1 Lord. Hoodman comes: Portotartarossa. Int. He calls for the tortures; what, will you fay without 'em? Par. I will confefs what I know without constraint; if ye pinch me like a pasty, I can fay no more. Int. Bosko Chimurcho. 2 Lord. Biblibindo chicurmurco. Int. You are a merciful General: our General bids you answer to what I shall ask you out of a note. Par. And truly, as I hope to live. Int. First demand of him, how many Horfe the Duke is ftrong. What fay you to that? Par. Five or fix thousand, but very weak and unfer viceable; the troops are all scatter'd, and the Comman ders very poor rogues, upon my reputation and credit, and as I hope to live. Int. Shall I fet down your answer so? Par. Do, I'll take the Sacrament on't, how and which way you will: all's one to me. Ber. What a paft-faving flave is this! 1 Lord. Y'are deceiv'd, my Lord, this is Monfieur Parolles, the gallant militarift, that was his own phrafe, that had the whole theory of war in the knot of his fcarf, and the practice in the chape of his dagger. 2 Lord. I will never truft a man again for keeping his fword clean; nor believe, he can have every thing in him by wearing his apparel neatly. Int. Well, that's fet down. Par. Five or fix thoufand horfe I faid, (I will fay true,) or thereabouts, fet 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. Par. Poor rogues, I pray you, fay. Int. Well, that's fet down. Par. I humbly thank you, Sir; a truth's a truth, the rogues are marvellous poor. Int. Demand of him, of what strength they are a-foot. What fay you to that? Par. By my troth, Sir, if I were to live this prefent hour, hour, I will tell true. Let me fee; Spurio a hundred and fifty, Sebaftian fo many, Corambus fo many, Jaques fo many; Guiltian, Cofmo, Lodowick, and Gratii, two hundred and fifty each; mine own company, Chitopher, Vaumond, Bentii, two hundred and fifty each; fo that the mufter file, rotten and found, upon my life amounts not to fifteen thousand Poll; half of the which dare not fhake the fnow from off their caflocks, left they fhake themselves to pieces. Ber. What shall be done to him? I Lord. Nothing, but let him have thanks. Demand of him my conditions, and what credit I have with the Duke. Int. Well, that's fet down. You fhall demand of him, whether one Captain Dumain be i'th' camp, a Frenchman: what his reputation is with the Duke, what his valour, honefty, and expertnefs in war; or whether he thinks, it were not poffible with wellweighing fums of gold to corrupt him to a revolt. What fay you to this? what do you know of it? Par. I befeech you, let me anfwer to the particular of the Interrogatories. Demand them fingly. Int. Do you know this Captain Dumain? Par. I know him; he was a botcher's prentice in Paris, from whence he was whipt for getting the fheriff's fool with child; a dumb innocent, that could not fay him nay. Ber. Nay, by your leave, hold your hands; tho' I know, his brains are forfeit to the next tile that falls. Int. Well, is this Captain in the Duke of Florence's Camp? Par. Upon my knowledge he is, and lowfie. 1 Lord. Nay, look not fo upon me, we shall hear of your Lordship anon. Int. What is his reputation with the Duke? Par. The Duke knows him for no other but a poor officer of mine, and writ to me the other day to turn him out o'th' band. I think, I have his letter in my pocket. Int. Marry, we'll fearch. VOL. III. D Par. Par. In good fadness, I do not know; either it is there, or it is upon the file with the Duke's other letters in my tent. Int. Here 'tis, here's a paper, fhall I read it to you? Par. I do not know, if it be it or no. Ber. Our Interpreter does it well. I Lord. Excellently. Int. 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 allurement of one Count Roufillon, a foolish idle boy; but, for all that, very ruttish. pray you, Sir, put it up again. Int. Nay, I'll read it first, by your favour. Par. My meaning in't, I proteft, was very honeft in the behalf of the maid; for I knew the young Count to be a dangerous and lafcivious boy, who is a whale to virginity, and devours up all the fry it finds. Ber. Damnable! both fides rogue. Interpreter reads the letter. When he fwears oaths, bid him drop gold, and take it. Thine, as he vow'd to thee in thine ear, PAROLLES. (22) Men are to mell with, boys are not to kiss.] All the Editors have obtruded a new Maxim upon us here, that Boys are not to kifs.- · Livia, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Tamer tam'da is of a quite opposite Opinion. For Boys were made for Nothing but dry Kisses. And our Poet's Thought, I am perfwaded, went to the fame Tune; that Boys are only to kifs; Men to mingle with, and give more fubftantial Pleafures. To mell, is deriv'd from the French Word, miler; to mingle. Ber Ber. He fhall be whipt through the army with this rhime in his forehead. 2 Lord. This is your devoted friend, Sir, the manifold linguift, and the armi-potent foldier. Ber. I could endure any thing before but a cat, and now he's a cat to me. Int. I perceive, Sir, by the General's looks, we shall be fain to hang you. Par. My life, Sir, in any cafe; 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'th' Stocks, any where, fo I may live. Int. We'll fee what may be done, fo you confefs freely; therefore, once more, to this Captain Dumain : you have answer'd to his reputation with the Duke, and to his valour. What is his honesty? Par. He will steal, Sir, an egg out of a cloister; for rapes and ravishments he parallels Neffus. He profeffes no keeping of oaths; in breaking them he is ftronger than Hercules. He will lie, Sir, with fuch volubility, that you would think, truth were a fool: drunkenness is his best virtue, for he will be fwinedrunk, and in his fleep he does little harm, fave to his bed-cloaths about him; but they know his conditions, and lay him in ftraw. I have but little more to say, Sir, of his honefty, 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, Ber. For this description of thine honefty? a pox upon him for me, he is more and more a cat. Int. What fay you to his expertness in war? Par. Faith, Sir, h'as led the drum before the English Tragedians: to belie him, I will not; and more of his foldiership I know not; except, in that Country, he had the honour to be the Officer at a place there call'd Mile-end, to inftruct for the doubling of files. I would do the man what honour I can, but of this I am not certain. 1 Lord. He hath out-villain'd villany fo far, that the rarity redeems him. Ber. A pox on him, he's a cat ftill. Int. His Qualities being at this poor price, I need not to ask you, if gold will corrupt him to revolt. Par. Sir, for a Quart-d'ecu he will fell the fee-fimple of his falvation, the inheritance of it, and cut th'intail from all remainders, and a perpetual fucceffion for it perpetually. Int. What's his Brother, the other Captain Dumain? 2 Lord. Why does he ask him of me? Int. What's he? Par. E'en a crow o'th' fame neft; not altogether fo great as the first in goodness, but greater a great deal in evil. He excels his Brother for a Coward, yet his brother is reputed one of the best that is. In a Retreat he out-runs any Jacquey; marry, in coming on he has the cramp. Int. If your life be faved, will you undertake to betray the Florentine ? Par. Ay, and the Captain of his horse, Count Roxfillon. Int. I'll whifper with the General, and know his pleafure. Par. I'll no more drumming, a plague of all drums! Only to feem to deferve well, and to beguile the fuppofition of that lafcivious young boy the Count, have I run into danger; yet who would have fufpected an ambufh where I was taken? [Afide. Int. There is no remedy, Sir, but you muft die; the General fays, you, that have so traiteroufly difcovered the fecrets of your army, and made fuch peftiferous reports of men very nobly held, can ferve the world for no honeft ufe; therefore you must die. Come, headfman, off with his head. Par. O lord, Sir, let me live, or let me fee my death. Int. That fhall you, and take your leave of all your friends. [Unbinding him. So, look about you; know you any here? Ber. |