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 t; and to say, it was in stratagem. 1 Lord. 'Twould 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.

i Lord. Three great oaths would scarce make that be believed.

[ Aside. Par. I would, I had any drum of the enemy's; I would swear, I recovered it. 1 Lord. You shall hear one anon.

[Aside. Par. A drum now of the enemy's! [Alarum within. i Lord. Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo. All. Cargo, cargo, villianda par corbo, cargo. Par. O! ransom, ransom : Do

not hide mine eyes.

[They seize him and blindfold him. 1 Sold. Boskos thromuldo boskos.

Par. I know you are the Muskos' regiment.
And I shall lose my life for want of language:
If there be here German, or Dane, low Dutch,
Italian, or French, let him speak to me,
I will discover that which shall undo
The Florentine.

1 Sold.

O, pray, pray, pray.
Manka revania dulche.
1 Lord.

Oscorbi dulchos volivorca.
1 Sold. The general is content to spare thee yet;
And, hook-wink'd as thou art, will lead thee on
To gather from thee: haply, thou may'st inform
Something to save thy life.
Par.

0, let me live,
And all the secrets of our camp I'll show,
Their force, their purposes: nay, I'll speak that
Which you will wonder at.
1 Sold.

But wilt thou faithfully? Par. If I do not, damn me. 1 Sold.

Acordo linta. Come on, thou art granted space. .

[Exit, with PAROLLES guarded. 1 Lord. Go, tell the count Rousillon, and my

brother, We have caught the woodcock, and will keep him

muffled, Till we do hear from them. 2 Sold.

Captain, I will. i Lord. He will betray us all unto ourselves; — Inform 'em that. 2 Sold.

So I will, sir. i Lord. Till then, I'll keep him dark, and safely lock'd.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Florence. A Room in the Widow's House.

Enter BERTRAM and DIANA.

Ber. They told me, that your name was Fontibell.
Dia. No, my good lord, Diana.
Ber.

Titled goddess;
And worth it, with addition ! But, fair soul,

now

as

mother was,

In your fine frame hath love no quality ?
If the quick fire of youth light not your mind,
You are no maiden, but a monument:
When you are dead, you should be such a one
As
you are now,

for you are cold and stern; And

you
should be

your When your sweet self was got.

Dia. She then was honest.
Ber.

So should you be.
Dia,

No: My mother did but duty; such, my lord, As

you owe to your wife. Ber.

No more of that!
I pr’ythee, do not strive against my vows:
I was compellid to her; but I love thee
By love's own sweet constraint, and will for ever
Do thee all rights of service.
Dia.

Ay, so you serve us,
Till we serye you: but when

you

have our roses,
You barely leave our thorns to prick ourselves,
And mock us with our bareness.
Ber.

How have I sworn ?
Dia. 'Tis not the many oaths, that make the truth;
But the plain single vow, that is vow'd true.
What is not holy, that we swear not by?,

But take the Highest to witness: Then, pray you,

tell me,

If I should swear by Jove's great attributes,
I lov'd you dearly, would you believe my oaths,
When I did love you ill? this has no holding,
To swear by him whom I protest to love,
That I will work against him: Therefore, your oaths
Are words, and poor conditions ; but unseald ;
At least, in my opinion.
Ber.

Change it, change it;
Be not so holy-cruel : love is holy;
And my integrity ne'er knew the crafts,
That you do charge men with : Stand no more off,
But give thyself unto my sick desires,
Who then recover: say, thou art mine, and ever
My love, as it begins, shall so persever.

Dia. I see, that men make hopes, in such affairs ®,
That we'll forsake ourselves. Give me that ring.

Ber. I'll lend it thee, my dear, but have no power
To give it from me.
Dia.

Will you not, my lord ?
Ber. It is an honour 'longing to our house,
Bequeathed down from many ancestors :
Which were the greatest obloquy i'the world
In me to lose.
Dia.

Mine honour's such a ring :
My chastity's the jewel of our house,
Bequeathed down from many ancestors ;
Which were the greatest obloquy i’the world
In me to lose : Thus

your own proper wisdom
Brings in the champion honour on my part,
Against your vain assault.
Ber.

Here, take my ring :

My house, mine honour, yea, my life be thine,
And I'll be bid by thee.
Dia. When midnight comes, knock at my

chamber window; I'll order take, my mother shall not hear. Now will I charge you in the band of truth, When you have

conquer'd my yet maiden bed, Remain there but an hour, nor speak to me: 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 she sat in his heart; she says, Have the like oaths : he had sworn to marry me, When his wife's dead ; therefore I'll lie with him, When I am buried. Since Frenchmen are so braid, Marry that will, I'll live and die a maid : Only, in this disguise, I think't no sin To cozen him, that would unjustly win.

[Exit.

all men

SCENE III.

The Florentine Camp.

Enter the two French Lords, and two or three