Nothing acquainted with thefe bufineffes;

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

Hel. Nor would I wish you.

First, 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 shall 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 fhe'll demand: a ring the Count does wear,
That downward hath fucceeded in his house
From fon to fon, fome four or five descents,
Since the firft father wore it. This ring he holds
In moft 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 abfent: 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

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

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.

HE

E can come no other way but by this hedge corner; when you fally upon him, fpeak what terrible language you will; though you underftand it not yourselves, no matter; for we must not feem to understand him, unless fome 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 fmack of all neighbouring languages, therefore we must every one be a man of his own fancy; not to know what we speak one to another, fo we feem to know, is to know ftraight 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

time enough to go home. What fhall I fay I have done? it must be a very plaufive invention that carries it. They begin to fmoke me, and difgraces have of late knock'd 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.

Lord. This is the first truth that e'er thine own tongue was guilty of.

[Afide. Par. What the devil fhould move me to undertake the recovery of this drum, being not ignorant of the impoffibility, and knowing I had no fuch purpofe? I muft give myself fome hurts, and fay, I got them in exploit. Yet flight ones will not carry it; they will fay, Came you off with fo little? and great ones I dare not give; wherefore what's the inftance? Tongue, Ì muft put you into a butter-woman's mouth, and buy myself another of Bajazet's mute, if you prattle me into these perils.

Lord. Is it poffible he should know what he is, and be that he is?

[Afide Par. I would the cutting of my garments would ferve the turn, or the breaking of my Spanish fword. Lord. We cannot afford ycu fo.

[Afide.

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

[Afide.

Par. Or to drown my cloaths, and say I was ftript,

Lord. Hardly ferve.

[Afide.

Par. Though I fwore I leapt from the window of

the citadel

Lord. How deep?

[Afide.

Par. Thirty fathom.

Lord. Three great oaths would fcarce make that be believed.

[Afide.

Par, I would I had any drum of the enemy's; I

would fwear I recover'd it.

Lord. You fhall hear one anon.
Par. A drum now of the enemy's!

[Afide.

[Alarum within.

Lord. Throco movoufus, cargo, cargo, cargo.
All. Cargo, cargo, villiando par corbo, cargo.

Par.

Par. Oh! ranfom ransom :-do not hide mine eyes. [They feize him, and blindfold him.

Inter. Bofkos thromuldo bofkos.

Par, I know, you are the Muskos regiment,
And I fhall lofe my life for want of language.
If there be here German, or Dane, Low Dutch,
Italian, or French, let him fpeak to me,

I'll difcover that which fhall undo the Florentine.

Inter. Bofkos vauvado; I understand thee, and can fpeak thy tongue; Kerelybonto,-Sir, betake thee to thy faith, for feventeen poniards are at thy bosom. Par. Oh!

Int. Oh, pray, pray, pray.
Mancha ravancha dulche.

Lord. Ofceoribi dulchos voliverco.

Int. The general is content to fpare thee yet, Ard, hoodwink'd as thou art, will lead thee on To gather from thee. Haply thou may'ft inform Something to fave thy life.

Par. Oh let me live,

And all the fecrets of our camp I'll fhew;
Their force, their purposes: nay, I'll speak that
Which you will wonder at.

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

Int. Acordo linta.

Come on, thou art granted fpace.

[Exit.

[A fhort alarum within.

Lord. Go, tell the Count Roufillon and my brother,

We've caught the woodcock, and will keep him muff

Till we do hear from them.

Sol. Captain, I will.

Lord. He will betray us all unto ourselves.

Inform 'em that.

Sol. So I will, Sir.

[led

Lord. Till then I'll keep him dark and safely lock'd.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Changes to the widow's houfe.

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 foul,
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. 7

When you are dead, you should be fuch a one
As you are now, for you are cold and stern;
And now you should be as your mother was,
When your
fweet felf was got.

Dia. She then was honeft.

Ber. So fhould you

Dia. No.

be.

My mother did but duty; fuch, my Lord,
As you owe to your wife.

Ber. No more o' that!

I pr'ythee do not strive against my vows:
I was compell'd to her; but I love thee

By love's own sweet constraint, and will for ever
Do thee all rights of service.

Dia. Ay, fo you ferve us,

Till we ferve you: but when you have our roses,
You barely leave our thorns to prick qurfelves,
And mock us with our bareness.

Ber. How have I fworn!

Dia. 'Tis not the many oaths that make the truth;
But the plain fingle vow, that is vow'd true;
What is not holy that we fwear, not 'bides
But take the High'ft to witnefs; then, pray 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 fwear by him whom I protest to love,

That I will work against him. Therefore your oaths
Are words, and poor conditions but unfeal'd;
At leaft, in my opinion.

Ber. Change it, change it:

Be not fo holy-cruel. Love is holy,

And my integrity ne'er knew the crafts

That you do charge men with: ftand no more off, But give thyfelf unto my fick defires,

Which then recover. Say, thou art mine; and ever

My