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All’s Well That Ends Well: Act II, Scene 3

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All’s Well That Ends Well
Act II, Scene 3

Paris . The King’s palace .

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

Norman M. Price, 1915

  1. Enter count Bertram , Lafew , and Parolles .

Lafew

1 - 5
  1. They say miracles are past , and we have our philosophical
  2. persons , to make modern and familiar , things supernatural
  3. and causeless . Hence is it that we make trifles of terrors ,
  4. ensconcing ourselves into seeming knowledge , when we should
  5. submit ourselves to an unknown fear .

Parolles

6 - 7
  1. Why , ’tis the rarest argument of wonder that hath shot out
  2. in our latter times .

Bertram

8
  1. And so ’tis .

Lafew

9
  1. To be relinquish’d of the artists —

Parolles

10
  1. So I say , both of Galen and Paracelsus .

Lafew

11
  1. Of all the learned and authentic fellows —

Parolles

12
  1. Right , so I say .

Lafew

13
  1. That gave him out incurable —

Parolles

14
  1. Why , there ’tis , so say I too .

Lafew

15
  1. Not to be help’d —

Parolles

16
  1. Right , as ’twere a man assur’d of a —

Lafew

17
  1. Uncertain life , and sure death .

Parolles

18
  1. Just , you say well ; so would I have said .

Lafew

19
  1. I may truly say it is a novelty to the world .

Parolles

20 - 21
  1. It is indeed ; if you will have it in showing , you shall read
  2. it in what - do - ye - call there .
  1. Pointing to a ballad in Lafew’s hand .

Lafew

22
  1. Reading the title .
  2. “ A showing of a heavenly effect in an earthly actor .”

Parolles

23
  1. That’s it I would have said , the very same .

Lafew

24 - 25
  1. Why , your dolphin is not lustier . ’Fore me , I speak in
  2. respect —

Parolles

26 - 28
  1. Nay , ’tis strange , ’tis very strange , that is the brief and
  2. the tedious of it , and he’s of a most facinerious spirit
  3. that will not acknowledge it to be the —

Lafew

29
  1. Very hand of heaven .

Parolles

30
  1. Ay , so I say .

Lafew

31
  1. In a most weak —

Parolles

32 - 34
  1. And debile minister , great power , great transcendence , which
  2. should indeed give us a further use to be made than alone
  3. the recov’ry of the King , as to be —

Lafew

35
  1. Generally thankful .
  1. Enter King , Helen , and Attendants .

Parolles

36
  1. I would have said it ; you say well . Here comes the King .

Lafew

37 - 39
  1. Lustig , as the Dutchman says . I’ll like a maid the better
  2. whilst I have a tooth in my head . Why , he’s able to lead her
  3. a coranto .

Parolles

40
  1. Mort du vinaigre ! Is not this Helen ?

Lafew

41
  1. ’Fore God , I think so .

King of France

42 - 52
  1. Go call before me all the lords in court .
  2. Sit , my preserver , by thy patient’s side ,
  3. And with this healthful hand , whose banish’d sense
  4. Thou hast repeal’d , a second time receive
  5. The confirmation of my promis’d gift ,
  6. Which but attends thy naming .
  7. Enter three or four Lords .
  8. Fair maid , send forth thine eye . This youthful parcel
  9. Of noble bachelors stand at my bestowing ,
  10. O’er whom both sovereign power and father’s voice
  11. I have to use . Thy frank election make ;
  12. Thou hast power to choose , and they none to forsake .

Helena

53 - 54
  1. To each of you one fair and virtuous mistress
  2. Fall , when Love please ! Marry , to each but one !

Lafew

55 - 57
  1. I’d give bay Curtal and his furniture ,
  2. My mouth no more were broken than these boys’ ,
  3. And writ as little beard .

King of France

58 - 59
  1.                           Peruse them well .
  2. Not one of those but had a noble father .

Helena

60 - 61
  1. Gentlemen ,
  2. Heaven hath through me restor’d the King to health .

All Lords

62
  1. We understand it , and thank heaven for you .

Helena

63 - 69
  1. I am a simple maid , and therein wealthiest
  2. That I protest I simply am a maid .
  3. Please it your Majesty , I have done already .
  4. The blushes in my cheeks thus whisper me ,
  5. “ We blush that thou shouldst choose ; but be refused ,
  6. Let the white death sit on thy cheek forever ,
  7. We’ll ne’er come there again .”

King of France

70 - 71
  1.                                Make choice and see ,
  2. Who shuns thy love shuns all his love in me .

Helena

72 - 75
  1. Now , Dian , from thy altar do I fly ,
  2. And to imperial Love , that god most high ,
  3. Do my sighs stream .
  4. She addresses her to a Lord .
  5. Sir , will you hear my suit ?

First French Lord

76
  1. And grant it .

Helena

77
  1.               Thanks , sir ; all the rest is mute .
Tales from Shakespeare

From: Tales from Shakespeare

Charles Lamb, author; Mary Lamb, author; Louis Rhead; 1918

Lafew

78 - 79
  1. I had rather be in this choice than throw ames - ace for my
  2. life .

Helena

80 - 83
  1. To a Second Lord .
  2. The honor , sir , that flames in your fair eyes ,
  3. Before I speak , too threat’ningly replies .
  4. Love make your fortunes twenty times above
  5. Her that so wishes , and her humble love !

Second French Lord

84
  1. No better , if you please .

Helena

85 - 86
  1.                           My wish receive ,
  2. Which great Love grant , and so I take my leave .

Lafew

87 - 89
  1. Do all they deny her ? And they were sons of mine , I’d have
  2. them whipt , or I would send them to th’ Turk to make eunuchs
  3. of .

Helena

90 - 93
  1. To a third Lord .
  2. Be not afraid that I your hand should take ,
  3. I’ll never do you wrong for your own sake .
  4. Blessing upon your vows , and in your bed
  5. Find fairer fortune , if you ever wed !

Lafew

94 - 95
  1. These boys are boys of ice , they’ll none have her . Sure they
  2. are bastards to the English , the French ne’er got ’em .

Helena

96 - 97
  1. To a fourth Lord .
  2. You are too young , too happy , and too good ,
  3. To make yourself a son out of my blood .

Fourth French Lord

98
  1. Fair one , I think not so .

Lafew

99 - 101
  1. There’s one grape yet ; I am sure thy father drunk wine — but
  2. if thou be’st not an ass , I am a youth of fourteen . I have
  3. known thee already .

Helena

102 - 104
  1. To Bertram .
  2. I dare not say I take you , but I give
  3. Me and my service , ever whilst I live ,
  4. Into your guiding power .— This is the man .

King of France

105
  1. Why then , young Bertram , take her , she’s thy wife .

Bertram

106 - 108
  1. My wife , my liege ? I shall beseech your Highness ,
  2. In such a business , give me leave to use
  3. The help of mine own eyes .

King of France

109 - 110
  1.                            Know’st thou not , Bertram ,
  2. What she has done for me ?

Bertram

111 - 112
  1. Yes , my good lord ,
  2. But never hope to know why I should marry her .

King of France

113
  1. Thou know’st she has rais’d me from my sickly bed .

Bertram

114 - 118
  1. But follows it , my lord , to bring me down
  2. Must answer for your raising ? I know her well ;
  3. She had her breeding at my father’s charge —
  4. A poor physician’s daughter my wife ! Disdain
  5. Rather corrupt me ever !

King of France

119 - 146
  1. ’Tis only title thou disdain’st in her , the which
  2. I can build up . Strange is it that our bloods ,
  3. Of color , weight , and heat , pour’d all together ,
  4. Would quite confound distinction , yet stands off
  5. In differences so mighty . If she be
  6. All that is virtuous — save what thou dislik’st ,
  7. A poor physician’s daughter — thou dislik’st
  8. Of virtue for the name . But do not so .
  9. From lowest place when virtuous things proceed ,
  10. The place is dignified by th’ doer’s deed .
  11. Where great additions swell ’s , and virtue none ,
  12. It is a dropsied honor . Good alone
  13. Is good , without a name ; vileness is so :
  14. The property by what it is should go ,
  15. Not by the title . She is young , wise , fair ,
  16. In these to nature she’s immediate heir ;
  17. And these breed honor . That is honor’s scorn ,
  18. Which challenges itself as honor’s born ,
  19. And is not like the sire . Honors thrive ,
  20. When rather from our acts we them derive
  21. Than our foregoers . The mere word’s a slave
  22. Debosh’d on every tomb , on every grave
  23. A lying trophy , and as oft is dumb
  24. Where dust and damn’d oblivion is the tomb
  25. Of honor’d bones indeed . What should be said ?
  26. If thou canst like this creature as a maid ,
  27. I can create the rest . Virtue and she
  28. Is her own dower ; honor and wealth from me .

Bertram

147
  1. I cannot love her , nor will strive to do’t .

King of France

148
  1. Thou wrong’st thyself , if thou shouldst strive to choose .

Helena

149 - 150
  1. That you are well restor’d , my lord , I’m glad .
  2. Let the rest go .

King of France

151 - 168
  1. My honor’s at the stake , which to defeat ,
  2. I must produce my power . Here , take her hand ,
  3. Proud scornful boy , unworthy this good gift ,
  4. That dost in vile misprision shackle up
  5. My love and her desert ; that canst not dream ,
  6. We poising us in her defective scale ,
  7. Shall weigh thee to the beam ; that wilt not know
  8. It is in us to plant thine honor where
  9. We please to have it grow . Check thy contempt ;
  10. Obey our will , which travails in thy good ;
  11. Believe not thy disdain , but presently
  12. Do thine own fortunes that obedient right
  13. Which both thy duty owes and our power claims ,
  14. Or I will throw thee from my care forever
  15. Into the staggers and the careless lapse
  16. Of youth and ignorance ; both my revenge and hate
  17. Loosing upon thee , in the name of justice ,
  18. Without all terms of pity . Speak , thine answer .
Cassell's Illustrated Shakespeare

Know’st thou not, Bertram, what she has done for me?

From: Cassell's Illustrated Shakespeare

Mary Cowden Clarke, Charles Cowden Clarke, 1870

Bertram

169 - 175
  1. Pardon , my gracious lord ; for I submit
  2. My fancy to your eyes . When I consider
  3. What great creation and what dole of honor
  4. Flies where you bid it , I find that she , which late
  5. Was in my nobler thoughts most base , is now
  6. The praised of the King , who so ennobled ,
  7. Is as ’twere born so .

King of France

176 - 179
  1.                       Take her by the hand ,
  2. And tell her she is thine ; to whom I promise
  3. A counterpoise — if not to thy estate
  4. A balance more replete .

Bertram

180
  1.                         I take her hand .

King of France

181 - 187
  1. Good fortune and the favor of the King
  2. Smile upon this contract , whose ceremony
  3. Shall seem expedient on the now - born brief ,
  4. And be perform’d tonight . The solemn feast
  5. Shall more attend upon the coming space ,
  6. Expecting absent friends . As thou lov’st her ,
  7. Thy love’s to me religious ; else , does err .
  1. Exeunt .
  1. Lafew and Parolles stay behind , commenting of this wedding .

Lafew

188
  1. Do you hear , monsieur ? A word with you .

Parolles

189
  1. Your pleasure , sir ?

Lafew

190
  1. Your lord and master did well to make his recantation .

Parolles

191
  1. Recantation ? My lord ? My master ?

Lafew

192
  1. Ay ; is it not a language I speak ?

Parolles

193 - 194
  1. A most harsh one , and not to be understood without bloody
  2. succeeding . My master ?

Lafew

195
  1. Are you companion to the Count Roussillon ?

Parolles

196
  1. To any count , to all counts : to what is man .

Lafew

197
  1. To what is count’s man . Count’s master is of another style .

Parolles

198
  1. You are too old , sir ; let it satisfy you , you are too old .

Lafew

199 - 200
  1. I must tell thee , sirrah , I write man ; to which title age
  2. cannot bring thee .

Parolles

201
  1. What I dare too well do , I dare not do .

Lafew

202 - 208
  1. I did think thee , for two ordinaries , to be a pretty wise
  2. fellow . Thou didst make tolerable vent of thy travel ; it
  3. might pass : yet the scarfs and the bannerets about thee did
  4. manifoldly dissuade me from believing thee a vessel of too
  5. great a burden . I have now found thee . When I lose thee
  6. again , I care not ; yet art thou good for nothing but taking
  7. up , and that thou’rt scarce worth .

Parolles

209
  1. Hadst thou not the privilege of antiquity upon thee —

Lafew

210 - 213
  1. Do not plunge thyself too far in anger , lest thou hasten thy
  2. trial ; which if — Lord have mercy on thee for a hen ! So , my
  3. good window of lattice , fare thee well . Thy casement I need
  4. not open , for I look through thee . Give me thy hand .

Parolles

214
  1. My lord , you give me most egregious indignity .

Lafew

215
  1. Ay , with all my heart , and thou art worthy of it .

Parolles

216
  1. I have not , my lord , deserv’d it .

Lafew

217 - 218
  1. Yes , good faith , ev’ry dram of it , and I will not bate thee
  2. a scruple .

Parolles

219
  1. Well , I shall be wiser .

Lafew

220 - 225
  1. Ev’n as soon as thou canst , for thou hast to pull at a smack
  2. a’ th’ contrary . If ever thou be’st bound in thy scarf and
  3. beaten , thou shall find what it is to be proud of thy
  4. bondage . I have a desire to hold my acquaintance with thee ,
  5. or rather my knowledge , that I may say in the default , “ He
  6. is a man I know .”

Parolles

226
  1. My lord , you do me most insupportable vexation .

Lafew

227 - 229
  1. I would it were hell - pains for thy sake , and my poor doing
  2. eternal ; for doing I am past , as I will by thee , in what
  3. motion age will give me leave .
  1. Exit .

Parolles

230 - 236
  1. Well , thou hast a son shall take this disgrace off me ,
  2. scurvy , old , filthy , scurvy lord ! Well , I must be patient ,
  3. there is no fettering of authority . I’ll beat him , by my
  4. life , if I can meet him with any convenience , and he were
  5. double and double a lord . I’ll have no more pity of his age
  6. than I would have of — I’ll beat him , and if I could but meet
  7. him again .
  1. Enter Lafew .

To th’ wars!

Edwin Austin Abbey, 1896

Lafew

237 - 238
  1. Sirrah , your lord and master’s married , there’s news for
  2. you . You have a new mistress .

Parolles

239 - 241
  1. I most unfeignedly beseech your lordship to make some
  2. reservation of your wrongs . He is my good lord ; whom I serve
  3. above is my master .

Lafew

242
  1. Who ? God ?

Parolles

243
  1. Ay , sir .

Lafew

244 - 250
  1. The devil it is that’s thy master . Why dost thou garter up
  2. thy arms a’ this fashion ? Dost make hose of thy sleeves ? Do
  3. other servants so ? Thou wert best set thy lower part where
  4. thy nose stands . By mine honor , if I were but two hours
  5. younger , I’d beat thee . Methink’st thou art a general
  6. offense , and every man should beat thee . I think thou wast
  7. created for men to breathe themselves upon thee .

Parolles

251
  1. This is hard and undeserv’d measure , my lord .

Lafew

252 - 257
  1. Go to , sir , you were beaten in Italy for picking a kernel
  2. out of a pomegranate . You are a vagabond and no true
  3. traveler . You are more saucy with lords and honorable
  4. personages than the commission of your birth and virtue
  5. gives you heraldry . You are not worth another word , else I’d
  6. call you knave . I leave you .
  1. Exit .
  1. Enter Bertram , Count Roussillon .

Parolles

258 - 259
  1. Good , very good , it is so then . Good , very good , let it be
  2. conceal’d awhile .

Bertram

260
  1. Undone , and forfeited to cares forever !

Parolles

261
  1. What’s the matter , sweet heart ?

Bertram

262 - 263
  1. Although before the solemn priest I have sworn ,
  2. I will not bed her .

Parolles

264
  1. What , what , sweet heart ?

Bertram

265 - 266
  1. O my Parolles , they have married me !
  2. I’ll to the Tuscan wars , and never bed her .

Parolles

267 - 268
  1. France is a dog - hole , and it no more merits
  2. The tread of a man’s foot . To th’ wars !

Bertram

269 - 270
  1. There’s letters from my mother ; what th’ import is ,
  2. I know not yet .

Parolles

271 - 278
  1. Ay , that would be known . To th’ wars , my boy , to th’ wars !
  2. He wears his honor in a box unseen ,
  3. That hugs his kicky - wicky here at home ,
  4. Spending his manly marrow in her arms ,
  5. Which should sustain the bound and high curvet
  6. Of Mars’s fiery steed . To other regions !
  7. France is a stable , we that dwell in’t jades ,
  8. Therefore to th’ war !

Bertram

279 - 285
  1. It shall be so . I’ll send her to my house ,
  2. Acquaint my mother with my hate to her ,
  3. And wherefore I am fled ; write to the King
  4. That which I durst not speak . His present gift
  5. Shall furnish me to those Italian fields
  6. Where noble fellows strike . Wars is no strife
  7. To the dark house and the detested wife .

Parolles

286
  1. Will this capriccio hold in thee , art sure ?

Bertram

287 - 289
  1. Go with me to my chamber , and advise me .
  2. I’ll send her straight away . Tomorrow ,
  3. I’ll to the wars , she to her single sorrow .

Parolles

290 - 293
  1. Why , these balls bound , there’s noise in it . ’Tis hard !
  2. A young man married is a man that’s marr’d ;
  3. Therefore away , and leave her bravely ; go .
  4. The King has done you wrong ; but hush , ’tis so .
  1. Exeunt .

Know’st thou not, Bertram,
What she has done for me?

Edwin Austin Abbey, 1891

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