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All's Well That Ends Well

Act III, Scene 4

Rousillon. The COUNT's palace.
 
[Enter COUNTESS and Steward]
 
COUNTESS
         ,         ,           ,           x         ,
      Alas!| And would | you take | the letter | of her:
             ,          ,          ,            2       ,    ,
      Might^you | not^know | she would | do*, as she / has done,
           ,       ,        x       ,          ,
      By send|ing me | a letter.| Read it | again.
 
STEWARD
               ,     ,       ,          ,        ,
      I am / Saint Jaqu|es' pil|grim, thith|er gone:
         ,         ,          ,       ,     x
      Ambit|ious love | hath so | in me | offended,
             ,         ,    ,         T     T   . T
      That bare|foot plod | I the | cold ground upon
             ,       ,          ,      ,     2   ,
      With saint|ed vow | my faults | to have a|mended.
        T      T      T        2      ,        ,         ,
      Write, write, that | from the blood|y course | of war,
           ,       ,               ,   ,         ,
      My dear|est mast|er your / dear son,| may hie,
        ,              ,         ,            ,         ,
      Bless him | at home | in peace.| Whilst^I | from far,
            ,           ,       ,        ,     ,
      His name | with zeal|ous ferv|or sanc|tify:
           ,      ,       ,         ,        ,
      His tak|en lab|ors bid | him me | forgive:
      ,           ,        ,      ,          ,
      I his | despite|ful Ju|no sent | him forth,
             ,         ,             ,        ,         ,
      From court|ly friends,| with camp|ing foes | to live,
               ,          ,        ,          ,          ,
      Where* death | and dang|er dogs | the heels | of worth.
               ,    ,          ,          ,          ,
      He is / too good | and fair | for death,| and me,
           ,       ,        ,         ,          ,
      Whom I | myself | embrace,| to set | him free.
 
COUNTESS
       .   T    T      T          ,         ,        ,
      Ah what sharp stings | are in | her mild|est words?
          ,        2        x     ,        ,         ,
      Rinal|do, you did / never lack | advice | so much,
          ,               ,   ,       ,     ,       2
      As let|ting her / pass so:| had I | spoke with her,
          ,            ,       ,       ,        ,
      I could | have well | diver|ted her | intents,
              ,          ,        ,
      Which thus | she hath | prevent|ed.
 
STEWARD
                                            x          x
                                         Pardon | me madam,
         ,         x           ,        ,     ,
      If I | had given | you this | at ov|ernight,
            ,            ,         ,         ,           ,
      She might | have been | oretane:| and yet | she writes
           ,           ,         ,
      Pursuit | would be | but vain.
 
COUNTESS
                                       ,   ,
                                     What ang/el shall
        ,       2     ,       ,            ,         ,
      Bless this un|worthy | husband,| he can|not thrive,
          ,           ,              x          ,          ,
      Unless | her prayers,| whom heaven | delights | to hear
            ,          ,          ,           ,          ,
      And loves | to grant,| reprieve | him from | the wrath
           ,        ,          ___      ,        ,
      Of great|est just|ice.| Write,| write Rin|aldo,
           ,        ,      ,        ,         ,
      To this | unworth|y hus|band of | his wife,
           ,       ,      ,     ,               ,
      Let eve|ry word | weigh heav/y of | her worth,
            ,          ,            ,          ,         ,
      That he | does weigh | too* light:| my great|est grief,
                x      ,        T   .   T    T      ,
      Though little | he do | feel it, set down | sharply.
           ,           ,        ,        ,      ,
      Dispatch | the most | conven|ient mes|senger,
            ,      ,           ,          ,         ,
      When hap|ly he | shall hear | that she | is gone,
           ,        ,          ,       ,          ,
      He will | return,| and hope | I may | that she
        ,            ,           ,           ,       ,
      Hearing | so much,| will speed | her foot | again,
       ,    ,            T    T     T       2       ,
      Led hith/er by | pure love: which | of them both
           ,       ,       ,       2     ,          ,
      Is dear|est to | me, I | have no skill | in sense
        x           ,             ,          ,      ,
      To make dis|tinction:| provide | this mes|senger:
           ,          ,      ,          ,         ,
      My heart | is heav|y, and | mine age | is weak,
        ,                  ,          ,        ,         ,
      Grief would | have tears,| and sor|row bids | me speak.
 
[Exeunt]

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