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an old courtier, wears her cap out of fashion: richly futed, but unfutable; just like the brooch and the toothpick, which we wear not now: your date is better in your pye and your porridge, than in your cheek; and your virginity, your old virginity, is like one of our French wither'd pears; it looks ill, it eats drily; marry, 'tis a wither'd pear: it was formerly better; marry, yet 'tis a wither'd pear. Will you any thing with it?

Hel. Not my virginity yet.
There shall your maiter have a thousand loves,
A mother, and a mistress, and a friend,
A phoenix, captain, and an enemy,
A guide, a goddess, and a sovereign,
A counsellor, a traitress, and a dear;
His humble ambition, proud humility;
His jarring concord; and his discord dulcet;
His faith, his sweet disaster; with a world
Of pretty fond adoptious christendoms,

That blinking Cupid gossips.
I know not, what he shall

The court's a learning place
Par. What one, i'faith?

Now shall he
God fend him well!
and he is one -

Hel. That I wish well-'tis pity-
Par. What's pity ?

Hel. That wishing well had not a body in't,
Which might be felt; that We the poorer born,
Whose baser stars do shut us up in wishes,
Might with effects of them follow our friends :
And shew what we alone must think, which never
Returns us thanks.

Enter Page.

Page. Monfieur Parolles,

My lord calls for you.

[Exit Page.

Par. Little Helen, farewel; if I can remember thee,

I will think of thee at court.

Hel. Monfieur Parolles, you were born under a cha

ritable star.

Par. Under Mars, I.

Hel. I especially think, under Mars.

Par

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Par. Why under Mars?

Hel. The wars have kept you so under, that you must

needs be born under Mars.

Par. When he was predominant.

Hel. When he was retrograde, I think, rather.

Par. Why think you so?

Hel. You go so much backward, when you fight.

Par. That's for advantage.

Hel. So is running away, when fear proposes safety: but the composition, that your valour and fear makes in you, is a virtue of a good wing, and I like the wear well.

Par. I am so full of businesses, as I cannot answer thee acutely: I will return perfect courtier; in the which, my instruction shall serve to naturalize thee, so thou wilt be capable of courtier's counsel, and understand what advice shall thrust upon thee; else thou diest in thine unthankfulness, and thine ignorance makes thee away; farewel. When thou hast leifure, say thy prayers; when thou haft none, remember thy friends; get thee a good husband, and use him as he uses thee: so farewel.

[Exit.

Hel. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie,
Which we ascribe to heav'n. The fated sky
Gives us free scope; only, doth backward pull
Our flow designs, when we ourselves are dull.
What power is it, which mounts my love so high,
That makes me fee, and cannot feed mine eye?
The mightiest space in fortune nature brings
To join like likes; and kiss, like native things.
Impossible be strange attempts, to those
That weigh their pain in sense; and do suppose,
What hath been, cannot be. Who ever strove
To shew her merit, that did miss her love?
The King's disease-my project may deceive me,
But my intents are fix'd, and will not leave me.

[Exit.

SCENE

SCENE changes to the Court of France.

Flourish Cornets. Enter the King of France with letters, and divers Attendants.

King. T

HE Florentines and Senoys are by th' ears;
Have fought with equal fortune, and con-

A braving war.

tinue

1 Lord. So 'tis reported, Sir.

King. Nay, 'tis most credible; we here receive it,

A certainty vouch'd from our coufin Auftria;
With caution, that the Florentine will move us
For speedy aid; wherein our dearest friend
Prejudicates the business, and would feem
To have us make denial.

I Lord. His love and wisdom,
Approv'd fo to your Majesty, may plead -
For ample credence.

King. He hath arm'd our answer;
And Florence is deny'd, before he comes:
Yet, for our gentlemen that mean to fee
The Tuscan service, freely have they leave
To ftand on either part.

2 Lord. It may well serve
A nursery to our gentry, who are fick
For breathing and exploit.

King. What's he comes here ?

Enter Bertram, Lafeu and Parolles.

I'Lord. It is the count Roufillon, my good lord, young

Bertram.

King. Youth, thou bear'st thy father's face.
Frank nature, rather curious than in hafte,
Hath well compos'd thee. Thy father's moral parts
May'st thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris.

Ber. My thanks and duty are your Majesty's.
King. I would, I had that corporal foundness now,
As when thy father and myself in friendship

:

First try'd our foldiership: he did look far
Into the fervice of the time, and was
Discipled of the brav'st. He lasted long;
But on us both did haggish age steal on,
And wore us out of act. It much repairs me
To talk of your good father; in his youth
He had the wit, which I can well observe
To day in our young lords; but they may jeft,
Till their own scorn return to them unnoted,
Ere they can hide their levity in honour:
So like a courtier, no contempt or bitterness (3)
Were in him; pride or sharpness, if there were,
His equal had awak'd them ; and his honour,
Clock to itself, 'knew the true minute when
Exceptions bid him speak; and at that time
His tongue obey'd his hand. Who were below him
He us'd as creatures of another place,
And bow'd his eminent top to their low ranks;
Making them proud of his humility,
In their poor praise he humbled: Such a man
Might be a copy to these younger times;
Which, follow'd well, would now demonftrate them
But goers backward.

Ber. His good remembrance, Sir,
Lies richer in your thoughts, than on his tomb ;
So in approof lives not his epitaph,

As in your royal speech.

King. 'Would, I were with him! he would always

fay,

(3) So like a Courtier, no Contempt or Bitterness

Were in his Pride or Sharpness; if they were,

His Equal had awak'd them.) This Passage seems so very incorrectly pointed, that the Author's Meaning is sost in the Careletsness. As the Text and Stops are reform'd, these are most beautiful Lines, and the Senfe this" He had no

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Contempt or Bitterness; if he had any thing that look'd like “ Pride or Sharpness, (of which Qualities Contempt and Bit" terness are the Excesses,) his Equal had awak'd them, not "his Inferior; to whom he fcorn'd to discover any thing that "bore the Shadow of Pride or Sharpness." Mr. Warburton. (Methinks,

(Methinks, I hear him now; his plausive words
He scatter'd not in ears, but grafted them
To grow there, and to bear;) Let me not live,
(Thus his good melancholy oft began,
On the catastrophe and heel of pastime,
When it was out,) let me not live, (quoth he,)
After my flame lacks oil; to be the snuff
Of younger spirits, whose apprehensive senses
All but new things disdain; whose judgments are
Meer fathers of their garments; whose constancies
Expire before their fashions:
this he wish'd.

I, after him, do after him wish too,
(Since I nor wax, nor honey, can bring home,)
I quickly were dissolved from my hive,

To give fome labourers room.

2 Lord. You're loved, Sir;

They, that least lend it you, shall lack you first.

*King. I fill a place, I know't. How long is't, count,

Since the phyfician at your father's died ?
He was much fam'd.

Ber. Some fix months since, my lord.
King. If he were living, I would try him yet;
Lend me an arm; the rest have worn me out
With feveral applications; nature and sickness
Debate it at their leisure. Welcome, count,
My fon's no dearer.

Ber. Thank your Majesty.

[Flourish. Exeunt.

SCENE changes to the Countess's at Roufillon.

Count.

I

Enter Countess, Stervard and Clown.

Will now hear; what say you of this gentle

woman?

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 modesty, and make foul the clearness of our defervings, when of ourselves we publish them.

Count. What does this knave here? get you gone, Sirrah:

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