Helena complete text
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Helena. O, were that all! I think not on my father; | 1.1.76
And these great tears grace his remembrance more | 1.1.77
Than those I shed for him. What was he like? | 1.1.78
I have forgot him: my imagination | 1.1.79
Carries no favour in't but Bertram's. | 1.1.80
I am undone: there is no living, none, | 1.1.81
If Bertram be away. 'Twere all one | 1.1.82
That I should love a bright particular star | 1.1.83
And think to wed it, he is so above me: | 1.1.84
In his bright radiance and collateral light | 1.1.85
Must I be comforted, not in his sphere. | 1.1.86
The ambition in my love thus plagues itself: | 1.1.87
The hind that would be mated by the lion | 1.1.88
Must die for love. 'Twas pretty, though plague, | 1.1.89
To see him every hour; to sit and draw | 1.1.90
His arched brows, his hawking eye, his curls, | 1.1.91
In our heart's table; heart too capable | 1.1.92
Of every line and trick of his sweet favour: | 1.1.93
But now he's gone, and my idolatrous fancy | 1.1.94
Must sanctify his reliques. Who comes here? | 1.1.95
Enter PAROLLES
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| One that goes with him: I love him for his sake; | 1.1.96
And yet I know him a notorious liar, | 1.1.97
Think him a great way fool, solely a coward; | 1.1.98
Yet these fixed evils sit so fit in him, | 1.1.99
That they take place, when virtue's steely bones | 1.1.100
Look bleak i' the cold wind: withal, full oft we see | 1.1.101
Cold wisdom waiting on superfluous folly. | 1.1.102
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Helena. Not my virginity yet [ ] | 1.1.160
There shall your master have a thousand loves, | 1.1.161
A mother and a mistress and a friend, | 1.1.162
A phoenix, captain and an enemy, | 1.1.163
A guide, a goddess, and a sovereign, | 1.1.164
A counsellor, a traitress, and a dear; | 1.1.165
His humble ambition, proud humility, | 1.1.166
His jarring concord, and his discord dulcet, | 1.1.167
His faith, his sweet disaster; with a world | 1.1.168
Of pretty, fond, adoptious christendoms, | 1.1.169
That blinking Cupid gossips. Now shall he-- | 1.1.170
I know not what he shall. God send him well! | 1.1.171
The court's a learning place, and he is one-- | 1.1.172
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Helena. Then, I confess, | 1.3.191
Here on my knee, before high heaven and you, | 1.3.192
That before you, and next unto high heaven, | 1.3.193
I love your son. | 1.3.194
My friends were poor, but honest; so's my love: | 1.3.195
Be not offended; for it hurts not him | 1.3.196
That he is loved of me: I follow him not | 1.3.197
By any token of presumptuous suit; | 1.3.198
Nor would I have him till I do deserve him; | 1.3.199
Yet never know how that desert should be. | 1.3.200
I know I love in vain, strive against hope; | 1.3.201
Yet in this captious and intenible sieve | 1.3.202
I still pour in the waters of my love | 1.3.203
And lack not to lose still: thus, Indian-like, | 1.3.204
Religious in mine error, I adore | 1.3.205
The sun, that looks upon his worshipper, | 1.3.206
But knows of him no more. My dearest madam, | 1.3.207
Let not your hate encounter with my love | 1.3.208
For loving where you do: but if yourself, | 1.3.209
Whose aged honour cites a virtuous youth, | 1.3.210
Did ever in so true a flame of liking | 1.3.211
Wish chastely and love dearly, that your Dian | 1.3.212
Was both herself and love: O, then, give pity | 1.3.213
To her, whose state is such that cannot choose | 1.3.214
But lend and give where she is sure to lose; | 1.3.215
That seeks not to find that her search implies, | 1.3.216
But riddle-like lives sweetly where she dies! | 1.3.217
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Helena. 'Till I have no wife, I have nothing in France.' | 3.2.105
Nothing in France, until he has no wife! | 3.2.106
Thou shalt have none, Rousillon, none in France; | 3.2.107
Then hast thou all again. Poor lord! is't I | 3.2.108
That chase thee from thy country and expose | 3.2.109
Those tender limbs of thine to the event | 3.2.110
Of the none-sparing war? and is it I | 3.2.111
That drive thee from the sportive court, where thou | 3.2.112
Wast shot at with fair eyes, to be the mark | 3.2.113
Of smoky muskets? O you leaden messengers, | 3.2.114
That ride upon the violent speed of fire, | 3.2.115
Fly with false aim; move the still-peering air, | 3.2.116
That sings with piercing; do not touch my lord. | 3.2.117
Whoever shoots at him, I set him there; | 3.2.118
Whoever charges on his forward breast, | 3.2.119
I am the caitiff that do hold him to't; | 3.2.120
And, though I kill him not, I am the cause | 3.2.121
His death was so effected: better 'twere | 3.2.122
I met the ravin lion when he roar'd | 3.2.123
With sharp constraint of hunger; better 'twere | 3.2.124
That all the miseries which nature owes | 3.2.125
Were mine at once. No, come thou home, Rousillon, | 3.2.126
Whence honour but of danger wins a scar, | 3.2.127
As oft it loses all: I will be gone; | 3.2.128
My being here it is that holds thee hence: | 3.2.129
Shall I stay here to do't? no, no, although | 3.2.130
The air of paradise did fan the house | 3.2.131
And angels officed all: I will be gone, | 3.2.132
That pitiful rumour may report my flight, | 3.2.133
To consolate thine ear. Come, night; end, day! | 3.2.134
For with the dark, poor thief, I'll steal away. | 3.2.135
Exit
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Helena. Take this purse of gold, | 3.7.17
And let me buy your friendly help thus far, | 3.7.18
Which I will over-pay and pay again | 3.7.19
When I have found it. The count he wooes your daughter, | 3.7.20
Lays down his wanton siege before her beauty, | 3.7.21
Resolved to carry her: let her in fine consent, | 3.7.22
As we'll direct her how 'tis best to bear it. | 3.7.23
Now his important blood will nought deny | 3.7.24
That she'll demand: a ring the county wears, | 3.7.25
That downward hath succeeded in his house | 3.7.26
From son to son, some four or five descents | 3.7.27
Since the first father wore it: this ring he holds | 3.7.28
In most rich choice; yet in his idle fire, | 3.7.29
To buy his will, it would not seem too dear, | 3.7.30
Howe'er repented after. | 3.7.31
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Helena. That you may well perceive I have not wrong'd you, | 4.4.1
One of the greatest in the Christian world | 4.4.2
Shall be my surety; 'fore whose throne 'tis needful, | 4.4.3
Ere I can perfect mine intents, to kneel: | 4.4.4
Time was, I did him a desired office, | 4.4.5
Dear almost as his life; which gratitude | 4.4.6
Through flinty Tartar's bosom would peep forth, | 4.4.7
And answer, thanks: I duly am inform'd | 4.4.8
His grace is at Marseilles; to which place | 4.4.9
We have convenient convoy. You must know | 4.4.10
I am supposed dead: the army breaking, | 4.4.11
My husband hies him home; where, heaven aiding, | 4.4.12
And by the leave of my good lord the king, | 4.4.13
We'll be before our welcome. | 4.4.14
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