O, ‘tis brave wars!
PAROLLES.
Most admirable: I have seen those wars.
BERTRAM.
I am commanded here and kept a coil with,
‘Too young’ and next year’ and ”tis too early.’
PAROLLES.
An thy mind stand to it, boy, steal away bravely.
BERTRAM.
I shall stay here the forehorse to a smock,
Creaking my shoes on the plain masonry,
Till honour be bought up, and no sword worn
But one to dance with! By heaven, I’ll steal away.
FIRST LORD.
There’s honour in the theft.
PAROLLES.
Commit it, count.
SECOND LORD.
I am your accessary; and so farewell.
BERTRAM.
I grow to you, and our parting is a tortured body.
FIRST LORD.
Farewell, captain.
SECOND LORD.
Sweet Monsieur Parolles!
PAROLLES. Noble heroes, my sword and yours are kin. Good sparks and lustrous, a word, good metals.—You shall find in the regiment of the Spinii one Captain Spurio, with his cicatrice, an emblem of war, here on his sinister cheek; it was this very sword entrenched it: say to him I live; and observe his reports for me.
FIRST LORD.
We shall, noble captain.
PAROLLES.
Mars dote on you for his novices!
[Exeunt LORDS.]
What will ye do?
BERTRAM.
Stay; the king—
PAROLLES. Use a more spacious ceremony to the noble lords; you have restrained yourself within the list of too cold an adieu: be more expressive to them; for they wear themselves in the cap of the time; there do muster true gait; eat, speak, and move, under the influence of the most received star; and though the devil lead the measure, such are to be followed: after them, and take a more dilated farewell.
BERTRAM.
And I will do so.
PAROLLES.
Worthy fellows; and like to prove most sinewy sword-men.
[Exeunt BERTRAM and PAROLLES.]
[Enter LAFEU.]
LAFEU.
Pardon, my lord [kneeling], for me and for my tidings.
KING.
I’ll fee thee to stand up.
LAFEU.
Then here’s a man stands that has bought his pardon.
I would you had kneel’d, my lord, to ask me mercy;
And that at my bidding you could so stand up.
KING.
I would I had; so I had broke thy pate,
And ask’d thee mercy for’t.
LAFEU.
Good faith, across;
But, my good lord, ‘tis thus: will you be cured
Of your infirmity?
KING.
No.
LAFEU.
O, will you eat
No grapes, my royal fox? yes, but you will
My noble grapes, and if my royal fox
Could reach them: I have seen a medicine
That’s able to breathe life into a stone,
Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary
With spritely fire and motion; whose simple touch
Is powerful to araise King Pipin, nay,
To give great Charlemain a pen in his hand
And write to her a loveline.
KING.
What ‘her’ is that?
LAFEU.
Why, doctor ‘she’: my lord, there’s one arriv’d,
If you will see her,—now, by my faith and honour,
If seriously I may convey my thoughts
In this my light deliverance, I have spoke
With one that in her sex, her years, profession,
Wisdom, and constancy, hath amaz’d me more
Than I dare blame my weakness: will you see her,—
For that is her demand,—and know her business?
That done, laugh well at me.
KING.
Now, good Lafeu,
Bring in the admiration; that we with the
May spend our wonder too, or take off thine
By wondering how thou took’st it.
LAFEU.
Nay, I’ll fit you,
And not be all day neither.
[Exit LAFEU.]
KING.
Thus he his special nothing ever prologues.
[Re-enter LAFEU with HELENA.]
LAFEU.
Nay, come your ways.
KING.
This haste hath wings indeed.
LAFEU.
Nay, come your ways;
This is his majesty: say your mind to him.
A traitor you do look like; but such traitors
His majesty seldom fears: I am Cressid’s uncle,
That dare leave two together: fare you well.
[Exit.]
KING.
Now, fair one, does your business follow us?
HELENA.
Ay, my good lord. Gerard de Narbon was
My father; in what he did profess, well found.
KING.
I knew him.
HELENA.
The rather will I spare my praises towards him.
Knowing him is enough. On his bed of death
Many receipts he gave me; chiefly one,
Which, as the dearest issue of his practice,
And of his old experience the only darling,
He bade me store up as a triple eye,
Safer than mine own two, more dear: I have so:
And, hearing your high majesty is touch’d
With that malignant cause wherein the honour
Of my dear father’s gift stands chief in power,
I come to tender it, and my appliance,
With all bound humbleness.
KING.
We thank you, maiden:
But may not be so credulous of cure,—
When our most learned doctors