Shakespeare Portal

Act 4, Scene 5

Rousillon. A room in the COUNTESS'S palace.

  1. [Enter COUNTESS, LAFEU, and CLOWN.]
  2. Lafew
  3. 2221 No, no, no, son was misled with a snipt-taffeta fellow there,
  4. 2222 whose villanous saffron would have made all the unbaked and
  5. 2223 doughy youth of a nation in his colour: your daughter-in-law
  6. 2224 had been alive at this hour, and your son here at home, more
  7. 2225 advanced by the king than by that red-tail'd humble-bee I speak
  8. 2226 of.
  9. Countess of Rousillon
  10. 2227 I would I had not known him! It was the death of the most
  11. 2228 virtuous gentlewoman that ever nature had praise for creating: if
  12. 2229 she had partaken of my flesh, and cost me the dearest groans of a
  13. 2230 mother, I could not have owed her a more rooted love.
  14. Lafew
  15. 2231 'Twas a good lady, 'twas a good lady: we may pick a thousand
  16. 2232 salads ere we light on such another herb.
  17. Lavatch the Clown
  18. 2233 Indeed, sir, she was the sweet marjoram of the salad, or,
  19. 2234 rather, the herb of grace.
  20. Lafew
  21. 2235 They are not salad-herbs, you knave; they are nose-herbs.
  22. Lavatch the Clown
  23. 2236 I am no great Nebuchadnezzar, sir; I have not much skill in
  24. 2237 grass.
  25. Lafew
  26. 2238 Whether dost thou profess thyself,—a knave or a fool?
  27. Lavatch the Clown
  28. 2239 A fool, sir, at a woman's service, and a knave at a man's.
  29. Lafew
  30. 2240 Your distinction?
  31. Lavatch the Clown
  32. 2241 I would cozen the man of his wife, and do his service.
  33. Lafew
  34. 2242 So you were a knave at his service, indeed.
  35. Lavatch the Clown
  36. 2243 And I would give his wife my bauble, sir, to do her service.
  37. Lafew
  38. 2244 I will subscribe for thee; thou art both knave and fool.
  39. Lavatch the Clown
  40. 2245 At your service.
  41. Lafew
  42. 2246 No, no, no.
  43. Lavatch the Clown
  44. 2247 Why, sir, if I cannot serve you, I can serve as great a
  45. 2248 prince as you are.
  46. Lafew
  47. 2249 Who's that? a Frenchman?
  48. Lavatch the Clown
  49. 2250 Faith, sir, 'a has an English name; but his phisnomy is more
  50. 2251 hotter in France than there.
  51. Lafew
  52. 2252 What prince is that?
  53. Lavatch the Clown
  54. 2253 The black prince, sir; alias, the prince of darkness; alias,
  55. 2254 the devil.
  56. Lafew
  57. 2255 Hold thee, there's my purse: I give thee not this to suggest
  58. 2256 thee from thy master thou talkest of; serve him still.
  59. Lavatch the Clown
  60. 2257 I am a woodland fellow, sir, that always loved a great fire;
  61. 2258 and the master I speak of ever keeps a good fire. But, sure, he
  62. 2259 is the prince of the world; let his nobility remain in his court.
  63. 2260 I am for the house with the narrow gate, which I take to be too
  64. 2261 little for pomp to enter: some that humble themselves may; but
  65. 2262 the many will be too chill and tender; and they'll be for the
  66. 2263 flow'ry way that leads to the broad gate and the great fire.
  67. Lafew
  68. 2264 Go thy ways, I begin to be a-weary of thee; and I tell thee
  69. 2265 so before, because I would not fall out with thee. Go thy ways;
  70. 2266 let my horses be well looked to, without any tricks.
  71. Lavatch the Clown
  72. 2267 If I put any tricks upon 'em, sir, they shall be jades' tricks,
  73. 2268 which are their own right by the law of nature.
  74. [Exit.]
  75. Lafew
  76. 2269 A shrewd knave, and an unhappy.
  77. Countess of Rousillon
  78. 2270 So he is. My lord that's gone made himself much sport out of him;
  79. 2271 by his authority he remains here, which he thinks is a patent for
  80. 2272 his sauciness; and indeed he has no pace, but runs where he will.
  81. Lafew
  82. 2273 I like him well; 'tis not amiss. And I was about to tell you,
  83. 2274 since I heard of the good lady's death, and that my lord your son
  84. 2275 was upon his return home, I moved the king my master to speak in
  85. 2276 the behalf of my daughter; which, in the minority of them both,
  86. 2277 his majesty out of a self-gracious remembrance did first propose:
  87. 2278 His highness hath promised me to do it; and, to stop up the
  88. 2279 displeasure he hath conceived against your son, there is no
  89. 2280 fitter matter. How does your ladyship like it?
  90. Countess of Rousillon
  91. 2281 With very much content, my lord; and I wish it happily effected.
  92. Lafew
  93. 2282 His highness comes post from Marseilles, of as able body as
  94. 2283 when he numbered thirty; he will be here to-morrow, or I am
  95. 2284 deceived by him that in such intelligence hath seldom failed.
  96. Countess of Rousillon
  97. 2285 It rejoices me that I hope I shall see him ere I die. I have
  98. 2286 letters that my son will be here to-night: I shall beseech
  99. 2287 your lordship to remain with me till they meet together.
  100. Lafew
  101. 2288 Madam, I was thinking with what manners I might safely be
  102. 2289 admitted.
  103. Countess of Rousillon
  104. 2290 You need but plead your honourable privilege.
  105. Lafew
  106. 2291 Lady, of that I have made a bold charter; but, I thank my
  107. 2292 God, it holds yet.
  108. [Re-enter CLOWN.]
  109. Lavatch the Clown
  110. 2293 O madam, yonder's my lord your son with a patch of velvet
  111. 2294 on's face; whether there be a scar under it or no, the velvet
  112. 2295 knows; but 'tis a goodly patch of velvet: his left cheek is a
  113. 2296 cheek of two pile and a half, but his right cheek is worn bare.
  114. Lafew
  115. 2297 A scar nobly got, or a noble scar, is a good livery of honour; so
  116. 2298 belike is that.
  117. Lavatch the Clown
  118. 2299 But it is your carbonadoed face.
  119. Lafew
  120. 2300 Let us go see your son, I pray you; I long to talk with the young
  121. 2301 noble soldier.
  122. Lavatch the Clown
  123. 2302 Faith, there's a dozen of 'em, with delicate fine hats, and
  124. 2303 most courteous feathers, which bow the head and nod at every man.
  125. [Exeunt.]