ACT IV. SCENE I. Without the Florentine camp. Enter first Lord, with five or six Soldiers in am bush. 1 Lord. He can come no other way but by this hedge' corner: When you sally upon him, speak what terrible language you will; though you understand it not yourselves, no matter: for we must not seem to understand him; unless some one among us, whom we must produce for an interpreter. 1 Sold. Good captain, let me be the interpreter. 1 Lord. Art not acquainted with him? knows he not thy voice? 1 Sold. No, sir, I warrant you. 1 Lord. But what linsy-woolsy hast thou to speak to us again? 1 Sold. Even such as you speak to me. 1 Lord. He must think us some band of strangers i'the adversary's entertainment*. Now he hath a smack 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 seem to know, is to know straight our purpose: chough'st language, gabble enough, and good enough. As for you, interpreter, you must seem very politick. But couch, ho! here he comes; to beguile two hours in a sleep, and then to return and swear the lies he forges. i. c. Foreign troops in the enemy's pay. Enter Parolles. Par. Ten o'clock: within these three hours 'twill be time enough to go home. What shall I say I have done? It must be a very plausive invention that carries it: They begin to smoke me; and disgraces have of late knocked too often at my door. I find my tongue is too foolhardy; but my heart hath the fear of Mars before it, and of his creatures, not daring the reports of my tongue. 1 Lord. This is the first truth that e'er thine own tongue was guilty of. [Aside. Par. What the devil should move me to undertake the recovery of this drum; being not ignorant of the impossibility, and knowing I had no such pur pose? I must give myself some hurts, and say, I got them in exploit: Yet slight ones will not carry it: They will say, Came you off with so little? and great ones I dare not give. Wherefore? what's the instance? Tongue, I must put you into a butterwoman's mouth, and buy another of Bajazet's mule, if you prattle me into these perils. 1 Lord. Is it possible he should know what he is, and be that he is? [Aside. Par. I would the cutting of my garments would `serve the turn; or the breaking of my Spanish sword. 1 Lord. We cannot afford you so. [Aside. Par. Or the baring of my beard; and to say, it was in stratagem. 1 Lord. 'Twould not do. [Aside. Par. Or to drown my clothes, and say I was stripped. 1 Lord. Hardly serve. [Aside. Par. Though I swore I leaped from the window of the citadel 1 Lord. How deep? [Aside • The proof, Par. Thirty fathom. 1 Lord. Three great oaths would scarce make that be believed. [Aside. Par. I would I had any drum of the enemy's; I would swear I recovered it. 1 Lord. You shall hear one anon. Par. A drum now of the enemy's! [Aside. [Alarum within. 1 Lord. Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo. All. Cargo, cargo, villianda par corbo, cargo. Par. O! ransome, ransome:-Do not hide mine eyes. [They seize him and blindfold him. 1 Sold. Boskos thromuldo boskos. Par. I know you are the Muskos' regiment, And I shall lose my life for want of language: If there be here German, or Dane, low Dutch, Italian, or French, let him speak to me, I will discover that which shall undo The Florentine. 1 Sold. Boskos vauvado: I understand thee, and can speak thy tongue :- Betake thee to thy faith, for seventeen poniards Par. 1 Sold. Oh! O, pray, pray, pray. Manka revania dulche. 1 Lord. Oscorbi dulchos volivorca. 1 Sold. The general is content to spare thee yet; Par. 1 Sold. But wilt thou faithfully? Par. If I do not, damn me. 1 Sold. Acordo linta. Come on, thou art granted space. [Exit, with Parolles guarded. 1 Lord. Go, tell the count Rousillon, and my brother, We have caught the woodcock, and will keep him muffled, Till we do hear from them. 2 Sold. Captain, I will. 1 Lord. He will betray us all uuto ourselves;Inform 'em that. 1 Lord. Till then, I'll keep him dark, and safely lock'd. SCENE II. [Exeunt Florence. A room in the Widow's house. Enter Bertram and Diana. Ber. They told me, that your name was Fontibell. Ber. Titled goddess; Dia. She then was honest. Ber. Dia. So should you be. No. My mother did but duty; such, my lord, As you owe to your wife. Ber. No more of that! I pr'ythee, do not strive against my vows*: By love's own sweet constraint, and will for ever Dia. Ay, so you serve us, Till we serve you: but when you have our roses, You barely leave our thorns to prick ourselves, And mock us with our bareness. Ber. How have I sworn? Dia. 'Tis not the many oaths that make the truth; But the plain single vow, that is vow'd true. What is not holy, that we swear not by, But take the Highest to witness t: Then, pray you, tell me, If I should swear by Jove's great attributes, I lov'd you dearly, would you believe my oaths, To swear by him whom I protest to love, That I will work against him: Therefore, your oaths Ber. Change it, change it; Be not so holy-cruel: love is holy; And my integrity ne'er knew the crafts, That you do charge men with: Stand no more off, But give thyself unto my sick desires, Who then recover: say, thou art mine, and ever Dia. I see that men make hopes in such affairs, That we'll forsake ourselves. 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; * i. e. Against his determined resolution never to cohabit with Helena. + The sense is—we never swear by what is not holy, but take to witness the Highest, the Divinity. |