To marry her, I'll add three thousand crowns To what is past already. Wid. I have yielded: Instruct my daughter how she shall perséver, That time and place with this deceit so lawful May prove coherent. Every night he comes With musics of all sorts, and songs compos'd To her unworthiness: it nothing steads2 us 41 To chide him from our eaves; for he persists, As if his life lay on 't. Hel. Why, then, to-night Let us assay our plot; which, if it speed, Is wicked meaning in a lawful deed, And lawful meaning in a lawful act; Where both not sin, and yet a sinful fact:3 But let's about it. [Exeunt. ACT IV. SCENE I. The French camp before Florence. Enter Second French Lord, with five or six other Soldiers in ambush. Sec. Lord. He can come no other way but by this hedge-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. First Sold. Good captain, let me be the interpreter. Sec. Lord. Art not acquainted with him? knows he not thy voice? 11 First Sold. No, sir, I warrant you. Sec. Lord. But what linsey-woolsey hast thou to speak to us again? First Sold. E'en such as you speak to me. Sec. Lord. He must think us some band of strangers i' the adversary's entertainment. Now, he hath a smack of all neighbouring 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: choughs' 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. 26 Par. Ten o'clock: within these three hours 't will be time enough to go home. What shall 1 Musics, bands of musicians. 2 It nothing steads, it is of no use. I say I have done? It must be a very plausive 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 foolhardy; but my heart hath the fear of Mars before it and of his creatures, not daring the reports of my tongue. Sec. Lord. [Aside] This is the first truth that e'er thine own tongue was guilty of. 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 butter-woman's mouth, and buy myself another of Bajazet's mule, if you prattle me into these perils. Sec. Lord. [Aside] Is it possible he should know what he is, and be that he is? 49 Par. I would the cutting of my garments would serve the turn, or the breaking of my Spanish sword. Sec. Lord. [Aside] We cannot afford you so. Par. Or the baring of my beard; and to say it was in stratagem. Sec. Lord. [Aside] 'T would not do. Par. Or to drown my clothes, and say I was stripped Sec. Lord. [Aside] Hardly serve. Par. Though I swore I leaped from the window of the citadel 61 Enter BERTRAM and DIana. Ber. They told me that your name was Dia. No, my good lord, Diana. Titled goddess; Dia. She then was honest. Ber. Dia. 10 So should you be.] No: But the plain single vow that is vow'd true. If I should swear by God's great attributes, Are words and poor conditions, but unseal'd, Ber. 29 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, But give thyself unto my sick desires, Dia. I see that men make ropes in such a scarre, That we'll forsake ourselves. Give me that ring. 40 Ber. I'll lend it thee, my dear; but have no power To give it from me. Dia. Ber. It is an honour longing to our house, Bequeathed down from many ancestors; Which were the greatest obloquy i' the world In me to lose. Will you not, my lord? Dia. Mine honour's such a ring: My chastity's the jewel of our house, Bequeathed down from many ancestors; Which were the greatest obloquy i' the world In me to lose: thus your own proper wisdom Brings in the champion honour on my part, 50 Against your vain assault. Ber. Here, take my ring: My house, mine honour, yea, my life, be thine, And I'll be bid by thee. 2 Barely leave, leave bare, naked. 3 Holding, binding force, validity. I'll order take my mother shall not hear. When back again this ring shall be deliver'd: And on your finger, in the night, I'll put 61 You may so in the end. [Exit. First Lord. I perceive, by this demand, you are not altogether of his council. Sec. Lord. Let it be forbid, sir! so should I be a great deal of his act. First Lord. Sir, his wife, some two months since, fled from his house; her pretence is a pilgrimage to Saint Jaques le Grand; which holy undertaking, with most austere sanctimony, she accomplished; and, there residing, the tenderness of her nature became as a prey to her grief; in fine, made a groan of her last breath; and now she sings in heaven. Sec. Lord. How is this justified?4 First Lord. The stronger part of it by her own letters, which make her story true, even to the point of her death: her death itself, which could not be her office to say is come, was faithfully confirmed by the rector of the place. 69 [Exit. Sec. Lord. They shall be no more than need- § ful there, if they were more than they can commend. First Lord. They cannot be too sweet for the king's tartness. Here's his lordship now.]? Enter BERTRAM. How now, my lord! is 't not after midnight? Ber. I have to-night dispatched sixteen businesses, a month's length a-piece, by an abstract of success: I have congied? with the duke, done my adieu with his nearest; buried a wife, mourned for her; writ to my lady mother I am returning; entertained my convoy; and between these main parcels of dispatch, effected many nicer needs: the last was the greatest, but that I have not ended yet. Sec. Lord. If the business be of any difficulty, and this morning your departure hence, it requires haste of your lordship. 109 Ber. I mean, the business is not ended, as fearing to hear of it hereafter. But shall we have this dialogue between the fool and the soldier? Come, bring forth this counterfeit module, has deceived me, like a double-meaning prophesier. Sec. Lord. [Bring him forth: has sat i' the stocks all night, poor gallant knave. 6 An abstract of success, a few brief successful strokes. 7 Congied, taken leave. 8 Entertained, engaged. 9 Counterfeit module, delusive image. |