All's Well That Ends Well Part 15

DIANA. It was not given me, nor I did not buy it.

KING. Who lent it you?

DIANA. It was not lent me neither.

KING. Where did you find it then?

DIANA. I found it not.

KING. If it were yours by none of all these ways, How could you give it him?

DIANA. I never gave it him.

LAFEU. This woman's an easy glove, my lord; she goes off and on at pleasure.

KING. This ring was mine, I gave it his first wife.

DIANA. It might be yours or hers, for aught I know.

KING. Take her away, I do not like her now; To prison with her. And away with him.

Unless thou tell'st me where thou hadst this ring, Thou diest within this hour.

DIANA. I'll never tell you.

KING. Take her away.

DIANA. I'll put in bail, my liege.

KING. I think thee now some common customer.

DIANA. By Jove, if ever I knew man, 'twas you.

KING. Wherefore hast thou accus'd him all this while?

DIANA. Because he's guilty, and he is not guilty.

He knows I am no maid, and he'll swear to't: I'll swear I am a maid, and he knows not.

Great King, I am no strumpet, by my life; I am either maid, or else this old man's wife.

[Pointing to LAFEU]

KING. She does abuse our ears; to prison with her.

DIANA. Good mother, fetch my bail. Stay, royal sir; Exit WIDOW The jeweller that owes the ring is sent for, And he shall surety me. But for this lord Who hath abus'd me as he knows himself, Though yet he never harm'd me, here I quit him.

He knows himself my bed he hath defil'd; And at that time he got his wife with child.

Dead though she be, she feels her young one kick; So there's my riddle: one that's dead is quick- And now behold the meaning.

Re-enter WIDOW with HELENA

KING. Is there no exorcist Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes?

Is't real that I see?

HELENA. No, my good lord; 'Tis but the shadow of a wife you see, The name and not the thing.

BERTRAM. Both, both; O, pardon!

HELENA. O, my good lord, when I was like this maid, I found you wondrous kind. There is your ring, And, look you, here's your letter. This it says: 'When from my finger you can get this ring, And are by me with child,' etc. This is done.

Will you be mine now you are doubly won?

BERTRAM. If she, my liege, can make me know this clearly, I'll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly.

HELENA. If it appear not plain, and prove untrue, Deadly divorce step between me and you!

O my dear mother, do I see you living?

LAFEU. Mine eyes smell onions; I shall weep anon. [To PAROLLES]

Good Tom Drum, lend me a handkercher. So, I thank thee. Wait on me home, I'll make sport with thee; let thy curtsies alone, they are scurvy ones.

KING. Let us from point to point this story know, To make the even truth in pleasure flow.

[To DIANA] If thou beest yet a fresh uncropped flower, Choose thou thy husband, and I'll pay thy dower; For I can guess that by thy honest aid Thou kept'st a wife herself, thyself a maid.- Of that and all the progress, more and less, Resolvedly more leisure shall express.

All yet seems well; and if it end so meet, The bitter past, more welcome is the sweet. [Flourish]

EPILOGUE EPILOGUE.

KING. The King's a beggar, now the play is done.

All is well ended if this suit be won, That you express content; which we will pay With strife to please you, day exceeding day.

Ours be your patience then, and yours our parts; Your gentle hands lend us, and take our hearts.

Exeunt omnes

THE END