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All's Well That Ends Well - Act 5, scene 2
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All's Well That Ends Well - Act 5, scene 2Act 5, scene 2
⌜Scene 2⌝
Synopsis:
Parolles arrives at Rossillion and persuades Lafew to take him into his service.
Enter ⌜Fool⌝ and Parolles.PAROLLES, ⌜holding out a paper⌝ 2640 Good Monsieur
2641 Lavatch, give my lord Lafew this letter. I have ere
2642 now, sir, been better known to you, when I have
2643 held familiarity with fresher clothes. But I am
2644 5 now, sir, muddied in Fortune’s mood, and smell
2645 somewhat strong of her strong displeasure.
FOOL 2646 Truly, Fortune’s displeasure is but sluttish if it
2647 smell so strongly as thou speak’st of. I will henceforth
2648 eat no fish of Fortune’s butt’ring. Prithee,
2649 10 allow the wind.
PAROLLES 2650 Nay, you need not to stop your nose, sir. I
2651 spake but by a metaphor.
FOOL 2652 Indeed, sir, if your metaphor stink I will stop my
2653 nose, or against any man’s metaphor. Prithee, get
2654 15 thee further.
PAROLLES 2655 Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper.
FOOL 2656 Foh! Prithee, stand away. A paper from Fortune’s
2657 close-stool, to give to a nobleman!
Enter Lafew.
2658 Look, here he comes himself.—Here is a purr of
2659 20 Fortune’s, sir, or of Fortune’s cat—but not a
2660 musk-cat—that has fall’n into the unclean fishpond
2661 of her displeasure and, as he says, is muddied
2662 withal. Pray you, sir, use the carp as you may,
2663 for he looks like a poor, decayed, ingenious, foolish,
2664 25 rascally knave. I do pity his distress in my
2665 smiles of comfort, and leave him to your Lordship.
⌜He exits.⌝
PAROLLES 2666 My lord, I am a man whom Fortune hath
2667 cruelly scratched.
LAFEW 2668 And what would you have me to do? ’Tis too
2669 30 late to pare her nails now. Wherein have you
p.
191
2670
played the knave with Fortune that she should2671 scratch you, who of herself is a good lady and
2672 would not have knaves thrive long under ⌜her?⌝
2673 There’s a cardecu for you. Let the justices make
2674 35 you and Fortune friends. I am for other business.
PAROLLES 2675 I beseech your Honor to hear me one single
2676 word.
LAFEW 2677 You beg a single penny more. Come, you shall
2678 ha ’t. Save your word.
PAROLLES 2679 40My name, my good lord, is Parolles.
LAFEW 2680 You beg more than ⌜a⌝ word, then. Cock’s my
2681 passion; give me your hand. How does your drum?
PAROLLES 2682 O my good lord, you were the first that
2683 found me.
LAFEW 2684 45Was I, in sooth? And I was the first that lost
2685 thee.
PAROLLES 2686 It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some
2687 grace, for you did bring me out.
LAFEW 2688 Out upon thee, knave! Dost thou put upon me
2689 50 at once both the office of God and the devil? One
2690 brings thee in grace, and the other brings thee out.
2691 ⌜Trumpets sound.⌝ The King’s coming. I know by
2692 his trumpets. Sirrah, inquire further after me. I
2693 had talk of you last night. Though you are a fool
2694 55 and a knave, you shall eat. Go to, follow.
PAROLLES 2695 I praise God for you.
⌜They exit.⌝