But do not so.

From lowest place whence virtuous things proceed128,

The place is dignified by th’doer’s deed.

Where great additions swell’s, and virtue none130,

It is a dropsied131 honour. Good alone

Is good without a name. Vileness is so:

The property by what it is should go133,

Not by the title. She is young, wise, fair.

In these to nature she’s immediate heir135,

And these breed honour. That is honour’s scorn136,

Which challenges itself as honour’s born

And is not like the sire. Honours thrive,

When rather from our acts we them derive

Than our foregoers.140 The mere word’s a slave,

Deboshed141 on every tomb, on every grave

A lying trophy142, and as oft is dumb,

Where dust and damned oblivion is the tomb

Of honoured bones indeed.144 What should be said?

If thou canst like this creature as a maid,

I can create the rest: virtue and she

Is her own dower147, honour and wealth from me.

BERTRAM    I cannot love her, nor will strive148 to do’t.

KING    Thou wrong’st thyself if thou shouldst strive to choose.149

HELEN    That you are well restored150, my lord, I’m glad.

Let the rest go.

KING    My honour’s at the stake, which152 to defeat,

I must produce my power. Here, take her hand,

Proud scornful boy, unworthy this154 good gift,

That dost in vile misprision155 shackle up

My love and her desert. That156 canst not dream,

We, poising us in her defective157 scale,

Shall weigh thee to the beam.158 That wilt not know,

It is in us159 to plant thine honour where

We please to have it grow. Check160 thy contempt:

Obey our will, which travails in161 thy good.

Believe not thy disdain, but presently162

Do thine own fortunes that obedient right

Which both thy duty owes and our power claims,

Or I will throw thee from my care forever

Into the staggers and the careless lapse166

Of youth and ignorance, both my revenge and hate

Loosing168 upon thee, in the name of justice,

Without all terms169 of pity. Speak. Thine answer.

BERTRAM    Pardon, my gracious lord, for I submit

My fancy171 to your eyes. When I consider

What great creation and what dole172 of honour

Flies where you bid it, I find that she, which late173

Was in my nobler thoughts most base, is now

The praisèd of the king, who175, so ennobled,

Is as ’twere born so.

KING    Take her by the hand,

And tell her she is thine, to whom I promise

A counterpoise, if not179 to thy estate,

A balance more replete.180

BERTRAM    I take her hand.

KING    Good fortune and the favour of the king

Smile upon this contract, whose ceremony183

Shall seem expedient on the now-born brief,

And be performed tonight. The solemn feast

Shall more attend upon the coming space186,

Expecting absent friends. As187 thou lov’st her,

Thy love’s to me religious, else, does err.188

Exeunt. Parolles and Lafew stay behind commenting of this wedding

LAFEW    Do you hear, monsieur? A word with you.

PAROLLES    Your pleasure, sir.

LAFEW    Your lord and master did well to make his

recantation.

PAROLLES    Recantation? My lord? My master?

LAFEW    Ay. Is it not a language I speak?

PAROLLES    A most harsh one, and not to be understood

without bloody succeeding.196 My master?

LAFEW    Are you companion197 to the Count Rossillion?

PAROLLES    To any count, to all counts, to what is man.198

LAFEW    To what is count’s man. Count’s master is of

another style.

PAROLLES    You are too old, sir. Let it satisfy201 you, you are too old.

LAFEW    I must tell thee, sirrah, I write202 man, to which title

age cannot bring thee.

PAROLLES    What I dare too well do, I dare not do.204

LAFEW    I did think thee, for two ordinaries205, to be a pretty

wise fellow. Thou didst make tolerable vent206 of thy travel, it

might pass. Yet the scarfs and the bannerets207 about thee did

manifoldly dissuade me from believing thee a vessel208 of too

great a burden. I have now found thee.209 When I lose thee

again, I care not. Yet art thou good for nothing but taking up210,

and that thou’rt scarce worth.

PAROLLES    Hadst thou not the privilege of antiquity212 upon

thee—

LAFEW    Do not plunge thyself too far in anger, lest thou

hasten thy trial, which if— lord have mercy on thee for a hen!215

So, my good window of lattice, fare thee well. Thy casement216 I

need not open, for I look through thee. Give me thy hand.

PAROLLES    My lord, you give me most egregious218 indignity.

LAFEW    Ay, with all my heart, and thou art worthy of it.

PAROLLES    I have not, my lord, deserved it.

LAFEW    Yes, good faith, every dram of it, and I will not bate221

thee a scruple.222

PAROLLES    Well, I shall be wiser.223

LAFEW    Even as soon as thou canst, for thou hast to pull at a224

smack o’th’contrary. If ever thou be’st bound in thy scarf

and beaten, thou shall find what it is to be proud of thy

bondage. I have a desire to hold227 my acquaintance with thee,

or rather my knowledge, that I may say in the default228, he is a

man I know.229

PAROLLES    My lord, you do me most insupportable vexation.

LAFEW    I would it were hell-pains for thy sake, and my poor231

doing eternal. For doing I am past, as I will by thee, in what232

motion age will give me leave.

Exit

PAROLLES    Well, thou hast a son shall take this disgrace off me234;

scurvy235, old, filthy, scurvy lord! Well, I must be patient. There

is no fettering236 of authority. I’ll beat him, by my life, if I can

meet him with any convenience, an237 he were double and

double a lord. I’ll have no more pity of his age than I would

have of— I’ll beat him, an if I could but meet him again.

Enter Lafew

LAFEW    Sirrah, your lord and master’s married. There’s

news for you: you have a new mistress.

PAROLLES    I most unfeignedly beseech your lordship to make

some reservation of your wrongs. He is my good lord. Whom243

I serve above is my master.

LAFEW    Who? God?

PAROLLES    Ay, sir.

LAFEW    The devil it is that’s thy master. Why dost thou

garter up thy arms o’ this fashion? Dost make hose248 of thy

sleeves? Do other servants so? Thou wert best set thy lower249

part where thy nose stands. By mine honour, if I were but

two hours younger, I’d beat thee.