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them, as I said; but more than 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?

Dia.

Ay, my good lord. or who gave it you ? Dia. It was not given me, nor I did not buy it. King. Who lent it you?

King. Where did you buy it?

Dia.

It was not lent me neither.

I found it not.

King. Where did you find it then?
Dia.

King. If it were yours by none of all these ways,
How could you give it him?

Dia. I never gave it him. Laf. This woman's an easy glove, my lord; she goes off and on at pleasure.

King. This ring was mine, I gave it his first wife. Dia. It might be yours, or hers, for aught I know. King. Take her away, I do not like her now; To prison with her and away with him.— Unless thou tell'st me where thou had'st this ring, Thou diest within this hour.

Dia.

King. Take her away.
Dia.

I'll never tell you.

I'll put in bail, my liege.

King. I think thee now some common customer. Dia. By Jove, if ever I knew man, 'twas you. King. Wherefore hast thou accus'd 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.. Dia. Good mother, fetch my bail.-Stay, royal sir; [Exit Widow.

The jeweller, that owes the ring, is sent for,
*And he shall surety me. But for this lord,
Who hath abus'd me, as he knows himself,
Though yet he never harm'd me, here I quit him:
He knows himself, my bed he hath defil'd;
And at that time he got his wife with child:
Dead though she be, she feels her young one kick;
So there's my riddle, One, that's dead, is quick :
And now behold the meaning.

King.

Re-enter Widow, with HELENA.

Is there no exorcist

Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes?

Is't real, that I see?

Hel.

No, my good lord;

'Tis but the shadow of a wife you see,

The name, and not the thing.

Ber.

Both, both; O, pardon! Hel. O, my good lord, when I was like this maid, I found you wond'rous 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 anon :Good Tom Drum, [TO PAROLLES.] lend me a handkerchief: So, I thank thee; wait on me home, I'll make sport with thee: Let thy courtesies alone, they are scurvy ones.

King. Let us from point to point this story know, To make the even truth in pleasure flow :

If thou be'st yet a fresh uncropped flower, [To DIANA.
Choose thou thy husband, and I'll pay thy dower;
For I can guess, that, by the honest aid,

Thou kept'st a wife herself, thyself a maid.—
Of that, and all the progress, more and less,
Resolvedly more leisure shall express:

All yet seems well; and, if it end so meet,

The bitter past, more welcome is the sweet. [Flourish.

Advancing.

The king's a beggar, now the play is done:

All is well ended, if this suit be won,

That you express content; which we will

pay,

With strife to please you, day exceeding day :

Ours be your patience then, and yours our parts;

Your gentle hands lend us, and take our hearts. [Exeunt.

ANNOTATIONS

ON

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

ACT I.

LINE 5. in ward.] Under his particular care, as my guardian, till I come to age. It is now almost forgotten in England that the heirs of great fortunes were the king's wards. Whether the same practice prevailed in France, it is of no great use to enquire, for Shakspeare gives to all nations the manners of England. JOHNSON.

Line 20. O, that had! how sad a passage 'tis !] Passage is any thing that passes; so we now say, a passage of an author, and we said about a century ago, the passages of a reign. When the countess mentions Helena's loss of a father, she recollects her own loss of a husband, and stops to observe how heavily that word had passes through her mind. JOHNSON.

Line 45. they are virtues and traitors too; in her they are the better for their simpleness;] Her virtues are the better for their simpleness, that is, her excellencies are the better because they are artless and open, without fraud, without design. The learned Dr. Warburton well explained virtues, but has not, I think, reached the force of the word traitors, and therefore has not shewn the full extent of Shaks

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