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  • Title: All's Well That Ends Well (Folio 1, 1623)
  • Editors: Andrew Griffin, Helen Ostovich

    • ISBN: 978-1-55058-432-5

    Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editors: Andrew Griffin, Helen Ostovich
    Not Peer Reviewed

    All's Well That Ends Well (Folio 1, 1623)

    All's Well, that Ends Well 235
    After well entred souldiers, to returne
    And finde your grace in health.
    605King No, no, it cannot be; and yet my heart
    Will not confesse he owes the mallady
    That doth my life besiege: farwell yong Lords,
    Whether I liue or die, be you the sonnes
    Of worthy French men: let higher Italy
    610(Those bated that inherit but the fall
    Of the last Monarchy) see that you come
    Not to wooe honour, but to wed it, when
    The brauest questant shrinkes: finde what you seeke,
    That fame may cry you loud: I say farewell.
    615L. G Health at your bidding serue your Maiesty.
    King Those girles of Italy, take heed of them,
    They say our French, lacke language to deny
    If they demand: beware of being Captiues
    Before you serue.
    620Bo Our hearts receiue your warnings.
    King Farewell, come hether to me.
    1. Lo. G Oh my sweet Lord CyC you wil stay behind vs.
    Parr 'Tis not his fault the spark.
    2. Lo. E Oh 'tis braue warres.
    625Parr Most admirable, I haue seene those warres.
    Rossill I am commanded here, and kept a coyle with,
    Too young, and the next yeere, and 'tis too early.
    Parr And thy minde stand too't boy,
    Steale away brauely.
    630Rossill I shal stay here the for-horse to a smocke,
    Creeking my shooes on the plaine Masonry,
    Till honour be bought vp, and no sword worne
    But one to dance with: by heauen, Ile steale away.
    1. Lo. G There's honour in the theft.
    635Parr Commit it Count.
    2. Lo. E I am your accessary, and so farewell.
    Ros I grow to you, & our parting is a tortur'd body.
    1. Lo. G Farewell Captaine.
    2. Lo. E Sweet Mounsier Parolles
    640Parr Noble Heroes my sword and yours are kinne,
    good sparkes and lustrous, a word good mettals. You
    shall finde in the Regiment of the Spinij, one Captaine
    Spuriohis sicatrice, with an Embleme of warre heere on
    his sinister cheeke; it was this very sword entrench'd it:
    645say to him I liue, and obserue his reports for me.
    Lo. G We shall noble Captaine.
    Parr Marsdoate on you for his nouices, what will
    ye doe?
    Ross. Stay the King.
    650Parr Vse a more spacious ceremonie to the Noble
    Lords, you haue restrain'd your selfe within the List of
    too cold an adieu: be more expressiue to them; for they
    weare themselues in the cap of the time, there do muster
    true gate; eat, speake, and moue vnder the influence of
    655the most receiu'd starre, and though the deuill leade the
    measure, such are to be followed: after them, and take a
    more dilated farewell.
    Ros And I will doe so.
    Parr Worthy fellowes, and like to prooue most si-
    660newie sword-men. Exeunt

    Enter Lafew
    L. Laf Pardon my Lord for mee and for my tidings.
    King Ile see thee to stand vp.
    L. Laf Then heres a man stands that has brought his (pardon,
    665I would you had kneel'd my Lord to aske me mercy,
    And that at my bidding you could so stand vp.
    King I would I had, so I had broke thy pate
    And askt thee mercy for't.
    Laf Goodfaith a-crosse, but my good Lord 'tis thus,
    670Will you be cur'd of your infirmitie?
    King No.
    Laf O will you eat no grapes my royall foxe?
    Yes but you will, my noble grapes, and if
    My royall foxe could reach them: I haue seen a medicine
    675That's able to breath life into a stone,
    Quicken a rocke, and make you dance Canari
    With sprightly fire and motion, whose simple touch
    Is powerfull to arayse King Pippen nay
    To giue great Charlemainea pen in's hand
    680And write to her a loue-line.
    King What her is this?
    Laf Why doctor she: my Lord, there's one arriu'd,
    If you will see her: now by my faith and honour,
    If seriously I may conuay my thoughts
    685In this my light deliuerance, I haue spoke
    With one, that in her sexe, her yeeres, profession,
    Wisedome and constancy, hath amaz'd mee more
    Then I dare blame my weakenesse: will you see her?
    For that is her demand, and know her businesse?
    690That done, laugh well at me.
    King Now good Lafew
    Bring in the admiration, that we with thee
    May spend our wonder too, or take off thine
    By wondring how thou tookst it.
    695Laf Nay, Ile fit you,
    And not be all day neither.
    King Thus he his speciall nothing euer prologues.
    Laf Nay, come your waies.
    Enter Hellen
    700King This haste hath wings indeed.
    Laf Nay, come your waies,
    This is his Maiestie, say your minde to him,
    A Traitor you doe looke like, but such traitors
    His Maiesty seldome feares, I am CressedsVncle,
    705That dare leaue two together, far you well. Exit
    King Now faire one, do's your busines follow vs?
    Hel I my good Lord,
    Gerard de Narbonwas my father,
    In what he did professe, well found.
    710King I knew him.
    Hel The rather will I spare my praises towards him,
    Knowing him is enough: on's bed of death,
    Many receits he gaue me, chieflie one,
    Which as the dearest issue of his practice
    715And of his olde experience, th' onlie darling,
    He bad me store vp, as a triple eye,
    Safer then mine owne two: more deare I haue so,
    And hearing your high Maiestie is toucht
    With that malignant cause, wherein the honour
    720Of my deare fathers gift, stands cheefe in power,
    I come to tender it, and my appliance,
    With all bound humblenesse.
    King We thanke you maiden,
    But may not be so credulous of cure,
    725When our most learned Doctors leaue vs, and
    The congregated Colledge haue concluded,
    That labouring Art can neuer ransome nature
    From her inaydible estate: I say we must not
    So staine our iudgement, or corrupt our hope,
    730To prostitute our past-cure malladie
    To empericks, or to disseuer so
    Our great selfe and our credit, to esteeme
    A sencelesse helpe, when helpe past sence we deeme.
    Hel My
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