HELEN

My lord your son made me to think of this,

Else Paris and the medicine and the King

Had from the conversation of my thoughts

Haply been absent then.

COUNTESS

But think you, Helen, If you should tender your supposed aid,

He would receive it? He and his physicians

Are of a mind: he, that they cannot help him;

They, that they cannot help. How shall they credit

A poor unlearned virgin, when the schools,

Embowelled of their doctrine, have left off

The danger to itself?

HELEN

There’s something in’t

More than my father’s skill, which was the great’st

Of his profession, that his good receipt

Shall for my legacy be sanctified

By th’ luckiest stars in heaven, and would your

honour

But give me leave to try success, I’d venture

The well-lost life of mine on his grace’s cure

By such a day, an hour.

COUNTESS Dost thou believe’t?

HELEN Ay, madam, knowingly.

COUNTESS

Why, Helen, thou shalt have my leave and love,

Means and attendants, and my loving greetings

To those of mine in court. I’ll stay at home

And pray God’s blessing into thy attempt.

Be gone tomorrow, and be sure of this:

What I can help thee to, thou shalt not miss.

Exeunt

2.1 Flourish of cornetts. Enter the King ⌈carried in a chair⌉, with the two Lords Dumaine, divers young lords taking leave for the Florentine war, and Bertram and Paroles

KING

Farewell, young lords. These warlike principles

Do not throw from you. And you, my lords, farewell.

Share the advice betwixt you; if both gain all,

The gift doth stretch itself as ’tis received,

And is enough for both.

FIRST LORD DUMAINE

’Tis our hope, sir, After well-entered soldiers, to return

And find your grace in health.

KING

No, no, it cannot be—and yet my heart

Will not confess he owes the malady

That doth my life besiege. Farewell, young lords.

Whether I live or die, be you the sons

Of worthy Frenchmen; let higher Italy—

Those bated that inherit but the fall

Of the last monarchy—see that you come

Not to woo honour but to wed it. When

The bravest questant shrinks, find what you seek,

That fame may cry you loud. I say farewell.

FIRST LORD DUMAINE

Health at your bidding serve your majesty.

KING

Those girls of Italy, take heed of them.

They say our French lack language to deny

If they demand. Beware of being captives

Before you serve.

BOTH LORDS DUMAINE Our hearts receive your warnings.

KING Farewell.—Come hither to me.

⌈Some lords stand aside with the King⌉

FIRST LORD DUMAINE (to Bertram)

O my sweet lord, that you will stay behind us.

PAROLES

’Tis not his fault, the spark.

SECOND LORD DUMAINE

O ’tis brave wars.

PAROLES

Most admirable! I have seen those wars.

BERTRAM

I am commanded here, and kept a coil with

‘Too young’ and ‘the next year’ and ‘’tis too early’.

PAROLES

An thy mind stand to’t, boy, steal away bravely.

BERTRAM

I shall stay here the forehorse to a smock,

Creaking my shoes on the plain masonry,

Till honour be bought up, and no sword worn

But one to dance with. By heaven, I’ll steal away.

FIRST LORD DUMAINE

There’s honour in the theft.

PAROLES

Commit it, Count.

SECOND LORD DUMAINE

I am your accessary. And so, farewell.

BERTRAM I grow to you,

And our parting is a tortured body.

FIRST LORD DUMAINE

Farewell, captain.

SECOND LORD DUMAINE Sweet Monsieur Paroles.

PAROLES Noble heroes, my sword and yours are kin. Good sparks and lustrous, a word, good mettles. You shall find in the regiment of the Spinii one Captain Spurio, with his cicatrice, an emblem of war, here on his sinister cheek. It was this very sword entrenched it. Say to him I live, and observe his reports for me.

FIRST LORD DUMAINE We shall, noble captain.

PAROLES Mars dote on you for his novices.

Exeunt both Lords Dumaine

(To Bertram) What will ye do?

BERTRAM Stay the King.

PAROLES Use a more spacious ceremony to the noble lords. You have restrained yourself within the list of too cold an adieu. Be more expressive to them, for they wear themselves in the cap of the time, there do muster true gait; eat, speak, and move under the influence of the most received star—and though the devil lead the measure, such are to be followed. After them, and take a more dilated farewell.

BERTRAM And I will do so.

PAROLES Worthy fellows, and like to prove most sinewy sword-men.

Exeunt [Bertram and Paroles]

Enter Lafeu to the King

LAFEU (kneeling)

Pardon, my lord, for me and for my tidings.

KING I’ll fee thee to stand up.

LAFEU (rising)

Then here’s a man stands that has bought his pardon.

I would you had kneeled, my lord, to ask me mercy,

And that at my bidding you could so stand up.

KING

I would I had, so I had broke thy pate

And asked thee mercy for’t.

LAFEU

Good faith, across!

But my good lord, ’tis thus: will you be cured

Of your infirmity?

KING

No.

LAFEU

O will you eat

No grapes, my royal fox? Yes, but you will,

My noble grapes, an if my royal fox

Could reach them. I have seen a medicine

That’s able to breathe life into a stone,

Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary

With sprightly fire and motion; whose simple touch

Is powerful to araise King Pépin, nay,

To give great Charlemagne a pen in’s hand,

And write to her a love-line.

KING

What ’her’ is this?

LAFEU

Why, Doctor She. My lord, there’s one arrived,

If you will see her. Now by my faith and honour,