Which I will over-pay, and pay again

When I have found it. The Count wooes your daughter,

Lays down his wanton fiege before her beauty,
Refolves to carry her; let her confent,

4

As we'll direct her how, 'tis best to bear it.

+ Now his importat blood will nought deny,
That she'll demand: a ring the Count does wear,
That downward hath fucceeded in his house
From fon to fon, fome four or five descents,
Since the first father wore it. This ring he holds
In most rich choice; yet in his idle fire,
To buy his will, it would not feem too dear,
Howe'er repented after.

Wid. Now I fee the bottom of your purpose.
Hel. You fee it lawful then. It is no more,
But that your daughter, ere fhe feems as won,
Defires this ring; appoints him an encounter;
In fine, delivers me to fill the time,

Herself most chaftly abfent: after this,

To marry her, I'll add three thousand crowns
To what is paft already.

Wid. I have yielded :

Inftruct my daughter how she shall perfevere,
That time and place, with this deceit fo lawful,
May prove coherent. Every night he comes
With mufick of all forts, and fongs compos'd
To her unworthiness: it nothing fteads us
To chide him from our eaves, for he perfifts,
As if his life lay on't.

5

Hel. Why then, to night

Let us affay our plot; which if it speed,

Is wicked meaning in a lawful deed;

4 Important here, and elfewhere, is importunate.

5 Is wicked meaning in a law ful deed;

And

And lawful meaning in a LAWFUL at;] To make this gingling riddle complete in all its parts, we should read the fecond

And lawful meaning in a lawful act,
Where both not fin, and yet a finful fact.
But let's about it.

A C T IV. SCENE

[Exeunt.

I.

Part of the French Camp in Florence.

Enter one of the French Lords, with five or fix
Soldiers in ambush.

H

LORD.

E can come no other way but by this hedge-corner; when you fally upon him, speak what terrible language you will; though you understand it not yourselves, no matter; for we must not feem to underftand him, unless fome one amongst us, whom we muft produce for an interpreter.

Sol. Good captain, let me be th' interpreter.

Lord. Art not acquainted with him? knows he not thy voice?

Sol. No, Sir, I warrant you.

Lord. But what linfy-woolfy haft thou to speak to us again?

Sol. Ev'n fuch as you speak to me.

6

Lord. He muft think us fome band of ftrangers i'th' adversary's entertainment.. Now he hath a fmack 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, fo we feem to know, is to know straight our purpose: chough's language, gabble enough, and good enough. As for you, interpreter, you must seem very politick, but couch, hoa! here he comes, to beguile two hours in a fleep, and then to return and fwear the lies he forges.

Enter Parolles.

Par. Ten o'clock; within thefe three hours 'twill be time enough to go home. What fhall I fay, I have done? it must be a very plausive invention that carries it. They begin to fmoak me, and difgraces have of late knock'd too often at my door; I find, my tongue is too fool-hardy; but my heart hath the fear of Mars before it and of his creatures, not daring the reports of my tongue.

Lord. This is the first truth that e'er thine own tongue was guilty of.

[Afide. Par. What the devil fhould move me to undertake the recovery of this drum, being not ignorant of the impoffibility, and knowing I had no fuch purpose? I must give myself some hurts, and fay, I got them in exploit; yet flight ones will not carry it. They will fay, came you off with fo little? and great ones I dare not give; wherefore what's the inftance? Tongue, I muft put you into a butter-woman's mouth, and buy another of Bajazet's mule, if you prattle me into these perils.

6 Some band of frangers in the adverfaries entertainment.] That is, foreign troops in the enemy's pay.

Lord.

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.

Par. Or to drown my cloaths, and fay, I was stript.

[Afide.

Lord. Hardly serve.

[Afide.

Par. Though I fwore, I leap'd from the window of

[Afide.

the citadel

Lord, How deep?

Par. Thirty fathom.

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 bofkos.

Par. I know, you are the Muskos regiment, And I fhall lofe my life for want of language. If there be here German, or Dane, low Dutch, Italian, or French, let him fpeak to me, I'll discover That which fhall undo the Florentine. Inter. Bofkos vauvado; I understand thee, and can Sir, betake thee

fpeak thy tongue; Kerelybonto,

to thy faith, for feventeen poniards are at thy bofom.

Turkish mute. So in Henry V. Either our history shall with full mouth

Speak freely of our alls; or

A a 3

elfe our grave, Like Turkish mute, shall have a tongueless mouth.

WARBURTON.

Par

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.

[Abort 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.

Dia. No, my good Lord, Diana.

Ber. Titled Goddess,

And worth it with addition! but, fair foul,

In