Act I, Scene 3

Rousillon. The COUNT’s palace.

[Enter COUNTESS, Steward, and Clown]

• Countess. I will now hear; what say you of this gentlewoman?

• Steward. Madam, the care I have had to even your content, I 325
  wish might be found in the calendar of my past
  endeavours; for then we wound our modesty and make
  foul the clearness of our deservings, when of
  ourselves we publish them.

• Countess. What does this knave here? Get you gone, sirrah: 330
  the complaints I have heard of you I do not all
  believe: 'tis my slowness that I do not; for I know
  you lack not folly to commit them, and have ability
  enough to make such knaveries yours.

• Clown. 'Tis not unknown to you, madam, I am a poor fellow. 335

• Countess. Well, sir.

• Clown. No, madam, 'tis not so well that I am poor, though
  many of the rich are damned: but, if I may have
  your ladyship's good will to go to the world, Isbel
  the woman and I will do as we may. 340

• Countess. Wilt thou needs be a beggar?

• Clown. I do beg your good will in this case.

• Countess. In what case?

• Clown. In Isbel's case and mine own. Service is no
  heritage: and I think I shall never have the 345
  blessing of God till I have issue o' my body; for
  they say barnes are blessings.

• Countess. Tell me thy reason why thou wilt marry.

• Clown. My poor body, madam, requires it: I am driven on
  by the flesh; and he must needs go that the devil drives. 350

• Countess. Is this all your worship's reason?

• Clown. Faith, madam, I have other holy reasons such as they
  are.

• Countess. May the world know them?

• Clown. I have been, madam, a wicked creature, as you and 355
  all flesh and blood are; and, indeed, I do marry
  that I may repent.

• Countess. Thy marriage, sooner than thy wickedness.

• Clown. I am out o' friends, madam; and I hope to have
  friends for my wife's sake. 360

• Countess. Such friends are thine enemies, knave.

• Clown. You're shallow, madam, in great friends; for the
  knaves come to do that for me which I am aweary of.
  He that ears my land spares my team and gives me
  leave to in the crop; if I be his cuckold, he's my 365
  drudge: he that comforts my wife is the cherisher
  of my flesh and blood; he that cherishes my flesh
  and blood loves my flesh and blood; he that loves my
  flesh and blood is my friend: ergo, he that kisses
  my wife is my friend. If men could be contented to 370
  be what they are, there were no fear in marriage;
  for young Charbon the Puritan and old Poysam the
  Papist, howsome'er their hearts are severed in
  religion, their heads are both one; they may jowl
  horns together, like any deer i' the herd. 375

• Countess. Wilt thou ever be a foul-mouthed and calumnious knave?

• Clown. A prophet I, madam; and I speak the truth the next
  way:
  For I the ballad will repeat,
  Which men full true shall find; 380
  Your marriage comes by destiny,
  Your cuckoo sings by kind.

• Countess. Get you gone, sir; I'll talk with you more anon.

• Steward. May it please you, madam, that he bid Helen come to
  you: of her I am to speak. 385

• Countess. Sirrah, tell my gentlewoman I would speak with her;
  Helen, I mean.

• Clown. Was this fair face the cause, quoth she,
  Why the Grecians sacked Troy?
  Fond done, done fond, 390
  Was this King Priam's joy?
  With that she sighed as she stood,
  With that she sighed as she stood,
  And gave this sentence then;
  Among nine bad if one be good, 395
  Among nine bad if one be good,
  There's yet one good in ten.

• Countess. What, one good in ten? you corrupt the song, sirrah.

• Clown. One good woman in ten, madam; which is a purifying
  o' the song: would God would serve the world so all 400
  the year! we'ld find no fault with the tithe-woman,
  if I were the parson. One in ten, quoth a'! An we
  might have a good woman born but one every blazing
  star, or at an earthquake, 'twould mend the lottery
  well: a man may draw his heart out, ere a' pluck 405
  one.

• Countess. You'll be gone, sir knave, and do as I command you.

• Clown. That man should be at woman's command, and yet no
  hurt done! Though honesty be no puritan, yet it
  will do no hurt; it will wear the surplice of 410
  humility over the black gown of a big heart. I am
  going, forsooth: the business is for Helen to come hither.

[Exit]

• Countess. Well, now.

• Steward. I know, madam, you love your gentlewoman entirely. 415

• Countess. Faith, I do: her father bequeathed her to me; and
  she herself, without other advantage, may lawfully
  make title to as much love as she finds: there is
  more owing her than is paid; and more shall be paid
  her than she'll demand. 420

• Steward. Madam, I was very late more near her than I think
  she wished me: alone she was, and did communicate
  to herself her own words to her own ears; she
  thought, I dare vow for her, they touched not any
  stranger sense. Her matter was, she loved your son: 425
  Fortune, she said, was no goddess, that had put
  such difference betwixt their two estates; Love no
  god, that would not extend his might, only where
  qualities were level; Dian no queen of virgins, that
  would suffer her poor knight surprised, without 430
  rescue in the first assault or ransom afterward.
  This she delivered in the most bitter touch of
  sorrow that e'er I heard virgin exclaim in: which I
  held my duty speedily to acquaint you withal;
  sithence, in the loss that may happen, it concerns 435
  you something to know it.

• Countess. You have discharged this honestly; keep it to
  yourself: many likelihoods informed me of this
  before, which hung so tottering in the balance that
  I could neither believe nor misdoubt. Pray you, 440
  leave me: stall this in your bosom; and I thank you
  for your honest care: I will speak with you further anon.
  [Exit Steward]
  [Enter HELENA]
  Even so it was with me when I was young: 445
  If ever we are nature's, these are ours; this thorn
  Doth to our rose of youth rightly belong;
  Our blood to us, this to our blood is born;
  It is the show and seal of nature's truth,
  Where love's strong passion is impress'd in youth: 450
  By our remembrances of days foregone,
  Such were our faults, or then we thought them none.
  Her eye is sick on't: I observe her now.

• Helena. What is your pleasure, madam?

• Countess. You know, Helen, 455
  I am a mother to you.

• Helena. Mine honourable mistress.

• Countess. Nay, a mother:
  Why not a mother? When I said 'a mother,'
  Methought you saw a serpent: what's in 'mother,' 460
  That you start at it? I say, I am your mother;
  And put you in the catalogue of those
  That were enwombed mine: 'tis often seen
  Adoption strives with nature and choice breeds
  A native slip to us from foreign seeds: 465
  You ne'er oppress'd me with a mother's groan,
  Yet I express to you a mother's care:
  God's mercy, maiden! does it curd thy blood
  To say I am thy mother? What's the matter,
  That this distemper'd messenger of wet, 470
  The many-colour'd Iris, rounds thine eye?
  Why? that you are my daughter?

• Helena. That I am not.

• Countess. I say, I am your mother.

• Helena. Pardon, madam; 475
  The Count Rousillon cannot be my brother:
  I am from humble, he from honour'd name;
  No note upon my parents, his all noble:
  My master, my dear lord he is; and I
  His servant live, and will his vassal die: 480
  He must not be my brother.

• Countess. Nor I your mother?

• Helena. You are my mother, madam; would you were,—
  So that my lord your son were not my brother,—
  Indeed my mother! or were you both our mothers, 485
  I care no more for than I do for heaven,
  So I were not his sister. Can't no other,
  But, I your daughter, he must be my brother?

• Countess. Yes, Helen, you might be my daughter-in-law:
  God shield you mean it not! daughter and mother 490
  So strive upon your pulse. What, pale again?
  My fear hath catch'd your fondness: now I see
  The mystery of your loneliness, and find
  Your salt tears' head: now to all sense 'tis gross
  You love my son; invention is ashamed, 495
  Against the proclamation of thy passion,
  To say thou dost not: therefore tell me true;
  But tell me then, 'tis so; for, look thy cheeks
  Confess it, th' one to th' other; and thine eyes
  See it so grossly shown in thy behaviors 500
  That in their kind they speak it: only sin
  And hellish obstinacy tie thy tongue,
  That truth should be suspected. Speak, is't so?
  If it be so, you have wound a goodly clew;
  If it be not, forswear't: howe'er, I charge thee, 505
  As heaven shall work in me for thine avail,
  Tell me truly.

• Helena. Good madam, pardon me!

• Countess. Do you love my son?

• Helena. Your pardon, noble mistress! 510

• Countess. Love you my son?

• Helena. Do not you love him, madam?

• Countess. Go not about; my love hath in't a bond,
  Whereof the world takes note: come, come, disclose
  The state of your affection; for your passions 515
  Have to the full appeach'd.

• Helena. Then, I confess,
  Here on my knee, before high heaven and you,
  That before you, and next unto high heaven,
  I love your son. 520
  My friends were poor, but honest; so's my love:
  Be not offended; for it hurts not him
  That he is loved of me: I follow him not
  By any token of presumptuous suit;
  Nor would I have him till I do deserve him; 525
  Yet never know how that desert should be.
  I know I love in vain, strive against hope;
  Yet in this captious and intenible sieve
  I still pour in the waters of my love
  And lack not to lose still: thus, Indian-like, 530
  Religious in mine error, I adore
  The sun, that looks upon his worshipper,
  But knows of him no more. My dearest madam,
  Let not your hate encounter with my love
  For loving where you do: but if yourself, 535
  Whose aged honour cites a virtuous youth,
  Did ever in so true a flame of liking
  Wish chastely and love dearly, that your Dian
  Was both herself and love: O, then, give pity
  To her, whose state is such that cannot choose 540
  But lend and give where she is sure to lose;
  That seeks not to find that her search implies,
  But riddle-like lives sweetly where she dies!

• Countess. Had you not lately an intent,—speak truly,—
  To go to Paris? 545

• Helena. Madam, I had.

• Countess. Wherefore? tell true.

• Helena. I will tell truth; by grace itself I swear.
  You know my father left me some prescriptions
  Of rare and proved effects, such as his reading 550
  And manifest experience had collected
  For general sovereignty; and that he will'd me
  In heedfull'st reservation to bestow them,
  As notes whose faculties inclusive were
  More than they were in note: amongst the rest, 555
  There is a remedy, approved, set down,
  To cure the desperate languishings whereof
  The king is render'd lost.

• Countess. This was your motive
  For Paris, was it? speak. 560

• Helena. My lord your son made me to think of this;
  Else Paris and the medicine and the king
  Had from the conversation of my thoughts
  Haply been absent then.

• Countess. But think you, Helen, 565
  If you should tender your supposed aid,
  He would receive it? he and his physicians
  Are of a mind; he, that they cannot help him,
  They, that they cannot help: how shall they credit
  A poor unlearned virgin, when the schools, 570
  Embowell'd of their doctrine, have left off
  The danger to itself?

• Helena. There's something in't,
  More than my father's skill, which was the greatest
  Of his profession, that his good receipt 575
  Shall for my legacy be sanctified
  By the luckiest stars in heaven: and, would your honour
  But give me leave to try success, I'ld venture
  The well-lost life of mine on his grace's cure
  By such a day and hour. 580

• Countess. Dost thou believe't?

• Helena. Ay, madam, knowingly.

• Countess. Why, Helen, thou shalt have my leave and love,
  Means and attendants and my loving greetings
  To those of mine in court: I'll stay at home 585
  And pray God's blessing into thy attempt:
  Be gone to-morrow; and be sure of this,
  What I can help thee to thou shalt not miss.

[Exeunt]