And show what we alone must think, which never

Returns us thanks.

Enter a Page

PAGE

Monsieur Paroles, my lord calls for you.

⌈Exit⌉

PAROLES Little Helen, farewell. If I can remember thee I will think of thee at court.

HELEN Monsieur Paroles, you were born under a charitable star.

PAROLES Under Mars, I.

HELEN I especially think under Mars.

PAROLES Why ‘under Mars’?

HELEN The wars hath so kept you under that you must needs be born under Mars.

PAROLES When he was predominant.

HELEN When he was retrograde, I think rather.

PAROLES Why think you so?

HELEN You go so much backward when you fight.

PAROLES That’s for advantage.

HELEN So is running away, when fear proposes the safety. But the composition that your valour and fear makes in you is a virtue of a good wing, and I like the wear well.

PAROLES I am so full of businesses I cannot answer thee acutely. I will return perfect courtier, in the which my instruction shall serve to naturalize thee, so thou wilt be capable of a courtier’s counsel and understand what advice shall thrust upon thee; else thou diest in thine unthankfulness, and thine ignorance makes thee away. Farewell. When thou hast leisure say thy prayers; when thou hast none remember thy friends. Get thee a good husband and use him as he uses thee. So farewell.

Exit

HELEN

Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie

Which we ascribe to heaven. The fated sky

Gives us free scope, only doth backward pull

Our slow designs when we ourselves are dull.

What power is it which mounts my love so high,

That makes me see and cannot feed mine eye?

The mightiest space in fortune nature brings

To join like likes and kiss like native things.

Impossible be strange attempts to those

That weigh their pains in sense and do suppose

What hath been cannot be. Who ever strove

To show her merit that did miss her love?

The King’s disease—my project may deceive me,

But my intents are fixed and will not leave me.

Exit

1.2 A flourish of cornetts. Enter the King of France with letters, the two Lords Dumaine, ⌈and divers attendants⌉

KING

The Florentines and Sienese are by th’ears,

Have fought with equal fortune, and continue

A braving war.

FIRST LORD DUMAINE So ’tis reported, sir.

KING

Nay, ’tis most credible: we here receive it

A certainty vouched from our cousin Austria,

With caution that the Florentine will move us

For speedy aid-wherein our dearest friend

Prejudicates the business, and would seem

To have us make denial.

FIRST LORD DUMAINE

His love and wisdom

Approved so to your majesty may plead

For amplest credence.

KING

He hath armed our answer,

And Florence is denied before he comes.

Yet for our gentlemen that mean to see

The Tuscan service, freely have they leave

To stand on either part.

SECOND LORD DUMAINE

It well may serve

A nursery to our gentry, who are sick

For breathing and exploit.

KING

What’s he comes here?

Enter Bertram, Lafeu, and Paroles

FIRST LORD DUMAINE

It is the Count Roussillon, my good lord,

Young Bertram.

KING (to Bertram) Youth, thou bear’st thy father’s face.

Frank nature, rather curious than in haste,

Hath well composed thee. Thy father’s moral parts

Mayst thou inherit, too. Welcome to Paris.

BERTRAM

My thanks and duty are your majesty’s.

KING

I would I had that corporal soundness now

As when thy father and myself in friendship

First tried our soldiership. He did look far

Into the service of the time, and was

Discipled of the bravest. He lasted long,

But on us both did haggish age steal on,

And wore us out of act. It much repairs me

To talk of your good father. In his youth

He had the wit which I can well observe

Today in our young lords, but they may jest

Till their own scorn return to them unnoted

Ere they can hide their levity in honour.

So like a courtier, contempt nor bitterness

Were in his pride or sharpness; if they were

His equal had awaked them, and his honour—

Clock to itself—knew the true minute when

Exception bid him speak, and at this time

His tongue obeyed his hand. Who were below him

He used as creatures of another place,

And bowed his eminent top to their low ranks,

Making them proud of his humility,.

In their poor praise he humbled. Such a man

Might be a copy to these younger times,

Which followed well would demonstrate them now

But goers-backward.

BERTRAM

His good remembrance, sir, Lies richer in your thoughts than on his tomb.

So in approof lives not his epitaph

As in your royal speech.

KING

Would I were with him! He would always say—

Methinks I hear him now; his plausive words

He scattered not in ears, but grafted them

To grow there and to bear. ‘Let me not live’—

This his good melancholy oft began

On the catastrophe and heel of pastime,

When it was out—‘Let me not live’, quoth he,

‘After my flame lacks oil, to be the snuff

Of younger spirits, whose apprehensive senses

All but new things disdain, whose judgements are

Mere fathers of their garments, whose constancies

Expire before their fashions.’ This he wished.