I will grace57 the attempt for a
worthy exploit. If you speed58 well in it, the duke shall both
speak of it and extend to you what further becomes59 his
greatness, even to the utmost syllable of your worthiness.
PAROLLES By the hand of a soldier, I will undertake it.
BERTRAM But you must not now slumber in it.62
PAROLLES I’ll about it this evening, and I will presently pen63
down my dilemmas64, encourage myself in my certainty, put
myself into my mortal preparation65, and by midnight look to
hear further from me.
BERTRAM May I be bold to acquaint his grace you are gone
about it?
PAROLLES I know not what the success will be, my lord, but the
attempt I vow.
BERTRAM I know thou’rt valiant, and to the possibility71 of thy
soldiership will subscribe72 for thee. Farewell.
PAROLLES I love not many words.
Exit
SECOND LORD No more than a fish loves water. Is not this a
strange fellow, my lord, that so confidently seems to undertake
this business, which he knows is not to be done, damns76
himself to do and dares better be damned than to do’t?
FIRST LORD You do not know him, my lord, as we do. Certain it
is that he will steal himself into a man’s favour and for a
week escape a great deal of discoveries, but when you find
him out, you have81 him ever after.
BERTRAM Why, do you think he will make no deed82 at all of this
that so seriously he does address himself unto?
SECOND LORD None in the world. But return with an invention
and clap upon you two or three probable85 lies. But we have
almost embossed86 him. You shall see his fall tonight; for
indeed he is not for87 your lordship’s respect.
FIRST LORD We’ll make you some sport with the fox ere we case88
him. He was first smoked89 by the old lord Lafew. When his
disguise and he is parted, tell me what a sprat90 you shall find
him, which you shall see this very night.
SECOND LORD I must go look my twigs.92 He shall be caught.
To First Lord
BERTRAM Your brother he shall go along with me.93
FIRST LORD As’t please your lordship. I’ll leave you.
[Exit]
BERTRAM Now will I lead you to the house, and show you
The lass I spoke of.
SECOND LORD But you say she’s honest.
BERTRAM 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’wind100
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?
SECOND LORD With all my heart, my lord.
Exeunt
running scene 13
Enter Helen and Widow
HELEN If you misdoubt1 me that I am not she,
I know not how I shall assure you further,
But I shall lose the grounds I work upon.3
WIDOW Though my estate4 be fall’n, I was well born,
Nothing acquainted with these businesses,
And would not put my reputation now
In any staining act.
HELEN Nor would I wish you.
First, give me trust, the count he is my husband,
And what to your sworn counsel10 I have spoken
Is so from word to word.11 And then you cannot,
By12 the good aid that I of you shall borrow,
Err in bestowing it.
WIDOW I should believe you,
For you have showed me that which well approves15
You’re great in fortune.
Gives a purse
HELEN 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.20 The count he woos your daughter,
Lays down his wanton21 siege before her beauty,
Resolves to carry her: let her in fine22 consent,
As we’ll direct her how ’tis best to bear23 it.
Now his important blood24 will naught deny
That she’ll demand: a ring the county25 wears,
That downward hath succeeded in his house
From son 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 fire29,
To buy his will30, it would not seem too dear,
Howe’er repented after.
WIDOW Now I see
The bottom33 of your purpose.
HELEN You see it lawful34, then: it is no more,
But that your daughter, ere she seems as won,
Desires this ring; appoints him an encounter36;
In fine, delivers me to fill the time,
Herself most chastely absent. After,
To marry her39, I’ll add three thousand crowns
To what is passed40 already.
WIDOW I have yielded:
Instruct my daughter how she shall persever42,
That time and place with this deceit so lawful
May prove coherent.44 Every night he comes
With musics45 of all sorts and songs composed
To her unworthiness. It nothing steads46 us
To chide47 him from our eaves, for he persists
As if his life lay48 on’t.
HELEN Why then tonight
Let us assay our plot, which, if it speed50,
Is wicked meaning in a lawful deed51,
And lawful meaning in a lawful act,
Where both not sin, and yet a sinful fact.53
But let’s about it.
[Exeunt]
running scene 14
Enter one of the Frenchmen [the First Lord Dumaine], with five or six other Soldiers in ambush
FIRST LORD He can come no other way but by this hedge-corner.
When you sally upon him, speak what terrible2 language you
will: though you understand it not yourselves, no matter, for
we must not seem to understand him, unless4 some one
among us, whom we must produce for an interpreter.
FIRST SOLDIER Good captain, let me be th’interpreter.
FIRST LORD Art not acquainted with him? Knows he not thy
voice?
FIRST SOLDIER No, sir, I warrant you.
FIRST LORD But what linsey-woolsey10 hast thou to speak to us
again?11
FIRST SOLDIER E’en such as you speak to me.
FIRST LORD He must think us some band of strangers13
i’th’adversary’s entertainment. Now he hath a smack14 of all
neighbouring languages: therefore we must every one be a
man of his own fancy, not to know16 what we speak one to
another, so we seem to know, is to know straight17 our purpose:
choughs18’ language, gabble enough and good enough. As for
you, interpreter, you must seem very politic. But couch19, ho!
Here he comes, to beguile20 two hours in a sleep, and then to
return and swear the lies he forges.
They hide
Enter Parolles
PAROLLES 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 smoke24
me, and disgraces have of late knocked too often at my door.
I find my tongue is too foolhardy, but my heart hath the fear
of Mars before it and of his creatures, not daring the reports27
of my tongue.
Speaks aside to the others throughout
FIRST LORD This is the first truth that e’er
thine own tongue was guilty of.
PAROLLES 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 hurts34, 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’s37
mouth and buy myself another of Bajazet’s mule38, if you
prattle me into these perils.
FIRST LORD Is it possible he should know what he is, and be that
he is?
PAROLLES I would the cutting of my garments would serve the42
turn, or the breaking of my Spanish sword.
FIRST LORD We cannot afford44 you so.
PAROLLES Or the baring of my beard, and to say it was in45
stratagem.
FIRST LORD ’Twould not do.
PAROLLES Or to drown my clothes, and say I was stripped.
FIRST LORD Hardly serve.
PAROLLES Though I swore I leaped from the window of the
citadel.51
FIRST LORD How deep?
PAROLLES Thirty fathom.53
FIRST LORD Three great oaths would scarce make that be
believed.
PAROLLES I would I had any drum of the enemy’s. I would
swear I recovered it.
FIRST LORD You shall hear one anon.
PAROLLES A drum now of the enemy’s—
Alarum within
The Lord and Soldiers come out of hiding
First Soldier will act as Interpreter
FIRST LORD Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo.
ALL Cargo, cargo, cargo, villianda par corbo, cargo.
They seize and blindfold Parolles
PAROLLES O, ransom, ransom! Do not hide mine eyes.
INTERPRETER Boskos thromuldo boskos.
PAROLLES I know you are the Muskos64’ regiment,
And I shall lose my life for want of language.
If there be here German, or Dane, low Dutch66,
Italian, or French, let him speak to me,
I’ll discover68 that which shall undo the Florentine.
INTERPRETER Boskos vauvado. I understand thee, and can speak
thy tongue. Kerelybonto. Sir, betake thee70 to thy faith, for
seventeen poniards71 are at thy bosom.
PAROLLES O!
INTERPRETER O, pray, pray, pray! Manka revania dulche.
FIRST LORD Oscorbidulchos volivorco.
INTERPRETER The general is content to spare thee yet,
And, hoodwinked as thou art, will lead thee on76
To gather77 from thee. Haply thou mayst inform
Something to save thy life.
PAROLLES O, let me live,
And all the secrets of our camp I’ll show,
Their force, their purposes. Nay, I’ll speak that
Which you will wonder at.
INTERPRETER But wilt thou faithfully?
PAROLLES If I do not, damn me.
INTERPRETER Acordo linta.
Come on, thou art granted space.86
Exeunt [with Parolles guarded]
A short alarum within
FIRST LORD Go tell the Count Rossillion and my brother
We have caught the woodcock, and will keep him muffled88
Till we do hear from them.
SECOND SOLDIER Captain, I will.
FIRST LORD A91 will betray us all unto ourselves:
Inform on92 that.
SECOND SOLDIER So I will, sir.
FIRST LORD Till then I’ll keep him dark and safely locked.
Exeunt
running scene 15
Enter Bertram and the maid called Diana
BERTRAM They told me that your name was Fontybell.1
DIANA No, my good lord, Diana.
BERTRAM Titled goddess3,
And worth it, with addition!4 But, fair soul,
In your fine frame hath love no quality?5
If the quick6 fire of youth light not your mind,
You are no maiden, but a monument.7
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 sweet self was got.11
DIANA She then was honest.12
BERTRAM So should you be.
DIANA No:
My mother did but duty, such, my lord,
As you owe to your wife.
BERTRAM No more o’that.
I prithee do not strive against my vows18:
I was compelled to her, but I love thee
By love’s own sweet constraint20, and will forever
Do thee all rights21 of service.
DIANA Ay, so you serve us
Till we serve you, but when you have our roses23,
You barely leave our thorns to prick ourselves24
And mock us with our bareness.25
BERTRAM How have I sworn!
DIANA ’Tis not the many oaths that makes the truth,
But the plain single vow that is vowed true.
What is not holy, that we swear not by,
But take the high’st to30 witness. Then, pray you tell me:
If I should swear by Jove31’s great attributes,
I loved you dearly, would you believe my oaths
When I did love you ill? This has no holding33,
To swear by him whom I protest34 to love
That I will work against him: therefore your oaths
Are words and poor conditions but unsealed36,
At least in my opinion.
BERTRAM Change it38, change it.
Be not so holy-cruel39: love is holy,
And my integrity ne’er knew the crafts40
That you do charge men with. Stand no more off,
But give thyself unto my sick42 desires,
Who then recovers.43 Say thou art mine, and ever
My love as it begins shall so persèver.
DIANA I see that men make ropes in such a scar45
That we’ll forsake ourselves. Give me that ring.
BERTRAM I’ll lend it thee, my dear, but have no power
To give it from me.
DIANA Will you not, my lord?
BERTRAM It is an honour50 ’longing to our house,
Bequeathèd down from many ancestors,
Which were the greatest obloquy52 i’th’world
In me to lose.
DIANA Mine honour’s such a ring54:
My chastity’s the jewel of our house,
Bequeathèd down from many ancestors,
Which were the greatest obloquy i’th’world
In me to lose. Thus your own proper58 wisdom
Brings in the champion honour on my part
Against your vain assault.
BERTRAM Here, take my ring.
Gives her a ring
My house, mine honour, yea, my life, be thine,
And I’ll be bid63 by thee.
DIANA When midnight comes, knock at my chamber-window:
I’ll order take65 my mother shall not hear.
Now will I charge you in the band66 of truth,
When you have conquered my yet maiden67 bed,
Remain there but an hour, nor speak to me.
My reasons are most strong and you shall know them
When back again this ring shall be delivered:
And on your finger in the night I’ll put
Another ring, that what in time proceeds72
May token73 to the future our past deeds.
Adieu, till then.
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