In delivering my son from me , I bury a second husband . What hope is there of his Majesty 's amendment ? This young gentlewoman had a father - O , that ‘ had , ’ how sad a passage ‘ tis ! - whose skill was almost as great as his honesty ; had it stretch 'd so far , would have made nature immortal , and death should have play for lack of work . Would , for the King 's sake , he were living ! I think it would be the death of the King 's disease . He was famous , sir , in his profession , and it was his great right to be so - Gerard de Narbon . His sole child , my lord , and bequeathed to my overlooking . I have those hopes of her good that her education promises ; her dispositions she inherits , which makes fair gifts fairer ; for where an unclean mind carries virtuous qualities , there commendations go with pity-they are virtues and traitors too . In her they are the better for their simpleness ; she derives her honesty , and achieves her goodness . ‘ Tis the best brine a maiden can season her praise in . The remembrance of her father never approaches her heart but the tyranny of her sorrows takes all livelihood from her cheek . No more of this , Helena ; go to , no more , lest it be rather thought you affect a sorrow than to have- If the living be enemy to the grief , the excess makes it soon mortal . Be thou blest , Bertram , and succeed thy father In manners , as in shape ! Thy blood and virtue Contend for empire in thee , and thy goodness Share with thy birthright ! Love all , trust a few , Do wrong to none ; be able for thine enemy Rather in power than use , and keep thy friend Under thy own life 's key ; be check 'd for silence , But never tax 'd for speech . What heaven more will , That thee may furnish , and my prayers pluck down , Fall on thy head ! Farewell . My lord , ‘ Tis an unseason 'd courtier ; good my lord , Advise him . Heaven bless him ! Farewell , Bertram . Exit I will now hear ; what say you of this gentlewoman ? What does this knave here ? Get you gone , sirrah . The complaints I have heard of you I do not all believe ; ‘ tis my slowness that I do not , for I know you lack not folly to commit them and have ability enough to make such knaveries yours . Well , sir . Wilt thou needs be a beggar ? In what case ? Tell me thy reason why thou wilt marry . Is this all your worship 's reason ? May the world know them ? Thy marriage , sooner than thy wickedness . Such friends are thine enemies , knave . Wilt thou ever be a foul-mouth 'd and calumnious knave ? Get you gone , sir ; I 'll talk with you more anon . Sirrah , tell my gentlewoman I would speak with her ; Helen I mean . What , one good in ten ? You corrupt the song , sirrah . You 'll be gone , sir knave , and do as I command you . Well , now . Faith I do . Her father bequeath 'd her to me ; and she herself , without other advantage , may lawfully make title to as much love as she finds . There is more owing her than is paid ; and more shall be paid her than she 'll demand . YOU have discharg 'd this honestly ; keep it to yourself . Many likelihoods inform 'd me of this before , which hung so tott'ring in the balance that I could neither believe nor misdoubt . Pray you leave me . Stall this in your bosom ; and I thank you for your honest care . I will speak with you further anon . Exit STEWARD Enter HELENA Even so it was with me when I was young . If ever we are nature 's , these are ours ; this thorn Doth to our rose of youth rightly belong ; Our blood to us , this to our blood is born . It is the show and seal of nature 's truth , Where love 's strong passion is impress 'd in youth . By our remembrances of days foregone , Such were our faults , or then we thought them none . Her eye is sick o n't ; I observe her now . You know , Helen , I am a mother to you . Nay , a mother . Why not a mother ? When I said ‘ a mother , ’ Methought you saw a serpent . What 's in ‘ mother ’ That you start at it ? I say I am your mother , And put you in the catalogue of those That were enwombed mine . ‘ Tis often seen Adoption strives with nature , and choice breeds A native slip to us from foreign seeds . You ne'er oppress 'd me with a mother 's groan , Yet I express to you a mother 's care . God 's mercy , maiden ! does it curd thy blood To say I am thy mother ? What 's the matter , That this distempered messenger of wet , The many-colour 'd Iris , rounds thine eye ? Why , that you are my daughter ? I say I am your mother . Nor I your mother ? Yes , Helen , you might be my daughter-in-law . God shield you mean it not ! ‘ daughter ’ and ‘ mother ’ So strive upon your pulse . What ! pale again ? My fear hath catch 'd your fondness . Now I see The myst'ry of your loneliness , and find Your salt tears ’ head . Now to all sense ‘ tis gross You love my son ; invention is asham 'd , Against the proclamation of thy passion , To say thou dost not . Therefore tell me true ; But tell me then , ‘ tis so ; for , look , thy cheeks Confess it , th ’ one to th ’ other ; and thine eyes See it so grossly shown in thy behaviours That in their kind they speak it ; only sin And hellish obstinacy tie thy tongue , That truth should be suspected . Speak , is't so ? If it be so , you have wound a goodly clew ; If it be not , forswear't ; howe'er , I charge thee , As heaven shall work in me for thine avail , To tell me truly . Do you love my son ? Love you my son ? Go not about ; my love hath i n't a bond Whereof the world takes note . Come , come , disclose The state of your affection ; for your passions Have to the full appeach 'd . Had you not lately an intent-speak truly- To go to Paris ? Wherefore ? Tell true . This was your motive For Paris , was it ? Speak . But think you , Helen , If you should tender your supposed aid , He would receive it ? He and his physicians Are of a mind : he , that they cannot help him ; They , that they cannot help . How shall they credit A poor unlearned virgin , when the schools , Embowell 'd of their doctrine , have let off The danger to itself ? Dost thou believe't ? Why , Helen , thou shalt have my leave and love , Means and attendants , and my loving greetings To those of mine in court . I 'll stay at home , And pray God 's blessing into thy attempt . Be gone to-morrow ; and be sure of this , What I can help thee to thou shalt not miss . Exeunt Come on , sir ; I shall now put you to the height of your breeding . To the court ! Why , what place make you special , when you put off that with such contempt ? But to the court ! Marry , that 's a bountiful answer that fits all questions . Will your answer serve fit to all questions ? Have you , I , say , an answer of such fitness for all questions ? It must be an answer of most monstrous size that must fit all demands . To be young again , if we could , I will be a fool in question , hoping to be the wiser by your answer . I pray you , sir , are you a courtier ? Sir , I am a poor friend of yours , that loves you . I think , sir , you can eat none of this homely meat . You were lately whipp 'd , sir , as I think . Do you cry ‘ O Lord , sir ! ’ at your whipping , and ‘ spare not me ’ ? Indeed your ‘ O Lord , sir ! ’ is very sequent to your whipping . You would answer very well to a whipping , if you were but bound to't . I play the noble housewife with the time , To entertain it so merrily with a fool . An end , sir ! To your business : give Helen this , And urge her to a present answer back ; Commend me to my kinsmen and my son . This is not much . Not much employment for you . You understand me ? Haste you again . Exeunt It hath happen 'd all as I would have had it , save that he comes not along with her . By what observance , I pray you ? Let me see what he writes , and when he means to come . What have we here ? ‘ I have sent you a daughter-in-law ; she hath recovered the King and undone me . I have wedded her , not bedded her ; and sworn to make the “ not ” eternal . You shall hear I am run away ; know it before the report come . If there be breadth enough in the world , I will hold a long distance . My duty to you . Your unfortunate son , BERTRAM . ’ This is not well , rash and unbridled boy , To fly the favours of so good a king , To pluck his indignation on thy head By the misprizing of a maid too virtuous For the contempt of empire . Re-enter CLOWN What is the - matter ? Why should he be kill 'd ? Think upon patience . Pray you , gentlemen- I have felt so many quirks of joy and grief That the first face of neither , on the start , Can woman me unto ‘ t. Where is my son , I pray you ? Brought you this letter , gentlemen ? I prithee , lady , have a better cheer ; If thou engrossest all the griefs are thine , Thou robb'st me of a moiety . He was my son ; But I do wash his name out of my blood , And thou art all my child . Towards Florence is he ? And to be a soldier ? Return you thither ? Find you that there ? Nothing in France until he have no wife ! There 's nothing here that is too good for him But only she ; and she deserves a lord That twenty such rude boys might tend upon , And call her hourly mistress . Who was with him ? Parolles , was it not ? A very tainted fellow , and full of wickedness . My son corrupts a well-derived nature With his inducement . Y'are welcome , gentlemen . I will entreat you , when you see my son , To tell him that his sword can never win The honour that he loses . More I 'll entreat you Written to bear along . Not so , but as we change our courtesies . Will you draw near ? Exeunt COUNTESS and GENTLEMEN Alas ! and would you take the letter of her ? Might you not know she would do as she has done By sending me a letter ? Read it again . Ah , what sharp stings are in her mildest words ! Rinaldo , you did never lack advice so much As letting her pass so ; had I spoke with her , I could have well diverted her intents , Which thus she hath prevented . What angel shall Bless this unworthy husband ? He cannot thrive , Unless her prayers , whom heaven delights to hear And loves to grant , reprieve him from the wrath Of greatest justice . Write , write , Rinaldo , To this unworthy husband of his wife ; Let every word weigh heavy of her worth That he does weigh too light . My greatest grief , Though little he do feel it , set down sharply . Dispatch the most convenient messenger . When haply he shall hear that she is gone He will return ; and hope I may that she , Hearing so much , will speed her foot again , Led hither by pure love . Which of them both Is dearest to me I have no skill in sense To make distinction . Provide this messenger . My heart is heavy , and mine age is weak ; Grief would have tears , and sorrow bids me speak . Exeunt I would I had not known him . It was the death of the most virtuous gentlewoman that ever 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 . So ‘ a 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 . With very much content , my lord ; and I wish it happily effected . It rejoices me that I hope I shall see him ere I die . I have letters that my son will be here to-night . I shall beseech your lordship to remain with me tal they meet together . You need but plead your honourable privilege . ‘ Tis past , my liege ; And I beseech your Majesty to make it Natural rebellion , done i ’ th ’ blaze of youth , When oil and fire , too strong for reason 's force , O'erbears it and burns on . Which better than the first , O dear heaven , bless ! Or , ere they meet , in me , O nature , cesse ! Son , on my life , I have seen her wear it ; and she reckon 'd it At her life 's rate . Now , justice on the doers ! He blushes , and ‘ tis it . Of six preceding ancestors , that gem Conferr 'd by testament to th ’ sequent issue , Hath it been ow 'd and worn . This is his wife : That ring 's a thousand proofs .