William Shakespeare: All's Well That Ends Well

ACT IV. SCENE 5. Rousillon. A room in the COUNTESS'S palace. (continued)

CLOWN.
Why, sir, if I cannot serve you, I can serve as great a
prince as you are.

LAFEU.
Who's that? a Frenchman?

CLOWN.
Faith, sir, 'a has an English name; but his phisnomy is more
hotter in France than there.

LAFEU.
What prince is that?

CLOWN.
The black prince, sir; alias, the prince of darkness; alias,
the devil.

LAFEU.
Hold thee, there's my purse: I give thee not this to suggest
thee from thy master thou talkest of; serve him still.

CLOWN.
I am a woodland fellow, sir, that always loved a great fire;
and the master I speak of ever keeps a good fire. But, sure, he
is the prince of the world; let his nobility remain in his court.
I am for the house with the narrow gate, which I take to be too
little for pomp to enter: some that humble themselves may; but
the many will be too chill and tender; and they'll be for the
flow'ry way that leads to the broad gate and the great fire.

LAFEU.
Go thy ways, I begin to be a-weary of thee; and I tell thee
so before, because I would not fall out with thee. Go thy ways;
let my horses be well looked to, without any tricks.

CLOWN.
If I put any tricks upon 'em, sir, they shall be jades' tricks,
which are their own right by the law of nature.

[Exit.]

LAFEU.
A shrewd knave, and an unhappy.

COUNTESS.
So he is. My lord that's gone made himself much sport out of him;
by his authority he remains here, which he thinks is a patent for
his sauciness; and indeed he has no pace, but runs where he will.