Say what I think of it; since I have found As often as I guess'd. Duke. Be it his pleasure. 2 Lord. But I am sure, the younger of our nature, 5 Duke. Welcome shall they be; SCENE II. [Flourish. Exeunt. Rousillon. A Room in the Countess's Palace. Enter Countess and Clown. Count. It hath happened all as I would have had it, save, that he comes not along with her. Clo. By my troth, I take my young lord to be a very melancholy man. Count. By what observance, I pray you? Clo. Why, he will look upon his boot, and sing; mend the ruff, and sing; ask questions, and sing; pick his teeth, and sing: I know a man that had this trick of melancholy, sold a goodly manor for a song. Count. Let me see what he writes, and when he [Opening a letter. means to come. Clo. I have no mind to Isbel, since I was at court: our old ling and our Isbels o' the country are nothing like your old ling, and your Isbels o' the court: the brains of my Cupid's knocked out; and I begin to love, as an old man loves money, with no stomach. Count. What have we here? [Exit. Clo. E'en that you have there. Count. [Reads.] I have sent you a daughter-in-law: she hath recovered the king, and undone me. I have wedded her, not bedded her; and sworn to make the not eternal. You shall hear, I am run away; know it, STEEV. [5] i. e. as we say at present, our young fellows. [6] The tops of the boots, in our author's time, turned down, and hung loosely over the leg. The folding is what the Clown means by the ruff. Ben Jonson calls it ruffle; and perhaps it should be so here. "Not having leisure to put off my silver spurs, one of the rowels catch'd hold of the ruffle of my boot." Every Man out of his Humour, Act IV. sc. vi. WHALLEY. before the report come. If there be breadth enough in the world, I will hold a long distance. My duty to you. Your unfortunate son, This is not well, rash and unbridled boy, To fly the favours of so good a king; For the contempt of empire. Re-enter Clown. BERTRAM. Clo. O madam, yonder is heavy news within, between two soldiers and my young lady. Count. What is the matter? Clo. Nay, there is some comfort in the news, some comfort; your son will not be killed so soon as I thought he would. Count. Why should he be kill'd ? Clo. So say I, madam, if he run away, as I hear he does: the danger is in standing to't; that's the loss of men, though it be the getting of children. Here they * come, will tell you more: for my part, I only hear, your [Exit Clown. son was run away. Enter HELENA and two Gentlemen. 1 Gent. Save you, good madam. Count. Think upon patience.-'Pray you, gentlemen, I have felt so many quirks of joy, and grief, Can woman me unto't :-Where is my son, I pray you? Hel. Look on his letter, madam; here's my passport. [Reads.] When thou canst get the ring upon my finger, which never shall come off, and show me a child begotten of thy body, that I am father to, then call me husband: but in such a then I write a never! This is a dreadful sentence. Count. Brought you this letter, gentlemen? And, for the contents' sake, are sorry for our pains. Thou robb'st me of a moiety: He was my son; 2 Gent. Ay, madam. Count. And to be a soldier? 2 Gent. Such is his noble purpose; and, believe't, The duke will lay upon him all the honour That good convenience claims. Count. Return you thither? 1 Gent. Ay, madam, with the swiftest wing of speed. Hel. Till I have no wife, I have nothing in France. 'Tis bitter. Count. Find you that there? Hel. Ay, madam. [Reading. 1 Gent. 'Tis but the boldness of his hand, haply, which His heart was not consenting to. Count. Nothing in France, until he have no wife ! There's nothing here, that is too good for him, But only she; and she deserves a lord, That twenty such rude boys might tend upon, And call her hourly, mistress. Who was with him? 1 Gent. A servant only, and a gentleman Which I have some time known. 1 Gent. Ay, my good lady, he. Count. A very tainted fellow, and full of wickedness. My son corrupts a well-derived nature 1 Gent. Indeed, good lady, Count. You are welcome, gentlemen. 2 Gent. We serve you, madam, Count. Not so, but as we change our courtesies. Will you draw near? [Exe. Countess and Gentlemen. [7] That is, his vices stand him in stead. Helen had before delivered this thought in all the beauty of expression: "I know him a notorious liar; Think him a great way fool, solely a coward; That they take place when virtue's steely bones WARB. Hel. Till I have no wife, I have nothing in France. Of the none-sparing war? and is it I That drive thee from the sportive court, where thou SCENE III. Florence. Before the Duke's Palace. Flourish. Enter the Duke Ber. Sir, it is A charge too heavy for my strength; but yet [8] i. e. the ravenous or ravening lion. Toravin is to swallow voraciously. 12* VOL. III. MALONE, To the extreme edge of hazard. Duke. Then go thou forth; And fortune play upon thy prosperous helm, As thy auspicious mistress! Ber. This very day, Great Mars, I put myself into thy file : Make me but like my thoughts; and I shall prove A lover of thy drum, hater of love. SCENE IV. [Exeunt. Rousillon. A Room in the Countess's Palace. Enter Countess and Steward. Count. Alas! and would you take the letter of her? Might you not know she would do as she has done, By sending me a letter? Read it again. Stew. I am Saint Jaques' pilgrim, thither gone; With sainted vow my faults to have amended. 4 I, his despiteful Juno, sent him forth From courtly friends, with camping foes to live, Where death and danger dog the heels of worth: He is too good and fair for death and me ; Whom I myself embrace, to set him free. Count. Ah, what sharp stings are in her mildest words! --Rinaldo, you did never lack advice so much, Stew. Pardon me, madam : If I had given you this at over-night, I She might have been o'erta'en; and yet she writes, Count. What angel shall Bless this unworthy husband? he cannot thrive, [9] Alluding to the story of Hercules. [1] Advice, is discretion or thought. JOHNSON. 1 |