Unless she gave it to yourself in bed,

Where you have never come, or sent it us

Upon her great disaster.

BERTRAM

She never saw it.

KING

Thou speak‘st it falsely, as I love mine honour,

And mak’st conjectural fears to come into me

Which I would fain shut out. If it should prove

That thou art so inhuman—‘twill not prove so.

And yet I know not. Thou didst hate her deadly,

And she is dead, which nothing but to close

Her eyes myself could win me to believe,

More than to see this ring.—Take him away.

My fore-past proofs, howe’er the matter fall,

Shall tax my fears of little vanity,

Having vainly feared too little. Away with him.

We’ll sift this matter further.

BERTRAM

If you shall prove

This ring was ever hers, you shall as easy

Prove that I husbanded her bed in Florence,

Where yet she never was. Exit guarded

Enter the Gentleman Austringer with a paper

KING I am wrapped in dismal thinkings.

GENTLEMAN Gracious sovereign,

Whether I have been to blame or no, I know not.

Here’s a petition from a Florentine

Who hath for four or five removes come short

To tender it herself. I undertook it,

Vanquished thereto by the fair grace and speech

Of the poor suppliant, who by this I know

Is here attending. Her business looks in her

With an importing visage, and she told me

In a sweet verbal brief it did concern

Your highness with herself. ‫‫‫‪‪‪‫‏‏‎‎

⌈KING⌉ (reads a letter) ’Upon his many protestations to marry me when his wife was dead, I blush to say it, he won me. Now is the Count Roussillon a widower, his vows are forfeited to me, and my honour’s paid to him. He stole from Florence, taking no leave, and I follow him to his country for justice. Grant it me, O King! In you it best lies; otherwise a seducer flourishes and a poor maid is undone.

Diana Capilet.’

LAFEU I will buy me a son-in-law in a fair, and toll for this. I’ll none of him.

KING

The heavens have thought well on thee, Lafeu,

To bring forth this discov’ry.—Seek these suitors.

Go speedily and bring again the Count.

Exit one or more

I am afeard the life of Helen, lady,

Was foully snatched.

⌈Enter Bertram guarded⌉

COUNTESS Now justice on the doers!

KING (to Bertram)

I wonder, sir, since wives are monsters to you,

And that you fly them as you swear them lordship,

Yet you desire to marry.

Enter the Widow and Diana

What woman’s that?

DIANA

I am, my lord, a wretched Florentine,

Derived from the ancient Capilet.

My suit, as I do understand, you know,

And therefore know how far I may be pitied.

WIDOW (to the King)

I am her mother, sir, whose age and honour

Both suffer under this complaint we bring,

And both shall cease without your remedy.

KING

Come hither, Count. Do you know these women?

BERTRAM

My lord, I neither can nor will deny

But that I know them. Do they charge me further?

DIANA

Why do you look so strange upon your wife?

BERTRAM (to the King)

She’s none of mine, my lord.

DIANA If you shall marry

You give away this hand, and that is mine;

You give away heaven’s vows, and those are mine;

You give away myself, which is known mine,

For I by vow am so embodied yours

That she which marries you must marry me,

Either both or none.

LAFEU (to Bertram) Your reputation comes too short for my daughter, you are no husband for her.

BERTRAM (to the King)

My lord, this is a fond and desp’rate creature

Whom sometime I have laughed with. Let your

highness

Lay a more noble thought upon mine honour

Than for to think that I would sink it here.

KING

Sir, for my thoughts, you have them ill to friend

Till your deeds gain them. Fairer prove your honour

Than in my thought it lies.

DIANA

Good my lord,

Ask him upon his oath if he does think

He had not my virginity.

KING What sayst thou to her?

BERTRAM She’s impudent, my lord,

And was a common gamester to the camp.

DIANA (to the King)

He does me wrong, my lord. If I were so

He might have bought me at a common price.

Do not believe him. O behold this ring,

Whose high respect and rich validity

Did lack a parallel; yet for all that

He gave it to a commoner o’th’ camp,

If I be one.

COUNTESS

He blushes and ’tis hit.

Of six preceding ancestors, that gem;

Conferred by testament to th’ sequent issue

Hath it been owed and worn. This is his wife.

That ring’s a thousand proofs.

KING (to Diana)

Methought you said

You saw one here in court could witness it.

DIANA

I did, my lord, but loath am to produce

So bad an instrument. His name’s Paroles.

LAFEU

I saw the man today, if man he be.

KING

Find him and bring him hither. Exit one

BERTRAM

What of him?

He’s quoted for a most perfidious slave

With all the spots o’th’ world taxed and debauched,

Whose nature sickens but to speak a truth.

Am I or that or this for what he’ll utter,

That will speak anything?

KING

She hath that ring of yours.

BERTRAM

I think she has. Certain it is I liked her

And boarded her i‘th’ wanton way of youth.

She knew her distance and did angle for me,

Madding my eagerness with her restraint,