Hel. Which is he? Dia. That jack-an-apes with fcarfs. Why is he melancholy? Hel. Perchance, he's hurt i' th' battel. Par. Lofe our drum! well. Mar. He's fhrewdly vex'd at fomething. Look, he has fpied us. Wid. Marry, hang you! [Exeunt Bertram, Parolles, &c. Mar. And your courtesy, for a ring-carrier!—— Wid. The troop is paft: come, pilgrim, I will bring you, Where you fhall hoft: Of injoyn'd penitents Hel. I humbly thank you: Please it this matron, and this gentle maid, I will bestow some precepts on this virgin Worthy the note. Both. We'll take your offer kindly. SCENE IX. [Exeunt. Enter Bertram, and the two French Lords. 1 Lord. Nay, good my Lord, put him to't let him have his way. 2 Lord. If your lordship find him not a hilding, hold me no more in your respect. 1 Lord. On my life, my lord, a bubble. Ber. Do you think, I am fo far deceiv'd in him? 1 Lord. Believe it, my Lord, in mine own direct knowledge, without any malice, but to fpeak of him as my kinfman; he's a most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promife-breaker, the Owner 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 trusty 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 fo confidently undertake to do. I 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 hoodwink 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 compulsion of base 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 trust my judgment in any thing. 2 Lord. O, for the love of laughter, let him fetch his drum; he fays, he has a ftratagem for't; when * When your Lordship fees thee bottom of his Succefs in't, and to what Metal this counterfeit Lump of Ours will be melted, if you give him not John Drum's Entertainment, your Inclining cannot be remov'd.] Lump of Ours has been the Reading of all the Editions. Ore, according to my Emendation, bears a Confonancy with the other Terms accompanying (viz. Metal, Lump and melted) and helps the Propriety of the Poet's Thought: For fo one Metaphor is kept up, and your all the Words are proper and fuitable to it. But, what is the Meaning of John Drum's Entertainment? Lafeu feveral times afterwards calls Parolles, Tom Drum. But the Difference of the Chriftian Name will make none in the Explanation. There is an old motly Interlude (printed in 1601) call'd Jack Drum's Entertainment: Or, the Comedy of Pafquil and Katharine. In This, Jack Drum is a Servant of Intrigue, who is ever aiming at Projects, and always foil'd, and given Lordship fees the bottom of his fuccefs in't, and to what metal his counterfeit lump of Ore will be melted, if you give him not John Drum's entertainment, your inclining cannot be removed. Here he comes. SCENE X. Enter Parolles. 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 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. given the Drop. And there is tainment to that Cobweb? 64 rolles] into fo near a Confi"dence, if, upon his being found a Counterfeit, you don't ca"fheer him from your Favour, I "then your Attachment is not "not to be remov`d”—I'll now fubjoin a Quotation from Holingbid (of whofe Books Shakespeare was a moft diligent Reader) which will pretty well afcertain Drum's Hiftory. This Chronologer, in his Defcription of Ireland, fpeaking of Patrick Scarfifuld (Mayor of Dublin in the Year 1551) and of his extrava. gant Hofpitality, fubjoins, that no Gueft had ever a cold or forbidding Look from any Part of his Family: fo that his Porter, any other Officer, durft not, for both his Ears, give the fimpleft Man, that reforted to his Heufe, Tom Drum's Entertainment, which is, to hale a Man in by the Head, and thrust him out by both the Shoulders. THEOBALD. 2 Lord. 2 Lord. That was not to be blamed in the command of the fervice; it was a difafter of war that Cafar himfelf 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 ftomach to't, Monsieur ; Par. By the hand of a foldier, I will undertake it. Par. I'll about it this evening; and I will presently pen down my dilemma's, encourage myself 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 ' poffibility I will presently pen down my Dilemmas,] 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. WARB. Poffibility of thy foldiership.] dele thy: the fenfe requires it. WARBURTON. of of thy foldiership, will fubfcribe for thee; farewel. Par. I love not many words. S.CENE XI. [Exit. 1 Lord. No more than a fish loves water. Is not this a strange fellow, my Lord, that fo confidently feems to undertake this Business, 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 fteal himself into a man's favour, and for a week escape a great deal of difcoveries; 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 so seriously he does addrefs himfelf 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. 1 Lord. We'll make you fome fport 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 muft go and look my twigs; he fhall be caught. Ber. Your brother, he fhall go along with me. 2 Lord. As't pleafe your lordship. I'll leave you. [Exit. We have almost imboffed him.] To imbofs a deer, is to inclofe him in a wood. Milton ufes the fame word. Like that self-begotten bird Ber. |