Ber. That's all the fault: I spoke with her but once, And found her wondrous cold; but I sent to her, By this same coxcomb that we have i' th' wind, Tokens and letters which she did re-send; And this is all I have done : She's a fair creature; Will you go see her? 2 Lord. With all my heart, my lord. SCENE VII. [Exeunt. Florence. A Room in the Widow's house. Enter HELENA and Widow. Hel. If you misdoubt me that I am not she, I know not how I shall assure you further, But I shall lose the grounds I work upon.* Wid. Though my estate be fallen, I was well born, Nothing acquainted with these businesses; 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; Wid. I should believe you; For you have show'd me that, which well approves Hel. Take this purse of gold, And let me buy your friendly help thus far, Which I will over-pay, and pay again, When I have found it. The count he woos your daugh. ter, Lays down his wanton siege before her beauty, i. e. by discovering herself to the count. WARBURTON. [3] To your private knowledge, after having required from you an oath of secrecy. JOHNSON. In most rich choice; yet, in his idle fire, Wid. Now I see the bottom of your purpose. Herself most chastely absent: after this, Wid. I have yielded: Instruct my daughter how she shall perséver, Hel. Why then, to-night Let us assay our plot; which, if it speed, And lawful meaning in a lawful act; Where both not sin, and yet a sinful fact: But let's about it. ACT IV. [Exeunt. SCENE I.-Without the Florentine Camp. Enter first Lord, with five or six Soldiers in ambush. 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 Sol. Good captain, let me be the interpreter. 1 Lord. Art not acquainted with him? knows he not thy voice? 1 Sol. No, sir, I warrant you. 1 Lord. But what linsy-woolsy hast thou to speak to us again? 1 Sol. Even such as you speak to me 1 Lord. He must think us some band of strangers i' th' 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 language, gabble enough, and good enough. As for you, interpreter, you must seem very politic. 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 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. 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. [Aside. [Aside. 1 Lord. "Twould not do. Par. Or to drown my clothes, and say, I was stripped. 1 Lord. Hardly serve. Par. Though I swore I leaped from the window of the citadel 1 Lord. How deep? Par. Thirty fathom. [4] That is, foreign troops in the enemy's pay. JOHNSON [Aside. 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. Throcamovousus, 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 Sol. 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 Sol. Boskos vauvado : I understand thee, and can speak thy tongue :- Betake thee to thy faith, for seventeen poniards Par. Oh! - 1 Sol. O, pray, pray, pray. Manka revania dulche. 1 Lord. Oscorbi dulchos volivorca. 1 Sol. The general is content to spare thee yet; Par. O, let me live, And all the secrets of our camp I'll show, 1 Sol. But wilt thou faithfully? Par. If I do not, damn me. 1 Sol. Acordo linta.— Come on, thou art granted space. [Exit, with PAR. 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 Sol. Captain, I will. 1 Lord. He will betray us all unto ourselves; Inform 'em that. 2 Sol. So I will, sir. 1 Lord. Till then, I'll keep him dark, and safely lock'd. Florence. A Room in the Widow's House. Enter BERTRAM and DIANA. Ber. They told me, that your name was Fontibell Ber. Titled goddess; And worth it, with addition! But, fair soul, Dia. She then was honest. Ber. So should you be. Dia. No: My mother did but duty; such, my lord, Ber. No more of that! I pr'ythee, do not strive against my vows: By love's own sweet constraint, and will forever Dia. Ay, so you serve us, Till we serve you: but when you have our roses, 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, To swear by him whom I protest to love, That I will work against him: Therefore, your oaths At least, in my opinion. |