Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare [58]
craving permission to deliver a petition to the King. It was a petition signed Diana Capilet, and it begged that the King would order Bertram to marry her whom he had deserted after winning her love.
"I'd sooner buy a son-in-law at a fair than take Bertram now," said Lafeu.
"Admit the petitioner," said the King.
Bertram found himself confronted by Diana and her mother. He denied that Diana had any claim on him, and spoke of her as though her life was spent in the gutter. But she asked him what sort of gentlewoman it was to whom he gave, as to her he gave, the ring of his ancestors now missing from his finger?
Bertram was ready to sink into the earth, but fate had one crowning generosity reserved for him. Helena entered.
"Do I see reality?" asked the King.
"O pardon! pardon!" cried Bertram.
She held up his ancestral ring. "Now that I have this," said she, "will you love me, Bertram?"
"To the end of my life," cried he.
"My eyes smell onions," said Lafeu. Tears for Helena were twinkling in them.
The King praised Diana when he was fully informed by that not very shy young lady of the meaning of her conduct. For Helena's sake she had wished to expose Bertram's meanness, not only to the King, but to himself. His pride was now in shreds, and it is believed that he made a husband of some sort after all.
PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY OF NAMES.
[Key.-
a,e,i,o,u -- as in hat, bet, it, hot, hut; â,ê,î,ô,û -- as in ate, mote, mite, mote, mute; å -- as in America, freeman, coward; ë -- as in her, fern; ü -- as in burn, furl. ]
Adriana (ad-ri-â'-nå) AEgeon (ê'-ge-on) AEmilia (ê-mil'-i-å) Alcibiades (al-si-bî'-å-dêz) Aliena (â-li-ê'-nå) Angelo (an'-je-lô) Antioch (an'-ti-ok) Antiochus (an-tî'-o-kus) Antipholus (an-tif'-o-lus) Antonio (an-tô'-ni-ô) Apemantus (ap-e-man'-tus) Apollo (å-pol'-ô) Ariel (â'ri-el) Arragon (ar'-å-gon)
Banquo (ban'-kwô) Baptista (bap-tis'-tå) Bassanio (bas-sa'-ni-ô) Beatrice (bê'å-tris) Bellario (bel-lâ'-ri-ô) Bellarius (bel-lâ'-ri-us) Benedick (ben'-e-dik) Benvolio (ben-vô'-li-ô) Bertram (bër'-tram) Bianca (bê-an'-kå) Borachio (bô-rach'-i-ô) Brabantio (brå-ban'chô) Burgundy (bür'-gun-di)
Caliban (kal'-i-ban) Camillo (kå-mil'-ô) Capulet (kap'-û-let) Cassio (kas'-i-ô) Celia (sê'-li-å) Centaur (sen'-tawr) Cerimon (sê'-ri-mon) Cesario (se-sâ'-ri-ô) Claudio (klaw'-di-ô) Claudius (klaw'-di-us) Cordelia (kawr-dê'-li-å) Cornwall (kawrn'-wawl) Cymbeline (sim'-be-lên)
Demetrius (de-mê'-tri-us) Desdemona (des-de-mô-nå) Diana (dî-an'-å) Dionyza (dî-ô-nî'-zå) Donalbain (don'-al-ban) Doricles (dor'-i-klêz) Dromio (drô'-mi-ô) Duncan (dung'-kån)
Emilia (ê-mil'-i-å) Ephesus (ef'e-sus) Escalus (es'-kå-lus)
Ferdinand (fër'-di-nand) Flaminius (flå-min'-i-us) Flavius (flâ'-vi-us) Fleance (flê'-ans) Florizel (flor'-i-zel)
Ganymede (gan'-i-mêd) Giulio (jû'-li-ô) Goneril (gon'-e-ril) Gonzalo (gon-zah'-lô)
Helena (hel'-e-nå) Helicanus (hel-i-kâ'nus) Hercules (hër'kû-lêz) Hermia (hër'mi-å) Hermione (hër-mî'-o-nê) Horatio (hô-râ'-shi-ô) Hortensio (hor-ten'-si-ô)
Iachimo (yak'-i-mô) Iago (ê-ah-gô) Illyria ((il-lir'-i-å) Imogen (im'-o-jen)
Jessica (jes'-i-kå) Juliet (ju'li-et)
Laertes (lâ-ër'-têz) Lafeu (lah-fu')
"I'd sooner buy a son-in-law at a fair than take Bertram now," said Lafeu.
"Admit the petitioner," said the King.
Bertram found himself confronted by Diana and her mother. He denied that Diana had any claim on him, and spoke of her as though her life was spent in the gutter. But she asked him what sort of gentlewoman it was to whom he gave, as to her he gave, the ring of his ancestors now missing from his finger?
Bertram was ready to sink into the earth, but fate had one crowning generosity reserved for him. Helena entered.
"Do I see reality?" asked the King.
"O pardon! pardon!" cried Bertram.
She held up his ancestral ring. "Now that I have this," said she, "will you love me, Bertram?"
"To the end of my life," cried he.
"My eyes smell onions," said Lafeu. Tears for Helena were twinkling in them.
The King praised Diana when he was fully informed by that not very shy young lady of the meaning of her conduct. For Helena's sake she had wished to expose Bertram's meanness, not only to the King, but to himself. His pride was now in shreds, and it is believed that he made a husband of some sort after all.
PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY OF NAMES.
[Key.-
a,e,i,o,u -- as in hat, bet, it, hot, hut; â,ê,î,ô,û -- as in ate, mote, mite, mote, mute; å -- as in America, freeman, coward; ë -- as in her, fern; ü -- as in burn, furl. ]
Adriana (ad-ri-â'-nå) AEgeon (ê'-ge-on) AEmilia (ê-mil'-i-å) Alcibiades (al-si-bî'-å-dêz) Aliena (â-li-ê'-nå) Angelo (an'-je-lô) Antioch (an'-ti-ok) Antiochus (an-tî'-o-kus) Antipholus (an-tif'-o-lus) Antonio (an-tô'-ni-ô) Apemantus (ap-e-man'-tus) Apollo (å-pol'-ô) Ariel (â'ri-el) Arragon (ar'-å-gon)
Banquo (ban'-kwô) Baptista (bap-tis'-tå) Bassanio (bas-sa'-ni-ô) Beatrice (bê'å-tris) Bellario (bel-lâ'-ri-ô) Bellarius (bel-lâ'-ri-us) Benedick (ben'-e-dik) Benvolio (ben-vô'-li-ô) Bertram (bër'-tram) Bianca (bê-an'-kå) Borachio (bô-rach'-i-ô) Brabantio (brå-ban'chô) Burgundy (bür'-gun-di)
Caliban (kal'-i-ban) Camillo (kå-mil'-ô) Capulet (kap'-û-let) Cassio (kas'-i-ô) Celia (sê'-li-å) Centaur (sen'-tawr) Cerimon (sê'-ri-mon) Cesario (se-sâ'-ri-ô) Claudio (klaw'-di-ô) Claudius (klaw'-di-us) Cordelia (kawr-dê'-li-å) Cornwall (kawrn'-wawl) Cymbeline (sim'-be-lên)
Demetrius (de-mê'-tri-us) Desdemona (des-de-mô-nå) Diana (dî-an'-å) Dionyza (dî-ô-nî'-zå) Donalbain (don'-al-ban) Doricles (dor'-i-klêz) Dromio (drô'-mi-ô) Duncan (dung'-kån)
Emilia (ê-mil'-i-å) Ephesus (ef'e-sus) Escalus (es'-kå-lus)
Ferdinand (fër'-di-nand) Flaminius (flå-min'-i-us) Flavius (flâ'-vi-us) Fleance (flê'-ans) Florizel (flor'-i-zel)
Ganymede (gan'-i-mêd) Giulio (jû'-li-ô) Goneril (gon'-e-ril) Gonzalo (gon-zah'-lô)
Helena (hel'-e-nå) Helicanus (hel-i-kâ'nus) Hercules (hër'kû-lêz) Hermia (hër'mi-å) Hermione (hër-mî'-o-nê) Horatio (hô-râ'-shi-ô) Hortensio (hor-ten'-si-ô)
Iachimo (yak'-i-mô) Iago (ê-ah-gô) Illyria ((il-lir'-i-å) Imogen (im'-o-jen)
Jessica (jes'-i-kå) Juliet (ju'li-et)
Laertes (lâ-ër'-têz) Lafeu (lah-fu')