Ber. And I in going, madam, weep o'er my father's death anew: but I must attend his majesty's command, to 5 whom I am now in ward, evermore in subjection.

Laf. You shall find of the king a husband, madam; you, sir, a father: he that so generally is at all times good, must of necessity hold his virtue to you; whose worthiness would stir it up where it wanted, rather than lack it where 10 there is such abundance.

Count. What hope is there of his majesty's amendment?

Laf. He hath abandoned his physicians, madam; under whose practices he hath persecuted time with hope, and finds no other advantage in the process but only the losing 15 of hope by time.

Count. This young gentlewoman had a father,—O, that 'had'! how sad a passage 'tis!—whose skill was almost as great as his honesty; had it stretched so far, would have made nature immortal, and death should have play for lack 20 of work. Would, for the king's sake, he were living! I think it would be the death of the king's disease.

Laf. How called you the man you speak of, madam?

Count. He was famous, sir, in his profession, and it was his great right to be so,—Gerard de Narbon.

25 Laf. He was excellent indeed madam: the king very lately spoke of him admiringly and mourningly: he was skilful enough to have lived still, if knowledge could be set up against mortality.

Ber. What is it, my good lord, the king languishes of?

30 Laf. A fistula, my lord.

Ber. I heard not of it before.

Laf. I would it were not notorious. Was this gentlewoman the daughter of Gerard de Narbon?

Count. His sole child, my lord; and bequeathed to my 35 overlooking. I have those hopes of her good that her education promises; her dispositions she inherits, which makes fair gifts fairer; for where an unclean mind carries virtuous qualities, there commendations go with pity; they are virtues and traitors too: in her they are the better for their simpleness; 40 she derives her honesty and achieves her goodness.

Laf. Your commendations, madam, get from her tears.

Count. 'Tis the best brine a maiden can season her praise in. The remembrance of her father never approaches her heart but the tyranny of her sorrows takes all livelihood from 45 her cheek. No more of this, Helena, go to, no more; lest it be rather thought you affect a sorrow than to have—

Hel. I do affect a sorrow, indeed, but I have it too.

Laf. Moderate lamentation is the right of the dead; excessive grief the enemy to the living.

50 Count. If the living be enemy to the grief, the excess makes it soon mortal.

Ber. Madam, I desire your holy wishes.

Laf. How understand we that?

Count. Be thou blest, Bertram, and succeed thy father 55 In manners, as in shape! thy blood and virtue Contend for empire in thee, and thy goodness Share with thy birthright! Love all, trust a few, Do wrong to none: be able for thine enemy Rather in power than use; and keep thy friend 60 Under thy own life's key: be check'd for silence, But never tax'd for speech. What heaven more will, That thee may furnish, and my prayers pluck down, Fall on thy head! Farewell, my lord; 'Tis an unseason'd courtier; good my lord, Advise him. 65 Laf. He cannot want the best That shall attend his love. Count. Heaven bless him! Farewell, Bertram. [Exit. Ber. [To Helena] The best wishes that can be forged in your thoughts be servants to you! Be comfortable to my 70 mother, your mistress, and make much of her. Laf. Farewell, pretty lady: you must hold the credit of your father. [Exeunt Bertram and Lafeu. Hel. O, were that all! I think not on my father; And these great tears grace his remembrance more 75 Than those I shed for him. What was he like? I have forgot him: my imagination Carries no favour in 't but Bertram's. I am undone: there is no living, none, If Bertram be away. 'Twere all one 80 That I should love a bright particular star And think to wed it, he is so above me: In his bright radiance and collateral light Must I be comforted, not in his sphere. The ambition in my love thus plagues itself: 85 The hind that would be mated by the lion Must die for love. 'Twas pretty, though a plague, To see him every hour; to sit and draw His arched brows, his hawking eye, his curls, In our heart's table; heart too capable 90 Of every line and trick of his sweet favour: But now he's gone, and my idolatrous fancy Must sanctify his reliques. Who comes here? Enter Parolles. [Aside] One that goes with him: I love him for his sake; And yet I know him a notorious liar, 95 Think him a great way fool, solely a coward; Yet these fix'd evils sit so fit in him, That they take place, when virtue's steely bones Look bleak i' the cold wind: withal, full oft we see Cold wisdom waiting on superfluous folly. 100 Par. Save you, fair queen! Hel. And you, monarch! Par. No. Hel. And no. Par. Are you meditating on virginity? 105 Hel. Ay. You have some stain of soldier in you: let me ask you a question. Man is enemy to virginity; how may we barricado it against him? Par. Keep him out. Hel. But he assails; and our virginity, though valiant, 110 in the defence yet is weak: unfold to us some warlike resistance. Par. There is none: man, sitting down before you, will undermine you and blow you up. Hel. Bless our poor virginity from underminers and 115 blowers up! Is there no military policy, how virgins might blow up men? Par. Virginity being blown down, man will quicklier be blown up: marry, in blowing him down again, with the breach yourselves made, you lose your city. It is not 120 politic in the commonwealth of nature to preserve virginity. Loss of virginity is rational increase and there was never virgin got till virginity was first lost. That you were made of is metal to make virgins. Virginity by being once lost may be ten times found; by being ever kept, it is ever lost: 125 'tis too cold a companion; away with 't! Hel. I will stand for 't a little, though therefore I die a virgin. Par. There's little can be said in 't; 'tis against the rule of nature. To speak on the part of virginity, is to accuse 130 your mothers; which is most infallible disobedience. He that hangs himself is a virgin: virginity murders itself; and should be buried in highways out of all sanctified limit, as a desperate offendress against nature. Virginity breeds mites, much like a cheese; consumes itself to the very paring, and 135 so dies with feeding his own stomach. Besides, virginity is peevish, proud, idle, made of self-love, which is the most inhibited sin in the canon. Keep it not; you cannot choose but lose by 't: out with 't! within ten year it will make itself ten, which is a goodly increase; and the principal 140 itself not much the worse: away with 't! Hel. How might one do, sir, to lose it to her own liking? Par. Let me see: marry, ill, to like him that ne'er it likes. 'Tis a commodity will lose the gloss with lying; the longer kept, the less worth: off with 't while 'tis vendible; 145 answer the time of request. Virginity, like an old courtier, wears her cap out of fashion; richly suited, but unsuitable: just like the brooch and the tooth-pick, which wear not now. Your date is better in your pie and your porridge than in your cheek: and your virginity, your old virginity, is like 150 one of our French withered pears, it looks ill, it eats drily; marry, 'tis a withered pear; it was formerly better; marry, yet 'tis a withered pear: will you any thing with it? Hel. Not my virginity yet.... There shall your master have a thousand loves, 155 A mother and a mistress and a friend, A phœnix, captain and an enemy, A guide, a goddess, and a sovereign, A counsellor, a traitress, and a dear; His humble ambition, proud humility, 160 His jarring concord, and his discord dulcet, His faith, his sweet disaster; with a world Of pretty, fond, adoptious christendoms, That blinking Cupid gossips. Now shall he— I know not what he shall. God send him well! 165 The court's a learning place, and he is one— Par. What one, i' faith? Hel. That I wish well. 'Tis pity— Par. What's pity? Hel. That wishing well had not a body in't, 170 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 show what we alone must think, which never Returns us thanks. Enter Page. 175 Page. Monsieur Parolles, my lord calls for you. [Exit. Par. Little Helen, farewell: if I can remember thee, I will think of thee at court. Hel. Monsieur Parolles, you were born under a charitable star. 180 Par. Under Mars, I. Hel. I especially think, under Mars. Par. Why under Mars? Hel. The wars have so kept you under, that you must needs be born under Mars. 185 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. 190 Hel. So is running away, when fear proposes the 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, I cannot answer thee acutely. I will return perfect courtier; in the which, my 195 instruction shall serve to naturalize thee, so thou wilt be capable of a courtier's counsel, and understand what advice shall thrust upon thee; else thou diest in thine unthankfulness, and thine ignorance makes thee away: farewell. When thou hast leisure, say thy prayers; when thou hast none, 200 remember thy friends: get thee a good husband, and use him as he uses thee: so, farewell. [Exit. Hel. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie, Which we ascribe to heaven: the fated sky Gives us free scope; only doth backward pull 205 Our slow designs when we ourselves are dull. What power is it which mounts my love so high; That makes me see, and cannot feed mine eye? The mightiest space in fortune nature brings To join like likes and kiss like native things. 210 Impossible be strange attempts to those That weigh their pains in sense, and do suppose What hath been cannot be: who ever strove To show her merit, that did miss her love? The king's disease—my project may deceive me, 215 But my intents are fix'd, and will not leave me. [Exit.

LINENOTES:

Act i. Scene i.] Actus Primus. Scæna Prima. Ff.

Enter.... ] Enter yong Bertram, Count of Rossillion, his Mother, and Helena, Lord Lafew, all in blacke. Ff.

[1] Count.] Mother. Ff, and afterwards Mo.

delivering] delivering up Hanmer. dissevering Warburton.

son from me,] son, for me or son, 'fore me, Becket conj.

[3] And I in going, madam] F1. And in going Madam F2 F3 F4. And in going, madam, I Rowe.

[9] lack] slack Theobald (Warburton).

[13] persecuted] prosecuted Hanmer.

[17] passage] preface Hanmer. presage Warburton. pesage Becket conj.

was] om. Collier (Collier MS.).

[18] would] it would Rowe, 't would Singer.

[19] have] have had Hanmer.

play] play'd Warburton.

[29, 31, 52] Ber.] Ros. Ff.

[35] hopes of her good that her] good hopes of her that her or hopes of her that her good Anon. conj.

[36] promises; her] Rowe. promises her Ff. promises her; Pope.

her dispositions] the honesty of her dispositions Staunton conj.

dispositions] disposition Rowe.

[39] their] her Hammer (Warburton).

[41] from her tears] tears from her Pope.

[46] it be rather thought you] you be rather thought to Hanmer.

to have—] Ff. to have it. Warburton. have it. Capell. to have. Steevens.

[48] lamentation] F1. lamentations F2 F3 F4.

[50] Count.] Hel. Tieck.

be] be not Theobald (Warburton).

[52, 53] Ber. Madam, ... Laf. How ... ] Laf. How ... Ber. Madam, ... Theobald conj.

[63] head] F1. hand F2 F3 F4.

Farewell, my lord:] Farewell my Lord, Ff. Farewel.—My lord Lafeu, Capell. Farewell. My lord, Steevens.

[63-67] Hanmer ends the lines 'tis an ... advise him ... attend ... Bertram. S. Walker would end them My lord Lafeu, ... my lord ... that shall ... Bertram, reading can't for cannot in line 65.

[64] Advise him.] Advise him you. Capell.

[65-87] Laf. He cannot ... draw] Omitted in F4.

[67] Heaven] May heaven Hanmer.

[68] [To Helena] Rowe.

[71] must hold] uphold Rann (Mason conj.).

[72] [Exeunt...] Rowe. om. Ff.

[73] Scene ii. Pope.

[75] those I] they are Hanmer.

[77] in't but Bertram's] in it but my Bertram's Pope. in it, but of Bertram Capell. in 't but only Bertram's Collier (Collier MS.).

[79] 'Twere] F1 F2 F3. It were Pope.

[80] particular] F1 F2 F3. partic'lar Pope.

[81] me:] Rowe. me F1 F2 F3.

[84] The] Th' F1 F2 F3.

[88] brows] browes F1 F2. arrows F3 F4.

[89] our] my Collier MS.

[90] trick] trait Becket conj.

[92] reliques] F1 F2. relick F3 F4.

Enter Parolles.] Ff. Dyce transfers to line 99.

[93] [Aside] Edd.

[95] solely] F3 F4. solie F1 F2. wholly Hanmer.

[97] steely] seely Williams conj.

[98] Look] Rowe. Lookes F1 F2. Looks F3 F4.

i'the] in the Pope.

withal] om. Pope.

[99] Cold] S. Walker conjectures that this is corrupt.

folly] F3 F4. follie F1 F2.

[100] Scene iii. Pope.

Save] 'Save Hanmer.

[105] stain] strain Halliwell conj.

[107] barricado] Rowe. barracedo F1. barrocado F2 F3 F4.

[107-109] him? Par. Keep him out. Hel. But] him to keep him out? for Hanmer.

[109] assails] assails us S. Walker conj.

[109, 110] valiant, in the defence yet] Ff. valiant in the defence, yet Steevens.

[110] to us] F1. us F2 F3 F4.

[112] sitting] Johnson. setting Ff.

[114] Bless] 'Bless Capell conj. MS.

[121] rational] national Hanmer (Theobald conj.). natural Anon. ap. Halliwell conj.

[122] got] F2 F3 F4. goe F1.

[130] mothers] mother Rowe.

[130, 131] He ... is] He ... is like Hanmer. As he ... so is Warburton.

[135] his] its Rowe. on its Hanmer.

[137] inhibited] F1. inhabited F2 F3 F4. prohibited Pope.

[138, 139] ten year ... ten,] ten years ... ten Hanmer. ten yeare ... two F1. ten yeares ... two F2 F3. ten years ... two F4. two years ... two Collier, ed. 2 (Steevens conj.). ten years ... twelve Tollet conj. ten months ... two Singer (Malone conj.). one year ... two Grant White. the year ... two Anon. conj.

[142, 143] it likes] likes it S. Walker conj.

[143] 'Tis] And 'tis Hanmer.

[147] wear] Capell. were Ff. we wear Rowe.

[152] yet] yes, Hanmer.

will you] will you do Collier MS.

with it?] with me? Johnson conj. with us? Tyrwhitt conj. with it? I am now bound for the court. Malone conj. with it? We are for the Court. Staunton conj.

[153] Not] Not with Collier MS.

yet.] yet. You're for the Court: Hanmer. See note (ii).

[153, 154] Not ... your] No!—my virginity! yet There shall its Jackson conj.

[154] shall] should Steevens conj.

[155] A mother] Another Rowe (ed. 2).

[156-163] A phœnix ... shall he] Put in brackets as spurious by Warburton.

[156] captain] captor Anon. conj.

[159] humble] F1. humblest F2 F3 F4.

[162] pretty] petty Harness.

fond, adoptious] fond-adoptious S. Walker conj.

[163] he—] Rowe. he: Ff.

[165] learning place] learning-place Steevens.

one—] Rowe. one. Ff.

[167] pity—] Rowe. pitty. F1 F2 F3. pity. F4.

[168] Par. What's pity?] Omitted in Pope (ed. 2).

[170] the] F1. om. F2 F3 F4.

[176] Exit.] Theobald.

[183] wars have] Pope. warres hath F1 F2. waters hath F3 F4. waters have Rowe.

[190] So ... safety] Printed as two lines in Ff, the first ending away.

the safety] safety F3 F4.

[191] makes] make Hanmer.

[192] wing] ming Warburton.

I like the wear] is like to wear Mason conj.

[193] businesses] F1 F2 F3. business F4. businesses, as Theobald.

[195] instruction] instrument Rowe (ed. 2).

[196] of a] F1. of the F2 F3 F4. of Pope.

[202] Scene iv. Pope.

[207] That] Which Capell.

[208] The mightiest space] The mighty and base Mason conj. The wid'st apart Staunton conj.

fortune nature] nature fortune Malone conj. (withdrawn).

brings] springs Anon. (Fras. Mag.) conj.

[208, 209] The ... To join like likes] Through ... Likes to join likes Johnson conj. The ... Like to join like Long MS.

[212] hath been cannot be] hath not been ca'nt be Hanmer. ha'nt been cannot be Mason conj. n'ath been cannot be Staunton conj.

[214] The king's disease—] Rowe. (The Kings disease) Ff.