his life, and in the highest compulsion of base fear, off to betray you, and deliver all the intelligence in his pow against you, and that with the divine forfeit of his so upon oath, never trust my judgment in any thing.

2 Lord. O for the love of laughter, let him fetch h drum; he says, he has a stratagem for't: when your lor ship sees the bottom of his success in't, and to what met this counterfeit lump of ore will be melted, if you gi him not John Drum's entertainment, your inclining ca not be removed.7 Here he cones.

Enter PAROLLES.

1 Lord. O, for the love of laughter, hinder not the h mour of his design; let him fetch off his drum in a hand.

Ber. How now, monsieur ? this drum sticks sorely your disposition.

2 Lord. A pox on't, let it go; 'tis but a drum. Par. But a drum! Is't but a drum? A drum so los There was an excellent command! to charge in with o horse upon our own wings, and to rend our own soldie

2 Lord. That was not to be blamed in the commar of the service; it was a disaster of war that Cæsar hir self could not have prevented, if he had been there command.

Ber. Well, we cannot greatly condemn our succes some dishonour we had in the loss of that drum; but is not to be recovered.

Par. It might have been recovered.
Ber. It might, but it is not now.

Par. It is to be recovered: but that the merit of se vice is seldom attributed to the true and exact perforr er, I would have that drum or another, or hic jacet.8

Ber. Why, if you have a stomach to't, monsieur, if y think your mystery in stratagem can bring thisinstrume of honour again into his native quarter, be magnanimo in the enterprize, and go on; I will grace the attem for a worthy exploit: if you speed well in it, the duke sh both speak of it, and extend to you what further becom

[7] Tom Drum's entertainment, is, to hale a man in by the head, and the him out by the shoulders. THEOBALD. [8] i e. Here lies; -the usual beginning of epitaphs. I would (says Pa les) recover either the drum I have lost, or another belonging to the enen or die in the attempt. MAL.

thiness.

by

of your w

Par. By the hand of a soldier, I will undertake it.
Ber. But you must not now slumber 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 success will be, my lord; but the attempt I vow.

Ber. I know, thou art valiant; and, to the possibility of thy soldiership, will subscribe for thee. Farewell. Par. I love not many words.

[Exit.

1 Lord. No more than a fish loves water.-Is not this a strange fellow, my lord? that so confidently seems to undertake this business, which he knows is not to be done; damns himself to do, and dares better be damned, 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 discoveries; 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 so seriously he does address himself unto?

1 Lord. None in the world; but return with an invention, and clap upon you two or three probable lies: but we have almost embossed him, you shall see his fall to-night; for, indeed, he is not for your lordship's respect.

9

2 Lord. We'll make you some sport with the fox, ere we case him. He was first smoked by the old lord Lafeu : when his disguise and he is parted, tell me what a sprat you shall find him; which you shall see this very night. 1 Lord. I must go look my twigs; he shall be caught. Ber. Your brother, he shall go along with me. 1 Lord. As't please your lordship: I'll leave you.

[Exit.

Ber. Now will I lead you to the house, and show you The lass I spoke of.

2 Lord. But, you say, she's honest.

[9] To emboss a deer is to enclose him in a wood. JOHNS. When a deer is run hard, and foams at the mouth, in the language of the field, he is said to be embossed. STEEV.

[1] That is, before we strip him naked.

JOHNS.

By this same coxcomb that we have i' the wind,
Tokens and letters which she did re-send;
And this is all I have done: She's a fair creature;
Will you go see her?

2 Lord. With all my heart, my lord.

SCENE VII.

[Exeun

Florence. A Room in the Widow's house. Enter HELENA an

Widow.

Hel. If you misdoubt me that I am not she,
I know not how I shall assure you further ;
But I shall lose the grounds I work upon 2

Wid. Though my estate be fallen, I was well born,
Nothing acquainted with these businesses ;
And would not put my reputation now
In any staining act.

Hel. Nor would I wish you.

First, give me trust, the count he is my husband;
And, what to your sworn counsel I have spoken, 3
Is so, from word to word; and then you cannot,
By the good aid that I of you shall borrow,
Err in bestowing it.

Wid. I should believe you;

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

Hel. Take this purse 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 he woos your daugi

ter,

Lays down his wanton siege before her beauty,
Resolves to carry her; let her, in fine, consent,
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 county wears,
That downward hath succeeded in his house,
From son to son, some four or five descents

Since the first father wore it: this ring he holds

[2] i. e. by discovering herself to the count.
[3] To your private knowledge, after having required from you an c

of the

of secrecy.

13

JOHNSON.

VOL. III.

WARBURTON.

To buy his will, it would not seem too dear,
Howe'er repented after.

Wid. Now I see the bottom of your purpose.
Hel. You see it lawful then: It is no more,
But that your daughter, ere she seems as won,
Desires this ring; appoints him an encounter;
In fine, delivers me to fill the time,
Herself most chastely absent: after this,
To marry her, I'll add three thousand crowns
To what is past already.

Wid. I have yielded :

Instruct my daughter how she shall perséver,
That time and place, with this deceit so lawful,
May prove coherent. Every night he comes
With musics of all sorts, and songs compos'd
To her unworthiness: It nothing steads us,
To chide him from our eaves; for he persists,
As if his life lay on't.

Hel. Why then, to-night

Let us assay our plot; which, if it speed,
Is wicked meaning in a lawful deed,
And lawful meaning in a lawful act;
Where both not sin, and yet a sinful fact :
But let's about it.

ACT IV.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I. Without the Florentine Camp. Enter first Lord, with five or six Soldiers in ambush.

1 Lord.

HE can come no other way but by this hedge' corner : When you sally upon him, speak what terrible language you will; though you understand it not yourselves, no matter: for we must not seem to understand him; unless some one among us whom we must produce for an interpreter.

1 Sol. Good captain, let me be the interpreter.

1 Lord. Art not acquainted with him? knows he not thy voice?

1 Sol. No, sir, I warrant you.

1 Lord. But what linsy-woolsy hast thou to speak to

us again?

1 Sol. Even such as you speak to me.

Exeunt.

t Lord,

all neighbouring languages; therefore we must every one be a man of his own fancy, not to know what we speak one to another; so we seem to know, is to know straight our purpose: chough's language, gabble enough, and good enough. As for you, interpreter, you must seem very politic. -But couch, ho! here he comes; to beguile two hours in a sleep, and then to return and swear the lies he forges.

Enter PAROLLES.

Par. Ten o'clock within these three hours 'twill be time enough to go home. What shall I say I have done? It must be a very plausive invention that carries it: They begin to smoke me; and disgraces have of late knocked 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.

was guilty of.

1 Lord. This is the first truth that e'er thine own tongue [Aside Par. What the devil should move me to undertake the recovery of this drum; being not ignorant of the impossibility, and knowing I had no such purpose? I must give myself some hurts, and say, I got them in exploit: yet slight ones will not carry it: They will say, Came you off with so little? and great ones I dare not give. Wherefore? what's the instance? Tongue, I must put you into a butter-woman's mouth, and buy another of Bajazet's mule, if you prattle me into these perils.

in stratagem.

1 Lord. Is it possible, he should know what he is, and be that he is ? [Aside. 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.

1 Lord. 'Twould not do.

Par. Or the baring of my beard; and to say, it was

[Aside

he not

1 Lord. Hardly serve.

citadel

Par. Though I swore I leaped from the window of the

Par. Or to drown my clothes, and say, I was stripped.

[Aside.

[Aside

[Aside

[4] That is, foreign troops in the enemy's pay. JOHNSON.