Page images
PDF
EPUB

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. -
2 Lord. As't pleafe your Lordship. I'll leave you.

[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,
you

[ocr errors]

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
In any ftaining act.

Hel. Nor would I wish you.

First, give me truft, the Count he is my husband;
And what to your fworn counfel I have spoken,
Is fo, from word to word; and then you cannot,
By the good aid that I of you fhall borrow,
Err in beftowing it.

Wid. I fhould believe you,

For you have fhew'd me that, which well approves
Y'are great in fortune.

Hel. Take this purfe of gold,

And let me buy your friendly help thus far,
Which I will over-pay, and pay again

When I have found it. The Count wooes your daughter,
Lays down his wanton fiege before her beauty,
Refolves to carry her; let her confent,

As we'll direct her how 'tis beft to bear it.
Now his important blood will nought deny,
That he'll demand: a ring the Count does wear,
That downward hath fucceeded in his houfe
From fon to fon, fome four or five defcents,
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 feem too dear,
Howe'er repented after.

Wid. Now I fee the bottom of your purpose.
Hel. You fee it lawful then. It is no more,
But that your daughter, ere fhe feems as won,
Defires this ring; appoints him an encounter;
In fine, delivers me to fill the time,

Herself most chaftely abfent: after this,

To marry her, I'll add three thoufand crowns
To what is paft already.

Wid. I have yielded :

Inftruct my daughter how fhe fhall perfevere,
That time and place, with this deceit fo lawful,
May prove coherent. Every night he comes
With mufick of all forts, and fongs compos'd
To her unworthiness: it nothing fleads us

To

To chide him from our eaves, for he perfifts,
As if his life lay on't.

Hel. Why then, to-night

Let us affay our plot; which if it speed,
Is wicked meaning in a lawful deed;
And lawful meaning in a lawful act,
Where both not fin, and yet a finful fact.
But let's about it.—

[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.

[ocr errors]

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.
Either our history fhall with full mouth
Speak freely of our acts; or else our grave,

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.

« PreviousContinue »