I will now hear: what say you of this 330gentlewoman?

Madam, the care I have had to even your 332content, I wish might be found in the calendar of my past 333endeavors, for then we wound our modesty and make 334foul the clearness of our deservings when of ourselves 335we publish them.

What does this knave here? -- [To Clown] Get you gone, 337sirrah. The complaints I have heard of you I do not all 338believe. 'Tis my slowness that I do not, for I know you 339lack not folly to commit them, and have ability enough 340to make such knaveries yours.

'Tis not unknown to you, madam, I am a poor 342fellow.

Well, sir?

No, madam, 345'tis not so well that I am poor, though many 346of the rich are damned, but if I may have your ladyship's 347good will to go to the world, Isbel the woman and I 348will do as we may.

Wilt thou needs be a beggar?

I do beg your good will in this case.

In what case?

In Isbel's case and mine own. Service is no 353heritage, and I think I shall never have the blessing of God 354till I have issue o'my body, for they say bairns are 355blessings.

Tell me thy reason why thou wilt marry?

My poor body, madam, requires it. I am driven 358on by the flesh, and he must needs go that the devil 359drives.

Is this all your worship's reason?

Faith, madam, I have other holy reasons, such as 362they are.

May the world know them?

I have been, madam, a wicked creature, as you 365and all flesh and blood are, and indeed I do marry that 366I may repent.

Thy marriage sooner than thy wickedness.

I am out o'friends, madam, and I hope to have 369friends for my wife's sake.

Such friends are thine enemies, knave.

You're shallow, madam, in great friends, for the 372knaves come to do that for me which I am aweary of. 373He that ears my land spares my team, and gives me 374leave to in the crop. If I be his cuckold he's my 375drudge. He that comforts my wife is the cherisher of 376my flesh and blood; he that cherishes my flesh and 377blood loves my flesh and blood; he that loves my flesh 378and blood is my friend. Ergo, he that kisses my wife is my 379friend. If men could be contented to be what they are, 380there were no fear in marriage, for young Charbon the 381puritan, and old Poisson the papist, howsome'er their 382hearts are severed in religion, their heads are both one. 383They may jowl horns together like any deer i'th' herd.

Wilt thou ever be a foulmouthed and 385calumnious knave?

A prophet, I, madam, and I speak the truth the 387next way:

Get you gone, sir. I'll talk with you more anon.

May it please you, madam, that he bid Helen 392come to you? Of her I am to speak.

[To Clown] Sirrah, tell my gentlewoman I would speak with 394her, Helen I mean.

What? One good in ten? You corrupt the song, 403sirrah.

One good woman in ten, madam, which is a 405purifying o'th'song. Would God would serve the world so 406all the year! We'd find no fault with the tithe-woman, 407if I were the parson. One in ten, quotha? And we might 408have a good woman born but o'er every blazing star 409or at an earthquake, 'twould mend the lottery well! A 410man may draw his heart out ere a pluck one.

You'll begone, sir knave, and do as I 412command you!

That man should be at woman's command, and 414yet no hurt done! Though honesty be no puritan, yet 415it will do no hurt: it will wear the surplice of humility 416over the black gown of a big heart. I am 417going, forsooth! The business is for Helen to come hither.

Well, now.

I know, madam, you love your gentlewoman 421entirely.

Faith, I do. Her father bequeathed her to me, 423and she herself, without other advantage, may 424lawfully make title to as much love as she finds. There is 425more owing her than is paid, and more shall be paid 426her than she'll demand.

Madam, I was very late more near her 428thanI think she wished me. Alone she was, and did 429communicate to herself her own words to her 430own ears. She thought, I dare vow for her, they 431touched not any stranger sense. Her matter was, she 432loved your son. Fortune, she said, was no 433goddess, that had put such difference betwixt their two 434estates; love no god, that would not extend his might 435only where qualities were level; Dian no queen of 436virgins, that would suffer her poor knight surprised 437without rescue in the first assault or ransom 438afterward: This she delivered in the most bitter touch of 439sorrow that e'erI heard virgin exclaim in, which I held 440my duty speedily to acquaint you withal, sithence in 441the loss that may happen, it concerns you something 442to know it.

You have discharged this honestly. Keep it 444to yourself. Many likelihoods informed me of this 445before, which hung so tottering in the balance, that 446I could neither believe nor misdoubt. Pray you, 447leave me. Stall this in your bosom, and I thank 448you for your honest care. I will speak with you 449further anon.

E'en so it was with me when I was young.

1.3.50452If ever we are nature's, these are ours. This thorn

1.3.51453Doth to our rose of youth rightly belong.

1.3.52454Our blood to us, this to our blood is born;

1.3.53455It is the show and seal of nature's truth,

1.3.54456Where love's strong passion is impressed in youth

1.3.55457By our remembrances of days foregone,

1.3.56458Such were our faults, or then we thought them none,

1.3.57459Her eye is sick on't. I observe her now.

What is your pleasure, madam?

You know, Helen, I am a mother to you.

Mine honorable mistress.

Mine honorable mistress. Nay, a mother,

1.3.61Why not a mother? When I 464said "a mother"

1.3.62465Methought you saw a serpent. What's in "mother"

1.3.63466That you start at it? I say I am your mother,

1.3.64467And put you in the catalogue of those

1.3.65468That were enwombèd mine. 'Tis often seen

1.3.66469Adoption strives with nature, and choice breeds

1.3.67470A native slip to us from foreign seeds.

1.3.68471You ne'er oppressed me with a mother's groan;

1.3.69472Yet I express to you a mother's care.

1.3.70473God's mercy, maiden! Does it curd thy blood

1.3.71474To say I am thy mother? [Helen weeps.] What's the matter,

1.3.72475That this distempered messenger of wet

1.3.73476The many-colored Iris, rounds thine eye?

1.3.74477-- Why, that you are my daughter?

-- Why, that you are my daughter? That I am not.

I say I am your mother.

I say I am your mother. Pardon, madam,

1.3.76481The Count Roussillon cannot be my brother.

1.3.77482I am from humble, he from honored name;

1.3.78483No note upon my parents, his all noble,

1.3.79484My master, my dear lord he is, and I

1.3.80485His servant live, and will his vassal die.

1.3.81486He must not be my brother!

He must not be my brother! Nor I your mother?

You are my mother, madam! Would you were,

1.3.83489So that my lord your son were not my brother --

1.3.84490Indeed my mother! Or were you both our mothers,

1.3.85491I care no more for than I do for heaven,

1.3.86492So I were not his sister! Can't no other

1.3.87493But, I your daughter, he must be my brother?

Yes, Helen, you might be my daughter-in-law.

1.3.89495God shield you mean it not, "daughter" and "mother"

1.3.90496So strive upon your pulse. What, pale again?

1.3.91497My fear hath catched your fondness! Now I see

1.3.92498The mystery of your loneliness and find

1.3.93499Your salt tears' head. Now to all sense 'tis gross:

1.3.94500You love my son. Invention is ashamed

1.3.95501Against the proclamation of thy passion

1.3.96502To say thou dost not: therefore tell me true,

1.3.97503But tell me then 'tis so, for look, thy cheeks

1.3.98504Confess it t'one to th' other, and thine eyes

1.3.99505See it so grossly shown in thy behaviors

1.3.100506That in their kind they speak it. Only sin

1.3.101507And hellish obstinacy tie thy tongue,

1.3.102508That truth should be suspected. Speak, is't so?

1.3.103509If it be so, you have wound a goodly clew:

1.3.104510If it be not, forswear't. Howe'er, I charge thee,

1.3.105511As heaven shall work in me for thine avail,

1.3.106512To tell me truly.

To tell me truly. Good madam, pardon me!

Do you love my son?

Do you love my son? Your pardon, noble mistress!

Love you my son?

Love you my son? Do not you love him, madam?

Go not about. My love hath in't a bond

1.3.110519Whereof the world takes note. Come, come, disclose

1.3.111520The state of your affection, for your passions

1.3.112521Have to the full appeached.

Have to the full appeached. Then I confess

1.3.113523Here on my knee, before high heaven and you,

1.3.114524That, before you and next unto high heaven,

1.3.115I love your 525son.

1.3.116526My friends were poor but honest; so's my love.

1.3.117527Be not offended, for it hurts not him

1.3.118528That he is loved of me. I follow him not

1.3.119529By any token of presumptuous suit,

1.3.120530Nor would I have him till I do deserve him,

1.3.121531Yet never know how that desert should be.

1.3.122532I know I love in vain, strive against hope.

1.3.123533Yet in this captious and intenible sieve

1.3.124534I still pour in the waters of my love

1.3.125535And lack not to lose still. Thus. Indian-like

1.3.126536Religious in mine error, I adore

1.3.127537The sun, that looks upon his worshipper

1.3.128538But knows of him no more. My dearest madam,

1.3.129539Let not your hate encounter with my love

1.3.130540For loving where you do, but if yourself,

1.3.131541Whose agèd honor cites a virtuous youth,

1.3.132542Did ever in so true a flame of liking

1.3.133543Wish chastely and love dearly, that your Dian

1.3.134544Was both herself and love, oh then give pity

1.3.135545To her whose state is such that cannot choose

1.3.136546But lend and give where she is sure to lose;

1.3.138547That seeks not to find that her search implies,

1.3.139548But riddle-like lives sweetly where she dies.

Had you not lately an intent, speak truly,

1.3.141550To go to Paris?

To go to Paris? Madam, I had.

To go to Paris? Madam, I had. Wherefore? Tell true.

I will tell truth, by grace itself I swear!

1.3.143554You know my father left me some prescriptions

1.3.144555Of rare and proved effects, such as his reading

1.3.145556And manifest experience had collected

1.3.146557For general sovereignty, and that he willed me

1.3.147558In heedfull'st reservation to bestow them

1.3.148559As notes, whose faculties inclusive were,

1.3.149560More than they were in note. Amongst the rest,

1.3.150561There is a remedy, approved, set down

1.3.151562To cure the desperate languishings whereof

1.3.152563The King is rendered lost.

This was your motive for Paris, was it? Speak!

My lord your son made me to think of this;

1.3.155566Else Paris and the medicine and the King

1.3.156567Had from the conversation of my thoughts

1.3.157568Happily been absent then.

Happily been absent then. But think you, Helen,

1.3.158570If you should tender your supposèd aid,

1.3.159571He would receive it? He and his physicians

1.3.160572Are of a mind: he, that they cannot help him;

1.3.161573They, that they cannot help. How shall they credit

1.3.162574A poor unlearnèd virgin, when the schools,

1.3.163575Emboweled of their doctrine, have left off

1.3.164576The danger to itself?

The danger to itself? There's something in't,

1.3.165578More than my father's skill, which was the great'st

1.3.166579Of his profession, that his good receipt

1.3.167580Shall for my legacy be sanctified

1.3.168581By th'luckiest stars in heaven, and would your honor

1.3.169582But give me leave to try success, I'd venture

1.3.170583The well-lost life of mine on his grace's cure

1.3.171584By such a day, an hour.

By such a day, an hour. Dost thou believe't?

Ay, madam, knowingly.

Why, Helen, thou shalt have my leave and love,

1.3.174588Means and attendants, and my loving greetings

1.3.175589To those of mine in court. I'll stay at home

1.3.176590And pray God's blessing into thy attempt.

1.3.177591Begone tomorrow, and be sure of this:

1.3.178592What I can help thee to, thou shalt not miss.