All's Well That Ends Well (Modern)
Not Peer Reviewed
[2.4]
¶
Enter Helen [with a letter in hand] and Clown.
1210Helen My mother greets me kindly. Is she well?
¶Clown She is not well, but yet she has her health. She's ¶very merry, but yet she is not well. But, thanks be ¶given, she's very well, and wants nothing i'th'world. But ¶yet she is not well.
¶Clown Truly, she's very well indeed, but for two things.
¶Helen What two things?
¶Clown One, that she's not in heaven -- whither God send 1220 her quickly; the other, that she's in earth -- from whence ¶ God send her quickly.
¶
Enter Paroles.
¶Paroles Bless you, my fortunate lady.
¶Paroles You had my prayers to lead them on, and to ¶keep them on, have them still. -- O my knave, how does ¶my old lady?
¶Paroles Why, I say nothing.
¶Clown Marry, you are the wiser man, for many a man's ¶tongue shakes out his master's undoing. To say nothing, ¶to do nothing, to know nothing, and to have nothing, 1235is to be a great part of your title, which is within a very ¶little of nothing.
¶Paroles Away, thou'rt a knave.
¶Clown You should have said, sir, 'Before a knave, th'art a ¶knave' -- that's 'before me th'art a knave.' This had been 1240truth, sir.
[Paroles does not reply.]
¶Paroles A good knave, i'faith, and well fed.
¶Madam, my lord will go away tonight;
1250A very serious business calls on him.
¶The great prerogative and rite of love,
¶Which, as your due time claims, he does acknowledge,
¶But puts it off to a compelled restraint,
¶Whose want and whose delay is strewed with sweets
1255Which they distill now in the curbèd time
¶To make the coming hour o'erflow with joy,
| ¶And pleasure drown the brim. | |
| ¶Helen | |
| What's his will else? | |
¶Paroles That you will take your instant leave o'th'king,
1260And make this haste as your own good proceeding,
¶Strengthened with what apology you think
| ¶May make it probable need. | |
| ¶¶1265¶¶¶¶1270¶¶¶¶1275¶¶¶¶1280¶¶¶¶1285¶¶¶¶1290¶¶¶¶1295¶¶¶¶1300¶¶¶¶1305¶¶¶¶1310¶¶¶¶1315¶¶¶¶1320¶¶¶¶1325¶¶¶¶1330¶¶¶¶1335¶¶¶¶1340¶¶¶¶1345¶¶¶¶1350¶¶¶¶1355¶¶¶¶1360¶¶¶¶1365¶¶¶¶1370¶¶¶1375¶¶¶¶1380¶¶¶¶1385¶¶¶¶1390¶¶¶¶1395¶¶¶¶1400¶¶¶¶1405¶¶¶¶1410¶¶¶¶1415¶¶¶¶1420¶¶¶¶1425¶¶¶¶1430¶¶¶¶1435¶¶¶¶1440¶¶¶¶1445¶¶¶¶1450¶¶¶¶1455¶¶¶¶1460¶¶¶¶1465¶¶¶¶1470¶¶¶¶1475¶¶¶¶1480¶¶¶¶1485¶¶¶¶1490¶¶¶¶1495¶¶¶¶1500¶¶¶¶1505¶¶¶¶1510¶¶¶¶1515¶¶¶¶1520¶¶¶¶1525¶¶¶¶1530¶¶¶¶1535¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶1545¶¶¶¶1550¶¶¶¶1555¶¶¶¶1560¶¶¶¶1565¶¶¶¶1570¶¶¶¶1575¶¶¶¶1580¶¶¶¶1585¶¶¶¶1590¶¶¶¶1595¶¶¶¶1600¶¶¶¶¶¶¶1610¶¶¶¶1615¶¶¶¶1620¶¶¶¶1625¶¶¶¶1630¶¶¶¶1635¶¶¶¶1640¶¶¶¶1645¶¶¶¶1650¶¶¶¶1655¶¶¶¶1660¶¶¶¶1665¶¶¶¶1670¶¶¶¶ Exit Paroles. Exit [Helen with Clown]. Enter Lafeu and Bertram. Enter Paroles. [To Bertram][To Bertram][Aside to Paroles] [To Paroles][To Paroles]Enter Helen [with an Attendant]. [Giving her a letter][To Attendant][To Paroles]Exit [Helen with Attendant]. Flourish. Enter the Duke of Florence, the two French Lords, ¶with a troop of soldiers. Flourish. [Exeunt.] Enter Countess[, with a letter,] and Clown. [She opens and reads the letter.] Exit. [She reads] a letter. Enter Clown. Enter Helen and two Gentlemen. [To Helen][She shows the letter to the Countess and reads from it.][To Helen][To the Gentlemen.]Exit [Countess with the Gentlemen]. Exit. Flourish. Enter the Duke of Florence, [Bertram, Count of] Roussillon, 1540[with] drum and trumpets, Soldiers, [and] Paroles. [To Bertram]Exeunt omnes. Enter Countess and Steward. [He reads the] letter.Exeunt. A tucket afar off [Another tucket.]Enter Helen [disguised as a pilgrim]. A march afar | |
| 1675Helen | |
| Oh, I believe with him. | |
¶Paroles That, having this obtained, you presently
1265Attend his further pleasure.
¶Helen In everything, I wait upon his will.
¶Paroles I shall report it so.
Exit Paroles.
¶Helen I pray you. -- Come, sirrah.
Exit [Helen with Clown].