All’s Well That Ends Well
Act IV, Scene 5
Roussillon . The Count’s palace .
From: An art edition of Shakespeare, classified as comedies, tragedies, histories and sonnets
1889
- Enter Clown , old Lady Countess , and Lafew .
Lafew
1 - 6- No , no , no , your son was misled with a snipt - taffeta fellow
- there , whose villainous saffron would have made all the
- unbak’d and doughy youth of a nation in his color . Your
- daughter - in - law had been alive at this hour , and your son
- here at home , more advanc’d by the King than by that
- red - tail’d humble - bee I speak of .
Countess
7 - 11- 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 ow’d her a more
- rooted love .
Lafew
12 - 13- ’Twas a good lady , ’twas a good lady . We may pick a thousand
- salads ere we light on such another herb .
Lavatch
14 - 15- Indeed , sir , she was the sweet marjoram of the salad , or
- rather the herb of grace .
Lafew
16- They are not herbs , you knave , they are nose - herbs .
Lavatch
17 - 18- I am no great Nebuchadnezzar , sir , I have not much skill in
- grass .
Lafew
19- Whether dost thou profess thyself — a knave or a fool ?
Lavatch
20- A fool , sir , at a woman’s service , and a knave at a man’s .
Lafew
21- Your distinction ?
Lavatch
22- I would cozen the man of his wife and do his service .
Lafew
23- So you were a knave at his service indeed .
Lavatch
24- And I would give his wife my bauble , sir , to do her service .
Lafew
25- I will subscribe for thee , thou art both knave and fool .
Lavatch
26- At your service .
Lafew
27- No , no , no .
Lavatch
28 - 29- Why , sir , if I cannot serve you , I can serve as great a
- prince as you are .
Lafew
30- Who’s that ? A Frenchman ?
Lavatch
31 - 32- Faith , sir , ’a has an English name , but his fisnomy is more
- hotter in France than there .
Lafew
33- What prince is that ?
Lavatch
34 - 35- The black prince , sir , alias the prince of darkness , alias
- the devil .
Lafew
36 - 37- Hold thee , there’s my purse . I give thee not this to suggest
- thee from thy master thou talk’st of ; serve him still .
Lavatch
38 - 45- I am a woodland fellow , sir , that always lov’d a great fire ,
- and the master I speak of ever keeps a good fire . But sure
- he is the prince of the world ; let his nobility remain in ’s
- court . I am for the house with the narrow gate , which I take
- to be too little for pomp to enter . Some that humble
- themselves may , but the many will be too chill and tender ,
- and they’ll be for the flow’ry way that leads to the broad
- gate and the great fire .
Lafew
46 - 48- Go thy ways , I begin to be a - weary of thee , and I tell thee
- so before , because I would not fall out with thee . Go thy
- ways , let my horses be well look’d to , without any tricks .
The black prince, sir, alias the prince of darkness, alias the devil.
Tailpiece in William S. Orr and Co. edition of All's Well The Ends Well
Kenny Meadows, 1846
Lavatch
49 - 50- If I put any tricks upon ’em , sir , they shall be jades’
- tricks , which are their own right by the law of nature .
- Exit Clown .
Lafew
51- A shrewd knave and an unhappy .
Countess
52 - 55- 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 .
Lafew
56 - 64- I like him well , ’tis not amiss . And I was about to tell
- you , since I heard of the good lady’s death , and that my
- lord your son was upon his return home , I mov’d the King my
- master to speak in the behalf of my daughter , which in the
- minority of them both , his Majesty , out of a self - gracious
- remembrance , did first propose . His Highness hath promis’d
- me to do it , and to stop up the displeasure he hath
- conceiv’d against your son , there is no fitter matter . How
- does your ladyship like it ?
Countess
65 - 66- With very much content , my lord , and I wish it happily
- effected .
Lafew
67 - 70- His Highness comes post from Marsellis , of as able body as
- when he number’d thirty . ’A will be here tomorrow , or I am
- deceiv’d by him that in such intelligence hath seldom
- fail’d .
Countess
71 - 74- It rejoices me , that I hope I shall see him ere I die . I
- have letters that my son will be here tonight . I shall
- beseech your lordship to remain with me till they meet
- together .
Lafew
75 - 76- Madam , I was thinking with what manners I might safely be
- admitted .
Countess
77- You need but plead your honorable privilege .
Lafew
78 - 79- Lady , of that I have made a bold charter , but I thank my God
- it holds yet .
- Enter Clown .
Lavatch
80 - 84- O madam , yonder’s my lord your son with a patch of velvet on
- ’s face . Whether there be a scar under’t or no , the velvet
- knows , but ’tis a goodly patch of velvet . His left cheek is
- a cheek of two pile and a half , but his right cheek is worn
- bare .
Lafew
85 - 86- A scar nobly got , or a noble scar , is a good liv’ry of
- honor ; so belike is that .
Lavatch
87- But it is your carbinado’d face .
Lafew
88 - 89- Let us go see your son I pray you . I long to talk with the
- young noble soldier .
Lavatch
90 - 92- Faith , there’s a dozen of ’em , with delicate fine hats , and
- most courteous feathers , which bow the head , and nod at
- every man .
- Exeunt .