COUNT. I think, fir, you can eat none of this homely

meat.

CLO. O Lord, fir,-Nay, put me to't, I warrant you.
COUNT. You were lately whipp'd, fir, I think.
CLO. O Lord, fir,-Spare not me.

COUNT. Do you cry, O Lord, fir, at your whipping, and Spare not me? Indeed, your O Lord, fir, is very fequent to your whipping; you would answer very well to a whipping, if you were but bound to't.

CLO. I ne'er had worfe luck in my life, in my-O Lord, fir: I fee, things may ferve long, but not serve ever.

COUNT. I play the noble housewife with the time, to entertain it fo merrily with a fool.

CLO. O Lord, fir,-Why, there't ferves well again. COUNT. An end, fir, to your business: Give Helen this, And urge her to a present answer back :

Commend me to my kinfmen, and my fon;
This is not much.

CLO. Not much commendation to them.

[ftand me?

COUNT. Not much employment for you: You underCLO. Most fruitfully; I am there before my legs. COUNT. Hafte you again.

[Exeunt feverally.

SCENE III. Paris. A Room in the KING's Palace.

Enter BERTRAM, LA FEU, and PAROLLES.

LAF. They fay, miracles are påft; and we have our philofophical perfons, to make modern and familiar. things, fupernatural and caufelefs. Hence is it, that we make trifles of terrors; enfconcing ourselves into feeming knowledge, when we fhould fubmit ourselves to an unknown fear.

PAR. Why, 'tis the rareft argument of wonder, that hath fhot out in our latter times.

BER. And fo 'tis.

LAF. To be relinquish'd of the artists,

PAR. So I fay; both of Galen and Paracelfus.
LAF. Of all the learned and authentick fellows,
PAR. Right, so I say.

LAF. That gave him out incurable,—

PAR. Why, there 'tis ; so say I too.

LAF. Not to be help'd,

PAR. Right; as 'twere, a man affur'd of an-
LAF. Uncertain life, and fure death.

PAR. Juft, you say well; fo would I have said.

LAF. I may truly say, it is a novelty to the world. PAR. It is, indeed: if you will have it in showing, you fhall read it in,- What do you call there?LAF. A fhowing of a heavenly effect in an earthly actor.

PAR. That's it I would have faid; the very fame.

LAF. Why, your dolphin is not luftier: 'fore me I fpeak in respect——————

PAR. Nay, 'tis ftrange, 'tis very strange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he is of a most facinorous spirit, that will not acknowledge it to be the

LAF. Very hand of heaven.

PAR. Ay, so I say.

LAF. In a moft weak

PAR. And debile minifter, great power, great tranfcendence which should, indeed, give us a further use to be made, than alone the recovery of the king, as to be.

LAF. Generally thankful.

Enter KING, HELENA, and Attendants. PAR. I would have faid it; you fay well: Here comes the king.

LAF. Luftick, as the Dutchman fays; I'll like a maid the better, whilft I have a tooth in my head: Why, he's able to lead her a coranto.

PAR. Mort du Vinaigre! Is not this Helen?

LAF. 'Fore God, I think fo.

KING. Go, call before me all the lords in court.

[Exit an Attendant.

Sit, my preserver, by thy patient's fide;

And with this healthful hand, whofe banish'd fenfe
Thou haft repeal'd, a second time receive

The confirmation of my promis'd gift,

Which but attends thy naming.

Enter feveral LORDS.

Fair maid, fend forth thine eye; this youthful parcel
Of noble bachelors ftand at my bestowing,

O'er whom both fovereign power and father's voice
I have to use: thy frank election make;

Thou haft power to choose, and they none to forfake.
HEL. To each of you one fair and virtuous mistress
Fall, when love please!-marry, to each, but one!
LAF. I'd give bay Curtal, and his furniture,
My mouth no more were broken than these boys',
And writ as little beard.

KING. Perufe them well:

Not one of those, but had a noble father.

HEL. Gentlemen,

Heaven hath, through me, restor'd the king to health.
ALL. We understand it, and thank heaven for you.
HEL. I am a fimple maid; and therein wealthiest,
That, I proteft, I fimply am a maid :-
Please it your majesty, I have done already :
The blushes in my cheeks thus whisper me,
We blush, that thou should't choose; but, be refus'd,

Let the white death fit on thy cheek for ever;

We'll ne'er come there again.

KING. Make choice; and, fee,

Who fhuns thy love, fhuns all his love in me.
HEL. Now, Dian, from thy altar do I fly;
And to imperial Love, that god moft high,
Do my fighs ftream.-Sir, will you hear my fuit?
I LORD. And grant it.

HEL. Thanks, fir; all the rest is mute.

LAF. I had rather be in this choice, than throw amesace for my life.

HEL. The honour, fir, that flames in your fair eyes, Before I fpeak, too threat'ningly replies:

Love make your fortunes twenty times above
Her that fo wishes, and her humble love!
2 LORD. No better, if you please.

HEL. My with receive,

Which great love grant! and fo I take my leave.

LAF. Do all they deny her? An they were fons of mine, I'd have them whipp'd; or I would fend them to the Turk, to make eunuchs of.

HEL. Be not afraid [To a Lord.] that I your hand should take;

I'll never do you wrong for your own fake:

Bleffing upon your vows! and in your
Find fairer fortune, if you ever wed!

bed

LAF. These boys are boys of ice, they'll none have her; fure, they are bastards to the English; the French ne'er got them.

HEL. You are too young, too happy, and too good, To make yourself a fon out of my blood.

4 LORD. Fair one, I think not fo.

LAF. There's one grape yet,—I am fure, thy father

drank wine. But if thou be'ft not an ass, I am a youth of fourteen; I have known thee already. [1 give HEL. I dare not fay, I take you; [To BERTRAM.] but Me, and my service, ever whilft I live,

Into your guiding power. This is the man.

--

KING. Why then, young Bertram, take her, she's thy wife.

BER. My wife, my liege? I shall beseech your highness, In fuch bufiness give me leave to use

The help of mine own eyes.

KING. Know'st thou not, Bertram,

What she has done for me?

BER. Yes, my good lord;

But never hope to know why I should marry her.
KING. Thou know'ft, she has rais'd me from my fick-
ly bed.

BER. But follows it, my lord, to bring me down
Must answer for your raifing? I know her well;
She had her breeding at my father's charge:
A poor physician's daughter my wife !-Difdain
Rather corrupt me ever!

KING. 'Tis only title thou difdain'ft in her, the which
I can build up. Strange is it, that our bloods,
Of colour, weight, and heat, pour'd altogether,
Would quite confound diftinction, yet stand off
In differences fo mighty: If fhe be

All that is virtuous, (fave what thou diflik'st,
A poor phyfician's daughter,) thou dislik'st
Of virtue for the name: but do not fo:
From lowest place when virtuous things proceed,
The place is dignified by the doer's deed:
Where great additions fwell, and virtue none,
It is a dropfied honour: good alone