Ber. Now will I lead you to the house, and show you The last I spoke of. 2 Lord. But, you say, she's honest. Ber. That's all the fault: I spoke with her but once, And found her wondrous cold; but I sent to her, By this same coxcomb that we have i'the wind, Tokens and letters which she did re-send; And this is all I have done: She's a fair creature ; Will you go see her? 2 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, Wid. Though my estate be fallen, I was well born, Nothing acquainted with these businesses; In any staining act. Hel. Nor would I wish you. First, give me trust, the count he is my husband; And, what to your sworn counsel I have spoken, Is so, from word to word; and then you cannot, By the good aid that I of you shall borrow, Err in bestowing it. Wid. For you I should believe you; have show'd me that, which well approves You are great in fortune. Hel. Take this purse of gold, And let me buy your friendly help thus far, When I have found it. The count he wooes your daughter, 9 Lays down his wanton siege before her beauty, Wid. Now I see The bottom of your purpose. Hel. You see it lawful then: It is no more, Herself most chastely absent: after this, Wid. Hel. 8 9 Count. And lawful meaning in a lawful act; Where both not sin, and yet a sinful fact: Enter first Lord, with five or six Soldiers in ambush. 1 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. 1 Sold. Good captain, let me be the interpreter. 1 Lord. Art not acquainted with him? knows he not thy voice? 1 Sold. No, sir, I warrant you. 1 Lord. But what linsy-woolsy hast thou to speak to us again? 1 Sold. Even such as you speak to me. 1 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: chough's' i. e. Foreign troops in the enemy's pay. 2 A bird like a jack-daw. language, gabble enough, and good enough. As for you, interpreter, you must seem very politick. 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. Par. Ten o'clock: within these three hours 'twill be time enough to go home. What shall 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 fool-hardy; but my heart hath the fear of Mars before it, and of his creatures, not daring the reports of my tongue. 1 Lord. This is the first truth that e'er thine own tongue was guilty of. [Aside. 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 instance3? Tongue, I must put you into a butter-woman's mouth, and buy another of Bajazet's mule, if you prattle me into these perils. 1 Lord. Is it possible, he should know what he is, and be that he is? [Aside. Par. I would the cutting of my garments would serve the turn; or the breaking of my Spanish sword. 1 Lord. We cannot afford you so. [Aside. Par. Or the baring of my beard; and to say, it was in stratagem. 1 Lord. 'Twould not do. [Aside. 3 The proof. Par. Or to drown my clothes, and say, stripped. 1 Lord. Hardly serve. I was [Aside. Par. Though I swore I leaped from the window of the citadel 1 Lord. How deep? Par. Thirty fathom. [Aside. 1 Lord. Three great oaths would scarce make that be believed. [Aside. Par. I would, I had any drum of the enemy's; I would swear, I recovered it. 1 Lord. You shall hear one anon. Par. A drum now of the enemy's! [Aside. [Alarum within. 1 Lord. Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo. All. Cargo, cargo, villianda par corbo, cargo. Par. O! ransome, ransome:-Do not hide mine [They seize him, and blindfold him. eyes. 1 Sold. Boskos thromuldo boskos. Par. I know you are the Muskos' regiment. And I shall lose my life for want of language: If there be here German, or Dane, low Dutch, Italian, or French, let him speak to me, I will discover that which shall undo The Florentine. 1 Sold. Boskos vauvado : I understand thee, and can speak thy tongue: Sir, Betake thee to thy faith, for seventeen poniards thee yet; 1 Sold. The general is content to spare Par. O, let me live, |