LINENOTES:

scene v.] scene x. Pope.

The King's Palace.] Another room in the same. Capell.

[11] yet] F1. om. F2 F3 F4.

[14] [To Bertram.] Capell.

[15] Pray you] I pray you Rowe.

who's] whose F1.

[17] sir, 's] Theobald. sir's F2 F3 F4. sirs F1. sits Pope.

[19] [Aside ...] Rowe.

[23-26] I have ... begin] Printed as prose by Pope.

[24] horses] F1. horse F2 F3 F4.

[25, 26] bride, End ... begin.] Collier (Egerton MS.), bride, And ... begin Ff. bride—And ... begin— Rowe.

[28] one that] Rowe (ed. 2). on that Ff. if on that he Rowe (ed. 1).

[30] heard] hard F1.

you] your F2.

[36] leaped] leapt F1. leapes F2. leaps F3 F4.

custard] See note (xii).

[46] or will] qualities or will Malone conj. wit or will Singer conj.

to] F1. om. F2 F3 F4.

hand] F1 F2. hands F3 F4.

[47] [Exit.] Rowe.

[49] so] not so Long MS.

[51, 52] Yes ... clog] As prose in Hanmer.

[53] Scene xi. Pope.

[57] must] must must F2.

[64] ask why I] ask why, I Hanmer.

entreat you] dismiss you S. Walker conj. request it Bailey conj.

[68] [Giving a letter.] Rowe.

[75, 76] Let ... home] Printed as prose in Ff.

[83, 84] I would ... kiss] Arranged as in Ff. As three lines, ending lord ... yes ... kiss. Dyce conj.

[83] my lord] om. Hanmer.

[87] Ber. Where are ... Farewell] Hanmer (Theobald conj.): continued to Helena in Ff.

men, monsieur?] Hanmer (Theobald conj.). men? Monsieur: Ff.

[Exit H.] Hanmer. [Exit. Ff. [Exit Hel. Warburton (after line 86).

[90] [Exeunt] om. Ff.

... attended] Capell. om. Ff.

ACT III.

Scene I. Florence. The Duke's palace.

Flourish. Enter the Duke of Florence, attended; the two Frenchmen with a troop of soldiers.
Duke. So that from point to point now have you heard
The fundamental reasons of this war.
Whose great decision hath much blood lot forth
And more thirsts after.
First Lord. Holy seems the quarrel
5
Upon your Grace's part; black and fearful
On the opposer.
Duke. Therefore we marvel much our cousin France
Would in so just a business shut his bosom
Against our borrowing prayers.
Sec. Lord. Good my lord,
10
The reasons of our state I cannot yield,
But like a common and an outward man,
That the great figure of a council frames
By self-unable motion: therefore dare not
Say what I think of it, since I have found
15
Myself in my incertain grounds to fail
As often as I guess'd.
Duke. Be it his pleasure.
First Lord. But I am sure the younger of our nature,
That surfeit on their ease, will day by day
Come here for physic.
Duke. Welcome shall they be;
20
And all the honours that can fly from us
Shall on them settle. You know your places well;
When better fall, for your avails they fell:
To-morrow to the field. [Flourish. Exeunt.

LINENOTES:

[5] part] party S. Walker conj.

black] but black Pope.

[6] opposer] opposer's Hanmer.

[9] Sec. Lord] 2 Lord. Rowe. French E. Ff.

[13] By] From Theobald conj.

motion] notion Warburton (Theobald conj.).

[17] First Lord] Fren. G. F1. Fre. G. F2 F3 F4. 2 Lord. Rowe.

nature] nation Rowe.

[22] fell] fall Hanmer (Thirlby conj.)

[23] to] to 'th F1.

[Exeunt.] om. Ff.

Scene II. Rousillon. The Count's Palace.

Enter Countess and Clown.
Count. It hath happened all as I would have had it,
save that he comes not along with her.
Clo. By my troth, I take my young lord to be a very
melancholy man.
5
Count. By what observance, I pray you?
Clo. Why, he will look upon his boot and sing; mend
the ruff and sing; ask questions and sing; pick his teeth
and sing. I know a man that had this trick of melancholy
sold a goodly manor for a song.
10
Count. Let me see what he writes, and when he means
to come. [Opening a letter.
Clo. I have no mind to Isbel since I was at court: our
old ling and our Isbels o' the country are nothing like
your old ling and your Isbels o' the court: the brains of
15
my Cupid's knocked out, and I begin to love, as an old
man loves money, with no stomach.
Count. What have we here?
Clo. E'en that you have there. [Exit.
Count. [reads] have sent you a daughter-in-law: she hath
20
recovered the king, and undone me. I have wedded her, not bedded
her; and sworn to make the 'not' eternal. You shall hear I am
run away: know it before the report come. If there be breadth
enough in the world, I will hold a long distance. My duty to you.
Your unfortunate son,
25
Bertram.
This is not well, rash and unbridled boy,
To fly the favours of so good a king;
To pluck his indignation on thy head
By the misprising of a maid too virtuous
30
For the contempt of empire.
Re-enter Clown.
Clo. O madam, yonder is heavy news within between
two soldiers and my young lady!
Count. What is the matter?
Clo. Nay, there is some comfort in the news, some
35
comfort; your son will not be killed so soon as I thought
he would.
Count. Why should he be killed?
Clo. So say I, madam, if he run away, as I hear he does:
the danger is in standing to't; that's the loss of men, though
40
it be the getting of children. Here they come will tell you
more: for my part, I only hear your son was run away. [Exit.
Enter Helena and two Gentlemen.
First Gent. Save you, good madam.
Hel. Madam, my lord is gone, for ever gone.
Sec. Gent. Do not say so.
45
Count. Think upon patience. Pray you, gentlemen,
I have felt so many quirks of joy and grief,
That the first face of neither, on the start,
Can woman me unto't: where is my son, I pray you?
Sec. Gent. Madam, he's gone to serve the duke of Florence:
50
We met him thitherward; for thence we came,
And, after some dispatch in hand at court,
Thither we bend again.
Hel. Look on his letter, madam; here's my passport.
[reads] When thou canst get the ring upon my finger which never
55
shall come off, and show me a child begotten of thy body that
I am father to, then call me husband: but in such a 'then' I write a
'never.'
This is a dreadful sentence.
Count. Brought you this letter, gentlemen?
First Gent. Ay, madam;
60
And for the contents' sake are sorry for our pains.
Count. I prithee, lady, have a better cheer;
If thou engrossest all the griefs are thine,
Thou robb'st me of a moiety: he was my son;
But I do wash his name out of my blood,
65
And thou art all my child. Towards Florence is he?
Sec. Gent. Ay, madam.
Count. And to be a soldier?
Sec. Gent. Such is his noble purpose; and, believe 't,
The Duke will lay upon him all the honour
That good convenience claims.
Count. Return you thither?
70
First Gent. Ay, madam, with the swiftest wing of speed.
Hel. [reads] Till I have no wife, I have nothing in France.
'Tis bitter.
Count. Find you that there?
Hel. Ay, madam.
First Gent. 'Tis but the boldness of his hand, haply,
75
which his heart was not consenting to.
Count. Nothing in France, until he have no wife!
There's nothing here that is too good for him
But only she; and she deserves a lord
That twenty such rude boys might tend upon
80
And call her hourly mistress. Who was with him?
First Gent. A servant only, and a gentleman
Which I have sometime known.
Count. Parolles, was it not?
First Gent. Ay, my good lady, he.
Count. A very tainted fellow, and full of wickedness.
85
My son corrupts a well-derived nature
With his inducement.
First Gent. Indeed, good lady,
The fellow has a deal of that too much,
Which holds him much to have.
Count. Y' are welcome, gentlemen.
90
I will entreat you, when you see my son,
To tell him that his sword can never win
The honour that he loses: more I'll entreat you
Written to bear along.
Sec. Gent. We serve you, madam,
In that and all your worthiest affairs.
95
Count. Not so, but as we change our courtesies.
Will you draw near? [Exeunt Countess and Gentlemen.
Hel. 'Till I have no wife, I have nothing in France.'
Nothing in France, until he has no wife!
Thou shalt have none, Rousillon, none in France;
100
Then hast thou all again. Poor lord! is 't I
That chase thee from thy country and expose
Those tender limbs of thine to the event
Of the none-sparing war? and is it I
That drive thee from the sportive court, where thou
105
Wast shot at with fair eyes, to be the mark
Of smoky muskets? O you leaden messengers,
That ride upon the violent speed of fire,
Fly with false aim; move the still-peering air,
That sings with piercing; do not touch my lord.
110
Whoever shoots at him, I set him there;
Whoever charges on his forward breast,
I am the caitiff that do hold him to 't;
And, though I kill him not, I am the cause
His death was so effected: better 'twere
115
I met the ravin lion when he roar'd
With sharp constraint of hunger; better 'twere
That all the miseries which nature owes
Were mine at once. No, come thou home, Rousillon,
Whence honour but of danger wins a scar,
120
As oft it loses all: I will be gone;
My being here it is that holds thee hence:
Shall I stay here to do't? no, no, although
The air of paradise did fan the house,
And angels officed all: I will be gone,
125
That pitiful rumour may report my flight,
To consolate thine ear. Come, night; end, day!
For with the dark, poor thief, I'll steal away. [Exit.

LINENOTES:

[7] the ruff] his ruff Rowe. the ruffle Whalley conj.

[8] know] knew Rowe.

[9] sold] F3 F4. hold F1 F2.

sold ... manor for] holds ... manner for Harness conj. hold ... manor by Collier conj.

[11] [Reads the letter. Theobald.]

[13] ling] F2 F3 F4. lings F1.

[14] old ling] youngling S. Walker conj.

brains] brain Pope.

[18] E'en] Theobald. In Ff.

[19] Count. [reads] A letter. Ff.

[30] contempt] F1 F2 F3. content F4.

[41] hear] heard Hanmer.

[42] Scene III. Pope.

First Gent.] 1 Gen. Rowe. French E. Ff. See note (vi).

[44] Sec. Gent.] 2 Gen. Rowe. French G. F1 F3 F4. Fren. G. F2. See note (vi).

[45] patience. Pray you,] patience, pray you F1 F2. patience; pray you F3. patience: pray you F4. patience, 'pray you: Hanmer.

[46] I have] I've Pope.

[48] I pray you] om. Theobald.

[50] for] from Rowe.

[53] his] this Rowe.

[54] [reads.] Capell.

[54, 55] upon my ... off] from my ... off Hanmer. upon thy ... off mine Johnson conj. (withdrawn).

[59] First Gent.] 1 G. F1 F2 F3. 1 Gen. F4.

[59, 60] Ay, madam ... pains] Arranged as in Capell; printed as prose in Ff.

[62] are] as Rowe.

[71] [reads] Reading. Rowe.

[72] bitter] F1. better F2 F3 F4.

[73] Ay] Yes Rowe.

[74] haply] F1. happily F2 F3 F4.

[81, 82] A servant ... known] Printed as prose in Ff; as verse first in Pope.

[82] sometime] F1 F2. sometimes F3. sometimes F4. sometime Pope (ed. 2).

was it] Ff. was't Pope.

[84-86] A very ... inducement] Printed as prose by Hanmer.

[84] very] om. S. Walker conj.

and] om. Pope.

[86] Indeed] Why, indeed Capell.

[86-94] Indeed ... affairs] Printed as prose in Ff; as verse first in Capell.

[87] that too] Rowe. that, too Ff.

[88] holds him much to have] soils him much to have Theobald conj. 'hoves him not much to have Hanmer. 'hoves him much to leave Collier (Collier MS.), fouls him much to have Singer conj.

[95] courtesies] Rowe (ed. 2). courtesies, Ff.

[96] [Exeunt C. and G.] Rowe. [Exit. Ff.

[97] Scene iv. Pope.

[107] violent] volant Collier (Collier MS.).

[108] move the still peering] F1. move the still-piercing F2 F3 F4 (still piercing F4). pierce the still-moving Hanmer (Warburton). move the still-piecing Steevens (Anon. conj.). rove the still-piecing Tyrwhitt conj. move the still-pierced Nares conj. mow the still-pacing Jackson conj. wound the still-piecing Collier (Collier MS.). move the still 'pearing Grant White conj. (withdrawn), move the still-closing Bailey conj.

[109] sings] F1. stings F2 F3 F4.

[112] to't] to it Theobald.

[115] ravin] Capell. ravine F1 F2 F3. raving F4. rav'ning Rowe (ed. 2).

[124] angels] angles F1.

[126] consolate] consolats F2.

Scene III. Florence. Before the Duke's palace.

Flourish. Enter the Duke of Florence, Bertram, Parolles, Soldiers, Drum, and Trumpets.
Duke. The general of our horse thou art; and we,
Great in our hope, lay our best love and credence
Upon thy promising fortune.
Ber. Sir, it is
A charge too heavy for my strength; but yet
5
We'll strive to bear it for your worthy sake
To the extreme edge of hazard.
Duke. Then go thou forth;
And fortune play upon thy prosperous helm,
As thy auspicious mistress!
Ber. This very day,
Great Mars, I put myself into thy file:
10
Make me but like my thoughts, and I shall prove
A lover of thy drum, hater of love. [Exit.