1 Lord. He's very near the truth in this.

Ber. But I con him no thanks for't, in the nature he delivers it.

Par. Poor rogues, I pray you, fay.

Inter. Well, that's fet down.

Par. I humbly thank you, Sir; a truth's a truth, the rogues are marvellous poor.

Inter. Demand of him, of what ftrength they are a foot. What say you to that?

Par. By my troth, Sir, if I were to live this prefent hour, I will tell true. Let me fee; Spurio a hundred and fifty, Sebaftian fo many, Corambus fo many, Jaques to many; Guiltian, Cofmo, Lodowick, and Gratii, two hundred and fifty each; mine own company, Chitopher, Vaumond, Bentii, two hundred and fifty each fo that the mufter file, rotten and found, upon my life amounts not to fifteen thousand Poll; half of the which dare not shake the fnow from off their cassocks, left they shake themfelves to pieces.

Ber. What fhall be done to him?

I Lord. Nothing, but let him have thanks. Demand of him my conditions, and what credit I have with the Duke.

;

Inter. Well, that's fet down. You fhall demand of him, whether one Captain Dumain be i'th' camp, a . Frenchman: what his reputation is with the Duke; what his valour, honefty, and expertness in war; or whether he thinks, it were not poffible with wellweighing fums of gold to corrupt him to a revolt. What fay you to this? what do you know of it? Par. Í befeech you, let me anfwer to the particular of the Interrogatories. Demand them fingly.

Inter. Do you know this Captain Dumain?

Par. I know him; he was a botcher's 'prentice in Paris, from whence he was whipt for getting the sheriff's fool with child; a dumb innocent, that could not fay him nay. [Dumain lifts up his hand in anger.

Ber.

Ber. Nay, by your leave, hold your hands; tho' I know, his brains are forfeit to the next tile that falls. Inter. Well, is this Captain in the Duke of Florence's Camp?

Par. Upon my knowledge he is, and lowfy.

I Lord. Nay, look not fo upon me, we shall hear of your Lordship anon.

Inter. What is his reputation with the Duke?

Par. The Duke knows him for no other but a poor officer of mine, and writ to me the other day to turn him out o' th' band. I think, I have his letter in my pocket.

Inter. Marry, we'll fearch.

Par. In good fadnefs, I do not know; either it is there, or it is upon the file with the Duke's other letters in my tent.

Inter. Here 'tis, here's a paper, fhall I read it to you?
Par. I do not know, if it be it or no.

Ber. Our Interpreter does it well.

1 Lord. Excellently.

7

Inter. Dian, the Count's a fool, and full of gold. Par. That is not the Duke's letter, Sir; that is an advertisement to a proper maid in Florence, one Diana, to take heed of the allurement of one Count Roufillon, a foolish idle boy; but for all that, very ruttifh. I pray you, Sir, put it up again.

Inter. Nay, I'll read it firft, by your favour.

Par. My meaning in't, I proteft, was very honeft in the behalf of the maid; for I knew the young Count to be a dangerous and lafcivious boy, who is a whale to virginity, and devours up all the fry it finds. · Ber. Damnable! both fides rogue.

7 Dian. the Count's a fool, and full of gold. After this line there is apparently a line loft,

there being no rhyme that correfponds to gold.

VOL. III.

Bb

Inter

Interpreter reads the letter.

When he fwears oaths, bid him drop gold, and take it.
After he fores, he never pays the score:
Half won, is match well made; match, and well make it:
He ne'er pays after-debts, take it before,
And fay, a foldier (Dian) told thee this:

* Men are to mell with, boys are but to kiss.
For, count of this, the Count's a fool, I know it;
Who pays before, but not when he does owe it.

Thine, as he vow'd to thee in thine ear,

PAROLLES.

Ber. He fhall be whipt thro' the army with this rhime in his forehead.

2 Lord. This is your devoted friend, Sir, the manifold linguist, and the armi-potent foldier.

That is, take his money and leave him to himself. When the players had lot the fecond line, they tried to make a connexion out of the reft. Part is apparently in couplets, and the note was probably uniform.

Men are to mell with, boys are not to kis.] All the Editors have obtruded a new Maxim upon us here, that By art not to kifs. Liria, in Beaument and Fletcher, Tamer tam'd, is of a quite oppofite Opinion.

For Boys were made for Noth g

but cry Kiffes. And our Poet's Thought, I am perfuaded, went to the fame Tune. To mell, is derived from the French word, meler, to mingle.

THEOBALD.
Ber.

Ber. I could endure any thing before but a cat, and now he's a cat to me.

Inter. I perceive, Sir, by the General's looks, we fhall be fain to hang you.

Par. My life, Sir, in any cafe; not that I am afraid to die; but that my offences being many, I would repent out the remainder of nature. Let me live, Sir, in a Dungeon, i' th' Stocks, any where, fo I may live.

Inter. We'll fee what may be done, so you confefs freely; therefore, once more, to this Captain Dumain: you have anfwer'd to his reputation with the Duke, and to his valour. What is his honesty?

9

Par. He will fteal, Sir, an egg out of a cloifter; for rapes and ravishments he parallels Neffus. He profeffes no keeping of oaths; in breaking them he is ftronger than Hercules. He will lye, Sir, with fuch volubility, that you would think, truth were a fool; drunkenness is his beft virtue, for he will be fwinedrunk, and in his fleep he does little harm, fave to his bed-cloaths about him; but they know his conditions, and lay him in ftraw. I have but little more to fay, Sir, of his honefty; he has every thing that an honeft man should not have; what an honeft man fhould have, he has nothing.

I Lord. I begin to love him for this.

Ber. For this description of thine honefty? a pox him for me, he is more and more a cat.

upon

Inter. What fay you to his expertnefs in war? Par. Faith, Sir, h'as led the drum before the English Tragedians: to belie him, I will not; and more of his foldiership I know not; except, in that Country, he had the honour to be the Officer at a place there

9 An egg out of a cloifter.] I know not that cloifter, though it may etymologically fignify any thing fhut, is used by our authour, otherwife than for a monaftery, and therefore I cannot guess

whence this hyperbole could. take its original: perhaps it means only this: He will fea! any thing, however trifling, from any place, however holy.

Bb 2

call'd

call'd Mile-end, to inftruct for the doubling of files. I would do the man what honour I can, but of this I am not certain.

I Lord. He hath out-villain'd villany so far, that the rarity redeems him.

I

Ber. A pox on him, he's a cat ftill.

Inter. His Qualities being at this poor price, I need not to afk you, if gold will corrupt him to revolt.

Par. Sir, for a Quart d'ecu he will fell the fee-fimple of his falvation, the inheritance of it, and cut th' intail from all remainders, and a perpetual fucceffion for it perpetually.

Inter. What's his Brother, the other Captain Du main?

2

2 Lord. Why does he afk him of me?

Inter. What's he?

Par. E'en a crow o' th' fame neft; not altogether fo great as the first in goodness, but greater a great deal in evil. He excels his Brother for a Coward, yet his brother is reputed one of the best that is. In a Retreat he outruns any lacquey; marry, in coming on he has the cramp.

Inter. If your life be faved, will you undertake to betray the Florentine?

Par. Ay, and the Captain of his horfe, Count Roufillon.

Inter. I'll whifper with the General, and know his pleasure.

Par. I'll no more drumming, a plague of all drums! Only to feem to deferve well, and to beguile the fuppofition of that lafcivious young boy the Count, have

hear his neighbour's character than his own.

3 To beguile the fuppofition.] That is, to deceive the opinion, to make the Count think me a man that deferves well.