Par. And truly, as I hope to live. Jet from his house; her pretense is a pilgrimage b.ds you answer to what I shall ask you out o Saut Jaques le grand; which holy undertaking, a note. with most austere sanctimony, she accomplished: and, there residing, the tenderness of her nature became as a prey to her grief; in fine made a groan of ter last breath, and now she sings in heaven. 2 Lord. How is this justified? 1 Lord. The stronger part of it by her own letter; which makes her story true, even to the point of ter death; her death itself, which could not be her office to say, is come, was faithfully confirmed ly the rector of the place. 2 Lord. Hath the count all this intelligence? 1 Lord. Ay, and the particular confirmations, point from point to the full arming of the verity. ? Lord. I am heartily sorry, that he'll be glad of this. I Lord. How mightily sometimes we make us comforts of our losses! 2 Lord. And how mightily, some other times, we drown our gain in tears! The great dignity, that his valor hath here acquired for him, shall at home be encountered with a shame as ample. Lord. The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together: our virtues would be proud, if ur faults whipped them not; and our crimes would despair, if they were not cherished by our Enter a Servant. How now ? where's your master? Serr. He met the duke in the street, sir, of whom be bath taken a solemn leave; his lordship will Bext morning for France. The duke hath offered him letters of commendations to the king. Lord. They shall be no more than needful there, if they were more than they can commend. Enter BERTRAM. 1 Lord. They cannot be too sweet for the king's tartness. Here's his lordship now. How now, my lord, ist not after midnight? 1 Sold. First, demand of him how many horse the duke is strong. What say you to that! Par. Five or six thousand: but very weak and unserviceable: the troops are all scattered, and the commanders very poor rogues, upon my reputation and credit, and as hope to live. 1 Sold. Shall I set down your answer so? Par. Do; I'll take the sacrament on't, how and which way you will. Ber. All's one to him. What a past-saving slave is this! 1 Lord. You are deceived, my lord; this is monsieur Parolles, the gallant militarist, (that was his own phrase,) that had the whole theorick of war in the knot of his scarf, and the practice in the chape of his dagger. 2 Lord. I will never trust a man again, for keeping his sword clean; nor believe he can have every thing in him, by wearing his apparel neatly. 1 Sold. Well, that's set down. Pur. Five or six thousand horse, I said, I will say true,- or thereabouts, set down, for I'll speak truth. 1 Lord. He's very near the truth in this. Ber. But I con him no thanks for't, in the nature he delivers it. Pur. Poor rogues, I pray you, say. 1 Sold. Well, that's set down. the rogues are inarvellous poor. 1 sold. Demand of him what strength they cre a-foot. What say you to that? Par. By my troth, sir, if I were to live this present hour, I will tell true. Let me see: Spurio à hundred and fifty, Sebastian so many, Corambus so many, Jaques so many; Guiltian, Cosmo, Lodowick, and Gratii, two hundred and fifty each: mine own company, Chitopher, Vaumond. Bentii, Ber. I have to-night despatched sixteen busi- two hundred and fifty each: so that the musterTesses, a month's length a-piece, by an abstract of file, rotten and sound, upon my life, amounts not Success: I have conge'd with the duke, done my to fifteen thousand poll; half of which dare not adeu with his nearest; buried a wife, mourned for shake the snow from off their cassocks, lest they her; writ to my lady mother, I am returning; en-shake themselves to pieces. tertained my convoy; and between these main Ber. What shall be done to him? parcels of despatch, effected many nicer needs; the 1 Lord. Nothing but let him have thanks. Delast was the greatest, but that I have not ended yet.mand of him my conditions, and what credit I Lord. If the business be of any difficulty, and have with the duke. It's morning your departure hence, it requires haste of your lordship. Pur. I beseech you, let me answer to the par ticular of the interrogatories: Demand them singly. 1 Sold. Do you know this captain Dumain? 1 Sold. Well, that's set down. You shall demand of him whether one Captain Dumain be Ber. I mean, the business is not ended, as fearing the camp, a Frenchman; what his reputation is to hear of it hereafter. But shall we have this dia- with the duke, what his valor, honesty, and expertlue between the fool and the soldier ? -Come,ness in wars; or whether he thinks it were not bring forth this counterfeit module: he has de-possible, with well-weighing sums of gold, to cor trived me like a double-meaning prophesier. rupt him to revolt. What say you to this? What 2 Lord. Bring him forth | Exeunt Soldiers.] He do you know of it? is sat in the stocks, all night, poor gallant knave. Br. No matter; his heels have deserved it, in rping his spurs so long. How does he carry Lord. I have told your lordship already; the scarry him. But, to answer you as you would be understood; he weeps like a wench that had her milk: he hath confessed himself to Morin, whom he supposes to be a friar. from the time this remembrance, to this very instant disaster bis sitting i' the stocks: And what think you he bath confessed? Br. Nothing of me, has he? 2 Lord. His confession is taken, and it shall be ad to his face: if your lordship be in't, as I beee you are, you must have the patience to hear it. Re-enter Soldiers with PAROLLES. Br. A plague upon him! muffled! he can say 20thing of me: hush! hush! 1 Lord. Hoodman comes! - Porto tartarossa. I Said. He calls for the tortures: What will you ay without 'em? Pr. I will confess what I know without contant; if he pinch me like a pasty, I can say no 1 Sold. Bosko chimurcho. 2 Lord. Boblibindo chicurmurcho. Sold. You are a merciful general:-Our general (Model, pattern. An allusion to the degradation of a knight by hackmg of his spurs. Par. I know him: he was a botcher's prentice in Paris, from whence he was whipped for getting the sheriff's fool with child; a dumb innocent, that could not say him, nay. [DUMAIN lifts up his hand in anger. Ber. Nay, by your leave, hold your hands; though I know, his brains are forfeit to the next tile that falls. 1 Sold. Well, is this captain in the duke of Florence's camp? Par. Upon my knowledge, he is, and lousy. Lord. Nay, look not so upon me; we shall hear of your lordship anon. Sold. What is the reputation with the duke? Pur. The duke knows him from no other but a poor officer of mine; and writ to me the other day, to turn him out o' the band: I think I have his letter in my pocket. 1 Sold. Marry, we'll search is there, or it is upon a file, with the duke's other Pur. In good sadness, I do not know: either it letters in my tent. 1 Sold. Here 'tis ; here's a paper. Pur. I do not know if it be it or no. 3 The point of the scabbard. Shall I read 4 Cassock then signified a horseman's loose coat. • A natural fool. 1 1ard. Excellently. 1 Sold. Dian. The count's a fool, and full of gold. Par. That is not the duke's letter, sir; that is an advertisement to a proper maid in Florence, one Diana, to take heed of the allurements of one count Rousillon, a foolish idle boy, but, for all that, very ruttish: I pray you, sir, put it up again. 1 Sold. Nay, I'll read it first, by your favor. Par. My meaning in't, I protest, was very honest in the behalf of the maid; for I knew the young count to be a dangerous and lascivious boy; who is a whale to virginity, and devours up all the fry it finds. Ber. Damnable, both sides rogue! Par. Ay, and the captain of his horse, count Rousillon. 1 Sold. I'll whisper with the general, and know his pleasure. Pur. I'll no more drumming; a plague of all drums! Only to seem to deserve well, and to begude the supposition of that lascivious young boy, the count, have I to run into this danger: Yet we would have suspected an ambush where I was taken 1 Sold. There is no remedy, sir, but you must de: the general says, you that have so traitorously covered the secrets of your army, and made su h pestiferous reports of men very nobly held, cin must die. Come, headsman, off with his head. Par. O Lord, sir; let me live, or let me see Lay death. 1 Sold. When he swears ouths, bid him drop serve the world for no honest use; therefore you gold, and take it; After he scores he never pays the score: Half won, is match well made; match, and well He ne'er pays after debts, take it before; Thine, as he vow'd to thee in thine ear, Ber. He shall be whipped through the army, with this rhyme in his forehead. 2 Lord. This is your devoted friend, sir, the manifold linguist, and the armipotent soldier. Ber. I could endure any thing before but a cat, and now he's a cat to me. 1 Sold. I perceive, sir, by the general's looks, we shall be fain to hang you. Par. My life, sir, in any case: not that I am afraid to die; but that, my offences being many, I would repent out the remainder of nature: let me live, sir, in a dungeon, i' the stock's, or any where, so I may live. 1 Sold. We'll see what may be done, so you confess freely; therefore, once more to this captain Dumain: You have answered to his reputation with the duke, and to his valor: What is his honesty? Par. He will steal, sir, an egg out of a cloister. for rapes and ravishments he parallels Nessus. He professes not keeping of oaths; in breaking them, he is stronger than Hercules. He will lie, sir, with such volubility, that you would think truth were a fool: drunkenness is his best virtue; for he will be swine-drunk; and in his sleep he does little harm, save to his bed-clothes about him; but they know his conditions, and lay him in straw. I have but little more to say, sir, of his honesty: he has every thing that an honest man should not have; what an honest man should have, he has nothing. 1 Lord. I begin to love him for this. A Ber. For this description of thine honesty! pox upon him for me, he is more and more a cat. 1 Sold. What say you to his expertness in war? Par. Faith, sir, he has led the drum before the English tragedians to belie him, I will not,-and more of his soldiership I know not; except, in that country he had the honor to be the officer at a place there called Mile-end, to instruct for the doubling of files: I would do the man what honor can, but of this I am not certain. 1 Lord. He hath out-villained villainy so far, that the rarity redeems him. Ber. A pox on him! he's a cat still. 1 Sold. His qualities being at this poor price, I need not ask you, if gold will corrupt him to revolt. Par. Sir, for a quart d'ecus he will sell the feesimple of his salvation, the inheritance of it; and cut the entail from all remainders, and a perpetual succession for it perpetually. 1 Sold. What's his brother, the other captain Dumain? 2 Lord. Why does he ask him of me? 1 Sold. What's he Par. E'en a crow of the same nest; not altogether so great as the first in goodness, but greater a great deal in evil. He excels his brother for a coward, jet yet his brother is reputed one of the best that is. a retreat he outruns any lackey; marry, in coming on he has the cramp. 1 Sold. If your life be saved, will you undertake to betray the Florentine? 4 The Centaur killed by Hercules. The fourth part of the smaller French crown. 1 Sold. That shall you, and take your leave of 2 Lord. God bless you, captain Parolles. 2 Lord. Captain, what greeting will you to my lord Lafeu? I am for France. of the sonnet you writ to Diana in behalf of the Par. Who cannot be crushed with a plot! 1 Sold. If you could find out a country where but women were that had received so much shaie, you might begin an impudent nation. Fare yo well, sir: I am for France too; we shall speak of you there. Par. Yet am I thankful: if my heart were great, [EN SCENE IV.-Florence. A Room in the Widow's House. Enter HELENA, Widow, and DIANA. One of the greatest in the christian world Wid. And helper to a husband. But, O strange men! Dia. Go with your impositions, To deceive the opinion. • Commands. SCENE V. Rousillon. A Room in the Enter COUNTESS, LAFEU, and CLOWN. Lef. No, no, your son was misled with a snipt, taffita fellow there; whose villainous saffron would lave made all the unbaked and doughy youth of a nation in his color: your daughter-in-law had been alive at this hour and your son here at home, tnore advanced by the king, than by that red-tailed humble-bee I speak of. loved a great fire; and the master I speak of, ever Laf. Go thy ways, I begin to be a-weary of thee, and I tell thee so before, because I would not fall out with thee. Go thy ways; let my horses be well looked to, without any tricks. Clo. If I put any tricks upon 'em, sir, they shall be jades' tricks; which are their own right by the [Exit. law of nature. Lof. A shrewd knave, and an unhappy. himself much sport out of him; by his authority Le Count. So he is. My lord, that's gone, made remains here, which he thinks is a patent for his sauciness; and, indeed, he has no pace, but runs where he will. Count, I would, I had not known him! it was the death of the most virtuous gentlewoman that about to tell you. Since I heard of the good lady's Laf. I like him well; 'tis not amiss: and I was ever nature had praise for creating: if she had par-death, and that my lord your son was upon his retaken of my flesh, and cost me the dearest groans turn home, I moved the king my master, to speak of a mother, I could not have owed her a more in the behalf of my daughter: which in the minorrooted love. remembrance, did first propose: his highness hath rity of them both, his majesty, out of a self-gracious promised me to do it: and, to stop up the displealitter matter. How does your ladyship like it? sure he hath conceived against your son, there is no Lf. Twas a good lady, 'twas a good lady: we may pick a thousand salads, ere we light on such another herb. Co. Indeed, sir, she was the sweet-marjoram of the salad, or, rather, the herb of grace." Lf. They are not salad-herbs, you knave, they are nose-herbs. Co. I am no great Nebuchadnezzar, sir, I have not much skill in grass. Lef. Whether dost thou profess thyself; a knave or a fool! Clo. A fool, sir, at a woman's service, and a knave at a inan's. Laf. Your distinction? Ch. I would cozen the man of his wife, and do his service. Lf. So you were a knave at his service, indeed. to do her service. Lf. I will subscribe for thee; thou art both inave and fool. Clo. At your service. Ch. Why, sir, if I cannot serve you, I can serve as great a prince as you are. Lef. Who's that? a Frenchman? Co. Faith, sir, he has an English name: but his phisnomy is more hotter in France, than there. Lof. What prince is that? C. The black prince, sir; alias, the prince of darkness; clias, the devil. Laf. Hold thee, there's my purse; I give thee not this to suggest thee from thy master thou talkest of; surve him still. Clo. I am a woodland fellow, sir, that always I wish it happily effected. as able body as when he numbered thirty; he will Count. It rejoices me, that I hope I shall see him ere I die. I have letters, that my son will be here to-night I shall beseech your lordship, to remain with me till they meet together. Laf. Madam, I was thinking, with what manners I might safely be admitted. Count. You need but plead your honorable priv ilege. but, I thank my God, it holds yet. Re-enter Clown. Clo. O madam yonder's my lord your son with a patch of velvet on's face: whether there be a scar under it, or no, the velvet knows: but tis a goodly patch of velvet: his left cheek is a cheek of two pile and a half, but his right cheek is worn bare. Luf. A scar nobly got, or a noble scar, is a good livery of honor! so, belike, is that. Clo. But it is your carbonadoeds face. Laf. Let us go see your son. I pray you; I long to talk with the young noble soldier. Clo. Faith, there's a dozen of 'em, with delicate fine hats, and most courteous feathers, which bow the head and nod at every man. [Exeunt. Gent. Marry, as I take it, to Rousillon; Whither I am going. Hel. I do beseech you sir, Since you are like to see the king before me, Commend the paper to his gracious hand; Which, I presume, shall render you no blame, But rather make you thank your pains for it: I will come after you, with what good speed Our means will make us means. Gent. This I'll do for you. 'Hel. And you shall find yourself to be well thank'd, Whate'er falls more. We must to horse again; Enter Clown and PAROLLES. Par. Good monsieur Lavatch, give my lord Lafeu this letter: I have, ere now, sir, been better known to you, when I have held familiarity with fresher clothes; but I am now, sir, muddied in fortune's moat, and smell somewhat strong of her strong dis pleasure. Co. Truly, fortune's displeasure is but sluttish, if it smell so strong as thou speakest of: I will thenceforth eat no fish of fortune's buttering.Prythee, allow the wind. Pur. Nay, you need not stop your nose, sir; I spake but by a metaphor. Clo. Indeed, sir, if your metaphor stink, I will stop my nose; or against any man's metaphor.Prythee, get thee further. Pur. Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper. Clo. Foh! prythee, stand away: A paper from fortunes close-stool to give to a nobleman! Look, here he comes himself. Enter LAFEU. Here is a pur of fortune, sir, or of fortune's cat, (but not a musk-cat,) that has fallen into the unclean fishpond of her displeasure, and, as he says, is muddied withal: Pray you, sir, use the carp as you may; for he looks like a poor, decayed, ingenious, foolish, rascally knave. I'do pity his distress in my smiles of comfort, and leave him to your lordship. [Exit Clown. Par. My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly scratched. Laf. And what would you have me to do? 'tis too late to pare her nails now. Wherein have you played the knave with fortune, that she should scratch you, who of herself is a good lady, and would not have knaves thrive long under her! There's a quart d' ecu for you: Let the justices make you and fortune friends: I am for other business. Par. I beseech your honor to hear me one single word. Laf. You beg a single penny more: come, you shall ha't; save your word. Par. My name, my good lord, is Parolles. Luf. You beg more than one word, then. Cox' my passion! give me your hand:-How does your drum? Pur. O my good lord, you were the first that found me. Luf. Was 1, in sooth? and I was the first that lost thee. Par. It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace, for you did bring me out. Laf. Out upon thee, knave! dost thou put upon me at once both the office of God and the devil? one brings thee in grace, and the other brings thee out. [Trumpets sound. The king's coming, I know by his trumpets.-Sirrah, inquire further after me; I had talk of you last night: though you are a fool and a knave, you shall eat: go to, follow. Par. I praise God for you. [Exeunt. SCENE III-A Room in the Countess's Palace. Flourish. Enter King, Countess, LAFEU, Lords, Gentlemen, Guards, &c. King. We lost a jewel of her; and our esteem Was made much poorer by it: but your son, As mad in folly, lack'd the sense to know Her estimation home." Count. 'Tis past, my liege: And I beseech your majesty to make it Reckoning or estimate. Completely, in its full extent. King. Natural rebellion, done i' the blaze of youth; King. Gent. I shall, my liege. [Exit Gentleman King. What says he to your daughter? have you spoke! Laf. All that he is hath reference to your highness, King. Then shall we have a match. I have letters sent me, That set him high in fame. Enter BERTRAM. Laf. Ber. He looks well on t King. I am not a day of season, For thou mayst see a sunshine and 9 hail In me at once: But to the brightest beams Distracted clouds give way; so stand thou forth, The time is fair again. My high reputed blames, Dear sovereign, pardon to me. King. All is whole; Not one word more of the consunicd time. Let's take the instant by the forward top; For we are old, and on our quick'st decrees The inaudible and noiseless foot of time Steals ere we can etlect them: You remember The daughter of this lord? Ber. Admiringly, my liege: at first I struck my choice upon her, ere my heart bless! Or, ere they meet, in me, O nature, cease! Laf. Come on, my son, in whom my house's name Must be digested, give a favor from you, To sparkle in the spirits of my daughter. That she may quickly come.-Ry my old beard, And every hair that's on't, Helen, that's dead, Was a sweet creature; such a ring as this, The last that e'er I took her leave at court, I saw upon her finger! Count. Son, on my life, I have seen her wear it; and she reckon'd it Lef. Kung. Where you have never come,) or sent it us She never saw it. King. Thou speak'st it falsely, as I love mine And mak'st conjectural fears to come into me I am afeard, the life of Helen, lady, Now, justice on the doers! Enter BERTRAM, guarded. you, King. I wonder, sir, since wives are monsters to My suit, as I do understand, you know, Ber, My lord, I neither can, nor will deny Dia. short for my daughter; you are no husband for her. Whom sometime I have laugh'd with: let your high ness Lay a more noble thought upon mine honor, King. Sir, for my thoughts, you have them ill to Till your deeds gain them: Fairer prove your honor, That thou art so inhuman,-twill not prove so-Than in my thought it lies And yet I know not:-thou didst hate her deadly, Having vainly fear'd too little.-Away with him;- Ber If you shall prove Exit BERTRAM, guarded. Enter a Gentleman. King. I am wrapp'd in dismal thinkings. Who hath for four or five removes, come short King. [Reads.] Upon his many protestations to To bring forth this discovery.-Seek these suitors: [Exeunt Gentleman and some Attendants. Dia. King. What sayest thou to her? She's impudent, my lord, Count. He blushes, and 'tis it: Methought, you said, He's quoted for a most perfidious slave, |
