ACT IV. SCENE I.
Continues in Florence.

Enter one of the French Lords, with five or fix Soldiers

Lord. H

in ambush.

E can come no other way but by this hedgecorner; when you fally upon him, speak what terrible language you will; though you understand it not your felves, no matter; for we must not feem to underftand him, unless some one amongst us, whom we must produce for an interpreter.

Sol. Good captain, let me be th' interpreter.

Lord. Art not acquainted with hîm ? knows he not thy voice?

Sol. No, Sir, I warrant you.

Lord. But what linfie-woolfie haft thou to speak to us again?

Sol. Ev'n fuch as you fpeak to me.

Lord. He must think us fome band of ftrangers i'th' adverfaries entertainment. Now he hath a fmack of all neighbouring languages; therefore we must every one be a man of his own fancy, not to know what we speak one to another so we feem to know is to fhew straight our purpofe chough's language, gabble enough, and good enough. As for you, interpreter, you must seem very po- litick. But couch, hoa! here he comes, to beguile two hours in a fleep, and then to return and fwear the lies he forges.

Enter Parolles.

Par. Ten a clock; within these three hours 'twill be time enough to go home. What fhall I fay I have done? it must be a very plaufive invention that carries it. They begin to fmoak me, and difgraces have of late knock'd too often at my door; I find my tongue is too fool-hardy, but my heart hath the fear of Mars before it and of his creatures, not daring the reports of my tongue.

Lord. This is the first truth that e'er thine own tongue was guilty of.

[Afide. 1 recovery of this drum, being not ignorant of the impoffibi

Par. What the devil fhould move me to undertake the

R 3

lity,

lity, and knowing I had no fuch purpofe? I must give my felf fome hurts, and fay I got them in exploit ; yet flight ones will not carry it. They will fay, came you off with fo little? and great ones I dare not give; wherefore what's the inftance ? tongue, I must put you into a butter-woman's mouth, and buy my felf another of Bajazet's mute, if you prattle me into thefe perils.

Lord. Is it poffible he should know what he is, and be that he is? [Afide. Par. I would the cutting of my garments would ferve the turn, or the breaking of my Spanish Sword. Lord. We cannot afford you fo.

[Afide. Par. Or the baring of my beard, and to fay it was in ftratagem. Lord. 'Twould not do.

[Afide.

Par. Or to drown my cloaths, and fay I was stript.
Lord. Hardly ferve.

Afide.

Par. Though I fware I leap'd from the window of the

cittadel

Lord. How deep?

Par. Thirty fathom.

[Afide.

Lord. Three great oaths would fcarce make that be believed.

[Afide.

Par. I would I had any drum of the enemies, I would fwear I recover'd it.

Lord. You fhall hear one anon.

[Afide.
Par. A drum now of the enemies. [Alarum within.
Lord. Throco movoufus, cargo, cargo, cargo.
All. Cargo, cargo, villiando par corbo, cargo.

Par. Oh! ranfom, ranfom; do not hide mine eyes.

[They feize bim and blindfold isim.

Inter. Bafkos tbromaldo befkos.

Par. I know you are the Mufkos regiment,
And I fhall lofe my life for want of language.
If there be here German or Dane, low Dutch,
Italian, or French, let him fpeak to me,

I'll difcover that which shall undo the Florentine.

Inter. Bafkos vauvado, I understand thee, and can fpeak. thy tongue, Kerelybonto, Sir, betake thee to thy faith, for feventeen poniards are at thy bofom,

Par.

A

Par. Oh!

Inter. Oh, pray, pray, pray,

Mancha ravancha dulche.

Lord. Ofceoribi dulcbos volivorce.

Inter. The General is content to spare thee yet,
And hood-winkt as thou art, will lead thee on
To gather from thee. Haply thou may'st inform
Something to fave thy life.

Par. Oh let me live,

And all the fecrets of our camp I'll fhew;
Their force, their purposes: nay, I'll speak that
Which you will wonder at.

Inter. But wilt thou faithfully?

Par. If I do not, damn me.

Inter. Acordio linta.

Come on, thou art granted space,

[Exit.

[Afport alarum soithin.

Lord, Go, tell the Count Roufillon and my brother,

We've caught the woodcock, and will keep him muffled "Till we do hear from them.

Sol. Captain, I will.

Lord. He will betray us all unto our felves,

Inform 'em that.

Sol. So I will, Sir.

Lord. 'Till then I'll keep him dark and fafely lockt.

[Exeunt SCENE II. Enter Bertram and Diana.

Ber. They told me that your name was Fontibell
Dia. No, my good Lord, Diana.

Ber. Titled Goddess,

And worth it with addition! but, fair foul,
In your fine frame hath love no quality?
If the quick fire of youth light not your mind,
You are no maiden, but a monument :
When you are dead you fhould be fuch a one
As you are now, for you are cold and ftern;
And now you should be as your mother was
When your fweet felf was got.

Dia. She then was honeft.
Ber. So fhould you be.

Dia, No.

My mother did but duty; fuch, my Lord,
As you owe to your wife.

Ber. No more o' that

I pr'ythee do not strive against my vows:
I was compell'd to her, but I love thee
By love's own sweet constraint, and will for ever
Do thee all rights of service.

Dia. Ay, fo you ferve us

'Till we ferve you: but when you have our rofes, You barely leave our thorns to prick our felves, And mock us with our bareness.

Ber. How have I fworn!

Dia. Tis not the many oaths that make the truth,
But the plain fingle vow that is vow'd true ;
What is not holy that we fwear not by,

But take the High'ft to witnefs: then pray tell me,
If I fhould fwear by Jove's great attributes
I lov'd you dearly, would you believe my oaths,
When I did love you ill? this has no holding
To fwear by him whom I proteft to love,
That I will work againft him. Therefore your oaths
Are words and poor conditions but unfeal'd,
At least in my opinion.

Ber. Change it, change it:

Be not fo holy cruel. Love is holy,

And my integrity ne'er knew the crafts

That you do charge men with: ftand no more off,
But give thy felf unto my fick defires,

Which then recover, Say thou art mine, and ever
My love, as it begins, fhall fo perfever.

Dia. I fee that men make hopes in fuch affairs That we'll forfake our felves. Give me that ring. Ber. I'll lend it thee, my dear, but have no power To give it from me.

Dia. Will you not, my Lord?

Ber. It is an honour 'longing to our house,
Bequeathed down from many ancestors,

Which were the greatest obloquy i' th' world
In me to lofe,

Dia. Mine honour's fuch a ring;
My chaftity's the jewel of our houfe,
Bequeathed down from many ancestors,
Which were the greatest obloquy i'th world
In me to lofe. Thus your own proper wisdom
Brings in the champion honour on my part,
Against your vain affault.

Ber. Here, take my ring.

My houfe, my honour, yea, my life be thine,
And I'll be bid by thee.

1

chamber

[windows

Dia. When midnight comes, knock at my
I'll order take, my mother fhall not hear.
Now will I charge you in the band of truth,
When you have conquer'd my yet maiden-bed,
Remain there but an hour, nor fpeak to me:
My reasons are moft ftrong, and you fhall know them
When back again this ring fhall be deliver'd ;
And on your finger, in the night, I'll put
Another ring, that, what in time proceeds,
May token to the future our paft deeds.
Adieu 'till then, then fail not you have won
A wife of me, tho' there my hope be done.

Ber. A heav'n on earth I've won by wooing thee. [Exit. Dia. For which live long to thank both heav'n and me! You may fo in the end."

My mother told me juft how he would woo,

As if the fate in's heart; the fays, all men

Have the like oaths: he had fworn to marry me
When his wife's dead: therefore I'll lye with him
When I am buried. Since men are fo braid,
Marry that will, I'll live and die a maid;
Only in this difguife, I think't no fin

To cozen him that would unjustly win.

SCENE III,

[Exit.

Enter the two French Lords, and two or three Soldiers. Lord. You have not given him his mother's letter? 2 Lord, I have deliver'd it an hour fince; there is fomething in't that ftings his nature, for on the reading it he chang'd almost into another man,