And this is all I have done. She's a fair creature: 2 Lord. With all my heart, my lord. [Exeunt. SCENE VII. Florence. A Room in the Widow's House. Enter HELENA and Widow. Hel. If misdoubt me that I am not she, you I know not how I shall assure you further, But I shall lose the grounds I work upon.1 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. you. Hel. Wid. I should believe you; For you have showed me that which well approves Hel. Take this purse 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 he wooes your daughter, Lays down his wanton siege before her beauty, 3 1 i. e. by discovering herself to the count. 2 i. e. importunate. 3 i. e. the count. From son to son, some four or five descents Since the first father wore it: this ring he holds To buy his will, it would not seem too dear, Wid. Now I see The bottom of your purpose. Hel. You see it lawful then. It is no more, Herself most chastely absent: after this, I have yielded. Wid. Hel. Let us assay our plot; Why, then, to-night Is wicked meaning in a lawful deed, Where both not sin, and yet a sinful fact.1 [Exeunt. 1 This gingling riddle may be thus briefly explained. Bertram's is a wicked intention, though the act he commits is lawful. Helen's is both a lawful intention and a lawful deed. The fact, as relates to Bertram, was sinful, because he intended to commit adultery; yet neither he nor Helena actually sinned. ACT IV. 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's 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 Sold. Good captain, let me be the interpreter. 1 Lord. Art not acquainted with him? Knows he not thy voice? 1 Sold. No, sir, I warrant you. 1 Lord. But what linsey-woolsey hast thou to speak to us again? 1 Sold. Even such as you speak to me. 1 Lord. He must think us some band of strangers i'the adversary's entertainment.' Now he hath a smack of all neighboring 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. 2 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 1 i. e. foreign troops in the enemy's pay. 2 The sense of this passage is obvious, though there is an apparent imperfection in the form of expression. 3 A bird of the jack-daw kind. 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. 1 Lord. This is the first truth, that e'er thine own tongue was guilty of. [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 ?1 Tongue, I must put you into a butterwoman's mouth, and buy another of Bajazet's mute,2 if you prattle me into these perils. 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. [Aside. Par. Or the baring3 of my beard; 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? Par. Thirty fathom. [Aside. 1 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. 1 The proof. [Aside. 2 The old copy reads mule. The emendation was made by Warburton. 3 i. e. the shaving of my beard. To bare anciently signified to shave. Par. A drum now of the enemy's! [Alarum within. 1 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, I will discover that which shall undo The Florentine. 1 Sold. Boskos vauvado. I understand thee, and can speak thy tongue.- Betake thee to thy faith, for seventeen poniards Par. 1 Sold. Oh! Manka revania dulche. 1 Lord. Oscorbi dulchos volivorca. 1 Sold. The general is content to spare thee yet; Par. 1 Sold. Par. If I do not, damn me. 1 Sold. Nay, I'll speak that But wilt thou faithfully? Come on, thou art granted space. Acordo linta.— [Exit, with PAROLLES guarded. I 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. |