ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL. ACT I. SCENE I. - Rousillon. A Room in the Countess's Palace. &nter BERTRAM, the COUNTESS OF ROUSIL LON, HELENA, and LAFEU, in mourning. Count. In delivering my son from me, I bury A second husband. Ber. And I, in going, madam, weep o'er my father's death anew: but I must attend his majesty's command, Lo whom I am now in ward, evermore in subjection. Laf. You shall find of the king a husband, madam; a you, sir, a father: He, that so generally is at all times gooit, must of necessity hold his virtue to you; whose worthiness would stir it up where it wanted, rather than tuck it where there is such abundance. VOL. II. 17 Count. Be thou blest, Bertram! and succeed thy father He cannot want the best, (Exit Countess. . The best wishes, that can be forged in your Enter PAROLLES. adam, wuudu. Count. Be thou blest, Bertram! and succeed thy father Laf. He cannot want the best, [Erit Countess. Ber. The best wishes, that can be forged in your thoughts, (to Helena) be servants to you! Be comfortable to my mother, your mistress, and make much of her. Laf. Farewell, pretty lady: You must hold the credit of your father. (E.reunt Bertram and Lafeu. Hel. 0, were that all! I think not on my father : And these great tears grace his remembrance more Than those I shed for him. What was he like? I have forgot him: my imagination Carries no favour in it, but Bertram's. I am undone; there is no living, none, if Bertram be away. It were all one, That I should love a bright particular star, And think to wed it, he is so above me: Io his bright radiance and collateral light Must I be comforted, not in his sphere. The ambition in my love thus plagues itself : The hind, that would be mated by the lion, Must die for love. "Twas pretty, though a plague, To see him every hour; to sit and draw His arched brows, his hawking eye, his curls, In our heart's table ; heart, too capable or every line and trick of his sweet favour : But now he's gone, and my idolatrous fancy Must sanctify his relics. Who comes here? Enter PAROLLES. One that goes with him: I love him for his sake; And yet I know him a notorious liar, .:Think him a great way fool, solely a coward; B Power' away with it. Yet these fix'd evils sit so fit in him, Par. Save you, fair queen. Hel. Ay. You have some stain of soldier in you; let me ask you a question : Man is enemy to virginity; how may we barricado it against him ? Par. Keep him out. Hel. But he assails; and our virginity, though valiant in the defence, yet is weak: unfold to us some warlike resistance. Par. There is none; man, sitting down before you, will undermine you, and blow you up. Hel. Bless our poor virginity from underminers and blowers up! - Is there no military policy how virgins might blow up men ? Par. Virginity being blown down, man will quickwith the breach yourselves made, you lose your city. lier be blown up: marry, in blowing him down again It is not politic in the commonwealth of nature, to preserve virginity. Loss of virginity is rational increase; and there was never virgin got, till virginity was first lost. That, you were made of, is metal to make virgins. Virginity, by being once lost, may be ten times found: by being ever kept, it is ever lost : 'tis too cold a com I will stand for 't a little, though therefore I die A virgin. Par. There's little can be said in 't: 'tis against the rule of nature. To speak on the part of virginity, is to accuse your mothers, which is most infallible disobedience. He, that hangs himself, is a virgin ; virginity murders itself; and should be buried in highways, out of all sanctified limit, as a desperate offendress against nature. Virginity breeds mites, much like a cheese ; feeding his own stomach. Besides, virginity is peevish, proud, idle, made of self-love, which is the most inhibited sin in the canon. Keep it not; you cannot choose make itself ten, which is a goodly increase ; and the principal itself not much the worse : Away with it. ght o liking ? HelHow might one do, sir, to lose it to her own со. fee pro bio PIDI bL Par. Let me see: Marry, ill, to like him, that ne'er it likes. 'Tis commodity will lose the gloss with lying : the longer kept, the less worth: off with', while 'tis vendible: answer the time of request. Virginity, like an old courtier, wears her cap out of fashion; richly suited, but unsuitable : just like the brooch and tooth-pick, which wear not now. Your date is better in your pie and your porridge, than in your cheek: And your virginity, your old virginity, is like one of our French withered pears; it looks ill, it eats dryly; marry, 'tis a withered pear; it was formerly better; marry, yet, 'tis a withered pear: Will you any thing with it? Hel. Not my virginits yet. Par. What one, i'faith? . That wishing well had not a body in't, Enter a Page. [Exit Page. Par. Little Helen, farewell : if I can remember thee, I will think of thee at court. Hel. Monsieur Parolles, you were born under u charitable star. Par. Under Mars, I. Hel. The wars have so kept you under, that you inust needs be born under Mars. be |
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