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BER. Well, we cannot greatly condemn our success: some dishonour we had in the loss of that drum; but it is not to be recovered.

PAR. It might have been recovered.

BER. It might, but it is not now.

PAR. It is to be recovered: but that the merit of service is seldom attributed to the true and exact performer, I would have that drum or another, or hic jacet. BER. Why, if you have a stomach to 't, monsieur, if you think your mystery in stratagem can bring this instrument of honour again into his native quarter, be magnanimous in the enterprise, and go on; I will grace the attempt for a worthy exploit: if you speed well in it, the duke shall both speak of it, and extend to you what further becomes his greatness, even to the utmost syllable of your worthiness.

PAR. By the hand of a soldier, I will undertake it.

BER. But you must not now slumber in it.

PAR. I'll about it this evening: and I will presently 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 success will be, my lord; but the attempt I vow. BER. I know thou 'rt valiant;

And to the possibility of thy soldiership

Will subscribe for thee.

PAR. I love not many words.

Farewell.

[Exit.

1 LORD. No more than a fish loves water.-Is not this a strange fellow, my lord, that so confidently seems to undertake this business, which he knows is not to be done; damns himself to do, and dares better be damned than to do 't? 2 LORD. You do not know him, my lord, as we do: certain it is, that he will steal himself into a man's favour, and, for a week, escape 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 address himself unto?

1 LORD. None in the world; but return with an invention, and clap upon you two or three probable lies: but we have almost embossed him; you shall see his fall to-night: for, indeed, he is not for your lordship's respect.

2 LORD. We'll make you some sport with the fox, ere we case him. He was first smoked by the old lord Lafeu: when his disguise and he is parted, tell me what a sprat you shall find him; which you shall see this very night.

1 LORD. I must go look my twigs; he shall be caught.

BER. Your brother, he shall go along with me.

1 LORD. As 't please your lordship: I'll leave you.

BER. Now will I lead you to the house, and show you

[Exit.

a

Embossed. The word is probably here used in the sense of exhausted. In the Induction to

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The Taming of the Shrew,'" the poor cur is emboss'd"-swollen with hard running. In the old field language, the weary stag was embossed.

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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?

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SCENE VII.-Florence. A Room in the Widow's House.

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And let me buy your friendly help thus far,

Which I will over-pay, and pay again,

When I have found it. The count he woos your daughter,

Lays down his wanton siege before her beauty,

Resolves to carry her; let her, in fine, consent,
As we 'll direct her how 't is best to bear it,
Now his important blood will nought deny
That she 'll demand: A ring the county wears,
That downward hath succeeded in his house,
From son to son, some four or five descents
Since the first father wore it: this ring he holds

In most rich choice; yet, in his idle fire,
To buy his will, it would not seem too dear,
Howe'er repented after.

[Exeunt.

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▲ This, which is wanting in the first folio, was added in the second.

[Without the Walls of Florence.]

[Exeunt.

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Enter First Lord, with five or six Soldiers in ambush.

can come no other way but by this hedge-corner: When you sally , speak what terrible language you will; though you understand it selves, no matter; for we must not seem to understand him; unless among us, whom we must produce for an interpreter.

d captain, let me be the interpreter.

not acquainted with him? knows he not thy voice? sir, I warrant you.

t what linsy-woolsy hast thou to speak to us again? n such as you speak to me.

must think us some band of strangers i' the adversary's entertainNow he hath a smack of all neighbouring languages; therefore we ery one be a man of his own fancy, not to know what we speak one er; so we seem to know, is to know straight our purpose: chough's

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language, gabble enough, and good enough. As for you, interpreter, you must seem very politic. But couch, hoa! 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 't will 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 instance? Tongue, I must put you into a butter-woman's mouth, and buy myself 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. "T would not do.

[Aside.

PAR. Or to drown my clothes, and say I was stripped.

1 LORD. Hardly serve.

[Aside.

PAR. Though I swore I leaped from the window of the citadel—

1 LORD. How deep?

[Aside.

PAR. Thirty fathom.

[Aside.

1 LORD. Three great oaths would scarce make that be believed. PAR. I would I had any drum of the enemy's; I would swear I had recovered it.

1 LORD. You shall hear one anon. PAR. A drum now of the enemy's!

1 LORD. Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo.

ALL. Cargo, cargo, cargo, villianda par corbo, cargo.
PAR. O! ransom, ransom: do not hide mine eyes.

1 SOLD. Boskos thromuldo boskos.

[Aside.

[Alarum within.

[They seize him and blindfold him.

PAR. I know you are the Muskos' regiment,
And I shall lose my life for want of language:

64

• Mule. So the original. It was proposed by Warburton, with great plausibility, to read "Bajazet's mute."

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