All’s Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare (sight word books .txt) 📕

is a novelty to the world. Parolles It is, indeed: if you will have it in showing, you shall read it in⁠—what do you call there? Lafeu A showing of a heavenly effect in an earthly actor. Parolles That’s it; I would have said the very same. Lafeu Why, your dolphin is not lustier: ’fore me, I speak in respect⁠— Parolles Nay, ’tis strange, ’tis very strange, that is the brief and the tedious of it; and he’s of a most facinerious spirit that will not acknowledge it to be the⁠— Lafeu Very hand of heaven. Parolles Ay, so I say. Lafeu In a most weak⁠—pausing and debile minister, great power, great transcendence: which should, indeed, give us a further use to be made than alone the recovery of the king, as to be⁠—pausing generally thankful. Parolles I would have said it; you say well. Here comes the king. Enter King, Helena, and Attendants. Lafeu and Parolles retire. Lafeu Lustig, as the Dutchman says: I’ll like a maid the better, whilst I have a tooth in my head: why, he’s able to lead her a coranto. Parolles Mort du vinaigre! is not this Helen? Lafeu ’Fore God, I think so. King

Go, call before me all the lords in court.
Sit, my preserver, by thy patient’s side;
And with this healthful hand, whose banish’d sense
Thou hast repeal’d, a second time receive
The confirmation of my promised gift,
Which but attends thy naming.

Enter three or four Lords.

Fair maid, send forth thine eye: this youthful parcel
Of noble bachelors stand at my bestowing,
O’er whom both sovereign power and father’s voice
I have to use: thy frank election make;
Thou hast power to choose, and they none to forsake.

Helena

To each of you one fair and virtuous mistress
Fall, when Love please! marry, to each, but one!

Lafeu

I’ld give bay Curtal and his furniture,
My mouth no more were broken than these boys’,
And writ as little beard.

King

Peruse them well:
Not one of those but had a noble father.

Helena

Gentlemen,
Heaven hath through me restored the king to health.

All We understand it, and thank heaven for you. Helena

I am a simple maid, and therein wealthiest,
That I protest I simply am a maid.
Please it your majesty, I have done already:
The blushes in my cheeks thus whisper me,
“We blush that thou shouldst choose; but, be refused,
Let the white death sit on thy cheek for ever;
We’ll ne’er come there again.”

King

Make choice; and, see,
Who shuns thy love shuns all his love in me.

Helena

Now, Dian, from thy altar do I fly,
And to imperial Love, that god most high,
Do my sighs stream. Sir, will you hear my suit?

First Lord And grant it. Helena Thanks, sir; all the rest is mute. Lafeu I had rather be in this choice than throw ames-ace for my life. Helena

The honour, sir, that flames in your fair eyes,
Before I speak, too threateningly replies:
Love make your fortunes twenty times above
Her that so wishes and her humble love!

Second Lord No better, if you please. Helena

My wish receive,
Which great Love grant! and so, I take my leave.

Lafeu Do all they deny her? An they were sons of mine, I’d have them whipped; or I would send them to the Turk, to make eunuchs of. Helena

Be not afraid that I your hand should take;
I’ll never do you wrong for your own sake:
Blessing upon your vows! and in your bed
Find fairer fortune, if you ever wed!

Lafeu These boys are boys of ice, they’ll none have her: sure, they are bastards to the English; the French ne’er got ’em. Helena

You are too young, too happy, and too good,
To make yourself a son out of my blood.

Fourth Lord Fair one, I think not so. Lafeu There’s one grape yet; I am sure thy father drunk wine: but if thou be’st not an ass, I am a youth of fourteen; I have known thee already. Helena

To Bertram. I dare not say I take you; but I give
Me and my service, ever whilst I live,
Into your guiding power. This is the man.

King Why, then, young Bertram, take her; she’s thy wife. Bertram

My wife, my liege! I shall beseech your highness,
In such a business give me leave to use
The help of mine own eyes.

King

Know’st thou not, Bertram,
What she has done for me?

Bertram

Yes, my good lord;
But never hope to know why I should marry her.

King Thou know’st she has raised me from my sickly bed. Bertram

But follows it, my lord, to bring me down
Must answer for your raising? I know her well:
She had her breeding at my father’s charge.
A poor physician’s daughter my wife! Disdain
Rather corrupt me ever!

King

’Tis only title thou disdain’st in her, the which
I can build up. Strange is it that our bloods,
Of colour, weight, and heat, pour’d all together,
Would quite confound distinction, yet stand off
In differences so mighty. If she be
All that is virtuous, save what thou dislikest,
A poor physician’s daughter, thou dislikest
Of virtue for the name: but do not so:
From lowest place when virtuous things proceed,
The place is dignified by the doer’s deed:
Where great additions swell’s, and virtue none,
It is a dropsied honour. Good alone
Is good without a name. Vileness is so:
The property by what it is should go,
Not by the title. She is young, wise, fair;
In these to nature she’s immediate heir,
And these breed honour: that is honour’s scorn,
Which challenges itself as honour’s born
And is not like the sire: honours thrive,
When rather from our acts we them derive
Than our foregoers: the mere word’s a slave
Debosh’d on every tomb, on every grave
A lying trophy, and as oft is dumb
Where dust and damn’d oblivion is the tomb
Of honour’d bones indeed. What should be said?
If thou canst like this creature as a maid,
I can create the rest: virtue and she
Is her own dower; honour and wealth from me.

Bertram I cannot love her, nor will strive to do’t. King Thou wrong’st thyself, if thou shouldst strive to choose. Helena

That you are well restored, my lord, I’m glad:
Let the rest go.

King

My honour’s at the