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DIANA. Ay, my lord. |
KING. Tell me, sirrah-but tell me true I charge you, |
Not fearing the displeasure of your master, |
Which, on your just proceeding, I'll keep off- |
By him and by this woman here what know you? |
PAROLLES. So please your Majesty, my master hath been an honourable |
gentleman; tricks he hath had in him, which gentlemen have. |
KING. Come, come, to th' purpose. Did he love this woman? |
PAROLLES. Faith, sir, he did love her; but how? |
KING. How, I pray you? |
PAROLLES. He did love her, sir, as a gentleman loves a woman. |
KING. How is that? |
PAROLLES. He lov'd her, sir, and lov'd her not. |
KING. As thou art a knave and no knave. |
What an equivocal companion is this! |
PAROLLES. I am a poor man, and at your Majesty's command. |
LAFEU. He's a good drum, my lord, but a naughty orator. |
DIANA. Do you know he promis'd me marriage? |
PAROLLES. Faith, I know more than I'll speak. |
KING. But wilt thou not speak all thou know'st? |
PAROLLES. Yes, so please your Majesty. I did go between them, as I |
said; but more than that, he loved her-for indeed he was mad for |
her, and talk'd of Satan, and of Limbo, and of Furies, and I know |
not what. Yet I was in that credit with them at that time that I |
knew of their going to bed; and of other motions, as promising |
her marriage, and things which would derive me ill will to speak |
of; therefore I will not speak what I know. |
KING. Thou hast spoken all already, unless thou canst say they are |
married; but thou art too fine in thy evidence; therefore stand |
aside. |
This ring, you say, was yours? |
DIANA. Ay, my good lord. |
KING. Where did you buy it? Or who gave it you? |
DIANA. It was not given me, nor I did not buy it. |
KING. Who lent it you? |
DIANA. It was not lent me neither. |
KING. Where did you find it then? |
DIANA. I found it not. |
KING. If it were yours by none of all these ways, |
How could you give it him? |
DIANA. I never gave it him. |
LAFEU. This woman's an easy glove, my lord; she goes of and on at |
pleasure. |
KING. This ring was mine, I gave it his first wife. |
DIANA. It might be yours or hers, for aught I know. |
KING. Take her away, I do not like her now; |
To prison with her. And away with him. |
Unless thou tell'st me where thou hadst this ring, |
Thou diest within this hour. |
DIANA. I'll never tell you. |
KING. Take her away. |
DIANA. I'll put in bail, my liege. |
KING. I think thee now some common customer. |
DIANA. By Jove, if ever I knew man, 'twas you. |
KING. Wherefore hast thou accus'd him all this while? |
DIANA. Because he's guilty, and he is not guilty. |
He knows I am no maid, and he'll swear to't: |
I'll swear I am a maid, and he knows not. |
Great King, I am no strumpet, by my life; |
I am either maid, or else this old man's wife. |
[Pointing to LAFEU] |
KING. She does abuse our ears; to prison with her. |
DIANA. Good mother, fetch my bail. Stay, royal sir; |
Exit WIDOW |
The jeweller that owes the ring is sent for, |
And he shall surety me. But for this lord |
Who hath abus'd me as he knows himself, |
Though yet he never harm'd me, here I quit him. |
He knows himself my bed he hath defil'd; |
And at that time he got his wife with child. |
Dead though she be, she feels her young one kick; |
So there's my riddle: one that's dead is quick- |
And now behold the meaning. |
Re-enter WIDOW with HELENA |
KING. Is there no exorcist |
Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes? |
Is't real that I see? |
HELENA. No, my good lord; |
'Tis but the shadow of a wife you see, |
The name and not the thing. |
BERTRAM. Both, both; o, pardon! |
HELENA. O, my good lord, when I was like this maid, |
I found you wondrous kind. There is your ring, |
And, look you, here's your letter. This it says: |
'When from my finger you can get this ring, |
And are by me with child,' etc. This is done. |
Will you be mine now you are doubly won? |
BERTRAM. If she, my liege, can make me know this clearly, |
I'll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly. |
HELENA. If it appear not plain, and prove untrue, |
Deadly divorce step between me and you! |
O my dear mother, do I see you living? |
LAFEU. Mine eyes smell onions; I shall weep anon. [To PAROLLES] |
Good Tom Drum, lend me a handkercher. So, I |
thank thee. Wait on me home, I'll make sport with thee; |
let thy curtsies alone, they are scurvy ones. |
KING. Let us from point to point this story know, |
To make the even truth in pleasure flow. |
[To DIANA] If thou beest yet a fresh uncropped flower, |
Choose thou thy husband, and I'll pay thy dower; |
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