All's Well that Ends Well

All's Well that Ends Well

ACT I SCENE III	Rousillon. The COUNT's palace.
	Enter COUNTESS, Steward, and Clown
COUNTESS	I will now hear; what say you of this gentlewoman?
Steward	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	5
	foul the clearness of our deservings, when of
	ourselves we publish them.
COUNTESS	What does this knave here? Get you gone, sirrah:
	the complaints I have heard of you I do not all
	believe: 'tis my slowness that I do not; for I know	10
	you lack not folly to commit them, and have ability
	enough to make such knaveries yours.
Clown	'Tis not unknown to you, madam, I am a poor fellow.
COUNTESS	Well, sir.
Clown	No, madam, 'tis not so well that I am poor, though	15
	many of the rich are damned: but, if I may have
	your ladyship's good will to go to the world, Isbel
	the woman and I will do as we may.
COUNTESS	Wilt thou needs be a beggar?
Clown	I do beg your good will in this case.	20
COUNTESS	In what case?
Clown	In Isbel's case and mine own. Service is no
	heritage: and I think I shall never have the
	blessing of God till I have issue o' my body; for
	they say barnes are blessings.	25
COUNTESS	Tell me thy reason why thou wilt marry.
Clown	My poor body, madam, requires it: I am driven on
	by the flesh; and he must needs go that the devil drives.
COUNTESS	Is this all your worship's reason?
Clown	Faith, madam, I have other holy reasons such as they	30
	are.
COUNTESS	May the world know them?
Clown	I have been, madam, a wicked creature, as you and
	all flesh and blood are; and, indeed, I do marry
	that I may repent.	35
COUNTESS	Thy marriage, sooner than thy wickedness.
Clown	I am out o' friends, madam; and I hope to have
	friends for my wife's sake.
COUNTESS	Such friends are thine enemies, knave.
Clown	You're shallow, madam, in great friends; for the	40
	knaves come to do that for me which I am aweary of.
	He that ears my land spares my team and gives me
	leave to in the crop; if I be his cuckold, he's my
	drudge: he that comforts my wife is the cherisher
	of my flesh and blood; he that cherishes my flesh	45
	and blood loves my flesh and blood; he that loves my
	flesh and blood is my friend: ergo, he that kisses
	my wife is my friend. If men could be contented to
	be what they are, there were no fear in marriage;
	for young Charbon the Puritan and old Poysam the	50
	Papist, howsome'er their hearts are severed in
	religion, their heads are both one; they may jowl
	horns together, like any deer i' the herd.
COUNTESS	Wilt thou ever be a foul-mouthed and calumnious knave?
Clown	A prophet I, madam; and I speak the truth the next	55
	way:
	For I the ballad will repeat,
	Which men full true shall find;
	Your marriage comes by destiny,
	Your cuckoo sings by kind.	60
COUNTESS	Get you gone, sir; I'll talk with you more anon.
Steward	May it please you, madam, that he bid Helen come to
	you: of her I am to speak.
COUNTESS	Sirrah, tell my gentlewoman I would speak with her;
	Helen, I mean.	65
Clown	Was this fair face the cause, quoth she,
	Why the Grecians sacked Troy?
	Fond done, done fond,
	Was this King Priam's joy?
	With that she sighed as she stood,	70
	With that she sighed as she stood,
	And gave this sentence then;
	Among nine bad if one be good,
	Among nine bad if one be good,
	There's yet one good in ten.	75
COUNTESS	What, one good in ten? you corrupt the song, sirrah.
Clown	One good woman in ten, madam; which is a purifying
	o' the song: would God would serve the world so all
	the year! we'ld find no fault with the tithe-woman,
	if I were the parson. One in ten, quoth a'! An we	80
	might have a good woman born but one every blazing
	star, or at an earthquake, 'twould mend the lottery
	well: a man may draw his heart out, ere a' pluck
	one.
COUNTESS	You'll be gone, sir knave, and do as I command you.	85
Clown	That man should be at woman's command, and yet no
	hurt done! Though honesty be no puritan, yet it
	will do no hurt; it will wear the surplice of
	humility over the black gown of a big heart. I am
	going, forsooth: the business is for Helen to come hither.	90
	Exit
COUNTESS	Well, now.
Steward	I know, madam, you love your gentlewoman entirely.
COUNTESS	Faith, I do: her father bequeathed her to me; and
	she herself, without other advantage, may lawfully
	make title to as much love as she finds: there is	95
	more owing her than is paid; and more shall be paid
	her than she'll demand.
Steward	Madam, I was very late more near her than I think
	she wished me: alone she was, and did communicate
	to herself her own words to her own ears; she	100
	thought, I dare vow for her, they touched not any
	stranger sense. Her matter was, she loved your son:
	Fortune, she said, was no goddess, that had put
	such difference betwixt their two estates; Love no
	god, that would not extend his might, only where	105
	qualities were level; Dian no queen of virgins, that
	would suffer her poor knight surprised, without
	rescue in the first assault or ransom afterward.
	This she delivered in the most bitter touch of
	sorrow that e'er I heard virgin exclaim in: which I	110
	held my duty speedily to acquaint you withal;
	sithence, in the loss that may happen, it concerns
	you something to know it.
COUNTESS	You have discharged this honestly; keep it to
	yourself: many likelihoods informed me of this	115
	before, which hung so tottering in the balance that
	I could neither believe nor misdoubt. Pray you,
	leave me: stall this in your bosom; and I thank you
	for your honest care: I will speak with you further anon.
	Exit Steward
	Enter HELENA
	Even so it was with me when I was young:	120
	If ever we are nature's, these are ours; this thorn
	Doth to our rose of youth rightly belong;
	Our blood to us, this to our blood is born;
	It is the show and seal of nature's truth,
	Where love's strong passion is impress'd in youth:	125
	By our remembrances of days foregone,
	Such were our faults, or then we thought them none.
	Her eye is sick on't: I observe her now.
HELENA	What is your pleasure, madam?
COUNTESS	You know, Helen,	130
	I am a mother to you.
HELENA	Mine honourable mistress.
COUNTESS	Nay, a mother:
	Why not a mother? When I said 'a mother,'
	Methought you saw a serpent: what's in 'mother,'	135
	That you start at it? I say, I am your mother;
	And put you in the catalogue of those
	That were enwombed mine: 'tis often seen
	Adoption strives with nature and choice breeds
	A native slip to us from foreign seeds:	140
	You ne'er oppress'd me with a mother's groan,
	Yet I express to you a mother's care:
	God's mercy, maiden! does it curd thy blood
	To say I am thy mother? What's the matter,
	That this distemper'd messenger of wet,	145
	The many-colour'd Iris, rounds thine eye?
	Why? that you are my daughter?
HELENA	That I am not.
COUNTESS	I say, I am your mother.
HELENA	Pardon, madam;	150
	The Count Rousillon cannot be my brother:
	I am from humble, he from honour'd name;
	No note upon my parents, his all noble:
	My master, my dear lord he is; and I
	His servant live, and will his vassal die:	155
	He must not be my brother.
COUNTESS	Nor I your mother?
HELENA	You are my mother, madam; would you were,--
	So that my lord your son were not my brother,--
	Indeed my mother! or were you both our mothers,	160
	I care no more for than I do for heaven,
	So I were not his sister. Can't no other,
	But, I your daughter, he must be my brother?
COUNTESS	Yes, Helen, you might be my daughter-in-law:
	God shield you mean it not! daughter and mother	165
	So strive upon your pulse. What, pale again?
	My fear hath catch'd your fondness: now I see
	The mystery of your loneliness, and find
	Your salt tears' head: now to all sense 'tis gross
	You love my son; invention is ashamed,	170
	Against the proclamation of thy passion,
	To say thou dost not: therefore tell me true;
	But tell me then, 'tis so; for, look thy cheeks
	Confess it, th' one to th' other; and thine eyes
	See it so grossly shown in thy behaviors	175
	That in their kind they speak it: only sin
	And hellish obstinacy tie thy tongue,
	That truth should be suspected. Speak, is't so?
	If it be so, you have wound a goodly clew;
	If it be not, forswear't: howe'er, I charge thee,	180
	As heaven shall work in me for thine avail,
	Tell me truly.
HELENA	Good madam, pardon me!
COUNTESS	Do you love my son?
HELENA	Your pardon, noble mistress!	185
COUNTESS	Love you my son?
HELENA	Do not you love him, madam?
COUNTESS	Go not about; my love hath in't a bond,
	Whereof the world takes note: come, come, disclose
	The state of your affection; for your passions	190
	Have to the full appeach'd.
HELENA	Then, I confess,
	Here on my knee, before high heaven and you,
	That before you, and next unto high heaven,
	I love your son.	195
	My friends were poor, but honest; so's my love:
	Be not offended; for it hurts not him
	That he is loved of me: I follow him not
	By any token of presumptuous suit;
	Nor would I have him till I do deserve him;	200
	Yet never know how that desert should be.
	I know I love in vain, strive against hope;
	Yet in this captious and intenible sieve
	I still pour in the waters of my love
	And lack not to lose still: thus, Indian-like,	205
	Religious in mine error, I adore
	The sun, that looks upon his worshipper,
	But knows of him no more. My dearest madam,
	Let not your hate encounter with my love
	For loving where you do: but if yourself,	210
	Whose aged honour cites a virtuous youth,
	Did ever in so true a flame of liking
	Wish chastely and love dearly, that your Dian
	Was both herself and love: O, then, give pity
	To her, whose state is such that cannot choose	215
	But lend and give where she is sure to lose;
	That seeks not to find that her search implies,
	But riddle-like lives sweetly where she dies!
COUNTESS	Had you not lately an intent,--speak truly,--
	To go to Paris?	220
HELENA	Madam, I had.
COUNTESS	Wherefore? tell true.
HELENA	I will tell truth; by grace itself I swear.
	You know my father left me some prescriptions
	Of rare and proved effects, such as his reading	225
	And manifest experience had collected
	For general sovereignty; and that he will'd me
	In heedfull'st reservation to bestow them,
	As notes whose faculties inclusive were
	More than they were in note: amongst the rest,	230
	There is a remedy, approved, set down,
	To cure the desperate languishings whereof
	The king is render'd lost.
COUNTESS	This was your motive
	For Paris, was it? speak.	235
HELENA	My lord your son made me to think of this;
	Else Paris and the medicine and the king
	Had from the conversation of my thoughts
	Haply been absent then.
COUNTESS	But think you, Helen,	240
	If you should tender your supposed aid,
	He would receive it? he and his physicians
	Are of a mind; he, that they cannot help him,
	They, that they cannot help: how shall they credit
	A poor unlearned virgin, when the schools,	245
	Embowell'd of their doctrine, have left off
	The danger to itself?
HELENA	There's something in't,
	More than my father's skill, which was the greatest
	Of his profession, that his good receipt	250
	Shall for my legacy be sanctified
	By the luckiest stars in heaven: and, would your honour
	But give me leave to try success, I'ld venture
	The well-lost life of mine on his grace's cure
	By such a day and hour.	255
COUNTESS	Dost thou believe't?
HELENA	Ay, madam, knowingly.
COUNTESS	Why, Helen, thou shalt have my leave and love,
	Means and attendants and my loving greetings
	To those of mine in court: I'll stay at home	260
	And pray God's blessing into thy attempt:
	Be gone to-morrow; and be sure of this,
	What I can help thee to thou shalt not miss.
	Exeunt