Paris. A Room in the King's Palace.
 Enter HELENA and CLOWN.

Helena	My mother greets me kindly; is she well?

Clown	She is not well, but yet she has her health; she's very 
	merry, but yet she is not well. But thanks be given she's 
	very well and wants nothing i'th' world; but yet she is not 
	well.

Helena	If she be very well, what does she ail that she's not very 
	well?

Clown	Truly, she's very well indeed, but for two things.

Helena	What two things?

Clown	One, that she's not in heaven, whither God send her 
	quickly! The other, that she's in earth, from whence God 
	send her quickly!

                             Enter PAROLLES.

Parolles	Bless you, my fortunate lady!

Helena	I hope, sir, I have your good will to have mine own good 
	fortunes.

Parolles	You had my prayers to lead them on; and to keep them on 
	have them still. O, my knave! How does my old lady?

Clown	So that you had her wrinkles and I her money, I would she 
	did as you say.

Parolles	Why, I say nothing.

Clown	Marry, you are the wiser man; for many a man's tongue 
	shakes out his master's undoing. To say nothing, to do 
	nothing, to know nothing, and to have nothing, is to be a 
	great part of your title, which is within a very little of 
	nothing.

Parolles	Away! Thou'rt a knave.

Clown	You should have said, sir, 'Before a knave thou'rt a 
	knave'; that's 'Before me, thou'rt a knave'. This had been 
	truth, sir.

Parolles	Go to, thou art a witty fool; I have found thee.

Clown	Did you find me in your self, sir, or were you taught to 
	find me?

Parolles	In myself.

Clown	The search, sir, was profitable, and much fool may you find 
	in you, even to the world's pleasure and the increase of 
	laughter.

Parolles	A good knave i'faith, and well fed.
	Madam, my lord will go away tonight;
	A very serious business calls on him.
	The great prerogative and rite of love,
	Which, as your due, time claims, he does acknowledge;
	But puts it off to a compelled restraint;
	Whose want and whose delay is strewed with sweets,
	Which they distil now in the curbd time,
	To make the coming hour o'erflow with joy
	And pleasure drown the brim.

Helena								What's his will else?

Parolles	That you will take your instant leave o'th' king,
	And make this haste as your own good proceeding,
	Strengthened with what apology you think
	May make it probable need.

Helena							What more commands he?

Parolles	That, having this obtained, you presently
	Attend his further pleasure.

Helena	In everything I wait upon his will.

Parolles	I shall report it so.

Helena	I pray you.
												[Exit PAROLLES.
	[To CLOWN.] Come, sirrah.
												[Exeunt.
