All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare
Act 5 - Scene 2
Rousillon. Before the COUNT’s palace.
Parolles : Good Monsieur Lavache, give my Lord Lafeu this
[p]letter: I have ere
now, sir, been better known to
[p]you, when I have held familiarity
with fresher
[p]clothes; but I am now, sir, muddied in
fortune's
[p]mood, and smell somewhat strong of her
strong
[p]displeasure.
Clown : Truly, fortune's displeasure is but sluttish, if it
[p]smell so
strongly as thou speakest of: I will
[p]henceforth eat no fish of
fortune's buttering.
[p]Prithee, allow the wind.
Parolles : Nay, you need not to stop your nose, sir; I spake
[p]but by a
metaphor.
Clown : Indeed, sir, if your metaphor stink, I will stop my
[p]nose; or
against any man's metaphor. Prithee, get
[p]thee further.
Parolles : Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper.
Clown : Foh! prithee, stand away: a paper from fortune's
[p]close-stool to
give to a nobleman! Look, here he
[p]comes himself.
[p][Enter
LAFEU]
[p]Here is a purr of fortune's, sir, or of
fortune's
[p]cat,--but not a musk-cat,--that has fallen into
the
[p]unclean fishpond of her displeasure, and, as he
[p]says, is
muddied withal: pray you, sir, use the
[p]carp as you may; for he
looks like a poor, decayed,
[p]ingenious, foolish, rascally knave. I
do pity his
[p]distress in my similes of comfort and leave him
to
[p]your lordship.
Parolles : My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly
[p]scratched.
Lafeu : And what would you have me to do? 'Tis too late to
[p]pare her nails
now. Wherein have you played the
[p]knave with fortune, that she
should scratch you, who
[p]of herself is a good lady and would not
have knaves
[p]thrive long under her? There's a quart d'ecu
for
[p]you: let the justices make you and fortune friends:
[p]I am for
other business.
Parolles : I beseech your honour to hear me one single word.
Lafeu : You beg a single penny more: come, you shall ha't;
[p]save your word.
Parolles : My name, my good lord, is Parolles.
Lafeu : You beg more than 'word,' then. Cox my passion!
[p]give me your hand.
How does your drum?
Parolles : O my good lord, you were the first that found me!
Lafeu : Was I, in sooth? and I was the first that lost thee.
Parolles : It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace,
[p]for you did
bring me out.
Lafeu : Out upon thee, knave! dost thou put upon me at once
[p]both the office
of God and the devil? One brings
[p]thee in grace and the other brings
thee out.
[p][Trumpets sound]
[p]The king's coming; I know by his
trumpets. Sirrah,
[p]inquire further after me; I had talk of you
last
[p]night: though you are a fool and a knave, you shall
[p]eat; go
to, follow.
Parolles : I praise God for you.
Previous: Act 5 - Scene 1
Next: Act 5 - Scene 3
