Act 2 - Scene 4

Paris. The KING's palace.

Enter HELENA and Clown

HELENA

My mother greets me kindly; is she well?

Clown

She is not well; but yet she has her health: she's
very merry; but yet she is not well: but thanks be
given, she's very well and wants nothing i', the
world; but yet she is not well.

HELENA

If she be very well, what does she ail, that she's
not very well?

Clown

Truly, she's very well indeed, but for two things.

HELENA

What two things?

Clown

One, that she's not in heaven, whither God send her
quickly! the other that she's in earth, from whence
God send her quickly!

Enter PAROLLES

PAROLLES

Bless you, my fortunate lady!

HELENA

I hope, sir, I have your good will to have mine own
good fortunes.

PAROLLES

You had my prayers to lead them on; and to keep them
on, have them still. O, my knave, how does my old lady?

Clown

So that you had her wrinkles and I her money,
I would she did as you say.

PAROLLES

Why, I say nothing.

Clown

Marry, you are the wiser man; for many a man's
tongue shakes out his master's undoing: to say
nothing, to do nothing, to know nothing, and to have
nothing, is to be a great part of your title; which
is within a very little of nothing.