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This ring you say was yours?

King
This ring you say was yours?
Diana
Ay, my good lord.
King
Where did you buy it? Or who gave it you?
Diana
It was not given me, nor I did not buy it.

This woman’s an easy glove, my lord;
she goes off and on at pleasure.

King
Who lent it you?
Diana
It was not lent me neither.
King
Where did you find it then?
Diana
I found it not.
King
If it were yours by none of all these ways,
How could you give it him?
Diana
I never gave it him.
Lafew
This woman’s an easy glove, my lord; she goes
off and on at pleasure.
King
This ring was mine. I gave it his first wife.
Diana
It might be yours or hers for aught I know.
King, to Attendants 
Take her away. I do not like her now.
To prison with her, and away with him.—
Unless thou tell’st me where thou hadst this ring,
Thou diest within this hour.
Diana
I’ll never tell you.
King
Take her away.
Diana
I’ll put in bail, my liege.
King
I think thee now some common customer.
Diana, to Bertram
By Jove, if ever I knew man, ’twas you.
King
Wherefore hast thou accused him all this while?
Diana
Because he’s guilty and he is not guilty.
He knows I am no maid, and he’ll swear to ’t.
I’ll swear I am a maid, and he knows not.
Great king, I am no strumpet. By my life,
I am either maid or else this old man’s wife.
King
She does abuse our ears. To prison with her.
Diana
Good mother, fetch my bail. Widow exits. Stay, royal sir.
The jeweler that owes the ring is sent for,
And he shall surety me. But for this lord
Who hath abused me as he knows himself,
Though yet he never harmed me, here I quit him.
He knows himself my bed he hath defiled,
And at that time he got his wife with child.
Dead though she be, she feels her young one kick.
So there’s my riddle: one that’s dead is quick.
And now behold the meaning.
 Enter Helen and Widow.
King
Is there no exorcist
Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes?
Is ’t real that I see?
Helen
No, my good lord,
’Tis but the shadow of a wife you see,
The name and not the thing.
Bertram
Both, both. O, pardon!
Helen
O, my good lord, when I was like this maid,
I found you wondrous kind. There is your ring,
And, look you, here’s your letter.
 She takes out a paper.
This it says:

When from my finger you can get this ring
And are by me with child, etc.

This is done.
Will you be mine now you are doubly won?
Bertram
If she, my liege, can make me know this clearly,
I’ll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly.
Helen
If it appear not plain and prove untrue,
Deadly divorce step between me and you.

Source:
Act 5
Scene 3
Line 304

Source Type:

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