My reasons are most strong; and you shall know them,
When back again this ring shall be deliver'd ;
And on your finger, in the night, I'll put
Another ring ; that, what in time proceeds,
May token to the future our past deeds.
Adieu, 'till then ; then, fail not: You have won
A wife of me, though there my hope be done.
Ber. A heaven on earth I have won, by wooing thee.

[Exit.
Dia. For which live long to thank both heaven and me!
You may so in the end.
My mother told me just how he would woo,
As if the sat in his heart; she says, all men
Have the like oaths : he had sworn to marry me,
When his wife's dead; therefore I'll lie with him,
When I am bury'd. Since Frenchmen are fo 'braid,
Marry that will, “ l'll live and die a maid :
Only, in this disguise, I think’t no sin
To cozen him, that would unjustly win.

(Exit

Enter the two French Lords, and two or three Soldiers.

i Lord. You have not given him his mother's lecter ?

2 Lord. I have deliver'd it an hour since: there is something in't that stings his nature; for, on the reading it, he chang'd almost into another man.

Lord. He has much worthy blame laid upon him, for shaking off so good a wife, and so sweet a lady.

2 Lord. Especially he hath incurred the everlasting dif

! braid, ]--deceitful.

I live.

pleasure

pleasure of the king, who had even tun'd his bounty to sing happiness to him. I will tell you a thing, but you Ihall let it dwell darkly with you.

i Lord. When you have spoken it, 'tis dead, and I am the grave of it.

2 Lord. He hath perverted a young gentlewoman here in Florence, of a most chaste renown; and this night he Aeshes his will in the spoil of her honour ; he hath given her his monumental ring, and thinks himself made in the unchaste composition.

i Lord. Now God "delay our rebellion ; as we are ourselves, what things are we !

2 Lord. Merely our own traitors. And as in the common course of all treasons, we still see them reveal themselves, °ere they attain to their abhorr'd ends ; so he, that in this action contrives against his own nobility, P in his proper stream o'erflows himself.

i Lord. Is it not moft damnable in us, to be trumpeters of our unlawful intents? We shall not then have his company to-night?

2 Lord. Not 'till after midnight ; for he is dieced to his hour,

i Lord. That approaches apace: I would gladly have him see his 'companion anatomized; that he might take a measure of his own judgment, wherein so curiously he had set this counterfeit.

2 Lord. We will not meddle with him till he come ; for his presence must be the whip of the other.

i Lord. In the mean time, what hear you of these wars? 2 Lord. I hear, there is an overture of peace. i Lord. Nay, I assure you, a peace concluded.

A delay]-avert, prevent.

o'till. P in his proper stream o'erflows himself.]--betrays his secrets by his own talk.

meant ; meantime ; mean and.

company.

!

2 Lord. What will count Rougllon do then? will he travel higher, or return again into France ?

i Lord. I perceive by this demand, you are not altogether of his counsel.

2 Lord. Let it be forbid, sir! so should I be a great deal of his act.

i Lord. Sir, his wife, some two months since, fled from his house ; her pretence, a pilgrimage to Saint Jaques le grand; which holy undertaking, with most austere fanctimony, she accomplish'd : and, there residing, through the tenderness of her nature, became as a prey to her grief; in fine, made a groan of her last breath, and now she sings in heaven,

2 Lord. How is this justified ?

i Lord. The stronger part of it by her own letters ; which makes her story true, even to the point of her death: her death itself, which could not be her office to fay, is come, was faithfully confirm'd by the rector of the place.

2 Lord. Hath the count all this intelligence ?

i Lord. Ay, and the particular confirmations, point from point, to the full arming of the verity.

2 Lord. I am heartily forry, that he'll be glad of this.

i Lord. How mightily, sometimes, we make us comforts of our losses !

2 Lord, And how mightily, some other times, we drown our gain in tears ! the great dignity, that his valour hath here acquired for him, shall at home be encounter'd with a shame as ample.

i Lord. The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together : our virtues would be proud, if our faults whip'd them not; and our crimes would despair, if they were not cherish'd by our virtues.the tenderness.

justified ?]-made out, evinced. from point to point,-point for point.

Enter

Enter a Servant.

How now? where's your master ?

Serv. He met the duke in the street, fir, of whom he hath taken a folemn leave ; his lordship will next morning for France. The duke hath offered him letters of commendations to the king.

2 Lord. They shall be no more than needful there," if they were more than they can commend.

Enter Bertram.

1 Lord. They cannot be too sweet for the king's tartness. Here's his lordship now. How now, my lord, is't not after midnight?

Ber. I have to-night dispatch'd fixteen businesses, a month's length a-piece, * by an abstract of success; I have conge'd with the duke, done my adieu with his nearest ; buried a wife, mourn'd for her; writ to my lady mother, I am returning; ? entertain'd my convoy; and, between these main parcels of dispatch, effected many nicer needs : the last was the greatest, but that I have not ended yet.

2 Lord. If the business be of any difficulty, and this morning your departure hence, it requires haite of

your lordship

Ber. I mean, the business is not ended, as fearing a to hear of ic hereafter : But shall we have this dialogue between the fool and the soldier ? — Come, bring forth this

countefeit module; he has deceiy'd me, like a doublemeaning prophesier.

if they were more than they can commend. ]-though their contents Thould be more ample than authentick.

* by an abstract of fuccefs ; ]-as it appears from a short note of each, taken down as they were successively executed. y neareft ; ]-courtiers.

z entertain'd]-provided. to bear of it bereafter :]-the common consequences of such an intrigue, which may prove troublesome. counterfeit module ;]-pretended pattern of perfection.

2 Lord.

2 Lord. Bring him forth: he has sat in the stocks all night, poor gallant knave.

Ber. No matter; his heels have deserv'd it, in usurping his spurs so long. How does he carry himself?

1 Lord. I have told your lordship already; the stocks carry him. But, to answer you as you would be understood; he weeps, like a wench that had shed her milk: he hath confess'd himself to Morgan, whom he supposes to be a friar, from the time of his remembrance, to this very instant disaster of his setting i’the stocks : And what, think you,

he hath confeft? Ber. Nothing of me, has he ?

2 Lord. His confession is taken, and it shall be read to his face: if your lordship be in't, as, I believe you are, you must have the patience to hear it.

Re-enter Soldiers with Parolles.

Ber. A plague upon him! muffled! he can say nothing

of me.

i Lord. Hush! hush! * Hoodman comes ! - Porto tartarojo.

Inter. He calls for the tortures; What will you say without 'em ?

Par. I will confess what I know without constraint: if ye pinch me like a pasty, I can say no more.

Inter. Boško chimurcho.
2 Lord. Boblibindo chicurmurco.

Inter. You are a merciful general :— Our general bids you answer to what I shall ask you out of a note.

Par. And truly, as I hope to live. Inter. First demand of him, how many borse the duke is strong. What say you to that ?

Par, Five or six thousand; but very weak and unler. viceable : the trcops are all scatter'd, and the command

• Hoodman)-Parelles blindfolded,

ers