ers very poor rogues; upon my reputation and credit, and as I hope to live.

Inter. Shall I fet down your answer fo?

Par. Do; I'll take the facrament on't.

Ber. How and which way you will: all's one to him. What a past-saving slave is this!

1 Lord. You are deceiv'd, my lord; this is monfieur Parolles, the gallant militarist, (that was his own phrase) that had the whole theorique of war in the knot of his scarf, and the practice in the chape of his dagger.

2 Lord. I will never trust a man again, for keeping his fword clean; nor believe he can have every thing in him, by wearing his apparel neatly.

Inter. Well, that's fet down.

Par. Five or fix thousand horfe, I faid,-I will fay true,—or thereabouts, fet down,-for I'll speak truth. 1 Lord. He's very near the truth in this.

Ber. But I con him no thanks for't, in the nature he delivers it.

Par. Poor rogues, I pray you, say.

Inter. Well, that's set down.

Par. I humbly thank you, fir: a truth's a truth, the rogues are marvellous poor.

Inter. Demand of him, of what strength they are a-foot. What say you to that?

с

Par. By my troth, fir, if I were to live this present. hour, I will tell true. Let me fee: Spurio a hundred and fifty, Sebastian so many, Corambus fo many, Jaques fo many; Guiltian, Cofmo, Lodowick, and Gratii, two hundred fifty each: mine cwn company, Chitopher, Vaumond, Bentii, two hundred and fifty each: fo that the mufter file, rotten and found, upon my life, amounts not

con]-give.

live]-for die (through fright) to live but this, &c.

to

to fifteen thousand poll; half of the which dare not shake the fnow from off their caffocks, left they shake themfelves to pieces.

Ber. What fhall be done to him?

Lord. Nothing, but let him have thanks. Demand of him my conditions, and what credit I have with the duke.

Inter. Well, that's fet down. You shall demand of him, whether one captain Dumain be i'the camp, a Frenchman; what his reputation is with the duke, what bis valour, bonefty, and expertness in wars; or whether he thinks, it were not poffible with well-weighing fums of gold to corrupt him to a revolt. What fay you to this? what do you know of it?

Par. I beseech you, let me answer to the particular of the interrogatories: Demand them fingly.

Inter. Do you know this captain Dumain?

e

Par. I know him: he was a botcher's 'prentice in Paris, from whence he was whip'd for getting the fheriff's fool with child; a dumb innocent, that could not say him, nay. [Dumain lifts up his hand in anger. Ber. Nay, by your leave, hold your hands; though I know, his brains are forfeit to the next tile that falls. Inter. Well, is this captain in the duke of Florence's camp?

Par. Upon my knowledge, he is, and loufy.

1 Lord. Nay, look not fo upon me; we shall hear of your lordship anon.

Inter. What is his reputation with the duke?

Par. The duke knows him for no other but a poor officer of mine; and writ to me the other day, to turn him out o'the band: I think, I have his letter in my pocket. Inter. Marry, we'll fearch.

Par. In good fadnefs, I do not know; either it is there, or it is upon a file, with the duke's other letters, in my tent.

d caflocks,]-horfemen's loofe coats.

e innocent,]-ideot.

Inter. Here 'tis ; here's a paper; Shall I read it to you? Par. I do not know, if it be it, or no.

Ber. Our interpreter does it well.

1 Lord. Excellently.

Inter. Dian. The count's a fool, and full of gold,

Par. That is not the duke's letter, fir; that is an advertisement to a proper maid in Florence, one Diana, to take heed of the allurement of one count Roufillon, a foolish idle boy, but, for all that, very ruttish: I pray you, fir, put it up again.

Inter. Nay, I'll read it first, by your favour.

Par. My meaning in't, I proteft, was very honeft in the behalf of the maid: for I knew the young count to be a dangerous and lafcivious boy; who is a whale to virginity, and devours up all the fry it finds. Ber. Damnable, both fides rogue!

Interpreter reads the letter.

When be fwears oaths, bid him drop gold, and take it
After be fcores, he never pays the score:

Half won, is match well made; watch well and make it ;
He ne'er pays after-debts, take it before;

And fay, a foldier, Dian, told thee this,
Men are to mell with, boys are but to kifs:
For count of this, the count's a fool, I know it,
Who pays before, but not when he does owe it.

Thine, as he vow'd to thee in thine ear,

PAROLLES.

Ber. He fhall be whip'd through the army, with this rhime in his forehead.

f Half won, is match well made; watch well and make it ;]—is the season for a fure bargain-match, and well.

to mell with, boys are but to kifs :]-from meler to mingle, meddle with-not to kiss.

2 Lord. This is your devoted friend, fir, the manifold linguift, and the armipotent foldier.

Ber. I could endure any thing before but a cat, and

now he's a cat to me.

Inter. I perceive, fir, by our general's looks, we shall be fain to hang you.

Par. My life, fir, in any cafe: not that I am afraid to die; but that, my offences being many, I would repent out the remainder of nature: let me live, fir, in a dungeon, i'the ftocks, or any where, fo I may live.

Inter. We'll see what may be done, fo you confefs freely; therefore, once more to this captain Dumain: You have answer'd to his reputation with the duke, and to his valour; What is his honesty?

h

Par. He will steal, fir, an egg out of a cloister; for rapes and ravishments he parallels Neffus. He profeffes no keeping of oaths; in breaking them, he is stronger than Hercules. He will lie, fir, with fuch volubility, that you would think truth were a fool: drunkenness is his beft virtue; for he will be fwine-drunk; and in his fleep he does little harm, fave to his bed-cloathes about him; but they know his conditions, and lay him in ftraw. I have but little more to fay, fir, of his honefty: he has every thing that an honest man should not have; what an honest man should have, he has nothing.

1 Lord. I begin to love him for this.

Ber. For this defcription of thine honefty? A pox upon him for me, he is more and more a cat.

Inter. What fay you to his expertnefs in war?

Par. Faith, fir, he has led the drum before the English tragedians, -to belie him, I will not, and more of his foldiership I know not; except, in that country, he had

h He will feal, fir, an egg out of a cloifter ;]-ftoop to any petty fa. crilege; rob the 'pital.

the

the honour to be the officer at a place there call'd Mileend, to instruct for the doubling of files: I would do the man what honour I can, but of this I am not certain.

1 Lord. He hath out-villain'd villany fo far, that the rarity redeems him.

Ber. A pox on him! he's a cat still.

Inter. His qualities being at this poor price, I need not to ask you, if gold will corrupt him to revolt.

Par. Sir, for a ' quart d'ecu he will fell the fee-fimple of his falvation, the inheritance of it; and cut the intail from all remainders, and a perpetual fucceffion for it perpetually.

Inter. What's his brother, the other captain Dumain? 2 Lord. Why does he afk him of me?

Inter. What's he?

Par. E'en a crow of the fame neft; not altogether fo great as the first in goodness, but greater a great deal in evil. He excels his brother for a coward, yet his brother is reputed one of the best that is: In a retreat he out-runs any lacquey; marry, in coming on he has the cramp.

Inter. If your life be faved, will you undertake to betray the Florentine?

Par. Ay, and the captain of his horse, count Roufillon. Inter. I'll whisper with the general, and know his pleasure.

Par. I'll no more drumming; a plague of all drums! Only to feem to deferve well, and to beguile the suppofition of that lafcivious young boy the count, have I run into this danger: Yet, who would have suspected an ambush where I was taken?

[Afide.

Inter. There is no remedy, fir, but you muft die: the general fays, you, that have so traiterously discovered the

i quart d'ecu]-a quarter of a crown-piece. to beguile the fuppofition of]-impofe upon.

fecrets