Lord. Is it poffible, he should know what he is, and be that he is? [Afide. Par. I would, the cutting of my garments would serve the turn, or the breaking of my Spanish fword. Lord. We cannot afford you fo. [Afide. Par. Or the baring of my beard, and to fay, it was in ftratagem. Lord. 'Twould not do. [Afide. [Afide. Par. Or to drown my cloaths, and fay, I was stript. Lord. Hardly ferve. Par. Though I fwore, I leap'd from the window of the citadel Lord. How deep? Par. Thirty fathom. [Afide. Lord. Three great oaths would fcarce make that be believed. [Afide. Par. I would, I had any drum of the enemies; I would fwear, I recover'd it. Lord. You fhall hear one anon. [Afide. Par. A drum now of the enemies! [Alarum within. Lord. Throco movoufus, cargo, cargo, cargo. All. Cargo, cargo, villiando par corbo, cargo. Par. Oh! ranfom, ranfom :-do not hide mine eyes. [They feize him and blindfold him. Inter. Bofkos thromuldo befkos. Par. I know, you are the Muskos regiment, I'll difcover That which fhall undo the Florentine. fpeak thy tongue; Kerelybonto, to thy faith, for seventeen poniards are at thy bofom. Par. Oh! Inter. Oh, pray, pray, pray. Mancha ravancha dulche. Lord. Ofceoribi dulchos volivorco. Inter. The General is content to fpare thee yet, And, hood-winkt as thou art, will lead thee on To gather from thee. Haply thou may'ft inform Something to fave thy life. Par. Oh let me live, And all the fecrets of our Camp I'll fhew; Their force, their purposes: nay, I'll fpeak that Which you will wonder at. Inter. But wilt thou faithfully? Par. If I do not, damn me. Inter. Acordo linta. Come on, thou art granted space. [Exit. [A bort alarum within. Lord. Go, tell the Count Roufillon and my brother, We've caught the woodcock, and will keep him muffled 'Till we do hear from them. Sol. Captain, I will. Lord. He will betray us all unto ourselves, Inform 'em That. Sol. So I will, Sir. Lord. 'Till then I'll keep him dark and fafely lockt. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Changes to the Widow's Houfe. Ber. TH Τ Enter Bertram, and Diana. HEY told me, that your name was Fontibel. Dia. No, my good Lord, Diana. Ber. Titled Goddess, And worth it with addition! but, fair foul, In In your fine frame hath love no quality? When you are dead, you should be fuch a one When your Dia. She then was honeft. Dian. No. My Mother did but duty: fuch, my Lord, 9 Ber. No more o' that! I pr'ythee do not strive against my vows: By love's own sweet constraint, and will for ever Dia. Ay, fo you serve us, 9 No more o' that! my vows: His I was compell'd to her. ] I know not well what Bertram can mean by entreating Diana not to frive against his vows. Diana has juft mentioned his wife, fo that the vows feem to relate to his marriage. In this fenfe, not Diana, but Himself, - ftrives against his vows. vows indeed may mean vows made to Diana; but, in that cafe, to frive against is not properly used for to reject, nor does this fenfe cohere well with his first exclamation of impatience at the mention of his wife. No more of that! Ferhaps we might read, 1 prythee, do not drive against my vows. 'Till . 'Till we ferve you: but when you have our roses, You barely leave our thorns to prick ourselves, And mock us with our bareness. Ber. How have I fworn! Dia. 'Tis not the many oaths, that make the truth; But the plain fingle vow, that is vow'd true; What is not holy, that we fwear, not 'bides, But take the High'ft to witness: then, pray tell me, What is not holy, that we fwear not BY,] Yes, nothing is more common than fuch kind of oaths. But Diana is not here accufing Bertram for fwearing by a Being not holy, but for fwearing to an unholy purpofe; as is evident from the preceding lines. 'Tis not the many oaths, that make the Truth: But the plain fimple vow, that is vow'd true. The line in queftion, therefore, is evidently corrupt, and fhould be read thus, What is not holy, that we fwear, not 'BIDES, i.e. If we fwear to an unholy purpose the oath abides not, but is diffolved in the making. This is an answer to the purpofe. She fubjoins the reason two or three lines after, this has no holding, To fawear by him, whom I proteft to love, That I will work against bim. i. e. That oath can never hold whofe fubject is to offend and displease that Being, whom, I profefs, in the act of fwearing by him, to love and reverence, What may have mifled the editors into the common reading was, perhaps, miftaking Ber tram's words above, By love's own fweet confiraint, to be an oath; whereas it only fignifies, being constrained by love. WARBURTON. This is an acute and excellent conjecture, and I have done it the due honour of exalting it to the text; yet, methinks, there is fomething yet wanting. The following words, but take the High'ft to witness, even though it be understood as an anticipation or affumption in this fense, — but now fuppofe that you take the Higheft to witnefs, has not fufficient relation to the antecedent fentence. I will propose a reading nearer to the furface, and let it take its chance. Bert. How have Ifworn! Bert. What is not holy, that Bertram means to enforce his fuit, by telling her, that she has bound himself to her, not by the petty protellations usual among lovers, but by vows of greater folemnity. She then makes a proper and rational reply. if If I fhould fwear by Jove's great Attributes That I will work against him. Therefore your oaths Are words, and poor conditions but unfeal'd; At least in my opinion. Ber. Change it, change it: Be not fo holy-cruel. Love is holy, And my integrity ne'er knew the crafts, That you do charge men with: ftand no more off, But give thyfelf unto my fick defires, Which then recover. Say, thou art mine; and ever My love, as it begins, fhall fo perfever. Dia. I fee, that men make hopes in fuch affairs That we'll forfake ourselves. Give me that ring. Ber. I'll lend it thee, my Dear, but have no power To give it from me. Dia. Will you not, my Lord? Ber. It is an Honour 'longing to our House, Dia. Mine Honour's fuch a ring; Thus your own proper wisdom Ber. Here, take my ring. My House, my Honour, yea, my life be thine, To fwear by him whom I pro- That I will work against him] This paffage likewife appears to me corrupt. She fwears not by him whom the loves, but by Ju I piter. I believe we may read, to fear to bim. There is, fays fhe, no holding, no confiftency, in fwearing to one that I love him, when I fwear it only to injure him. Dia. |