Enter ⌜Fool, Countess,⌝ and Lafew.LAFEW No, no, no, your son was misled with a snipped-taffeta fellow there, whose villainous saffron would have made all the unbaked and doughy youth of a nation in his color. Your daughter-in-law5 had been alive at this hour, and your son here at home, more advanced by the King than by that red-tailed humble-bee I speak of.COUNTESS I would I had not known him. It was the death of the most virtuous gentlewoman that ever10 nature had praise for creating. If she had partaken of my flesh and cost me the dearest groans of a mother, I could not have owed her a more rooted love.LAFEW ’Twas a good lady, ’twas a good lady. We may15 pick a thousand salads ere we light on such another herb.FOOL Indeed, sir, she was the sweet marjoram of the salad, or rather the herb of grace.LAFEW They are not herbs, you knave. They are20 nose-herbs.FOOL I am no great Nebuchadnezzar, sir. I have not much skill in ⌜grass.⌝LAFEW Whether dost thou profess thyself, a knave or a fool?
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FOOL 25A fool, sir, at a woman’s service, and a knave at a man’s.LAFEW Your distinction?FOOL I would cozen the man of his wife and do his service.LAFEW 30So you were a knave at his service indeed.FOOL And I would give his wife my bauble, sir, to do her service.LAFEW I will subscribe for thee, thou art both knave and fool.FOOL 35At your service.LAFEW No, no, no.FOOL Why, sir, if I cannot serve you, I can serve as great a prince as you are.LAFEW Who’s that, a Frenchman?FOOL 40Faith, sir, he has an English ⌜name,⌝ but his phys’nomy is more hotter in France than there.LAFEW What prince is that?FOOL The black prince, sir, alias the prince of darkness, alias the devil.LAFEW, ⌜giving him money⌝ 45Hold thee, there’s my purse. I give thee not this to suggest thee from thy master thou talk’st of. Serve him still.FOOL I am a woodland fellow, sir, that always loved a great fire, and the master I speak of ever keeps a50 good fire. But sure he is the prince of the world; let his Nobility remain in ’s court. I am for the house with the narrow gate, which I take to be too little for pomp to enter. Some that humble themselves may, but the many will be too chill and tender, and55 they’ll be for the flow’ry way that leads to the broad gate and the great fire.LAFEW Go thy ways. I begin to be aweary of thee. And I tell thee so before because I would not fall out with thee. Go thy ways. Let my horses be well60 looked to, without any tricks.
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FOOL If I put any tricks upon ’em, sir, they shall be jades’ tricks, which are their own right by the law of nature.He exits.LAFEW A shrewd knave and an unhappy.COUNTESS 65So he is. My lord that’s gone made himself much sport out of him. By his authority he remains here, which he thinks is a patent for his sauciness, and indeed he has no pace, but runs where he will.LAFEW 70I like him well. ’Tis not amiss. And I was about to tell you, since I heard of the good lady’s death and that my lord your son was upon his return home, I moved the King my master to speak in the behalf of my daughter, which in the minority of75 them both his Majesty out of a self-gracious remembrance did first propose. His Highness hath promised me to do it, and to stop up the displeasure he hath conceived against your son there is no fitter matter. How does your Ladyship like it?COUNTESS 80With very much content, my lord, and I wish it happily effected.LAFEW His Highness comes post from Marseilles, of as able body as when he numbered thirty. He will be here tomorrow, or I am deceived by him that in85 such intelligence hath seldom failed.COUNTESS It rejoices me that, I hope, I shall see him ere I die. I have letters that my son will be here tonight. I shall beseech your Lordship to remain with me till they meet together.LAFEW 90Madam, I was thinking with what manners I might safely be admitted.COUNTESS You need but plead your honorable privilege.LAFEW Lady, of that I have made a bold charter. But I95 thank my God it holds yet.
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Enter ⌜Fool.⌝FOOL O madam, yonder’s my lord your son with a patch of velvet on ’s face. Whether there be a scar under ’t or no, the velvet knows, but ’tis a goodly patch of velvet. His left cheek is a cheek of two pile100 and a half, but his right cheek is worn bare.LAFEW A scar nobly got, or a noble scar, is a good liv’ry of honor. So belike is that.FOOL But it is your carbonadoed face.LAFEW Let us go see your son, I pray you. I long to talk105 with the young noble soldier.FOOL ’Faith, there’s a dozen of ’em, with delicate fine hats, and most courteous feathers which bow the head and nod at every man.They exit.