William Shakespeare: All's Well That Ends Well

ACT II. SCENE 2. Rousillon. A room in the COUNTESS'S palace. (continued)

COUNTESS.
To be young again, if we could: I will be a fool in question,
hoping to be the wiser by your answer. I pray you, sir, are you a
courtier?

CLOWN.
O Lord, sir!--There's a simple putting off. More, more, a hundred
of them.

COUNTESS.
Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves you.

CLOWN.
O Lord, sir!--Thick, thick; spare not me.

COUNTESS.
I think, sir, you can eat none of this homely meat.

CLOWN.
O Lord, sir!--Nay, put me to't, I warrant you.

COUNTESS.
You were lately whipped, sir, as I think.

CLOWN.
O Lord, sir!--Spare not me.

COUNTESS.
Do you cry 'O Lord, sir!' at your whipping, and 'spare not me'?
Indeed your 'O Lord, sir!' is very sequent to your whipping. You
would answer very well to a whipping, if you were but bound to't.

CLOWN.
I ne'er had worse luck in my life in my--'O Lord, sir!' I see
thing's may serve long, but not serve ever.

COUNTESS.
I play the noble housewife with the time, to entertain it so
merrily with a fool.

CLOWN.
O Lord, sir!--Why, there't serves well again.

COUNTESS.
An end, sir! To your business. Give Helen this,
And urge her to a present answer back:
Commend me to my kinsmen and my son:
This is not much.

CLOWN.
Not much commendation to them.

COUNTESS.
Not much employment for you: you understand me?

CLOWN.
Most fruitfully: I am there before my legs.

COUNTESS.
Haste you again.

[Exeunt severally.]