owner of no one good quality worthy your lordship's

entertainment.

2 Lord. It were fit you knew him, left, repofing too far in his virtue, which he hath not, he might at fome great and trufty business in a main danger fail you.

Ber. I would, I knew in what particular action to try him.

2 Lord. None better than to let him fetch off his drum; which you hear him so confidently undertake

to do.

1 Lord. I, with a troop of Florentines, will fuddenly furprize him; fuch I will have, whom, I am fure, he knows not from the enemy: we will bind and hood-wink him fo, that he fhall fuppofe no other but that he is carried into the leaguer of the adverfaries, when we bring him to our own tents; be but your lordship prefent at his examination, if he do not for the promife of his life, and in the highest compulfion of bafe fear, offer to betray you, and deliver all the intelligence in his power against you, and that with the divine forfeit of his foul upon oath, never truft my judgment in any thing.

2 Lord. O, for the love of laughter, let him fetch his drum; he fays, he has à ftratagem for't; when your lordship fees the bottom of his fuccefs in't, and to what metal this counterfeit lump of Oar will be melted, if you give him not John Drum's entertain

9 Oar spelt right by Mr. Theobald.

John Drum's entertainment,] Holingbed, in his defcription of Ireland, fpeaking of Patrick Scarfefield, (mayor of Dublin in the year 1551,) and of his extravagant hofpitality, fubjoins, that no gueft had ever a cold or forbidding look from any part of his family: fo that his porter, or any other Officer, durft not, for both his ears, give the fimplest man, that reforted to his houfe, Tom Drum's entertainment, which is, to hale a man in by the head, and thrust him out by both the fhoulders. Mr. Theobald.

ment, your inclining cannot be removed. Here he

comes.

SCENE

Enter Parolles.

X.

1 Lord. O, for the love of laughter, hinder not the humour of his defign, let him fetch off his drum in any hand.

Ber. How now, Monfieur? this drum sticks forely in your difpofition.

2 Lord. A pox't on't, let it go, 'tis but a drum.

Par. But a drum! is't but a drum? a drum fo loft! there was an excellent command! to charge in with our horfe upon our own wings, and to rend our own foldiers.

2 Lord. That was not to be blamed in the command of the fervice; it was a difafter of war that Cafar himself could not have prevented, if he had been there to command.

Ber. Well, we cannot greatly condemn our fuccefs: fome difhonour we had in the lofs of that drum, but it is not to be recover'd.

Par. It might have been recover❜d.

Ber. It might, but it is not now.

Par. It is to be recover'd; but that the merit of fervice is feldom attributed to the true and exact performer, I would have that drum or another, or bic jacet

Ber. Why, if you have a stomach to't, Monfieur; if you think your mystery in ftratagem, can bring this inftrument of honour again into his native quarter, be magnanimous in the enterprize and go on; I will grace the attempt for a worthy exploit: if you speed well in it, the Duke fhall both fpeak of it, and extend to you what further becomes his greatnefs, even to the utmost fyllable of your worthiness.

Par.

Par. By the hand of a foldier, I will undertake it. Ber. But you must not now flumber in it.

Par. I'll about it this evening; and I will presently pen down my dilemmas, encourage myfelf in my certainty, put myself into my mortal preparation; and, by midnight, look to hear further from me.

Ber. May I be bold to acquaint his Grace, you are gone about it?

Par. I know not what the fuccefs will be, my Lord; but the attempt I vow.

Ber. I know, th'art valiant; and to the 3 poffibility of foldiership, will fubfcribe for thee; farewel. Par. I love not many words.

[Exit.

I Lord. No more than a fifh loves water.-Is not this a strange fellow, my Lord,. that fo confidently feems to undertake this bufinefs, which he knows is not to be done; damns himself to do it, and dares better be damn'd than to do't?

2 Lord. You do not know him, my Lord, as we do; certain it is, that he will steal himself into a man's favour, and for a week efcape a great deal of discoveries; but when you find him out, you have him ever after.

Ber. Why, do you think, he will make no deed at all of this, that fo ferioufly he does addrefs himself unto?

2 Lord. None in the world, but return with an invention, and clap upon you two or three probable lies but we have almoft imbofs'd him, you fhall fee his fall to night; for, indeed, he is not for your lordship's respect.

2 I will prefently pen down my Dilemmas,3 By this word, Parolles is made to infinuate that he had feveral ways, all equally certain, of recovering this Drum. For a Dilemma is an argument that concludes both ways.

3 poffibility of thy foldiership,] dele thy: the fenfe requires it.

F 3

1 Lord,

1 Lord. We'll make you some sport with the fox, ere we cafe him. He was firft fmoak'd by the old lord Lafeu; when his difguife and he is parted, tell me what a fprat you fhall find him; which you fhall fee, this very night.

2 Lord. I must go and look my twigs; he fhall be caught.

Ber. Your brother, he fhall go along with me. Lord. As't please your lordship. I'll leave you.

[Exit. Ber. Now will I lead you to the house, and fhew you The lafs I fpoke of.

1 Lord. But you fay, fhe's honeft.

Ber. That's all the fault: I fpoke with her but once, And found her wondrous cold; but I fent to her, By this fame coxcomb that we have i'th' wind, Tokens and letters, which fhe did re-fend; And this is all I've done: fhe's a fair creature,

Will you go fee her?

1 Lord. With all my heart, my lord.

SCENE

[Exeunt,

XII.

Changes to the Widow's Houfe.

Enter Helena, and Widow.

F you misdoubt me that I am not she

Hel. I

I know not, how I fhall affure you further;

But I fhall lofe the grounds I work upon.

Wid. Tho' my eftate be fallen, I was well born, Nothing acquainted with thefe bufineffes; And would not put my reputation now In any ftaining act.

Bus I fall lose the grounds I work upon } . . By discovering herself to the count.

Hel.

Hel. Nor would I wish you.

First, give me truft, the Count he is my husband,
And what to your fworn counsel I have spoken,
Is fo, from word to word; and then you cannot,
By the good aid that I of you fhall borrow,
Err in beftowing it..

Wid. I fhould believe you,

For you have fhew'd me that, which well approves Y'are great in fortune.

Hel. Take this purfe of gold,

And let me buy your friendly help thus far,
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,

As we'll direct her how, 'tis beft to bear it,
Now his important 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 defcents,
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 moft chaftly abfent: after this,

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

Wid. I have yielded :

Inftruct my daughter how the fhall perfevere,
That time and place, with this deceit fo lawful,
May prove coherent. Every night he comes

F 4

With