himself could not have prevented, if he had been there to command. Ber. Well, we cannot greatly condemn our fuccefs: some dishonour 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 per former, 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 speed well in it, the Duke fhall both speak of it, and extend to you what further becomes his greatnefs, even to the utmost fyllable of your worthiness. Par. By the hand of a foldier, I will undertake it. Ber. But you muft not now flumber in it. Par. I'll about it this evening; and I will presently pen down my dilemma's, encourage myfelf in my cer tainty, 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 thy foldiership, will fubfcribe for thee; farewel. Par. I love not many words. [Exit. Is not 1 Lord. No more than a fish loves water.. this a ftrange fellow, my Lord, that fo confidently. feems to undertake this bufinefs, 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 steal himself into a man's favour, and for a week efcape a great deal of difco veries; veries; 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 fo feriously he does addrefs himself 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 fhall fee his fall to-night; for, indeed, he is not for your Lordship's refpect. i Lord. We'll make you fome fport with the fox, ere we cafe him. He was firft fmoak'd by the old Lord Lafea; when his difguife and he is parted, tell me what a fprat you shall find him, which you shall 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. - [Exit. Ber. Now will I lead you to the house, and fhew The lafs I spoke of. Lord. But you fay, fhe's honest. you Ber. That's all the fault: I fpoke with her but once; And found her wondrous cold; but I fent to her, By this fame coxcomb that we have i' th' wind, Tokens and letters, which fhe did refend; And this is all I've done: fhe's a fair creature, Will you go fee her? 1 Lord, With all my heart, my Lord. Hel. [Exeunt SCENE changes to the Widow's House. Enter Helena, and Widow. F mifdoubt me that I am not fhe, I know not, how I fhall affure you further, But I fhall lofe the grounds I work upon. Wid. Tho' my eftate be fallen, I was well born, Nothing acquainted with thefe bufineffes, And And would not put my reputation now Hel. Nor would I wish you. First, give me truft, the Count he is my husband; Wid. I fhould believe you, For you have fhew'd me that, which well approves Hel. Take this purfe of gold, And let me buy your friendly help thus far, When I have found it. The Count wooes your daughter, As we'll direct her how 'tis beft to bear it. Wid. Now I fee the bottom of your purpose. Herself most chaftely abfent: after this, To marry her, I'll add three thoufand crowns Wid. I have yielded : Inftruct my daughter how fhe fhall perfevere, To To chide him from our eaves, for he perfifts, Hel. Why then, to-night Let us affay our plot; which if it speed, [Exeunt. A C C T IV. SCENE, part of the French Camp in Florence. Enter one of the French Lords, with five or fix Soldiers in HE ambusp. LORD. E can come no other way but by this hedge-corner; when you fally upon him, fpeak what ter rible language you will; though you understand it not yourselves, no matter; for we must not feem to underftand him, unless fome one amongst us, whom we must produce for an interpreter. Sol. Good Captain, let me be th' interpreter. Lord. Art not acquainted with him? knows he not thy voice? Sol. No, Sir, I warrant you.. Lord. But what linfy-woolfy haft thou to speak to us again? Sol. Ey'n fuch as you fpeak to me. Lord. He must think us fome band of strangers i'th' adverfaries entertainment. Now he hath a fmack of all neighbouring languages, therefore we must every one be a man of his own fancy; not to know what we speak one to another, fo we ieem to know, is to know raight our purpose: chough's language, gabble enough, enough, and good enough. As for you, interpreter,you must feem very politick, But couch, hoa! here he comes, to beguile two hours in a fleep, and then to return and fwear the lies he forges. Enter Parolles. Par. Ten a clock; within thefe three hours 'twill be time enough to go home. What frall I fay, I have done? it must be a very plaufive invention that carries it. They begin to fmoak me, and difgraces have of late knock'd 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. Lord. This is the first truth that e'er thine own tongue was guilty of. [Afide. Par. What the devil fhould move me to undertake the recovery of this drum, being not ignorant of the impoffibility, and knowing I had no fuch purpose? I muft give myself fome hurts, and fay, I got them in exploit; yet flight ones will not carry it. They will fay, came you off with fo little? and great ones I dare not give; wherefore what's the inftance? (31) Tongue, (31) Tongue, I must put you into a butter-woman's mouth, and buy, myself another of Bajazet`s mule, if you prattleme into these perils.] Why of Bajazet's mule, any more than any other mule? Is there any par ticular conceit, any fory on record, by which that Emperor's mule is fignaliz'd? If there be, I freely own my ignorance. Tho' I have not alter'd the text, Mr. Warburton concurr'd with me in thinking. that the Poet probably wrote; and buy myfelf another of Bajazet's mute, i. es of a Turki mute. So in Henry V. Like Turkish mute, fhall have a tongueless mouth, &c. Bèfides, as my friend obferved to me, the antithefis between a butter · woman and a mute is tolerably well. If there be any difficulty remains, it is to know, why the Poet has chofen to fay, Bajazet's To this it may be answered, that Bajazet the Great, (who was at last overthrown by Tamerlane ;) by his prodigious exploits becoming very famous, for a long time after, amongst us, Europeans, his fucceffors were called by his name, when they were spoke of. mute. |