[Act 4, Scene 5]
Enter Clowne, old Lady, and
Lafew.
Laf.
No, no, no, your sonne was misled with a snipt
taffata fellow there, whose villanous saffron
wold haue
[2395]
made all the vnbak'd and dowy youth of a
nation in his
colour: your daughter‑in‑law
had beene aliue at this
houre, and your sonne heere at
home, more aduanc'd
by the King, then by that
red‑tail'd humble Bee I speak
of.
La.
[2400]
I would I had not knowne him, it was the death
of the
most vertuous gentlewoman, that euer Nature
had
praise for creating. If she had pertaken of my flesh
and cost mee the deerest groanes of a mother,
I could
not haue owed her a more rooted loue.
Laf.
[2405]
Twas a good Lady, 'twas a good Lady. Wee
may picke a
thousand sallets ere wee light on such ano
ther
hearbe.
Clo.
Indeed sir she was the sweete Margerom of the
sallet, or
rather the hearbe of grace.
Laf.
[2410]
They are not hearbes you knaue, they are nose
hearbes.
Clowne.
I am no great
Nabuchadnezar sir, I haue
not
much skill in grace.
Laf.
Whether doest thou professe thy selfe, a knaue
[2415]
or a
foole?
Clo.
A foole sir at a womans seruice, and a knaue
at a mans.
Laf.
Your distinction.
Clo.
I would cousen the man of his wife, and do his
[2420]
seruice.
Laf.
So you were a knaue at his seruice indeed.
Clo.
And I would giue his wife my bauble sir to doe
her
seruice.
Laf.
I will subscribe for thee, thou art both knaue
[2425]
and
foole.
Clo.
At your seruice.
Laf.
No, no, no.
Clo.
Why sir, if I cannot serue you, I can serue as
great a
prince as you are.
Laf.
[2430]
Whose that, a Frenchman?
Clo.
Faith sir a has an English maine, but his fisno
mie
is more hotter in France then there.
Laf.
What prince is that?
Clo.
The blacke prince sir, alias the prince of darke
[2435]
nesse,
alias the diuell.
Laf.
Hold thee there's my purse, I giue thee not this
to
suggest thee from thy master thou
talk'st off, serue
him still.
Clo.
I am a woodland fellow sir, that alwaies loued
[2440]
a great
fire, and the master I speak of euer keeps a good
fire, but sure he is the Prince of the world, let his
No
bilitie remaine in's Court. I am for the
house with the
narrow gate, which I take to be too little
for pompe to
enter: some that humble themselues may, but
the ma
[2445]
nie will be too chill and tender, and theyle
bee for the
flowrie way that leads to the broad
gate, and the great
fire.
Laf.
Go thy waies, I begin to bee a wearie of thee,
and I tell
thee so before, because I would not fall out
[2450]
with thee. Go
thy wayes, let my horses be wel look'd
too, without
any trickes.
Clo.
If I put any trickes vpon em sir, they shall bee
Iades
trickes, which are their owne right by the law of
Nature.
exit
Laf.
[2455]
A shrewd knaue and an vnhappie.
Lady.
So a is. My Lord that's gone made himselfe
much sport
out of him, by his authoritie hee remaines
heere, which he
thinkes is a pattent for his sawcinesse,
and indeede he
has no pace, but runnes where he will.
Laf.
[2460]
I like him well, 'tis not amisse: and I was about
to tell
you, since I heard of the good Ladies death, and
that my
Lord your sonne was vpon his returne home. I
moued the
King my master to speake in the behalfe of
my
daughter, which in the minoritie of them both, his
[2465]
Maiestie out of a selfe gracious remembrance did
first
propose, his Highnesse hath
promis'd me to doe it, and
to stoppe vp the
displeasure he hath conceiued against
your sonne, there is
no fitter matter. How do's your
Ladyship like
it?
La.
[2470]
With verie much content my Lord, and I wish
it happily
effected.
Laf.
His Highnesse comes post from
Marcellus, of as
able bodie as when he
number'd thirty, a will be heere
to morrow, or I am
deceiu'd by him that in such intel
[2475]
ligence
hath seldome fail'd.
La.
It reioyces me, that I hope I shall see him ere I
die. I
haue letters that my sonne will be heere to night:
I shall
beseech your Lordship to remaine with mee, till
they meete
together.
Laf.
[2480]
Madam, I was thinking with what manners I
might safely be
admitted.
Lad.
You neede but pleade your honourable priui
ledge.
Laf.
Ladie, of that I haue made a bold charter, but
[2485]
I thanke my
God, it holds yet.
Enter Clowne.
Clo.
O Madam, yonders my Lord your sonne with
a patch of veluet
on's face, whether there bee a scar
vn
der't or no, the Veluet knowes, but 'tis
a goodly patch
of Veluet, his left cheeke is a cheeke of
two pile and a
[2490]
halfe, but his right cheeke is worne
bare.
Laf.
A scarre nobly got,
Or a noble scarre, is a good liu'rie of honor,
So belike is that.
Clo.
But it is your carbinado'd face.
Laf.
[2495]
Let vs go see
your sonne I pray you, I long to talke
With the yong noble souldier.
Clowne.
'Faith there's a dozen of em, with delicate
fine
hats, and most courteous feathers, which bow the
[2500]
head, and nod at euerie man.
Exeunt
