Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Hel. Oh, I believe with him,

In argument of praise, or to the worth

Of the great Count himself, she is too mean
To have her name repeated; all her deserving
Is a reserved honesty, and That

I have not heard examin'd.

Dia. Alas, poor lady!

'Tis a hard bondage, to become the wife Of a detefting lord.

Wid. Ah! right; good creature! wherefoe'er fhe is Her heart weighs fadly; this young maid might do

her

A fhrewd turn, if the pleas'd.

Hel. How do you mean?

May be, the am'rous Count folicits her

In the unlawful purpose.

Wid. He does, indeed;

And brokes with all, that can in fuch a fuit
Corrupt the tender honour of a maid:
But fhe is arm'd for him, and keeps her guard
In honefteft defence.

SCENE

VIII.

Enter Bertram, Parolles, Officers

and Soldiers attending.

Drum and Colours.

Mar.

Wid. So now they come:

HE Gods forbid elfe!

That is Antonio, the Duke's eldest son;

That, Efcalus.

Hel. Which is the Frenchman?

Dia. He;

That with the plume; 'tis a moft gallant fellow;
I would, he lov'd his wife! if he were honefter,
He were much goodlier. Is't not a handfome gen.

tleman?

Hel. I like him well.

Dia. 'Tis pity, he is not honeft; yond's that fame

knave,

L 3

That

That leads him to these places; where I his lady, I'd poison that vile rascal.

Hel. Which is he?

Dia. That jack-an-apes with fcarfs. Why is he melancholy?

Hel. Perchance, he's hurt i'th' battle.

Par. Lofe our drum! well.

Mar. He's fhrewdly vext 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,

[ocr errors]

Where you shall hoft: Of injoin'd penitents

There's four or five, to great St. Jaques bound,
Already at my house.

Hel. I humbly thank you:

Please it this matron, and this gentle maid

To eat with us to night, the charge and thanking Shall be for me: and to requite you further,

I will beftow fome precepts on this virgin

Worthy the note.

Both. We'll take your offer kindly.

[Exeunt.

[blocks in formation]

Enter Bertram, and the two French Lords.

• Lord. NAY, good my lord, put him to't: let

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 speak of him as my kinsman; he's a moft notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise-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.

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 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 lordfhip 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 truft my judgment in any thing.

2 Lord. O, for the love of laughter, let him fetch his drum; he says, he has a 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 entertainment, your inclining cannot be removed. Here he

comes.

*John Drum's entertainment,] Holingshed, in his Description of Ireland, fpeaking of Patrick Scarcefield, (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: So that his Porter, or any other Officer, durft not, for both his Ears, give the fimpleft Man, that reforted to his House, Tom Drum's Entertainment, which is, to hale a Man in by the Head, and thruft him out by both the Shoulders. Mr. Theobald.

[blocks in formation]

Lord.

[blocks in formation]

For the love of laughter, hinder not the

O, humour of his defign, let him fetch off

his drum in any hand.

Ber. How now, Monfieur? this drum fticks 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.

2 Lord. That was not to be blamed in the command of the fervice; it was a difafter of war that Cefar 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.

f

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 hic jacet

Ber. Why, if you have a ftomach to't, Monfieur; if you think your myftery 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 fpeed well in it, the Duke shall both speak of it, and extend to you what further becomes his greatness, even to the utmost fyllable of your worthiness.

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

Par.

Par. I'll about it this evening; and * I will prefently pen down my dilemmas, 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 of foldiership, will subscribe for thee; farewel. Par. I love not many words.

SCENE XI.

a

[Exit.

I Lord. this a ftrange fellow, my Lord, that fo

confidently seems 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 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 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 almost imboss'd him, you shall see his fall to night; for, indeed, he is not for your lordship's respect,

1 Lord. We'll make you fome sport with the fox,

* 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.

L 5

ere

[ocr errors]
« ZurückWeiter »