SCENE II. Rousillon. Before the COUNT's palace. All's Well That Ends Well  Shakespeare homepage  |  All's Well That Ends Well  | Act 5, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE II. Rousillon. Before the COUNT's palace. 

 Enter Clown, and PAROLLES, following  PAROLLES  Good Monsieur Lavache, give my Lord Lafeu this 

 letter: I have ere now, sir, been better known to 

 you, when I have held familiarity with fresher 

 clothes; but I am now, sir, muddied in fortune's 

 mood, and smell somewhat strong of her strong 

 displeasure. 

 Clown  Truly, fortune's displeasure is but sluttish, if it 

 smell so strongly as thou speakest of: I will 

 henceforth eat no fish of fortune's buttering. 

 Prithee, allow the wind. 

 PAROLLES  Nay, you need not to stop your nose, sir; I spake 

 but by a metaphor. 

 Clown  Indeed, sir, if your metaphor stink, I will stop my 

 nose; or against any man's metaphor. Prithee, get 

 thee further. 

 PAROLLES  Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper. 

 Clown  Foh! prithee, stand away: a paper from fortune's 

 close-stool to give to a nobleman! Look, here he 

 comes himself. 



 Enter LAFEU  Here is a purr of fortune's, sir, or of fortune's 

 cat,--but not a musk-cat,--that has fallen into the 

 unclean fishpond of her displeasure, and, as he 

 says, is muddied withal: pray you, sir, use the 

 carp as you may; for he looks like a poor, decayed, 

 ingenious, foolish, rascally knave. I do pity his 

 distress in my similes of comfort and leave him to 

 your lordship. 



 Exit  PAROLLES  My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly 

 scratched. 

 LAFEU  And what would you have me to do? 'Tis too late to 

 pare her nails now. Wherein have you played the 

 knave with fortune, that she should scratch you, who 

 of herself is a good lady and would not have knaves 

 thrive long under her? There's a quart d'ecu for 

 you: let the justices make you and fortune friends: 

 I am for other business. 

 PAROLLES  I beseech your honour to hear me one single word. 

 LAFEU  You beg a single penny more: come, you shall ha't; 

 save your word. 

 PAROLLES  My name, my good lord, is Parolles. 

 LAFEU  You beg more than 'word,' then. Cox my passion! 

 give me your hand. How does your drum? 

 PAROLLES  O my good lord, you were the first that found me! 

 LAFEU  Was I, in sooth? and I was the first that lost thee. 

 PAROLLES  It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace, 

 for you did bring me out. 

 LAFEU  Out upon thee, knave! dost thou put upon me at once 

 both the office of God and the devil? One brings 

 thee in grace and the other brings thee out. 



 Trumpets sound  The king's coming; I know by his trumpets. Sirrah, 

 inquire further after me; I had talk of you last 

 night: though you are a fool and a knave, you shall 

 eat; go to, follow. 

 PAROLLES  I praise God for you. 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  All's Well That Ends Well  | Act 5, Scene 2 

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