ACT II. SCENE 4.
Paris. The KING'S palace
Enter HELENA and CLOWN
| HELENA. | My mother greets me kindly; is she well?
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| CLOWN. | She is not well, but yet she has her health; she's very
merry, but yet she is not well. But thanks be given, she's very
well, and wants nothing i' th' world; but yet she is not well.
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| HELENA. | If she be very well, what does she ail that she's not very
well?
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| CLOWN. | Truly, she's very well indeed, but for two things.
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| HELENA. | What two things?
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| CLOWN. | One, that she's not in heaven, whither God send her quickly!
The other, that she's in earth, from whence God send her quickly!
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Enter PAROLLES
| PAROLLES. | Bless you, my fortunate lady!
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| HELENA. | write_ads(1,1)> I hope, sir, I have your good will to have mine own good
fortunes.
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| PAROLLES. | You had my prayers to lead them on; and to keep them on,
have them still. O, my knave, how does my old lady?
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| CLOWN. | So that you had her wrinkles and I her money, I would she
did as you say.
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| PAROLLES. | Why, I say nothing.
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| CLOWN. | Marry, you are the wiser man; for many a man's tongue shakes
out his master's undoing. To say nothing, to do nothing, to know
nothing, and to have nothing, is to be a great part of your
title, which is within a very little of nothing.
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| PAROLLES. | Away! th'art a knave.
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| CLOWN. | You should have said, sir, 'Before a knave th'art a knave';
that's 'Before me th'art a knave.' This had been truth, sir.
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| PAROLLES. | Go to, thou art a witty fool; I have found thee.
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| CLOWN. | Did you find me in yourself, sir, or were you taught to find
me? The search, sir, was profitable; and much fool may you find
in you, even to the world's pleasure and the increase of
laughter.
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| PAROLLES. | A good knave, i' faith, and well fed.
Madam, my lord will go away to-night:
A very serious business calls on him.
The great prerogative and rite of love,
Which, as your due, time claims, he does acknowledge;
But puts it off to a compell'd restraint;
Whose want, and whose delay, is strew'd with sweets,
Which they distil now in the curbed time,
To make the coming hour o'erflow with joy
And pleasure drown the brim.
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| HELENA. | What's his else?
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| PAROLLES. | That you will take your instant leave o' th' King,
And make this haste as your own good proceeding,
Strength'ned with what apology you think
May make it probable need.
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| HELENA. | What more commands he?
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| PAROLLES. | That, having this obtain'd, you presently
Attend his further pleasure.
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| HELENA. | In everything I wait upon his will.
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| PAROLLES. | I shall report it so.
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| HELENA. | I pray you
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Exit PAROLLES
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Come, sirrah
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Exeunt
Next
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