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Of greatest justice.Write, write, Rinaldo,
To this unworthy husband of his wife;
Let every word weigh heavy of her worth,
That he does weigh too light: my greatest
grief,

Though little he do feel it, set down sharply.
Dispatch the most convenient messenger:-
When haply he shall hear that she is gone,
He will return; and hope I may that she,
Hearing so much, will speed her foot again,
Led hither by pure love: which of them both
Is dearest to me, I've no skill in sense
To make distinction:-provide this messen-
ger:-

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My heart is heavy and mine age is weak: Grief would have tears, and sorrow bids me speak. [Exeunt.]

SCENE V. Florence. Before the gates.
A distant march.

Enter an old WIDOW of Florence, DIANA, VIO-
LENTA, and MARIANA, with other Citizens.
Wid. Nay, come; for if they do approach
the city, we shall lose all the sight.

1 Whom, i. e. death. 2 Advice, consideration, discretion.

tokens, and all these engines of lust, are not the things they go under: many a maid hath been seduced by them; and the misery is, example, that so terrible shows in the wreck of maidenhood, cannot for all that dissuade succession, but that they are limed with the twigs that threaten them.] I hope I need not to advise you further; but I hope your own grace will keep you where you are, though there were no further danger known but the modesty which is so lost.

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Enter BERTRAM, PAROLLES, and the whole army.

[That is Antonio, the duke's eldest son; That, Escalus. ]

Hel. Dia.

Which is the Frenchman?

He;

Dia. That jack-an-apes with scarfs: why is he melancholy?

Hel. Perchance he's hurt i' the battle. 90 Par. Lose our drum! well.

Mar. He's shrewdly vex'd at something: look, he has spied us.

Wid. Marry, hang you!

Mar. And your courtesy, for a ring-carrier!

[Exeunt Bertram, Parolles, and army. Wid. The troop is past. Come, pilgrim, I will bring you

Where you shall host:2 of enjoin'd penitents There's four or five, to Great Saint Jaques3 bound,

Shall be for me; and, to requite you further, I will bestow some precepts of this virgin Worthy the note.

Both.

We'll take your offer kindly. [Exeunt.

SCENE VI. A room in Bertram's lodgings. Enter BERTRAM and the two French Lords.

Sec. Lord. Nay, good my lord, put him to 't; let him have his way.

First Lord. If your lordship find him not a hilding, hold me no more in your respect.

Sec. Lord. On my life, my lord, a bubble. Ber. Do you think I am so far deceived in him?

Sec. Lord. Believe it, my lord, in mine own direct knowledge, without any malice, but to speak of him as my kinsman, he's a most

First Lord. None better than to let him fetch off his drum, which you hear him so confidently undertake to do.

Sec. Lord. I, with a troop of Florentines, will suddenly surprise him; such I will have, whom, I am sure, he knows not from the enemy: we will bind and hoodwink him so, that he shall suppose no other but that he is carried into the leaguer of the adversaries, when we bring him to our own tents. Be but your lordship present at his examination: if he do not, for the promise of his life, and in the highest compulsion of base fear, offer to betray you, and deliver all the intelligence in his power against you, and that with the divine forfeit of his soul upon oath, never trust my judgment in any thing.

[First Lord. O, for the love of laughter, let him fetch his drum; he says he has a stratagem for 't: when your lordship sees the bottom of his success in 't, and to what metal this counterfeit lump of ore will be melted, if you give him not John Drum's entertainment, your inclining cannot be removed.]-Here he comes.

Sec. Lord. O, for the love of laughter, hinder not the honour of his design: let him fetch off his drum in any hand.

5 Entertainment, service, as in iv. i. 17.

6 In any hand, in any case.

Par. It is to be recovered: but that the merit of service is seldom attributed to the true and exact performer, I would have that drum or another, or hic jacet.1

Ber. Why, if you have a stomach2 to 't, monsieur: if you think your mystery in stratagem can bring this instrument of honour again into his native quarter, be magnanimous in the enterprise, and go on; I will grace the attempt for a worthy exploit: if you speed well in it, the duke shall both speak of it, and extend to you what further becomes his greatness, even to the utmost syllable of your worthiness.

Par. By the hand of a soldier, I will undertake it.

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Ber. Why, do you think he will make no deed at all of this, that so seriously he does address himself unto?

Sec. Lord. None in the world; but return with an invention, and clap upon you two or three probable lies: [but we have almost embossed him," you shall see his fall to-night;" for indeed he is not for your lordship's respect.]

First Lord. We'll make you some sport with the fox, ere we case him. He was first smoked by the old Lord Lafeu: when his disguise and he is parted, tell me what a sprat you shall find him; which you shall see this very night.

Sec. Lord. I must go look my twigs: he

shall be caught.

Ber. Your brother, he shall go along with me. Sec. Lord. As't please your lordship: I'll leave you. [Exit. Ber. Now will I lead you to the house, and show you The lass I spoke of.

First Lord. But you say she's honest. Ber. That's all the fault: I spoke with her but once,

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And found her wondrous cold; but I sent to her, By this same coxcomb that we have i' the wind,8

Tokens and letters which she did re-send;
And this is all I've done. She's a fair creature:
Will you go see her?
First Lord.

With all my heart, my lord.
[Exeunt.

SCENE VII. 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.

5 Embossed him, inclosed him like game.

6 Case, flay, strip.

7 Smoked, smelled out, found out.

8 We have the wind, we have scent of.

9 Grounds, foundations.