at fome great and trufty business in a main danger fail you.

Ber. I would I knew in what particular action to try him.

2 Lord. None better than to let him fetch off his drum; which you hear him fo confidently undertake to do.

1 Lord. I, with a troop of Florentines, will fuddenly furprise him; fuch I will have, whom I am fure he knows not from the enemy: we will bind and hoodwink him fo, that he fhall fuppofe no other but that he is carried into the leaguer of the adverfaries, when we bring him to our own tents. Be but your Lordship prefent at his examination; if he do not for the promise of his life, and in the highest compulfion of bafe fear, offer to betray you, and deliver all the intelligence in his power against you, and that with the divine forfeit of his foul upon oath, never trust my judgment in any thing.

2 Lord. O, for the love of laughter, let him fetch his drum; he fays, he has a ftratagem for't; when your Lordship fees the bottom of his fuccefs in't, and to what metal this counterfeit lump of oar will be melted, if you give him not Tom Drum's entertainment *, , your inclining cannot be removed. Here he comes.

SCENE X. Enter Parolles.

I Lord. O, for the love of laughter, hinder not the humour of his defign, let him fetch off his drum in any hand.

Ber. How now, Monfieur? this drum sticks forely in your difpofition.

2 Lord. A pox't on't, let it go, 'tis but a drum. Par. But a drum! is't but a drum? a drum so lost!

* Holingshed, in his description of Ireland, speaking of Patrick Scarfefield, (Mayor of Dublin in the year 1551), and of his extravagant hofpitality, fubjoins, that no guest had ever a cold or forbidding look from any part of his family: fo that bis porter, or any other officer, durft not, for both his ears, give the fimple nan that reforted to his boufe, Tom Drum's entertainment; which is, to hale a man in by the head, and thrust him out by both the fhoulders. Mr. Theobald.

VOL. III.

G

there

there was an excellent command! to charge in with our horfe upon our own wings, and to rend our own foldiers.

2 Lord. That was not to be blamed in the command of the fervice; it was a difafter of war that Cæfar himfelf could not have prevented, if he had been there to command.

Ber. Well, we cannot greatly condemn our fuccefs: fome difhonour 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 performer, I would have that drum or another, or hic jacet

Ber. Why, if you have a ftomach to't, Monfieur; if you think your mystery in ftratagem can bring this inftrument of honour again into his native quarter, be magnanimous in the enterprife, and go on; I will grace the attempt for a worthy exploit: if you fpeed 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 worthinefs.

Par. By the hand of a foldier, I will undertake it. Ber. But you must not now flumber 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 fuccefs will be, my Lord; but the attempt I vow.

Ber. I know th'art valiant; and to the poffibility of foldierfhip will fubfcribe for thee; farewel. Par. I love not many words.

SCENE

[Exit.

XI.

Is not

1 Lord. No more than a fifh loves water.this a ftrange fellow, my Lord, that fo confidently feems to undertake this business, which he knows is not

to

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 escape a great deal of difcoveries; 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 ferioufly he does addrefs himself unto?

2 Lord. None in the world, but return with an invention, and clap upon you two or three probable lyes but we have almost imbofs'd him, you fhall fee his fall to-night; for, indeed, he is not for your Lordfhip's respect.

i Lord. We'll make you fome sport with the fox, ere we cafe him. He was first smoked by the old Lord Lafeu; when his difguife and he is parted, tell me what a fprat you fhall find him; which you shall fee this very night.

2 Lord, I must go and look my twigs; he fhall be caught.

Ber. Your brother, he fhall go along with me. 2 Lord. As't pleafe your Lordfhip. I'll leave you.

[Exit.

Ber. Now will I lead you to the houfe, and fhew The lafs I fpoke of.

1 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 re-fend; 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.

[Exeunt.

SCENE XII. Changes to the Widow's house.
Enter Helena, and Widow.

Hel. If you 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,

Ga

Nothing

Nothing acquainted with these bufineffes;

And would not put my reputation now
In any ftaining act.

Hel. Nor would I with you.

Firft, give me truft, the count he is my husband;
And what to your fworn counsel 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 overpay, 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 best to bear it.
Now his important blood will nought deny,
That she'll demand: a ring the Count does wear,
That downward hath fucceeded in his houfe
From fon to fon, fome 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.

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 moft chaftly absent: after this,

To marry her, I'll add three thousand crowns
To what is past already.

Wid. I have yielded.

Inftruct my daughter how the fhall perfevere,
That time and place, with this deceit fo lawful,
May prove coherent.
Every night he comes

With mufic of all forts, and fongs compos'd
To her unworthinefs: it nothing fteads us

Το

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 wicked act;

Where both not fin, and yet a finful fact;
But let's about it-

A C T IV.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I,

Part of the French camp in Florence.

Enter one of the French Lords, with five or fix Soldiers in ambush.

Lord.

E can come no other way but by this hedgecorner; when you fally upon him, speak what terrible language you will; though you underftand it not yourfelves, no matter; for we must not feem to understand him, unless some 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. Ev'n fuch as you speak to me.

Lord. He must think us fome band of strangers i'th' adverfaries' entertainment. Now he hath a smack of all neighbouring languages, therefore we must every one be a man of his own fancy; not to know what we fpeak one to another, so we feem to know, is to know straight our purpose. chouch's language, gabble enough, and good enough. As for you, interpreter, you muft feem very politic. But couch, hoa! here he comes, to beguile two hours in a fleep, and then to return and swear the lyes he forges.

Enter Parolles.

Par. Ten o'clock; within thefe three hours 'twill be