Let us assay our plot; which, if it speed, [Exeunt. SCENE I. ACT IV. 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's 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 Sold. Good captain, let me be the interpreter. 1 Lord. Art not acquainted with him? Knows he not thy voice? 1 Soid. No, sir, I warrant you. 1 Lord. But what linsey-woolsey hast thou to speak to us again? 1 Sold. Even such as you speak to me. 1 Lord. He must think us some band of strangers i' the adversary's entertainment. Now he hath a smack of all neighboring 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 plausible 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 butterwoman's mouth, and buy another of Bajazet's mute, 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. 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? Par. Thirty fathom. [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. Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo. All. Cargo, cargo, villianada par corbo, cargo. Par. O ransom, ransom.-Do not hide mine eyes. [They seize him and blindfold him. 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 I understand thee, and can speak thy tongue.— Betake thee to thy faith, for seventeen poniards 1 Sold. The general is content to spare thee yet; Par. Par, If I do not, damn Nay, I'll speak that But wilt thou faithfully? me. Come on, thou art granted space. Acordo linta [Exit, with PAROLLES 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 Sold. Captain, I will. 1 Lord. He will betray us all unto ourselves;Inform 'em that. 1 Lord. Till then, I'll keep him dark, and safely locked. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Florence. A Room in the Widow's House. Enter BERTRAM and DIANA. Ber. They told me that your name was Fontibell. Ber. Titled goddess; Dia. She then was honest. So should you be. Dia. My mother did but duty; such, my lord, Ber. No more of that! I pr'ythee, do not strive against my vows: I was compelled to her; but I love thee By love's own sweet constraint, and will forever Dia. Ber. No. How have I sworn? Dia. 'Tis not the many oaths, that make the truth; But the plain, single vow, that is vowed true. What is not holy, that we swear not by, But take the Highest to witness. Then pray you, tell me, I loved you dearly, would you believe my oaths, That I will work against him. Therefore, your oaths 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, Who then recover: say thou art mine, and ever Dia. I see that men make hopes, in such a war, Dia. Will you not, my lord? Ber. It is an honor 'longing to our house, Bequeathed down from many ancestors; Which were the greatest obloquy i'the world In me to lose. Dia. Mine honor's such a ring. Brings in the champion honor on my part, Ber. Here, take my ring: My house, mine honor, yea, my life be thine, Dia. When midnight comes, knock at my chamber window; I'll order take, my mother shall not hear. Now will I charge you in the band of truth, When you have conquered my yet maiden bed, My reasons are most strong; and you shall know them, Adieu till then; then, fail not. You have won Ber. A heaven on earth I have won, by wooing thee. [Erit. Dia. For which live long to thank both Heaven and me! You may so in the end. My mother told me just how he would woo, As if she sat in his heart; she says, all men When his wife's dead; therefore I'll lie with him. Only in this disguise I think't no sin SCENE III. The Florentine Camp. [Exit. Enter the two French Lords, and two or three Soldiers. 1 Lord. You have not given him his mother's letter? 2 Lord. I have delivered it an hour since. There is something in't that stings his nature; for, on the reading it, he changed almost into another man. 1 Lord. He has much worthy blame laid upon him, for shaking off so good a wife, and so sweet a lady. 2 Lord. Especially he hath incurred the everlasting displeasure of the king, who had even tuned his bounty to sing happiness to him. I will tell you a thing, but you shall let it dwell darkly with you. 1 Lord. When you have spoken it, 'tis dead, and I am the grave of it. |