'll keep off,) [you? By him, and by this woman here, what know Par. So please your majesty, my master hath been an honourable gentleman; tricks he hath had in him, which gentlemen have. King, Come, come, to the purpose: Did he love this woman? Par. 'Faith, sir, he did love her: But how? King. How, I pray you? Par. He did love her, sir, as a gentleman loves a woman. King. How is that? Par. He loved her, sir, and loved her not. King. As thou art a knave, and no knave: -What an equivocal companion is this? Par. I am a poor man, and at your majesty's command. Laf. He's a good drum, my lord, but a naughty orator. Dia. Do you know,he promised me marriage? Par. 'Faith, I know more than I'll speak. King. But wilt thou not speak all thou know'st? Pur Yes, so please your majesty; I did go between them, as I said; but more than + Gamester when applied to a female, then meant a common woman. Love. ** Her solicitation concurring with ++ May justly make me fast. Debauched. • Decease, die. Value. Noted. ner appearance of being common. #Fellow. that, he loved her,―for, indeed, he was mad for her, and talked of Satan, and of limbo, and of furies, and I know not what: yet I was in that credit with them at that time, that I knew of their going to bed; and of other motions, as promising her marriage, and things that would derive me ill will to speak of, therefore I will not speak what I know. King. Thou hast spoken all already, unless thou canst say they are married: But thou art too fine in thy evidence: therefore stand aside. This ring, you say, was yours? Ay, my good lord. Dia. Dia. It was not given me, nor I did not King. Who lent it you? It was not lent me neither. tomer t. Dia. By Jove, if ever I knew man, 'twas you. King. Wherefore hast thou accused him all this while? Dia. Because he's guilty, and he is not guilty; He knows, I am no maid, and he'll swear to't: I'll swear, I am a maid, and he knows not. Great king, I am no strumpet, by my life; I am either maid, or else this old man's wife. [Pointing to LAFEU. King. She does abuse our ears; to prison with her. [royal sir; Dia. Good mother, fetch my bail.-Stay, [Exit Widow. The jeweller, that owes the ring, is sent for, And he shall surety me. But for this lord, Who hath abused me, as he knows himself, Though yet he never harm'd me,here I quit him: He knows himself, my bed he hath defiled; So there's my riddle, One, that's dead, is quick: I Both, both; O, pardon ! Hel. O, my good lord, when I was like this maid, found you wondrons kind. There is your ring, And, look you, here's your letter; This it says, When from my finger you can get this ring, And are by me with child, &c.-This is done: Will you be mine, now you are doubly won? Ber. If she, my liege, can make me know this clearly, I'll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly, Hel. If it appear not plain, and prove untrue, Deadly divorce step between me and you!O, my dear mother, do I see you living? Laf. Mine eyes smell onions, I shall weep For I can guess, that, by the honest aid, Advancing. The king's a beggar, now the play is done: Your gentle hands lend us, and take our İ Owns. Enchanter. [Exeunt. i. e., Hear us Too artful. † Common woman. without interruption, and take our parts, support and defend us. This play has many delightful scenes, though not sufficiently probable, and some happy characters, though not new, nor produced by any deep knowledge of human nature. Parolles is a boaster and a coward, such as has always been the sport of the stage, but perhaps never raised more laughter or contempt than in the hands of Shakspeare. I cannot reconcile my heart to Bertram; a man noble without generosity, and young without truth; who marries Helen as a coward, and leaves her as a profligate when she is dead by his unkindness, sneaks home to a second marriage, is accused by a woman whom he has wronged, defends himself by falsehood, and is dismissed to happiness. The story of Bertram and Diana had been told before of Mariana and Angelo, and, to con. fess the truth, scarcely merited to be heard a second time.-JOHNSON. TAMING OF THE SHREW. Persons represented. A Lord. CHRISTOPHER SLY, a drunken tinker. Persons in the Hostess, Page, Players, Huntsmen, and other Servants attending on the Lord. Induction Tailor, Haberdasher, and Servants attending on Baptista and Petruchio. Scene,-sometimes in Padua; and sometimes in Petruchio's House in the Country. Sly. I'LL pheese you, in faith. Host. A pair of stocks, you rogue! Sly. Y'are a baggage; the Slies are no rogues: Look in the chronicles, we came in with Richard Conqueror. Therefore, paucas pallabrist; let the world slide: Sessat! Host. You will not pay for the glasses you have burst ? And twice to-day pick'd out the dullest scent: Lord. Thou art a fool; if Echo were as fleet, I would esteem him worth a dozen such. Lord. What's here? one dead, or drunk? 2 Hun. He breathes, my lord: Were he Sly. No, not a denier: Go by, says Jero-This [Lies down on the ground, and falls asleep. Saw'st thou not, boy, how Silver made it He cried upon it at the merest loss, were a bed but cold to sleep so soundly. A most delicious banquet by his bed, Would not the beggar then forget himself? Jess fancy. Then take him up, and manage well the jest:- tures: i Be quiet. § Broke. This * Bitch. line and the scrap of Spanish is used in burlesque from an old play called Hieronymo, or the Spanish Tragedy. An officer whose authority equals a constable. + Strained. |