1 Sold. Do you know this captain Dumain? Par. I know him: he was a botcher's 'prentice in Paris, from whence he was whipped for getting the sheriff's fool 18 with child: a dumb innocent, that could not say him, nay.

[DUMAIN lifts up his hand in anger. Ber. Nay, by your leave, hold your hands; though I know, his brains are forfeit to the next tile that falls 19.

1 Sold. Well, is this captain in the duke of Florence's camp?

of

Par. Upon my knowledge, he is, and lousy.

1 Lord. Nay, look not so upon me; we shall hear your lordship anon.

1 Sold. What is his reputation with the duke?

Par. The duke knows him for no other but a poor officer of mine; and writ to me this other day, to turn him out o'the band: I think, I have his letter in my pocket.

1 Sold. Marry, we'll search.

Par. In good sadness, I do not know; either it is there, or it is upon a file, with the duke's other letters, in my tent.

1 Sold. Here 'tis; here's a paper? Shall I read it to you

?

Par. I do not know if it be it, or no.

Ber. Our interpreter does it well.

1 Lord. Excellently.

1 Sold. Dian. The count's a fool, and full of gold,

18 Female idiots, as well as male, though not so commonly, were retained in great families for diversion. It is not improbable that some real event of recent occurrence is alluded to.

19 In Whitney's Emblems there is a story of three women who threw dice to ascertain which of them should die first. She who lost affected to laugh at the decrees of fate, when a tile suddenly falling put an end to her existence. This book was certainly known to Shakspeare. The passages in Lucian and Plutarch are not so likely to have met the poet's eye.

Par. That is not the duke's letter, sir; that is an advertisement to a proper maid in Florence, one Diana, to take heed of the allurement of one count Rousillon, a foolish idle boy, but for all that, very ruttish I pray you, sir, put it up again.

1 Sold. Nay, I'll read it first, by your favour. Par. My meaning in't, I protest, was very honest in the behalf of the maid: for I knew the young count to be a dangerous and lascivious boy; who is a whale 20 to virginity, and devours up all the fry it finds.

Ber. Damnable, both sides rogue!

1 Sold. When he swears oaths, bid him drop gold, and take it;

After he scores, he never pays the score:

Half won, is match well made; match, and well make it 21:

He ne'er pays after debts, take it before;
And say, a soldier, Dian, told thee this,
Men are to mell 22 with, boys are not to kiss:
For count of this, the count's a fool, I know it,
Who pays before, but not when he does owe it,

Thine, as he vow'd to thee in thine ear,

PAROLLES. Ber. He shall be whipped through the army with this rhyme in his forehead.

20 There is probably an allusion here to the Story of Andromeda in old prints, where the monster is frequently represented as a whale.

21 i. e. a match well made is half won; make your match therefore, but make it well.

22 The meaning of the word mell from méler, French, is obvious. To mell, says Ruddiman, 'to fight, contend, meddle, or have to do with.' So in The Corpus Christi Play, acted at Coventry, Cott. MSS. Vesp. viii. p. 122:

'And fayre young qwene herby doth dwelle,

Both fresh and gay upon to loke,

And a tall man with her doth melle,

The way into her chawmer ryght evyn he toke.'

The argument of the piece is The woman taken in adultery.'

2 Lord. This is your devoted friend, sir, the manifold linguist, and the armipotent soldier.

Ber. I could endure any thing before but a cat, and now he's a cat to me.

1 Sold. I perceive, sir, by the general's looks, we shall be fain to hang you.

Par. My life, sir, in any case: not that I am afraid to die; but that, my offences being many, I would repent out the remainder of nature; let me live, sir, in a dungeon, i'the stocks, or any where, so I may live.

1 Sold. We'll see what may be done, so you confess freely; therefore, once more to this captain Dumain: You have answered to his reputation with the duke, and to his valour: What is his honesty?

Par. He will steal, sir, an egg out of a cloister 23; for rapes and ravishments he parallels Nessus 24. He professes not keeping of oaths; in breaking them, he is stronger than Hercules. He will lie, sir, with such volubility, that you would think truth were a fool: drunkenness is his best virtue; for he will be swine-drunk; and in his sleep he does little harm, save to his bed-clothes about him; but they know his conditions, and lay him in straw. I have but little more to say, sir, of his honesty: he has every thing that an honest man should not have; what an honest man should have, he has nothing.

1 Lord. I begin to love him for this.

Ber. For this description of thine honesty? A pox upon him for me, he is more and more a cat.

1 Sold. What say you to his expertness in war ? Par. Faith, sir, he has led the drum before the English tragedians,-to belie him, I will not,-and

23 i. e. he will steal any thing, however trifling, from any place, however holy.

24 The Centaur killed by Hercules.

more of his soldiership I know not; except in that country, he had the honour to be the officer at a place there call'd Mile End 25, to instruct for the doubling of files: I would do the man what honour I can, but of this I am not certain.

1 Lord. He hath out-villained villany so far, that the rarity redeems him.

Ber. A pox on him! he's a cat still.

1 Sold. His qualities being at this poor price, I need not ask you, if gold will corrupt him to revolt. Par. Sir, for a quart d'ecu 26 he will sell the feesimple of his salvation, the inheritance of it: and cut the entail from all remainders, and a perpetual succession for it perpetually.

1 Sold. What's his brother, the other captain Dumain?

2 Lord. Why does he ask him of me?

1 Sold. What's he?

Par. Ev'n a crow of the same nest; not altogether so great as the first in goodness, but greater a great deal in evil. He excels his brother for a coward, yet his brother is reputed one of the best that is: In a retreat he outruns any lackey; marry, in coming on he has the

cramp.

1 Sold. If your life be sav'd, will you undertake to betray the Florentine?

Par. Ay, and the captain of his horse, count Rousillon.

1 Sol. I'll whisper with the general, and know his pleasure.

Par. I'll no more drumming; a plague of all drums! Only to seem to deserve well, and to beguile

25 Mile End Green was the place for public sports and exercises. See K. Henry IV. P. II. Act iii. Sc. 2.

26 The fourth part of the smaller French crown, about eightpence.

the supposition 27 of that lascivious young boy the count, have I run into this danger: Yet, who would have suspected an ambush where I was taken? [Aside.

1 Sold. There is no remedy, sir, but you must die: the general says, you, that have so traitorously discovered the secrets of your army, and made such pestiferous reports of men very nobly held, can serve the world for no honest use; therefore you must die. Come, headsmen, off with his head.

Par. O Lord, sir; let me live, or let me see my death!

all

1 Sold. That shall you, and take your leave of your friends. [Unmuffling him. So, look about you; Know you any here? Ber. Good morrow, noble captain.

2 Lord. God bless you, captain Parolles. 1 Lord. God save you, noble captain.

2 Lord. Captain, what greeting will you to my lord Lafeu? I am for France.

of

1 Lord. Good captain, will you give me a copy the sonnet you writ to Diana in behalf of the count Rousillon? an I were not a very coward, I'd compel it of you; but fare you well.

[Exeunt BERTRAM, Lords, &c. 1 Sold. You are undone, captain: all but your scarf, that has a knot on't yet.

Par. Who cannot be crushed with a plot?

1 Sold. If you could find out a country where but women were that had received so much shame, you might begin an impudent nation. Fare you well, sir; I am for France too; we shall speak of you there.

[Exit. Par. Yet am I thankful: if my heart were great, "Twould burst at this: Captain, I'll be no more; But I will eat and drink, and sleep as soft

27 To deceive the opinion.