SCENE VI. Changes to the Countess's at Roufillon. Enter Countess, Steward, and Clown. Count. I will now hear; what fay you of this gentlewoman? Stew. Madam, the care I have had to even your content, I wish might be found in the calendar of my past endeavours; for then we wound our modefty, and make foul the clearness of our defervings, when of ourfelves we publish them. Count. What does this knave here? get you gone, firrah: the complaints I have heard of you, I do not all believe; 'tis my flownefs that I do not; for L know you lack not folly to commit them, and have ability enough to make fuch knaveries yare. Clo. 'Tis not unknown to you, Madam, I am a poor fellow. Count. Well, Sir. Clo. No, Madam; 'tis not fo well that I am poor, tho' many of the rich are damn'd; but if I have your Ladyfhip's good-will to go to the world, Ifbel the woman and I will do as we may. Count. Wilt thou needs be a beggar? Clo. I do beg your good-will in this case. Clo. In Ifbel's cafe, and mine own; fervice is no heritage, and I think I fhall never have the bleffing of God, till I have iffue of my body; for they fay, bearns are blefiings. Count. Tell me thy reafon why thou wilt marry. Clo. My poor body, Madam, requires it. I am driver on by the flesh; and he must needs go that the devil drives. Count. Is this all your Worfhip's reafon ? Clo. 'Faith, Madam, I have other holy reafons, fuch as they are. Count. May the world know them? Clo. I have been, Madam, a wicked creature, as you and all flesh and blood are; and, indeed, 1 do marry, that I may repent. Count. Thy marriage fooner than thy wickedness. Clo. I am out of friends, Madam, and I hope to have friends for my wife's fake. Count. Such friends are thine enemies, knave. Clo. Y' are fhallow, Madam, in great friends; for the knaves come to do that for me, which I am weary of. He that ears my lands, fpares my team, and gives me leave to inne the crop. If I be his cuckold, he's my drudge. He that comforts my wife, is the cherifher of my flesh and blood; he that cherisheth my fleth and blood, loves my flesh and blood; he that loves my flesh and blood, is my friend: ergo, he that kisses my wife, is my friend. If men could be contented to be what they are, there were no fear in marriage: for young Charbon the Puritan, and old Poyson the Papift, howfoe'er their hearts are fever'd in religion, their heads are both one; they may joul horns together, like any deer i' th' herd. Count. Wilt thou ever be a foul-mouth'd and calumnious knave? Clo. A prophet, I, Madam; and I speak the truth the next way. For I the ballad will repeat, which men full true: "fhall find; "Your marriage comes by destiny, your cuckow fings "by kind. Count. Get you gone, Sir, I'H talk with you more anon. Stew. May it please you, Madam, that he bid He-> len come to you; of her I am to speak. Count. Sirrah, tell my gentlewoman I would speak with her; Helen I mean. Clo. Was this fair face the caufe, quoth fhe, "Fond done, fond done; for Paris, he, "Was this King Priam's joy. [Singing. "There's yet one good in ten. Count. What, one good in ten? You corrupt the fong, firrah. Cla Clo. One good woman in ten, Madam, which is a purifying o' th' fong: 'would God would ferve the world fo all the year! we'd find no fault with the tithe-woman, if I were the parfon. One in ten, quoth a'! an we might have a good woman born but every blazing ftar, or at an earthquake, 'twould mend the lottery well; a man may draw his heart out, ere he pluck one. Count. You'll be gone, Sir Knave, and do as I command you? Clo. That man that fhould be at a woman's com-: mand, and yet no hurt done! tho' honesty be no Puritan, yet it will do no hurt; it will wear the furplice of humility over the black gown of a big heart. I am going, forfooth, the bufineis is for Helen to come hither. [Exit. Count. Well, now. Stew. I know, Madam, you love your gentlewoman entirely. Count. 'Faith, I do; her father bequeath'd her to me; and the herself, without other advantages, may lawfully make title to as much love as fhe finds: there is more owing her than is paid, and more shall be paid her than fhe'll demand. Stew. Madam, I was very late more near her than' I think the wifh'd me; alone she was, and did communicate to herself her own words to her own ears; fhe thought, I dare vow for her, they touch'd not any ftranger fenfe. Her matter was, fhe lov'd your fon: Fortune, fhe faid, was no goddefs, that had put fuch difference betwixt their two eftates; Love, no god, that would not extend his might, only where qualities were level; Diana, no queen of virgins, that would fuffer her poor knight to be furpris'd without refcue in the firft affault, or ranfom afterward. This fhe deliver'd in the moft bitter touch of forrow that e'er I heard a virgin exclaim in; which I held it my duty speedily to acquaint you withal; fithence, in the lofs that may happen, it concerns you fomething to know it. Count. You have difcharge'd this honeftly, keep it to yourself: many likelihoods inform'd me of this before, which hung fo tottering in the balance, that I could. neither believe nor mifdoubt. Pray you, leave me: ftall ftall this in your bofom, and I thank you for your nest care; I will speak with you further anon. ho [Exit Steward. SCENE VII. Enter Helena. Count. Ev'n fo it was with me when I was young; If we are nature's, thefe are ours: this thorn Doth to our rose of youth rightly belong; Our blood to us, this to our blood, is born; It is the fhow and feal of nature's truth, Where love's ftrong paffion is imprefs'd in youth; Such were our faults; O! then we thought them none. Hel. What is your pleasure, Madam? Count. Nay, a mother. ; Why not a mother? when I faid a mother, You ne'er opprefs'd me with a mother's groan, God's mercy! maiden, do's it curd thy blood, Hel. That I am not. Count. I fay I am your mother. The Count Roufillon cannot be my brother; His fervant live, and will his vaffal die : : Count. Nor I your mother? He Hel. You are my mother, Madam; would you were (So that my Lord, your fon, were not my brother) Indeed my mother!- -or were you both our mothers, (I can no more fear than I do fear heav'n), So I were not his fifter: can't no other, But I your daughter, he must be my brother?Count. Yes, Helen, you might be my daughter-inlaw; God fhield you mean it not, daughter and mother Your falt tears' head; now to all sense 'tis grofs, That truth fhould be fufpected; fpeak, is't fo? To tell me truly. Hel. Good Madam, pardon me. Count. Do you love my fon ? Hel. Your pardon, noble Mistress. Count. Love you my fon? Hel. Do not you love him, Madam? Count. Go not about; my love hath in't a bond, Whereof the world takes note: come, come, difclofe The state of your affection; for your paffions Have to the full appeach'd. Hel. Then, I confefs, Here on my knee, before high heav'ns and you, My friends were poor, but honeft; fo's my love. That he is lov'd of me; I follow him not I By |