Same. Another Room in the Palace. | |
| |
Enter HELENA and Clown. | |
| Hel. My mother greets me kindly: is she well? | |
| Clo. She is not well; but yet she has her health; she’s very merry; but yet she is not well: but thanks be given, she’s very well, and wants nothing i’ the world; but yet she is not well. | 4 |
| Hel. If she be very well, what does she ail that she’s not very well? | |
| Clo. Truly, she’s very well indeed, but for two things. | |
| Hel. What two things? | |
| Clo. One, that she’s not in heaven, whither God send her quickly! the other, that she’s in earth, from whence God send her quickly! | 8 |
| |
Enter PAROLLES. | |
| Par. Bless you, my fortunate lady! | |
| Hel. I hope, sir, I have your good will to have mine own good fortunes. | |
| 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? | 12 |
| Clo. So that you had her wrinkles, and I her money, I would she did as you say. | |
| Par. Why, I say nothing. | |
| Clo. Marry, you are the wiser man; for many a man’s tongue shakes out his master’s undoing. To say 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. | 16 |
| Clo. You should have said, sir, before a knave thou’rt a knave; that is, before me thou’rt 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 search, sir, was profitable; and 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. | 20 |
| Madam, my lord will go away to-night; | |
| A very serious business calls on him. | |
| The great prerogative and rite of love, | |
| Which, as your due, time claims, he does acknowledge, | 24 |
| But puts it off to a compell’d restraint; | |
| Whose want, and whose delay, is strew’d with sweets, | |
| Which they distil now in the curbed time, | |
| To make the coming hour o’erflow with joy, | 28 |
| And pleasure drown the brim. | |
| Hel. What’s his will else? | |
| Par. That you will take your instant leave o’ the king, | |
| And make this haste as your own good proceeding, | 32 |
| Strengthen’d with what apology you think | |
| May make it probable need. | |
| Hel. What more commands he? | |
| Par. That, having this obtain’d, you presently | 36 |
| Attend his further pleasure. | |
| Hel. In everything I wait upon his will. | |
| Par. I shall report it so. | |
| Hel. I pray you. Come, sirrah. [Exeunt. | 40 |
