I after him do after him wish too,

Since I nor wax nor honey can bring home,

I quickly were dissolvèd from my hive

To give some labourers room.

SECOND LORD DUMAINE

You’re lovèd, sir.

They that least lend it you shall lack you first.

KING

I fill a place, I know’t.—How long is’t, Count,

Since the physician at your father’s died?

He was much famed.

BERTRAM

Some six months since, my lord.

KING

If he were living I would try him yet.—

Lend me an arm.—The rest have worn me out

With several applications. Nature and sickness

Debate it at their leisure. Welcome, Count.

My son’s no dearer.

BERTRAM)

Thank your majesty.

⌈Flourish.⌉ Exeunt

1.3 Enter the Countess, Reynaldo her steward, and ⌈behind⌉ Lavatch her clown

COUNTESS I will now hear. What say you of this gentlewoman?

REYNALDO Madam, the care I have had to even your content I wish might be found in the calendar of my past endeavours, for then we wound our modesty and make foul the clearness of our deservings, when of ourselves we publish them.

COUNTESS What does this knave here? (To Lavatch) Get you gone, sirrah. The complaints I have heard of you I do not all believe. ’Tis my slowness that I do not, for I know you lack not folly to commit them and have ability enough to make such knaveries yours.

LAVATCH ’Tis not unknown to you, madam, I am a poor fellow.

COUNTESS Well, sir?

LAVATCH No, madam, ’tis not so well that I am poor, though many of the rich are damned. But if I may have your ladyship’s good will to go to the world, Isbel the woman and I will do as we may.

COUNTESS Wilt thou needs be a beggar?

LAVATCH I do beg your good will in this case.

COUNTESS In what case?

LAVATCH In Isbel’s case and mine own. Service is no heritage, and I think I shall never have the blessing of God till I have issue o’ my body, for they say bairns are blessings.

COUNTESS Tell me thy reason why thou wilt marry.

LAVATCH My poor body, madam, requires it. I am driven on by the flesh, and he must needs go that the devil drives.

COUNTESS Is this all your worship’s reason?

LAVATCH Faith, madam, I have other holy reasons, such as they are.

COUNTESS May the world know them?

LAVATCH I have been, madam, a wicked creature, as you—and all flesh and blood—are, and indeed I do marry that I may repent.

COUNTESS Thy marriage sooner than thy wickedness.

LAVATCH I am out o’ friends, madam, and I hope to have friends for my wife’s sake.

COUNTESS Such friends are thine enemies, knave.

LAVATCH You’re shallow, madam—in great friends, for the knaves come to do that for me which I am aweary of. He that ears my land spares my team, and gives me leave to in the crop. If I be his cuckold, he’s my drudge. He that comforts my wife is the cherisher of my flesh and blood; he that cherishes my flesh and blood loves my flesh and blood; he that loves my flesh and blood is my friend; ergo, he that kisses my wife is my friend. If men could be contented to be what they are, there were no fear in marriage. For young Chairbonne the puritan and old Poisson the papist, howsome‘er their hearts are severed in religion, their heads are both one: they may jowl horns together like any deer i’th’ herd.

COUNTESS Wilt thou ever be a foul-mouthed and calumnious knave?

LAVATCH A prophet? Ay, madam, and I speak the truth the next way.

[He sings]

For I the ballad will repeat,

Which men full true shall find:

Your marriage comes by destiny,

Your cuckoo sings by kind.

COUNTESS Get you gone, sir. I’ll talk with you more anon.

REYNALDO May it please you, madam, that he bid Helen come to you? Of her I am to speak.

COUNTESS (to Lavatch) Sirrah, tell my gentlewoman I would speak with her. Helen, I mean.

LAVATCH ⌈sings⌉

‘Was this fair face the cause’, quoth she,

‘Why the Grecians sacked Troy?

Fond done, done fond. Was this King Priam’s joy?’

With that she sighed as she stood,

With that she sighed as she stood,

And gave this sentence then:

‘Among nine bad if one be good,

Among nine bad if one be good,

There’s yet one good in ten.’

COUNTESS What, ‘one good in ten’? You corrupt the song, sirrah.

LAVATCH One good woman in ten, madam, which is a purifying o‘th’ song. Would God would serve the world so all the year! We’d find no fault with the tithe-woman if I were the parson. One in ten, quoth a? An we might have a good woman born but ere every blazing star, or at an earthquake, ’twould mend the lottery well. A man may draw his heart out ere a pluck one.

COUNTESS You’ll be gone, sir knave, and do as I command you.

LAVATCH That man should be at woman’s command, and yet no hurt done! Though honesty be no puritan, yet it will do no hurt; it will wear the surplice of humility over the black gown of a big heart. I am going, forsooth. The business is for Helen to come hither. Exit

COUNTESS Well now.

REYNALDO I know, madam, you love your gentlewoman entirely.

COUNTESS Faith, I do. Her father bequeathed her to me, and she herself without other advantage may lawfully make title to as much love as she finds. There is more owing her than is paid, and more shall be paid her than she’ll demand.

REYNALDO Madam, I was very late more near her than I think she wished me. Alone she was, and did communicate to herself, her own words to her own ears; she thought, I dare vow for her, they touched not any stranger sense. Her matter was, she loved your son. Fortune, she said, was no goddess, that had put such difference betwixt their two estates; Love no god, that would not extend his might only where qualities were level; Dian no queen of virgins, that would suffer her poor knight surprised without rescue in the first assault or ransom afterward. This she delivered in the most bitter touch of sorrow that e’er I heard virgin exclaim in; which I held my duty speedily to acquaint you withal, sithence in the loss that may happen it concerns you something to know it.

COUNTESS You have discharged this honestly. Keep it to yourself. Many likelihoods informed me of this before, which hung so tott’ring in the balance that I could neither believe nor misdoubt. Pray you, leave me. Stall this in your bosom, and I thank you for your honest care. I will speak with you further anon.

Exit Steward

Enter Helen

COUNTESS (aside)

Even so it was with me when I was young.

If ever we are nature’s, these are ours: this thorn

Doth to our rose of youth rightly belong.

Our blood to us, this to our blood is born;

It is the show and seal of nature’s truth,

Where love’s strong passion is impressed in youth.