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But, like a timorous thief, most fain would steal
What law does vouch mine own.

Ber.

What would you have?

Hel. Something; and scarce so much :—nothing,

indeed.

I would not tell you what I would: my lord-'faith, yes;

Strangers and foes do sunder, and not kiss.

Ber. I pray you stay not, but in haste to horse.
Hel. I shall not break your bidding, good my lord.
Where are my other men? Monsieur, farewell.
[Exit HELENA.

Ber. Go thou toward home; where I will never

come

Whilst I can shake my sword or hear the drum:
Away, and for our flight!

Par.

Bravely, coragio! [Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE I. — Florence. A Room in the DUKE'S Palace.

Flourish. Enter the DUKE of Florence and his Train, two French Lords, and Soldiers.

DUKE.

So to now have;

O that, from point to point, now have you heard
The fundamental reasons of this war

Whose great decision hath much blood let forth,
And more thirsts after.

1 Lord.

Holy seems the quarrel

Upon your Grace's part; black and fearful

On the opposer's.

Duke. Therefore we marvel much our cousin France

Would, in so just a business, shut his bosom

Against our borrowing prayers.

1 Lord.

Good my lord,

The reasons of our state I cannot yield
But like a common and an outward man,
That the great figure of a council frames
By self-unable motion: therefore dare not
Say what I think of it; since I have found
Myself, in my uncertain grounds, to fail
As often as I guess'd.

Duke.

Be it his pleasure.

2 Lord. But I am sure the younger of our nature, That surfeit on their ease, will, day by day,

Come here for physic.

Duke.

Welcome shall they be;

And all the honours that can fly from us

Shall on them settle. You know your places well; When better fall, for your avails they fell:

To-morrow to the field.

[Flourish. Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Rousillon. A Room in the COUNTESS's Palace.

Enter COUNTESS and Clown.

Count. It hath happen'd all as I would have had

it, save that he comes not along with her.

Clo. By my troth, I take my young lord to be a very melancholy man.

Count. By what observance, I pray you?

Clo. Why, he will look upon his boot, and sing; mend the ruff, and sing; ask questions, and sing; pick his teeth, and sing: I knew a man that had this trick of melancholy hold a goodly manor for a

song.

Count. [Opening a letter.] Let me see what he writes, and when he means to come.

Clo. I have no mind to Isbel since I was at Court; our old ling and our Isbels o' th' country are nothing like your old ling and your Isbels o' th' Court: the brains of my Cupid's knock'd out; and I begin to love, as an old man loves money, with no stomach. Count. What have we here? Clo. E'en that you have there.

[Exit.

1

Count. [Reads.] “I have sent you a daughter-inlaw; she hath recovered the King, and undone me. have wedded her, not bedded her; and have sworn to make the not eternal. You shall hear I am run away: know it before the report come. If there be breadth enough in the world, I will hold a long distance. My duty to you.

Your unfortunate son,

BERTRAM,"

This is not well, rash and unbridled boy,
To fly the favours of so good a King:
To pluck his indignation on thy head.
By the misprizing of a maid too virtuous
For the contempt of empire.

Enter Clown.

Clo. O Madam, yonder is heavy news within, beween two soldiers and my young lady.

Count. What is the matter?

Clo. Nay, there is some comfort in the news,

some comfort; your son will not be kill'd so soon as I thought he would.

Count. Why should he be kill'd?

Clo. So say I, Madam, if he run away, as I hear he does; the danger is in standing to 't: that's the loss of men, though it be the getting of children. Here they come will tell you more: for my part, I only hear your son was run away.

1 Gent.

Enter HELENA and two Gentlemen.

Save you, good Madam.

[Exit.

Hel. Madam, my lord is gone, for ever gone. 2 Gent. Do not say so.

Count. Think upon patience. — Pray you, gentle

men,

I have felt so many quirks of joy and grief,
That the first face of neither, on the start,

Can woman me unto 't. - Where is my son,
Where is my son, I pray

you?

2 Gent. Madam, he's gone to serve the Duke of Florence:

We met him thitherward; for thence we came,
And, after some despatch in hand at Court,

Thither we bend again.

Hel. Look on his letter, Madam; here's my pass

port. [Reads. “When thou canst get the ring upon my finger, which never shall come off, and shew me a child begotten of thy body that I am father to, then call me husband; but in such a'then' I write a never.””

This is a dreadful sentence.

Count. Brought you this letter, gentlemen?

1 Gent.

Ay, Madam;

And, for the contents' sake, are sorry for our pains. Count. I pr'ythee, lady, have a better cheer;

If thou engrossest all the griefs are thine,
Thou robb'st me of a moiety. He was my son;
But I do wash his name out of my blood,

And thou art all my child. Towards Florence is he? 2 Gent. Ay, Madam.

Count.

And to be a soldier?

2 Gent. Such is his noble purpose: and, believe 't, The Duke will lay upon him all the honour That good convenience claims.

Count.

Return thou thither?

1 Gent. Ay, Madam, with the swiftest wing of speed.

Hel. [Reads.] “Till I have no wife, I have nothing in France."

[blocks in formation]

Ay, Madam.

1 Gent. 'Tis but the boldness of his hand, haply, which his heart was not consenting to.

Count. Nothing in France, until he have no wife! There's nothing here that is too good for him, But only she and she deserves a lord That twenty such rude boys might tend upon, And call her hourly, mistress. Who was with him? 1 Gent. A servant only, and a gentleman Which I have some time known.

Count.

Parolles, was't not?

1 Gent. Ay, my good lady, he.

Count. A very tainted fellow, and full of wick

edness:

My son corrupts a well-derived nature

With his inducement.

1 Gent.

Indeed, good lady,

The fellow has a deal of that, too much,

Which holds him much to have.

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