But this exceeding posting day and night
Must wear your spirits low. We cannot help it.
But since you have made the days and nights as one,
To wear your gentle limbs in my affairs,
Be bold you do so grow in my requital
As nothing can unroot you. In happy time;—
But this exceeding posting day and night Must wear your spirits low. We cannot help it. But since you have made the days and nights as one, To wear your gentle limbs in my affairs, Be bold you do so grow in my requital As nothing can unroot you. In happy time;—
but th's exceeding posting day and night must wear your spirits low. we cannot help it. but since you 've made the days and nights as one, to wear your gentle limbs in my affairs, be bold you do so grow in my requital as nothing can unroot you. in happy time;—
But this exceeding posting day and night Must wear your spirits low....
And you.
And you.
and you.
And you.
Sir, I have seen you in the court of France.
Sir, I have seen you in the court of France.
sir, i 've seen you in the court of france.
Sir, I have seen you in the court of France.
I have been sometimes there.
I have been sometimes there.
i 've been sometimes there.
I have been sometimes there.
I do presume, sir, that you are not fallen
From the report that goes upon your goodness;
And therefore, goaded with most sharp occasions,
Which lay nice manners by, I put you to
The use of your own virtues, for the which
I shall continue thankful.
I do presume, sir, that you are not fallen From the report that goes upon your goodness; And therefore, goaded with most sharp occasions, Which lay nice manners by, I put you to The use of your own virtues, for the which I shall continue thankful.
i do presume, sir, that you 're not fallen from the report that goes upon your goodness; and therefore, goaded with most sharp occasions, which lay nice manners by, i put you to the use of your own virtues, for the which i shall continue thankful.
I do presume, sir, that you are not fallen From the report...
What’s your will?
What’s your will?
what’s your will?
What’s your will?
Helena speaks the play's title twice — once in 4-4 as she sets out, and again here when she discovers the King has left. The second use is more revealing than the first. In 4-4, she says it while organizing the wagon, briskly, as a principle she holds. Here, she says it in response to the Widow's exhaustion and her own setback — the King is gone, they've ridden through the night for nothing, and they have to turn around and ride further. 'All's well that ends well yet, / Though time seem so adverse and means unfit.' The 'yet' is everything: it's not confident, it's aspirational. She's reciting her own philosophy to keep going. This is what beliefs do under actual pressure: they become the thing you say to yourself in the moment you most doubt them.
That it will please you
To give this poor petition to the king,
And aid me with that store of power you have
To come into his presence.
That it will please you To give this poor petition to the king, And aid me with that store of power you have To come into his presence.
that it will please you to give th's poor petition to the king, and aid me with that store of power you 've to come into h's presence.
That it will please you To give this poor petition to the...
The king’s not here.
The king’s not here.
the king’s not here.
The king’s not here.
Not here, sir?
Not here, sir?
not here, sir?
Not here, sir?
Not indeed.
He hence remov’d last night, and with more haste
Than is his use.
Not indeed. He hence remov’d last night, and with more haste Than is his use.
not indeed. he hence remov’d last night, and with more haste than 's h's use.
Not indeed. He hence remov’d last night, and with more haste Than...
Lord, how we lose our pains!
Lord, how we lose our pains!
lord, how we lose our pains!
Lord, how we lose our pains!
All’s well that ends well yet,
Though time seem so adverse and means unfit.
I do beseech you, whither is he gone?
All’s well that ends well yet, Though time seem so adverse and means unfit. I do beseech you, whither is he gone?
all’s well that ends well yet, though time seem so adverse and means unfit. i do beseech you, whither 's he gone?
All’s well that ends well yet, Though time seem so adverse and...
Marry, as I take it, to Rossillon;
Whither I am going.
Marry, as I take it, to Rossillon; Whither I am going.
marry, as i take it, to rossillon; whither i am going.
Marry, as I take it, to Rossillon; Whither I am going.
I do beseech you, sir,
Since you are like to see the king before me,
Commend the paper to his gracious hand,
Which I presume shall render you no blame,
But rather make you thank your pains for it.
I will come after you with what good speed
Our means will make us means.
I do beseech you, sir, Since you are like to see the king before me, Commend the paper to his gracious hand, Which I presume shall render you no blame, But rather make you thank your pains for it. I will come after you with what good speed Our means will make us means.
i do beseech you, sir, since you 're like to see the king before me, commend the paper to h's gracious hand, which i presume shall render you no blame, but rather make you thank your pains for it. i will come after you with what good speed our means will make us means.
I do beseech you, sir, Since you are like to see the...
This I’ll do for you.
This I’ll do for you.
th's i’ll do for you.
This I’ll do for you.
And you shall find yourself to be well thank’d,
Whate’er falls more. We must to horse again.
Go, go, provide.
And you shall find yourself to be well thank’d, Whate’er falls more. We must to horse again. Go, go, provide.
and you shall find yourself to be well thank’d, whate’er falls more. we must to horse again. go, go, provide.
And you shall find yourself to be well thank’d, Whate’er falls more....
The Reckoning
A brief scene, but it earns its place: the slight jolt of discovering the King has moved creates pressure and momentum. Helena has been riding day and night, the Widow is exhausted, and then the destination turns out to be empty. For a beat, you feel the precariousness of the whole enterprise. Helena's response — 'All's well that ends well yet, / Though time seem so adverse and means unfit' — is her most fragile use of her own philosophy, and somehow its most persuasive. She doesn't give up. She pivots. She hands over her letter and turns around. The plan is still in motion.
If this happened today…
You've flown red-eye across the country with two exhausted colleagues. You've been awake for thirty hours. You get to the office building where the CEO is supposed to be, and the receptionist says he left last night. Your colleague groans. You say 'All's well that ends well' with slightly less conviction than you'd like, ask which hotel he's at, give someone your documents to hand-deliver, and book the next flight.