SCENE II. Paris. The KING's palace. All's Well That Ends Well  Shakespeare homepage  |  All's Well That Ends Well  | Act 1, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE II. Paris. The KING's palace. 

 Flourish of cornets. Enter the KING of France, with letters, and divers Attendants  KING  The Florentines and Senoys are by the ears; 

 Have fought with equal fortune and continue 

 A braving war. 

 First Lord  So 'tis reported, sir. 

 KING  Nay, 'tis most credible; we here received it 

 A certainty, vouch'd from our cousin Austria, 

 With caution that the Florentine will move us 

 For speedy aid; wherein our dearest friend 

 Prejudicates the business and would seem 

 To have us make denial. 

 First Lord  His love and wisdom, 

 Approved so to your majesty, may plead 

 For amplest credence. 

 KING  He hath arm'd our answer, 

 And Florence is denied before he comes: 

 Yet, for our gentlemen that mean to see 

 The Tuscan service, freely have they leave 

 To stand on either part. 

 Second Lord  It well may serve 

 A nursery to our gentry, who are sick 

 For breathing and exploit. 

 KING  What's he comes here? 



 Enter BERTRAM, LAFEU, and PAROLLES  First Lord  It is the Count Rousillon, my good lord, 

 Young Bertram. 

 KING  Youth, thou bear'st thy father's face; 

 Frank nature, rather curious than in haste, 

 Hath well composed thee. Thy father's moral parts 

 Mayst thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris. 

 BERTRAM  My thanks and duty are your majesty's. 

 KING  I would I had that corporal soundness now, 

 As when thy father and myself in friendship 

 First tried our soldiership! He did look far 

 Into the service of the time and was 

 Discipled of the bravest: he lasted long; 

 But on us both did haggish age steal on 

 And wore us out of act. It much repairs me 

 To talk of your good father. In his youth 

 He had the wit which I can well observe 

 To-day in our young lords; but they may jest 

 Till their own scorn return to them unnoted 

 Ere they can hide their levity in honour; 

 So like a courtier, contempt nor bitterness 

 Were in his pride or sharpness; if they were, 

 His equal had awaked them, and his honour, 

 Clock to itself, knew the true minute when 

 Exception bid him speak, and at this time 

 His tongue obey'd his hand: who were below him 

 He used as creatures of another place 

 And bow'd his eminent top to their low ranks, 

 Making them proud of his humility, 

 In their poor praise he humbled. Such a man 

 Might be a copy to these younger times; 

 Which, follow'd well, would demonstrate them now 

 But goers backward. 

 BERTRAM  His good remembrance, sir, 

 Lies richer in your thoughts than on his tomb; 

 So in approof lives not his epitaph 

 As in your royal speech. 

 KING  Would I were with him! He would always say-- 

 Methinks I hear him now; his plausive words 

 He scatter'd not in ears, but grafted them, 

 To grow there and to bear,--'Let me not live,'-- 

 This his good melancholy oft began, 

 On the catastrophe and heel of pastime, 

 When it was out,--'Let me not live,' quoth he, 

 'After my flame lacks oil, to be the snuff 

 Of younger spirits, whose apprehensive senses 

 All but new things disdain; whose judgments are 

 Mere fathers of their garments; whose constancies 

 Expire before their fashions.' This he wish'd; 

 I after him do after him wish too, 

 Since I nor wax nor honey can bring home, 

 I quickly were dissolved from my hive, 

 To give some labourers room. 

 Second Lord  You are loved, sir: 

 They that least lend it you shall lack you first. 

 KING  I fill a place, I know't. How long is't, count, 

 Since the physician at your father's died? 

 He was much famed. 

 BERTRAM  Some six months since, my lord. 

 KING  If he were living, I would try him yet. 

 Lend me an arm; the rest have worn me out 

 With several applications; nature and sickness 

 Debate it at their leisure. Welcome, count; 

 My son's no dearer. 

 BERTRAM  Thank your majesty. 



 Exeunt. Flourish  Shakespeare homepage  |  All's Well That Ends Well  | Act 1, Scene 2 

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