All's Well 5.3 King

Helena is dead (so we think), Surprise surprise Diana pulls up,

Enter KING, COUNTESS, LAFEW, the two French Lords, with Attendants

KING

We lost a jewel of her; but your son,
As mad in folly, lack'd the sense to know
Her estimation home.

COUNTESS

                          'Tis past, my liege;
And I beseech your majesty to make it
Natural rebellion, done i' the blaze of youth.

KING

My honour'd lady,
I have forgiven and forgotten all;
Well, call him hither;

Gentleman

I shall, my liege.

Exit

KING

What says he to your daughter? have you spoke?

LAFEW

All that he is hath reference to your highness.

KING

Then shall we have a match. I have letters sent me
That set him high in fame.

Enter BERTRAM

LAFEW

He looks well on't.

KING

So to the brightest beams
Distracted clouds give way; so stand thou forth;
The time is fair again.

BERTRAM
Dear sovereign, pardon to me.

KING

                                     All is whole;
Not one word more of the consumed time.
You remember the daughter of this lord?

BERTRAM

Admiringly, my liege, at first
I stuck my choice upon her; thence it came
That she whom all men praised and whom myself,
Since I have lost, have loved, was in mine eye
The dust that did offend it.

KING

                                 Well excused:
That thou didst love her, strikes some scores away
From the great compt: Our rash faults
And our displeasures, to ourselves unjust,
Destroy our friends and after weep their dust;
Be this sweet Helen's knell, and now forget her.
Send forth your amorous token for fair Maudlin:
The main consents are had; and here we'll stay
To see our widower's second marriage-day.

COUNTESS

Which better than the first, O dear heaven, bless!

LAFEW

Come on, my son, give a favour from you
To sparkle in the spirits of my daughter.

BERTRAM gives a ring

Helen, that's dead,
Was a sweet creature: such a ring as this,
I saw upon her finger.

BERTRAM

Hers it was not.

KING

Now, pray you, let me see it; 

This ring was mine; and, when I gave it Helen,
I bade her, if her fortunes ever stood
Necessitied to help, that by this token
I would relieve her. Had you that craft, to reave her
Of what should stead her most?

. . .

BERTRAM

You are deceived, my lord; she never saw it:
In Florence was it from a casement thrown me,
Wrapp'd in a paper, which contain'd the name
Of her that threw it - When I inform'd her fully
I could not answer in that course of honour
As she had made the overture, she ceased
In heavy satisfaction and would never
Receive the ring again.

KING

                           'Twas mine, 'twas Helen's,
Confess 'twas hers, and by what rough enforcement
You got it from her: she call'd the saints to surety
That she would never put it from her finger,
Unless she gave it to yourself in bed.

BERTRAM

She never saw it.

KING
If it should prove
That thou art so inhuman,--'twill not prove so;--
And yet I know not: thou didst hate her deadly,
And she is dead; which nothing, could win me to believe,
More than to see this ring. Away with him!

Guards seize BERTRAM

. . .

Gentleman
Gracious sovereign,

Here's a petition from a Florentine,
Who hath for four or five removes come short
To tender it herself. it (does) concern
Your highness with herself.

KING

[Reads] Upon his many protestations to marry me when his wife was dead, I blush to say it, he won me. Now is the Count Rousillon a widower: his vows are forfeited to me, and my honour's paid to him. He stole from Florence, taking no leave, and I follow him to his country for justice: grant it me, O king! in you it best lies; otherwise a seducer flourishes, and a poor maid is undone.
DIANA CAPILET.

LAFEW

I will buy me a son-in-law in a fair: I'll none of him.

KING
Go speedily and bring again the count.
I am afeard the life of Helen, lady,
Was foully snatch'd.

COUNTESS

Now, justice on the doers!

Re-enter BERTRAM, guarded

KING

I wonder, sir, sith wives are monsters to you,
And that you fly them as you swear them lordship,
Yet you desire to marry.

Enter Widow and DIANA

What woman's that?

DIANA
I am, my lord, a wretched Florentine,

Derived from the ancient Capilet:
My suit, as I do understand, you know,
And therefore know how far I may be pitied.

KING

Come hither, count; do you know this woman?

. . .

DIANA

Good my lord,
Ask him upon his oath, if he does think
He had not my virginity.

KING

What say'st thou to her?

. . .

COUNTESS
Of six preceding ancestors, that gem,
Hath it been owed and worn. This is his wife;
That ring's a thousand proofs.

KING

                                     Methought you said
You saw one here in court could witness it.

DIANA

I did, my lord, but loath am to produce
So bad an instrument: his name's Parolles.

KING

Find him, and bring him hither.

Exit an Attendant

BERTRAM

                                      What of him?
He's quoted for a most perfidious slave,
Whose nature sickens but to speak a truth.

KING

She hath that ring of yours.

. . .

BERTRAM

I have it not.

KING

What ring was yours, I pray you.

DIANA

                                 Sir, much like
The same upon your finger.

KING

Know you this ring? this ring was his of late.

DIANA

And this was it I gave him, being abed.

Enter PAROLLES

BERTRAM

My lord, I do confess the ring was hers.

KING
Is this the man you speak of?

DIANA

Ay, my lord.

KING

Tell me, sirrah, but tell me true, I charge you,
By him and by this woman here what know you?

PAROLLES

So please your majesty, my master hath been an honourable gentleman: tricks he hath had in him, which gentlemen have.

KING

Come, come, to the purpose: did he love this woman?

PAROLLES

He did love her, sir, as a gentleman loves a woman.

KING

How is that?

PAROLLES

He loved her, sir, and loved her not.

DIANA

Do you know he promised me marriage?

PAROLLES

Faith, I know more than I'll speak.

KING

But wilt thou not speak all thou knowest?

PAROLLES

Yes, so please your majesty. I did go between them, as I said; but more than that, he loved her: for indeed he was mad for her: yet I was in that credit with them at that time that I knew of their going to bed, and of other motions, as promising her marriage, and things which would derive me ill will to speak of; therefore I will not speak what I know.

KING
This ring, you say, was yours?

DIANA

Ay, my good lord.

KING

Where did you buy it? or who gave it you?

DIANA

It was not given me, nor I did not buy it.

KING

Who lent it you?

DIANA

It was not lent me neither.

KING

Where did you find it, then?

DIANA

I found it not.

KING

If it were yours by none of all these ways,
How could you give it him?

DIANA

I never gave it him.

KING

This ring was mine; I gave it his first wife.

DIANA

It might be yours or hers, for aught I know.

KING
Unless thou tell'st me where thou hadst this ring,
Thou diest within this hour.

DIANA

I'll never tell you.

KING

Take her away.

DIANA

I'll put in bail, my liege.

KING

Wherefore hast thou accused him all this while?

DIANA

Because he's guilty, and he is not guilty:
Great king, I am no strumpet, by my life;

The jeweller that owes the ring is sent for,
And he shall surety me. But for this lord,
Who hath abused me, as he knows himself,
Though yet he never harm'd me, here I quit him:
He knows himself my bed he hath defiled;
And at that time he got his wife with child:
Dead though she be, she feels her young one kick:
So there's my riddle: one that's dead is quick:
And now behold the meaning.

Enter HELENA

KING

                                    Is there no exorcist
Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes?
Is't real that I see?

HELENA

If it appear not plain and prove untrue,
Deadly divorce step between me and you!

KING

Let us from point to point this story know,
To make the even truth in pleasure flow.

(To DIANA) If thou be'st yet a fresh uncropped flower,
Choose thou thy husband, and I'll pay thy dower;
For I can guess that by thy honest aid
Thou keep'st a wife herself, thyself a maid.

All yet seems well; and if it end so meet,
The bitter past, more welcome is the sweet.

EPILOGUE

KING

The king's a beggar, now the play is done:
All is well ended, if this suit be won,
That you express content; which we will pay,
With strife to please you, day exceeding day:
Ours be your patience then, and yours our parts;
Your gentle hands lend us, and take our hearts.

Exeunt