PAROLES Mort du vinaigre, is not this Helen?

LAFEU Fore God, I think so.

KING

Go call before me all the lords in court.

Exit one or more

Sit, my preserver, by thy patient’s side,

⌈The King and Helen sit]

And with this healthful hand whose banished sense

Thou hast repealed, a second time receive

The confirmation of my promised gift,

Which but attends thy naming.

Enter four Lords

Fair maid, send forth thine eye. This youthful parcel

Of noble bachelors stand at my bestowing,

O’er whom both sovereign power and father’s voice

I have to use. Thy frank election make.

Thou hast power to choose, and they none to forsake.

HELEN

To each of you one fair and virtuous mistress

Fall when love please. Marry, to each but one.

LAFEU (aside)

I’d give bay Curtal and his furniture

My mouth no more were broken than these boys’,

And writ as little beard.

KING (to Helen) Peruse them well.

Not one of these but had a noble father.

HELEN Gentlemen,

Heaven hath through me restored the King to health.

⌈ALL BUT HELEN]

We understand it, and thank heaven for you.

HELEN

I am a simple maid, and therein wealthiest

That I protest I simply am a maid.—

Please it your majesty, I have done already.

The blushes in my cheeks thus whisper me:

‘We blush that thou shouldst choose; but, be refused,

Let the white death sit on thy cheek for ever,

We’ll ne’er come there again.’

KING Make choice and see.

Who shuns thy love shuns all his love in me.

HELEN (rising)

Now, Dian, from thy altar do I fly,

And to imperial Love, that god most high,

Do my sighs stream.

⌈She addresses her to a Lord]

Sir, will you hear my suit?

FIRST LORD

And grant it.

HELEN Thanks, sir. All the rest is mute.

LAFEU (aside) I had rather be in this choice than throw ambs-ace for my life.

HELEN (to another Lord)

The honour, sir, that flames in your fair eyes,

Before I speak, too threat’ningly replies.

Love make your fortunes twenty times above

Her that so wishes, and her humble love.

SECOND LORD

No better, if you please.

HELEN

My wish receive,

Which great Love grant. And so I take my leave.

LAFEU (aside) Do all they deny her? An they were sons of mine I’d have them whipped, or I would send them to th’ Turk to make eunuchs of.

HELEN (to another Lord)

Be not afraid that I your hand should take;

I’ll never do you wrong for your own sake.

Blessing upon your vows, and in your bed

Find fairer fortune, if you ever wed.

LAFEU (aside) These boys are boys of ice, they’ll none have her. Sure they are bastards to the English, the French ne‘er got ’em.

HELEN (to another Lord)

You are too young, too happy, and too good

To make yourself a son out of my blood.

FOURTH LORD Fair one, I think not so.

LAFEU (aside) There’s one grape yet. I am sure thy father drunk wine, but if thou beest not an ass I am a youth of fourteen. I have known thee already.

HELEN (to Bertram)

I dare not say I take you, but I give

Me and my service ever whilst I live

Into your guiding power.—This is the man.

KING

Why then, young Bertram, take her, she’s thy wife.

BERTRAM

My wife, my liege? I shall beseech your highness,

In such a business give me leave to use

The help of mine own eyes.

KING

Know’st thou not, Bertram,

What she has done for me?

BERTRAM

Yes, my good lord,

But never hope to know why I should marry her.

KING

Thou know’st she has raised me from my sickly bed.

BERTRAM

But follows it, my lord, to bring me down

Must answer for your raising? I know her well:

She had her breeding at my father’s charge.

A poor physician’s daughter, my wife? Disdain

Rather corrupt me ever.

KING

‘Tis only title thou disdain’st in her, the which

I can build up. Strange is it that our bloods,

Of colour, weight, and heat, poured all together,

Would quite confound distinction, yet stands off

In differences so mighty. If she be

All that is virtuous, save what thou distik’st—

‘A poor physician’s daughter’—thou dislik’st

Of virtue for the name. But do not so.

From lowest place when virtuous things proceed,

The place is dignified by th’ doer’s deed.

Where great additions swell’s, and virtue none,

It is a dropsied honour. Good alone

Is good without a name, vileness is so:

The property by what it is should go,

Not by the title. She is young, wise, fair.

In these to nature she’s immediate heir,

And these breed honour. That is honour’s scorn

Which challenges itself as honour’s born

And is not like the sire; honours thrive

When rather from our acts we them derive

Than our foregoers. The mere word’s a slave,

Debauched on every tomb, on every grave

A lying trophy, and as oft is dumb

Where dust and dammed oblivion is the tomb

Of honoured bones indeed. What should be said?

If thou canst like this creature as a maid,

I can create the rest. Virtue and she

Is her own dower; honour and wealth from me.

BERTRAM

I cannot love her, nor will strive to do’t.

KING

Thou wrong’st thyself. If thou shouldst strive to choose—

HELEN

That you are well restored, my lord, I’m glad.

Let the rest go.

KING

My honour’s at the stake, which to defeat

I must produce my power. Here, take her hand,