All's Well That Ends Well (10 page)

PAROLLES
    Good, very good, it is so then. Good, very good, let it

be concealed awhile.

BERTRAM
    
Undone
, and forfeited to
cares
²⁶³
forever!

PAROLLES
    What's the matter, sweet heart?

BERTRAM
    Although before the solemn priest I have sworn,

I will not bed her.

PAROLLES
    What, what, sweetheart?

BERTRAM
    O my Parolles, they have married me!

I'll to the Tuscan wars and never bed her.

PAROLLES
    France is a dog-hole, and it no more merits

The tread of a man's foot: to th'wars!

BERTRAM
    There's letters from my mother. What th'
import
²⁷²
is,

I know not yet.

PAROLLES
    Ay, that would be known. To th'wars, my boy, to th'wars!

He wears his honour in a
box
²⁷⁵
unseen

That hugs his
kicky-wicky
²⁷⁶
here at home,

Spending
his manly
marrow
²⁷⁷
in her arms,

Which should sustain the bound and high
curvet
²⁷⁸

Of Mars' fiery steed. To other regions,

France is a stable, we that dwell in't
jades
²⁸⁰
:

Therefore, to th'war!

BERTRAM
    It shall be so. I'll send her to my house,

Acquaint my mother with my hate to her,

And wherefore I am fled, write to the king

That which I durst not speak. His present gift

Shall
furnish me to
those Italian
fields
²⁸⁶

Where noble fellows strike. War is no strife

To
the
dark house
²⁸⁸
and the detested wife.

PAROLLES
    Will this
capriccio
hold in thee?
Art
²⁸⁹
sure?

BERTRAM
    Go with me to my chamber, and advise me.

I'll send her
straight
²⁹¹
away. Tomorrow

I'll to the wars, she to her single sorrow.

PAROLLES
    Why, these
balls bound
²⁹³
, there's noise in it. 'Tis hard.

A young man married is a man that's
marred
²⁹⁴
:

Therefore away, and leave her bravely, go.

The king has done you wrong, but hush, 'tis so.

HELEN
    My mother greets me
kindly.
¹
Is she well?

LAVATCH
    She is not
well
²
, 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
⁴
nothing i'th'world; but yet she is not well.

HELEN
    If she be very well, what does she ail, that she's not very well?

LAVATCH
    Truly, she's very well indeed, but for two things.

HELEN
    What two things?

LAVATCH
    One, that she's not in heaven, whither God send her

quickly. The other, that she's in earth, from whence God send

her quickly.

PAROLLES
    Bless you, my fortunate lady.

HELEN
    I hope, sir, I have your good will to have mine own

good fortune.

PAROLLES
    You had my prayers to lead
them
¹⁴
on, and to keep

them
¹⁵
on, have them still. O, my knave, how does my old lady?

LAVATCH
    
So
¹⁶
that you had her wrinkles and I her money, I

would she
did
¹⁷
as you say.

PAROLLES
    Why, I say nothing.

LAVATCH
    Marry, you are the wiser man, for many a
man's
¹⁹

tongue
shakes out
²⁰
his master's undoing: to say nothing, to

do nothing, to know nothing, and to have nothing, is to be a

great part of your
title
²²
, which is within a very little of

nothing.

PAROLLES
    Away! Thou'rt a knave.

LAVATCH
    You should have said, sir, ‘
Before
²⁵
a knave thou'rt a

knave.' That's, ‘
Before me
²⁶
thou'rt a knave.' This had been

truth, sir.

PAROLLES
    
Go to
, thou art a witty fool. I have
found thee.
²⁸

LAVATCH
    Did you find
me
²⁹
in yourself, sir? Or were you taught

to find me? The search, sir, was profitable. And much fool

may you find in you,
even to
³¹
the world's pleasure and the

increase of laughter.

PAROLLES
    A good knave, i'faith, and
well fed.
³³
—

Madam, my lord will go away tonight.

A very serious business calls on him.

The great prerogative and
rite of love
³⁶
,

Which, as your due, time claims, he does acknowledge,

But puts it off
to
³⁸
a compelled restraint,

Whose want, and whose delay
, is strewed with
sweets
³⁹
,

Which
they
distil now in the
curbèd
⁴⁰
time,

To make the coming hour o'erflow with joy

And pleasure
drown
⁴²
the brim.

HELEN
    What's his will
else?
⁴³

PAROLLES
    That you will take your instant leave o'th'king

And
make
this haste
as
your own good
proceeding
⁴⁵
,

Strength'ned with what
apology
⁴⁶
you think

May make it
probable need.
⁴⁷

HELEN
    What more commands he?

PAROLLES
    That, having this obtained, you presently

Attend
his further
pleasure.
⁵⁰

HELEN
    In everything I wait upon his will.

PAROLLES
    I shall report it so.

HELEN
    I pray you.— Come, sirrah.

LAFEW
    But I hope your lordship thinks not him a soldier.

BERTRAM
    Yes, my lord, and of very valiant
approof.

LAFEW
    You have it from his own
deliverance.
³

BERTRAM
    And by other warranted testimony.

LAFEW
    Then my
dial
goes not true.
I took this lark for a
⁵

bunting.

BERTRAM
    I do assure you, my lord, he is very great in

knowledge and
accordingly
⁸
valiant.

LAFEW
    I have then sinned against his experience and

transgressed against his valour, and my
state
¹⁰
that way is

dangerous, since I cannot yet
find
¹¹
in my heart to repent.

Here he comes. I pray you make us friends. I will pursue the

amity.

PAROLLES
    These things shall be done, sir.

LAFEW
    Pray you, sir, who's his
tailor?
¹⁵

PAROLLES
    Sir?

LAFEW
    O, I know him well. Ay, ‘sir', he. ‘Sir' 's a good

workman, a very good tailor.

BERTRAM
    Is she gone to the king?

PAROLLES
    She is.

BERTRAM
    Will she away tonight?

PAROLLES
    As
you'll have
²²
her.

BERTRAM
    I have writ my letters, casketed my treasure,

Given order for our horses, and tonight,

When I should take possession of the bride,

End ere I do begin.

LAFEW
    A good traveller is
something
²⁷
at the latter

end of a dinner, but one that lies
three thirds
²⁸
and uses a

known truth to pass a thousand nothings with, should be

once heard and thrice beaten.— God save you, captain.

BERTRAM
    Is there any
unkindness
³¹
between my lord

and you, monsieur?

PAROLLES
    I know not how I have deserved to run into my

lord's displeasure.

LAFEW
    You have
made shift
³⁵
to run into't, boots and spurs

and all, like
him that leapt into the custard.
³⁶
And out of it

you'll run again, rather than
suffer question
³⁷
for your

residence.
³⁸

BERTRAM
    It may be you have
mistaken
³⁹
him, my lord.

LAFEW
    And shall do so ever, though I took him at's prayers.

Fare you well, my lord, and believe this of me: there can be

no kernel in this light nut. The soul of this man is his clothes.

Trust him not in matter of
heavy
⁴³
consequence. I have kept of

them tame
⁴⁴
, and know their natures.— Farewell, monsieur. I

have spoken better of you than you have or will
to deserve
⁴⁵
at

my hand, but we must do good against evil.

PAROLLES
    An
idle
⁴⁷
lord, I swear.

BERTRAM
    I think so.

PAROLLES
    Why, do you not
know
⁴⁹
him?

BERTRAM
    Yes, I do know him well, and common speech

Gives him a worthy
pass.
Here comes my
clog.
⁵¹

HELEN
    I have, sir, as I was commanded from you,

Spoke with the king and have procured his leave

For
present parting
⁵⁴
, only he desires

Some private speech with you.

BERTRAM
    I shall obey his will.

You must not marvel, Helen, at my course,

Which holds not
colour
with the
time
⁵⁸
, nor does

The
ministration and requirèd office
⁵⁹

On my particular. Prepared I was not

For such a business: therefore am I found

So much unsettled. This drives me to entreat you

That presently you take your way for home,

And rather
muse
⁶⁴
than ask why I entreat you,

For my
respects
⁶⁵
are better than they seem

And my
appointments
⁶⁶
have in them a need

Greater than shows itself at the first view