The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (321 page)

Enter BERTRAM, the COUNTESS of Rousillon, HELENA, and LAFEU, all in black

COUNTESS

In delivering my son from me, I bury a second husband.

In sending away my son, it is as if I buried my husband again.

BERTRAM

And I in going, madam, weep o'er my father's death

anew: but I must attend his majesty's command, to

whom I am now in ward, evermore in subjection.

And in going away, madam, I weep for my father's death

over again: but I must obey his Majesty's command,

for he is now my guardian and I am forever under his rule.

LAFEU

You shall find of the king a husband, madam; you,

sir, a father: he that so generally is at all times

good must of necessity hold his virtue to you; whose

worthiness would stir it up where it wanted rather

than lack it where there is such abundance.

You shall find the king like a husband, madam; you

sir will find him like a father: he is always so good

that he will of course be good to you; you

deserve it and would provoke goodness if it was lacking,

so you will not lack it where there is so much available.

COUNTESS

What hope is there of his majesty's amendment?

What hope is there of his Majesty getting better?

LAFEU

He hath abandoned his physicians, madam; under whose

practises he hath persecuted time with hope, and

finds no other advantage in the process but only the

losing of hope by time.

He has given up on his doctors, madam; he had

hoped to get more time through them, and now

he thinks that the only thing they can give him

is that he will lose hope over time.

COUNTESS

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 stretched 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.

 This young lady had a father–oh how sad

it is to say ‘had’!–whose skill was almost as great

as his honesty; if it had been he could have made

mankind immortal, and death would have had

time on his hands through lack of work. I wish he were alive,

for the King's sake! I think he would have

killed off the King's disease.

LAFEU

How called you the man you speak of, madam?

What was the name of this man you speak of, madam?

COUNTESS

He was famous, sir, in his profession, and it was

his great right to be so: Gerard de Narbon.

He was famous in his profession, Sir, and

he had every right to be: Gerard de Narbon.

LAFEU

He was excellent indeed, madam: the king very

lately spoke of him admiringly and mourningly: he

was skilful enough to have lived still, if knowledge

could be set up against mortality.

He was indeed a great man, madam: just recently

the King spoke of him admiringly and sadly: he

had the skills to still be alive, if knowledge

could triumph over death.

BERTRAM

What is it, my good lord, the king languishes of?

 What is the nature of the King's illness, my good lord?

LAFEU

A fistula, my lord.

He has a fistula, my Lord.

BERTRAM

I heard not of it before.

I have never heard of that.

LAFEU

I would it were not notorious. Was this gentlewoman

the daughter of Gerard de Narbon?

I wish nobody had. Was this young lady

the daughter of Gerard de Narbon?

COUNTESS

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.

His only child, my lord, and left in my care.

I have high hopes for her due to

the education she has received; she has inherited

a good character which improves her gifts; when

an unclean mind has good qualities, praise

goes along with pity; they are virtues

but they are corrupted; in her they are better for her

innocence; she inherits her honesty and has worked for her goodness.

LAFEU

Your commendations, madam, get from her tears.

Your praise has made her cry, madam.

COUNTESS

'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 have it.

Tears give the best salt for a girl to flavour her praise with.

She can never remember her father

without her great sorrow draining all the colour from her cheeks.

Stop this, Helena; come on, stop it, you don't want people to think

that your sorrow isn't genuine.

HELENA

I do affect a sorrow indeed, but I have it too.

I am making a show of mourning, but it is genuine.

LAFEU

Moderate lamentation is the right of the dead,

excessive grief the enemy to the living.

The dead have a right to expect a little mourning,

but excessive grief damages the living.

COUNTESS

If the living be enemy to the grief, the excess

makes it soon mortal.

 If those who are alive fight against the grief,

it will soon die.

BERTRAM

Madam, I desire your holy wishes.

Madam, I want your blessing.

LAFEU

How understand we that?

What does that mean?

COUNTESS

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 cheque'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.

Bertram, may you have the blessing of copying your father's

manners as well as his shape! Your passion and your virtues

fight to rule over you, and your goodness

fights with your inheritance! Love everyone, only trust a few,

do no harm to any; be prepared for your enemy

but don't attack him, and defend your friends

with your life: don't be too quiet,

but don't talk too much.May whatever else heaven will allow,

and my prayers get for you,

fall upon your head! Farewell, my lord;

he is not used to courts; my good lord,

look after him.

LAFEU

He cannot want the best

That shall attend his love.

He will get the best he deserves.

COUNTESS

Heaven bless him! Farewell, Bertram.

May Heaven bless him! Farewell, Bertram.

Exit

BERTRAM

[To HELENA] The best wishes that can be forged in

your thoughts be servants to you! Be comfortable

to my mother, your mistress, and make much of her.

May your thoughts be full of goodness! Be good

to my mother, your mistress, and look after her.

LAFEU

Farewell, pretty lady: you must hold the credit of

your father.

Goodbye, pretty lady: be a credit to your father.

Exeunt BERTRAM and LAFEU

HELENA

O, were that all! I think not on my father;

And these great tears grace his remembrance more

Than those I shed for him. What was he like?

I have forgot him: my imagination

Carries no favour in't but Bertram's.

I am undone: there is no living, none,

If Bertram be away. 'Twere all one

That I should love a bright particular star

And think to wed it, he is so above me:

In his bright radiance and collateral light

Must I be comforted, not in his sphere.

The ambition in my love thus plagues itself:

The hind that would be mated by the lion

Must die for love. 'Twas pretty, though plague,

To see him every hour; to sit and draw

His arched brows, his hawking eye, his curls,