William Shakespeare: All's Well That Ends Well

ACT II. SCENE 3. Paris. The KING'S palace.

[Enter BERTRAM, LAFEU, and PAROLLES.]

LAFEU.
They say miracles are past; and we have our philosophical
persons to make modern and familiar things supernatural and
causeless. Hence is it that we make trifles of terrors,
ensconcing ourselves into seeming knowledge when we should submit
ourselves to an unknown fear.

PAROLLES.
Why, 'tis the rarest argument of wonder that hath shot out in our
latter times.

BERTRAM.
And so 'tis.

LAFEU.
To be relinquish'd of the artists,--

PAROLLES.
So I say; both of Galen and Paracelsus.

LAFEU.
Of all the learned and authentic fellows,--

PAROLLES.
Right; so I say.

LAFEU.
That gave him out incurable,--

PAROLLES.
Why, there 'tis; so say I too.

LAFEU.
Not to be helped,--

PAROLLES.
Right; as 'twere a man assured of a,--

LAFEU.
Uncertain life and sure death.

PAROLLES.
Just; you say well: so would I have said.

LAFEU.
I may truly say, it is a novelty to the world.

PAROLLES.
It is indeed: if you will have it in showing, you shall read it
in,--What do you call there?--

LAFEU.
A showing of a heavenly effect in an earthly actor.

PAROLLES.
That's it; I would have said the very same.

LAFEU.
Why, your dolphin is not lustier: 'fore me, I speak in
respect,--

PAROLLES.
Nay, 'tis strange, 'tis very strange; that is the brief and the
tedious of it; and he's of a most facinerious spirit that will
not acknowledge it to be the,--