Nothing acquainted with these businesses,זי
And would not put my reputation now
In any staining act.

Hel. Nor would I wish you.
First, give me trust, the count he is my husband;
And what to your fworn counsel I have spoken,
Is fo, from word to word; and then you cannot,
By the good aid that I of you shall borrow,

Err in bestowing it.

Wid. I should believe you,

For you have shew'd me that which well approves

Y'are great in fortune.....

Hel. Take this purse of gold,

And let me buy your friendly help thus far,

Which I will overpay, and pay again

When I have found it. The Count wooes your

daughter,

1

Lays down his wanton fiege before her beauty,

Resolves to carry her; let her consent,
As we'll direct her how 'tis best to bear it.
Now his important blood will nought deny,
That she'll demand: a ring the Count does wear,
That downward hath fucceeded in his house
From fon to son, some four or five descents,
Since the first father wore it. This ring he holds
In most rich choice; yet in his idle fire,
To buy his will, it would not feem too dear,
Howe'er repented after.

Wid. Now I fee the bottom of your purpose.
Hel. You fee it lawful then. It is no more,
But that your daughter, ere she seems as won,
Defires this ring; appoints him an encounter;
In fine, delivers me to fill the time, A
Herself most chastly absent: after this,
To marry her, I'll add three thousand crowns
To what is past already.

Wid. I have yielded.

Instruct my daughter how she shall persevere,
That time and place, with this deceit so lawful,
May prove coherent. Every night he comes
With music of all forts, and fongs compos'd
To her unworthiness: it nothing steads us

لم

To

To chide him from our eaves; for he persists,

As if his life lay on't.

A

Hel. Why then, to-night

Let us assay our plot; which, if it speed,

Is wicked meaning in

a

lawful deed;

And lawful meaning in a wicked act;
Where both not fin, and yet a sinful fact;

ACTIV. SCENE I.

Part of the French camp in Florence. Enter one of the French Lords, with five or fix Soldiers in ambush.

Lord.

H

E can come no other way but by this hedge corner; when you fally 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 amongst us, whom we must produce for an interpreter.

Sol. Good Captain let me be th' interpreter.
Lord. Art' not acquainted with him? knows he not

thy voice?

:

Sol. No, Sir, I warrant you.
Lord. But what linfy-woolfy hast thou to speak to

us again?

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

Lord. He must think us fome band of strangers i'th' adverfaries' 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: chouch's language, gabble enough, and good enough. As for you, interpreter, you must seem very politic. But couch, hoa! here he comes, to beguile two hours in a fleep, and then to return and swear the lyes he forges.

Par. Ten o'clock; within these three hours 'twill be

time enough to go home. What shall I fay I have done? it must be a very plaufive invention that carries it. They begin to smoke me, and disgraces 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. Par. What the devil should move me to undertake the recovery of this drum, being not ignorant of the impoffibility, and knowing I had no fuch purpose? I must give myself fome hurts, and say, I got them in exploit. Yet flight ones will not carry it; they will fay, Came you off with so little? and great ones I dare not give; wherefore what's the instance? Tongue, I muft put you into a butter-woman's mouth, and buy myself another of Bajazet's mute, if you prattle me into these 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 stratagem.

Lord. Twould not do.

[Afide.

Par. Or to drown my cloaths, and say I was stript,

Lord. Hardly ferve.

[Afide.

Par. Though I fwore I leapt from the window of

the citadel

Lord. How deep?

[Afide.

:

Par. Thirty fathom.

Lord. Three great oaths would scarce make that be

believed.

[Afide.

Par, I would I had any drum of the enemy's; I

would fwear I recover'd it.

Lord. You shall hear one anon.

Par. A drum now of the enemy's !

[Afide.

[Alarum within.

Par.

Lord. Throco movoufus, cargo, cargo, cargo.
All. Cargo, cargo, villiando par corbo, cargo.

Par. Oh! ransom ransom :-- do not hide mine eyes. [They seize him, and blindfold him.

Inter. Bofkos thromuldo bofkos.

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'll discover that which shall undo the Florentine.

Inter. Bofkos vauvado; I understand thee, and can speak thy tongue, Kerelybonto, -Sir, betake thee to thy faith, for feventeen poniards are at thy bosom. Par. Oh!

Int. Oh, pray, pray, pray.
Mancha ravancha dulche.

Lord. Ofceoribi dulchos volivorco.

Int. The general is content to spare thee yet, Ard, hoodwink'd 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 secrets of our camp I'll shew;
Their force, their purposes: nay, I'll speak that
Which you will wonder at.

Int. But wilt thou faithfully?
Par. If I do not, damn me.
Int. Acordo linta.

Come on, thou art granted space.

[Exit.

[A Short alarum within.

Lord. Go, tell the Count Roufillon and my brother, We've caught the woodcock, and will keep him muffTill we do hear from them.

Sol. Captain, I will.

Lord. He will betray us all unto ourselves.

Inform 'em that.

Sol. So I will, Sir.

[led

Lord. Till then I'll keep him dark and safely lock'd.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Changes to the widow's house.

Enter Bertram and Diana.

1

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 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 fweet self was got.
Dia. She then was honeft.

Ber. So should you be.

Dia. No.

My mother did but duty; such, my Lord,

As you owe to your wife.

Ber. No more o' that!

1

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 qurselves,

And mock us with our bareness.

Ber. How have I fworn!

M

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 'bides;
But take the High'st to witness; then, pray tell me,

If I should 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 swear by him whom I protest to love,

!

That I will work against 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: stand no more off,

But give thyself unto my fick defires,

Which then recover. Say, thou art mine; and ever.

2

1

My