Thou robb'st me of a moiety: he was my fon,
But I do wash his name out of my blood,

And thou art all my child. Towards Florence is he? 2 Gen. Ay, Madam.

Count. And to be a foldier ?

2 Gen. Such is his noble purpose; and, believe't, The Duke will lay upon him all the honour That good convenience claims.

Count. Return you thither?

1 Gen. Ay, Madam, with the swifteft wing of speed. Hel. 'Till I have no wife, I have nothing in France. 'Tis bitter. [Reading.

Count. Find you that there?

Hel. Yes, Madam.

1 Gen. 'Tis but the boldness of his hand, happ❜ly, which his heart was not confenting to.

Count. Nothing in France, until he have no wife ? There's nothing here, that is too good for him, But only fhe; and fhe deferves a Lord, That twenty fuch rude boys might tend upon, 'And call her hourly miftrefs. Who was with him? Gen. A fervant only, and a gentleman

Which I have fome time known.

Count. Parolles, was't not?

1 Gen. Ay, my good Lady, he.

Count. A very tainted fellow, and full of wickedness: My fon corrupts a well-derived nature

With his inducement.

1 Gen. (27) Indeed, good Lady, the fellow has a deal of that too much, which holds him much to have. Count. Y'are welcome, Gentlemen; I will intreat you, when fee my fon, to tell him, that his fword

you

(27) Indeed, good Lady, the fellow has a deal of that too much, which bolds him much to barve.] This is fomewhat obfcure in the expreffion; but the meaning must be this, The fellow, indeed, has a deal too much vanity, lying, boating; but it holds him much to have fuch qualities; i. e. it ftands him in great ftead, is of great fervice to him, and what he cannot do without. For these were the arts that Parolles used to get into Bertram's favour; and when once they were difcover'd, he was fet a-drift, and undone.

can

can never win the honour that he loses: more I'll intreat you written to bear along.

2 Gen. We ferve you, Madam, in that and all your worthieft affairs.

Count. Not fo, but as we change our courtefies.
Will you draw near? [Exeunt Count, and Gentlemen.
Hel. 'Till I have no wife, I have nothing in France.
Nothing in France, until he has no wife!

Thou shalt have none, Roufillon, none in France;
Then haft thou all again. Poor Lord! is't I
That chafe thee from thy country, and expofe
Thofe tender limbs of thine to the event
Of the none-fparing war? and is it I,

That drive thee from the fportive court, where thou
Waft fhot at with fair eyes, to be the mark
Of fmoaky mufkets? O you leaden meffengers,
That ride upon the violent fpeed of fire,
Fly with false aim; move the ftill-piercing air,
That fings with piercing, do not touch my Lord:
Whoever shoots at him, I fet him there.
Whoever charges on his forward breast,
I am the caitiff, that do hold him to it;
And tho' I kill him not, I am the caufe
His death was fo effected. Better 'twere,
I met the rav'ning lion when he roar'd

With sharp constraint of hunger: better 'twere,
That all the miferies, which Nature owes,

Were mine at once. No, come thou home, Roufillon,
Whence honour but of danger wins a scar;
As oft it lofes all. I will be gone:

My being here it is, that holds thee hence.
Shall I ftay here to do't? no, no, although
The air of Paradife did fan the house,
And angels offic'd all; I will be gone :
That pitiful rumour may report my flight,

To confolate thine ear. Come, night; end, day!
For with the dark, poor thief, I'll fteal away [Exit.

1

་་་

SCENE changes to the Duke's Court in Florence.

Flourish. Enter the Duke of Florence, Bertram, Drum. and Trumpets, Soldiers, Parolles. ́

Duke.

•TH

HE general of our horfe thou art, and we, Great in our hope, lay our best love and Upon thy promifing, fortune." [credence

Ber. Sir, it is

A charge too heavy for my ftrength; but yet--
We'll ftrive to bear it for your worthy fake,, -
To th' extreme edge of hazard.

Duke. Then go forth,

And fortune play upon thy profp'rous helm,
As thy aufpicious mistress!

Ber. This very day,

Great Mars, I put myself into thy file;

Make me but like my thoughts, and I fhall prove

A lover of thy drum; hater of love.

Count.

[Exeunt

SCENE changes to Roufillon in France.

Enter Countefs and Steward.

Las! and would you take the letter of her ?

has done,

By fending me a letter? Read it again. 35.176}

LETTER.

ཟླ

I am St. Jaques pilgrim, thither gone;
Ambitious love hath fo in me offended,,
That bare-foot plod I the cold ground upon,
With fainted vow my faults to have amended.
Write, write, that from the bloody courfe of war
My dearest mafter, your dear fon, may hie;
Blefs him at home in peace, whilft I from far
His name with zealous fervour fanctify.

His taken labours bid him me forgive;

I, his defpightful Juno, fent him forth
From courtly friends, with camping foes to live;
Where death and danger dog the heels of worth;
He is too good and fair for death and me,
Whom I myself embrace, to fet him free.

Ah, what sharp ftings are in her mildest words 7
Rynaldo, you did never lack advice fo much,
As letting her pafs fo; had I fpoke with her,
I could have well diverted her intents,
Which thus the hath prevented.

Ster. Pardon, Madam,

If I had given you this at over-night

She might have been o'er-ta'en; and yet the writes, Purfuit would be but vain.

Count. What angel fhall

Blefs this unworthy husband? he cannot thrive,
Unless her prayers, whom Heav'n delights to hear,
And loves to grant, reprieve him from the wrath
Of greatest juftice. Write, write, Rynaido,
To this unworthy husband of his wife;
Let every word weigh heavy of her worth,
That he does weigh too light: my greatest grief,
Tho' little he do feel it, let down fharply.
Difpatch the most convenient meffenger;
When, haply, he fhall hear that she is gone,
He will return; and hope I may, that the,
Hearing fo much, will speed her foot again,
Led hither by pure love. Which of them both
Is dearest to be, I've no fkill in fenfes

To make diftinction; provide this meffenger;
My heart is heavy, and mine age is weak;
Grief would have tears, and forrow bids me fpeak.

[Exeunti

1

SCENE

A Tucket afar off.

Enter an old widow of Florence, Diana, Violenta, and Mariana, with other citizens.

Wid.city, we fhall lofe all the fight.

come. For if they do approach the

Dia. They fay, the French Count has done most honourable fervice.

Wid. It is reported, that he has ta'en their greatest commander; and that with his own hand he flew the Duke's brother. We have loft our labour, they are gone a contrary way: hark, you may know by their trumpets.

Mar. Come, let's return again, and fuffice ourfelves with the report of it. Well, Diana, take heed of this French Earl; the honour of a maid is her name, and no legacy is fo rich as honefty.

Wid. I have told my neighbour, how you have been follicited by a gentleman his companion.

Mar. I know that knave, (hang him!) one Parolles; a filthy officer he is in thofe fuggeftions for the young Earl; beware of them, Diana; (28) their promifes,

(28) Their promifes, enticements, oaths, tokens, and all these engines of luft, are not the things they go under ;] i, e. They are not in reality fo true and fincere, as in appearance they feem to be. This will be heft explain'd by another paffage in Hamlet, where Polonius is counselling his daughter.

I do know,

When the blood burns, how prodigal the foul

Lends the tongue vows. Thefe blazes, oh, my daughter,
Giving more light than heat, extinct in both

Ev'n in their promife as it is a making,

You must not take for fire.

In few, Ophelia,

Do not believe his vows, for they are brokers
Not of that dye which their investments fhew,
But mere implorers of unholy fuits,
Breathing, like fanctified and holy bawds,`
The better to beguile..

enticements,