All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare
Act 1 - Scene 2
Paris. The KING’s palace.
King of France : The Florentines and Senoys are by the ears;
[p]Have fought with equal
fortune and continue
[p]A braving war.
First Lord : So 'tis reported, sir.
King of France : Nay, 'tis most credible; we here received it
[p]A certainty, vouch'd
from our cousin Austria,
[p]With caution that the Florentine will move
us
[p]For speedy aid; wherein our dearest friend
[p]Prejudicates the
business and would seem
[p]To have us make denial.
First Lord : His love and wisdom,
[p]Approved so to your majesty, may plead
[p]For
amplest credence.
King of France : He hath arm'd our answer,
[p]And Florence is denied before he
comes:
[p]Yet, for our gentlemen that mean to see
[p]The Tuscan
service, freely have they leave
[p]To stand on either part.
Second Lord : It well may serve
[p]A nursery to our gentry, who are sick
[p]For
breathing and exploit.
King of France : What's he comes here?
First Lord : It is the Count Rousillon, my good lord,
[p]Young Bertram.
King of France : Youth, thou bear'st thy father's face;
[p]Frank nature, rather curious
than in haste,
[p]Hath well composed thee. Thy father's moral
parts
[p]Mayst thou inherit too! Welcome to Paris.
Bertram : My thanks and duty are your majesty's.
King of France : I would I had that corporal soundness now,
[p]As when thy father and
myself in friendship
[p]First tried our soldiership! He did look
far
[p]Into the service of the time and was
[p]Discipled of the
bravest: he lasted long;
[p]But on us both did haggish age steal
on
[p]And wore us out of act. It much repairs me
[p]To talk of your
good father. In his youth
[p]He had the wit which I can well
observe
[p]To-day in our young lords; but they may jest
[p]Till their
own scorn return to them unnoted
[p]Ere they can hide their levity in
honour;
[p]So like a courtier, contempt nor bitterness
[p]Were in his
pride or sharpness; if they were,
[p]His equal had awaked them, and
his honour,
[p]Clock to itself, knew the true minute when
[p]Exception
bid him speak, and at this time
[p]His tongue obey'd his hand: who
were below him
[p]He used as creatures of another place
[p]And bow'd
his eminent top to their low ranks,
[p]Making them proud of his
humility,
[p]In their poor praise he humbled. Such a man
[p]Might be a
copy to these younger times;
[p]Which, follow'd well, would
demonstrate them now
[p]But goers backward.
Bertram : His good remembrance, sir,
[p]Lies richer in your thoughts than on his
tomb;
[p]So in approof lives not his epitaph
[p]As in your royal
speech.
King of France : Would I were with him! He would always say--
[p]Methinks I hear him
now; his plausive words
[p]He scatter'd not in ears, but grafted
them,
[p]To grow there and to bear,--'Let me not live,'--
[p]This his
good melancholy oft began,
[p]On the catastrophe and heel of
pastime,
[p]When it was out,--'Let me not live,' quoth he,
[p]'After
my flame lacks oil, to be the snuff
[p]Of younger spirits, whose
apprehensive senses
[p]All but new things disdain; whose judgments
are
[p]Mere fathers of their garments; whose constancies
[p]Expire
before their fashions.' This he wish'd;
[p]I after him do after him
wish too,
[p]Since I nor wax nor honey can bring home,
[p]I quickly
were dissolved from my hive,
[p]To give some labourers room.
Second Lord : You are loved, sir:
[p]They that least lend it you shall lack you
first.
King of France : I fill a place, I know't. How long is't, count,
[p]Since the physician
at your father's died?
[p]He was much famed.
Bertram : Some six months since, my lord.
King of France : If he were living, I would try him yet.
[p]Lend me an arm; the rest
have worn me out
[p]With several applications; nature and
sickness
[p]Debate it at their leisure. Welcome, count;
[p]My son's no
dearer.
Bertram : Thank your majesty.
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Next: Act 1 - Scene 3
