All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare
Act 4 - Scene 2
Florence. The Widow’s house.
Bertram : They told me that your name was Fontibell.
Diana : No, my good lord, Diana.
Bertram : Titled goddess;
[p]And worth it, with addition! But, fair soul,
[p]In
your fine frame hath love no quality?
[p]If quick fire of youth light
not your mind,
[p]You are no maiden, but a monument:
[p]When you are
dead, you should be such a one
[p]As you are now, for you are cold and
stem;
[p]And now you should be as your mother was
[p]When your sweet
self was got.
Diana : She then was honest.
Bertram : So should you be.
Diana : No:
[p]My mother did but duty; such, my lord,
[p]As you owe to your
wife.
Bertram : No more o' that;
[p]I prithee, do not strive against my vows:
[p]I was
compell'd to her; but I love thee
[p]By love's own sweet constraint,
and will for ever
[p]Do thee all rights of service.
Diana : Ay, so you serve us
[p]Till we serve you; but when you have our
roses,
[p]You barely leave our thorns to prick ourselves
[p]And mock
us with our bareness.
Bertram : How have I sworn!
Diana : 'Tis not the many oaths that makes the truth,
[p]But the plain single
vow that is vow'd true.
[p]What is not holy, that we swear not
by,
[p]But take the High'st to witness: then, pray you, tell me,
[p]If
I should swear by God's great attributes,
[p]I loved you dearly, would
you believe my oaths,
[p]When I did love you ill? This has no
holding,
[p]To swear by him whom I protest to love,
[p]That I will
work against him: therefore your oaths
[p]Are words and poor
conditions, but unseal'd,
[p]At least in my opinion.
Bertram : Change it, change it;
[p]Be not so holy-cruel: love is holy;
[p]And my
integrity ne'er knew the crafts
[p]That you do charge men with. Stand
no more off,
[p]But give thyself unto my sick desires,
[p]Who then
recover: say thou art mine, and ever
[p]My love as it begins shall so
persever.
Diana : I see that men make ropes in such a scarre
[p]That we'll forsake
ourselves. Give me that ring.
Bertram : I'll lend it thee, my dear; but have no power
[p]To give it from me.
Diana : Will you not, my lord?
Bertram : It is an honour 'longing to our house,
[p]Bequeathed down from many
ancestors;
[p]Which were the greatest obloquy i' the world
[p]In me to
lose.
Diana : Mine honour's such a ring:
[p]My chastity's the jewel of our
house,
[p]Bequeathed down from many ancestors;
[p]Which were the
greatest obloquy i' the world
[p]In me to lose: thus your own proper
wisdom
[p]Brings in the champion Honour on my part,
[p]Against your
vain assault.
Bertram : Here, take my ring:
[p]My house, mine honour, yea, my life, be
thine,
[p]And I'll be bid by thee.
Diana : When midnight comes, knock at my chamber-window:
[p]I'll order take my
mother shall not hear.
[p]Now will I charge you in the band of
truth,
[p]When you have conquer'd my yet maiden bed,
[p]Remain there
but an hour, nor speak to me:
[p]My reasons are most strong; and you
shall know them
[p]When back again this ring shall be
deliver'd:
[p]And on your finger in the night I'll put
[p]Another
ring, that what in time proceeds
[p]May token to the future our past
deeds.
[p]Adieu, till then; then, fail not. You have won
[p]A wife of
me, though there my hope be done.
Bertram : A heaven on earth I have won by wooing thee.
Diana : For which live long to thank both heaven and me!
[p]You may so in the
end.
[p]My mother told me just how he would woo,
[p]As if she sat in
's heart; she says all men
[p]Have the like oaths: he had sworn to
marry me
[p]When his wife's dead; therefore I'll lie with him
[p]When
I am buried. Since Frenchmen are so braid,
[p]Marry that will, I live
and die a maid:
[p]Only in this disguise I think't no sin
[p]To cozen
him that would unjustly win.
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Next: Act 4 - Scene 3
