1 Lord. But what linsy-woolsy hast thou to speak to us again?

1 Sold. Even such as you speak to me.

i 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's 8 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.

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 fool-hardy; 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 purpose ? I must give myself some hurts, and say, I got them

71. e. Foreign troops in the enemy's pay.

8 A bird like a jack-daw,

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 butter-woman's mouth, and buy another of Bajazet's mule, if you prattle me into these perils.

i Lord. Is it possible, he should know what he is, and be that he is ?

[Aside. Pur. 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. 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. [Aside. Par. A drum now of the enemy's! [Alarum within. 1 Lord. Throca morousus, 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.

9 The proof.

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:-
Kerelybonto: Sir,
Betake thee to thy faith, for seventeen poniards
Are at thy bosom.
Par.

Oh! 1 Sold.

O, pray, pray, prayManka revania dulche. 1 Lord.

Oscorbi dulchos colivorca.
1 Sold. The general is content to spare thee yet;
And hood-wink'd as thou art, will lead thee on
To gather from thee: haply, thou may'st inform
Something to save thy life.
Par.

0, let me live,
And all the secrets of our camp I'll show,
Their force, their purposes : nay, I'll speak that
Which

you

will wonder at. 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. i Lord. Go, tell the count Rousillon, and my

brother, We have caught the woodcock, and will keep himm

muffled,

Till we do hear from them. 2 Sold.

Captain, I will. 1 Lord. He will betray us all unto ourselves;Inform 'em that. 2 Sold.

So I will, sir. 1 Lord. Till then, I'll keep him dark, and safely lock'd.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Florence.

A Room in the Widow's House,

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 soul,
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 should be such a one
As you are now, for you are cold and stern;
And now you should be as your mother was,
When your sweet self was got.

Dia. She then was honest.
Ber.

So should

you

be. Dia.

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:9

9 i.e. Against his determined resolution never to cohabit with Helena.

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, 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 :' Then, pray you,

tell me,

If I should swear 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 swear by him whom I protest to love,
That I will work against him: Therefore, your

oaths
Are words, and poor conditions; but unseal'd;
At least, in my opinion.
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
My love, as it begins, shall so perséver.

Dia. I see, that men make hopes, in such affairs, That we'll forsake ourselves. Give me that ring.

The sense is--we never swear by what is not holy, but take to witness the Highest, the Divinity.