fess freely; therefore, once more to this captain Dumain: You have answered to his reputation with the duke, and to his valour: What is his honesty? 4 Par. He will steal, sir, an egg out of a cloister;* for rapes and ravishments he parallels Nessus. He professes not keeping of oaths; in breaking them, he is stronger than Hercules. He will lie, sir, with such volubility, that you would think truth were a fool: drunkenness is his best virtue; for he will be swine-drunk; and in his sleep he does little harm, save to his bed-clothes about him; but they know his conditions, and lay him in straw. I have but little more to say, sir, of his honesty: 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 honesty? A pox upon him for me, he is more and more a cat. 1 Sold. What say you to his expertness in war? Par. Faith, sir, he has led the drum before the English tragedians,-to belie him, I will not,-and more of his soldiership I know not; except, in that country, he had the honour to be the officer at a place there call'd Mile-end, to instruct 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-villained villainy so far, that the rarity redeems him. Ber. A pox on him! he's a cat still. 1 Sold. His qualities being at this poor price, I need not ask you, if gold will corrupt him to revolt. an egg out of a cloister;] He will steal any thing, however trifling, from any place, however holy. Robbing the spital, is a common phrase, of the like import. Par. Sir, for a quart d'ecus he will sell the feesimple of his salvation, the inheritance of it; and cut the entail from all remainders, and a perpetual succession for it perpetually. 1 Sold. What's his brother, the other captain Dumain? 2 Lord. Why does he ask him of me?" 1 Sold. What's he? Par. E'en a crow of the same nest; not altogether so 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 lackey; marry, in coming on he has the cramp. 1 Sold. If your life be saved, will you undertake to betray the Florentine? Par. Ay, and the captain of his horse, count Rousillon. 1 Sold. I'll whisper with the general, and know his pleasure. Par. I'll no more drumming; a plague of all drums! Only to seem to deserve well, and to beguile the supposition of that lascivious young boy the count, have I run into this danger: Yet, who would have suspected an ambush where I was taken? [Aside. 1 Sold. There is no remedy, sir, but you must die: the general says, you, that have so traitorously discovered the secrets of your army, and made such pestiferous reports of men very nobly held, can for a quart d'ecu-] The fourth part of the smaller French crown; about eight-pence of our money. 6 • Why does he ask him of me?] This is nature. Every man is, on such occasions, more willing to hear his neighbour's character than his own. JOHNSON. 7 to beguile the supposition] That is, to deceive the opinion, to make the Count think me a man that deserves well. serve the world for no honest use; therefore you must die. Come, headsmen, off with his head. Par. O Lord, sir; let me live, or let me see my death! 1 Sold. That shall you, and take your leave of all your friends. [Unmuffling him. So, look about you; Know you any here? Ber. Good morrow, noble captain. 2 Lord. God bless you, captain Parolles. 2 Lord. Captain, what greeting will you to my lord Lafeu? I am for France. 1 Lord. Good captain, will you give me a copy of the sonnet you writ to Diana in behalf of the count Rousillon? an I were not a very coward, I'd compel it of you; but fare you well. [Exeunt BERTRAM, Lords, &c. 1 Sold. You are undone, captain: all but your scarf, that has a knot on't yet. Par. Who cannot be crushed with a plot? 1 Sold. If you could find out a country where but women were that had received so much shame, you might begin an impudent nation. Fare you well, sir; I am for France too; we shall speak of you there. [Exit. Par. Yet am I thankful: if my heart were great, "Twould burst at this: Captain, I'll be no more; But I will eat and drink, and sleep as soft As captain shall, simply the thing I am Shall make me live. Who knows himself a braggart } [Exit. SCENE IV. Florence. A Room in the Widow's House. Enter HELENA, Widow, and DIANA. Hel. That you may well perceive I have not wrong'd you, One of the greatest in the Christian world You must know, My husband hies him home; where, heaven aiding, And by the leave of my good lord the king, We'll be, before our welcome. Wid. Gentle madam, You never had a servant, to whose trust Hel. 8 And helper to a husband. But O strange men! That can such sweet use make of what they hate, When saucy' trusting of the cozen'd thoughts my motive-] Motive for assistant, or rather for mover. When saucy-] Saucy may very properly signify luxurious, and by consequence lascivious. Defiles the pitchy night! so lust doth play Dia. 2 Let death and honesty' Go with your impositions, I am yours Hel. [Exeunt. SCENE V. Rousillon. A Room in the Countess's Palace. Enter Countess, LAFEU, and Clown. Laf. No, no, no, your son was misled with a snipt-taffata fellow there; whose villainous saffron would have made all the unbaked and doughy youth 2 3 Our death and honesty -] i. e. an honest death. your impositions,] i. e. your commands. waggon is prepar'd, and time revives us:] Time revives us, seems to refer to the happy and speedy termination of their embarrassments. She had just before said: "With the word, the time will bring on summer." 4 All's well that ends well:] All's well that ends well, is one of Camden's proverbial sentences. 5 still the fine's the crown;] i. e. the end, finis coronat. 6 -whose villainous saffron-] Here some particularities or fashionable dress are ridiculed. Snipt-taffata needs no explanation; but villainous saffron alludes to a fantastic fashion, then much followed, of using yellow starch for their bands and ruffs. |