KING OF FRANCE

   THE DUKE OF FLORENCE

    BERTRAM,
           Count of Rousillon

    LAFEU,
           an old lord

    PAROLLES,
           a follower of Bertram

    TWO FRENCH LORDS,
           serving with Bertram

    STEWARD,
           Servant to
               the Countess of Rousillon

    LAVACHE,
           a clown and Servant
               to the Countess of Rousillon

    A PAGE,
           Servant to
               the Countess of Rousillon

    COUNTESS OF ROUSILLON,
           mother to Bertram

    HELENA,
           a gentlewoman
              protected by the Countess

   A WIDOW OF FLORENCE.

    DIANA,
           daughter to the Widow

    VIOLENTA,
           neighbour and friend
               to the Widow

    MARIANA,
           neighbour and friend
               to the Widow

    Lords,
           Officers,
         Soldiers,
           etc.,
         French and Florentine

   SCENE:

    Rousillon;
        Paris;
           Florence;
        Marseilles
 
  ACT I. SCENE 1. Rousillon.
       The COUNT'S palace

    Enter BERTRAM,
           the COUNTESS OF ROUSILLON,
         HELENA,
           and LAFEU,
         all in black

    COUNTESS.

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

    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.

    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.

    COUNTESS.

    What hope
        is there
               of his Majesty's amendment?

    LAFEU.

    He hath abandon'd his physicians,
           madam;
        under whose practices
             he hath persecuted
                   time with hope,
           and finds no other advantage
               in the process
             but only the losing
                   of hope by 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 stretch'd 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.

    LAFEU.

    How call'd
           you the 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.

    LAFEU.

    He was excellent indeed,
           madam;
        the King very lately spoke
               of him admiringly
             and mourningly;
        he was skilful enough
              to have liv'd still,
           if knowledge
            could be
                  set up against mortality.

    BERTRAM.

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

    LAFEU.