at fome great and trusty business in a main danger fail

you.

Ber. I would I knew in what particular action to try him.

2 Lord. None better than to let him fetch off his drum; which you hear him fo confidently undertake to do.

I Lord. I, with a troop of Florentines, will fuddenly furprife him; fuch I will have, whom I am fure he knows not from the enemy: we will bind and hoodwink him fo, that he fhall fuppofe no other but that he is carried into the leaguer of the adverfaries, when we bring him to our own tents. Be but your Lordfhip prefent at his examination; if he do not for the promife of his life, and in the highest compulfion of bafe fear, offer to betray you, and deliver all the intelligence in his power against you, and that with the divine forfeit of his foul upon oath, never truft my judg ment in any thing.

2 Lord. O, for the love of laughter, let him fetch his drum; he fays, he has a ftratagem for 't; when your Lordship fees the bottom of his fuccefs in 't, and to what metal this counterfeit lump of ore will be melted, if you give him not Tom Drum's entertainment*, your inclining cannot be removed. Here he comes.

SCENE X. Enter Parolles.

1 Lord. O, for the love of laughter, hinder not the humour of his defign, let him, fetch off his drum in any hand.

Ber. How now, Monfieur? this drum fticks forely in your difpofition.

2 Lord. A pox't on 't, let it go, 'tis but a drum. Par. But a drum! is 't but a drum? a drum fo loft!

* Holingfhed, in his defcription of Ireland, speaking of Patrick Scarfefield, (Mayor of Dublin in the year 1551), and of his extravagant hofpitality, fubjoins, that no guest had ever a cold or forbidding look from any part of his family: fo that his porter, or any other officer, durft not, for both his ears, give the fimpleft man that referted to his boufe, Tom Drum's entertainment; which is, to hale a man in by the head, and thruft him out by both the fhoulders.

Mr Theobald.

VOL. III.

E

there was an excellent command! to charge in with our horfe upon our own wings, and to rend our own foldiers.

2 Lord. That was not to be blamed in the command of the fervice; it was a difafter of war that Cæfar himself could not have prevented, if he had been there to command.

Ber. Well, we cannot greatly condemn our fuccefs: fome dishonour we had in the lofs of that drum, but it is not to be recover'd.

Par. It might have been recover'd.

Ber. It might, but it is not now.

Par. It is to be recover'd; but that the merit of service is feldom attributed to the true and exact performer, I would have that drum or another, or hic jacet

Ber. Why, if you have a ftomach to 't, Monfieur; if you think your mystery in ftratagem can bring this inftrument of honour again into his native quarter, be magnanimous in the enterprife, and go on; I will grace the attempt for a worthy exploit: if you fpeed well in it, the Duke shall both speak of it, and extend to you what further becomes his greatnefs, even to the utmost fyllable of your worthiness.

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

Ber. I know th' art valiant; and to the poffibility of foldiership, will fubfcribe for thee; farewel. Par. I love not many words.

1 Lord. No more than a fish loves water.

[Exit.

-Is not this a ftrange fellow, my Lord, that fo confidently feems to undertake this bufinefs, which he knows is not

to be done; damns himself to do it, and dares better be damn'd than to do 't?

2 Lord. You do not know him, my Lord, as we do; certain it is, that he will fteal himself into a man's favour, and for a week escape a great deal of difcoveries; 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 fo feriously he does addrefs himself unto ?

2 Lord. None in the world, but return with an invention, and clap upon you two or three probable lyes : but we have almoft imbofs'd him, you fhall fee his fall to-night; for, indeed, he is not for your Lordship's refpect.

i Lord. We'll make you fome sport with the fox, ere we cafe him. He was firft fmok'd by the old Lord. Lafeu; when his disguise and he is parted, tell me what a sprat you shall find him; which you shall fee this very night.

2 Lord. I muft go and look my twigs; he fhall be caught.

Ber. Your brother, he fhall go along with me.

2 Lord. As 't please your Lordship. I'll leave you.

[Exit. Ber. Now will I lead you to the house, and shew you The lafs I spoke of.

1 Lord. But you say she's honeft.

Ber. That's all the fault: I fpoke with her but once, And found her wondrous cold; but I sent to her, By this fame coxcomb that we have i' th' wind, Tokens and letters, which fhe did re-fend; And this is all I've done: The's a fair creature, Will you go fee her?

1 Lord. With all my heart, my Lord.

[Exeunt

SCENE XII. Changes to the Widow's houfe.

Enter Helena, and Widow.

Hel. If you misdoubt me that I am not fhe, I know not how I fhall affure you further;

But I fhall lofe the grounds I work upon.

Wid. Tho' my estate be fallen, I was well born,

Nothing acquainted with thefe bufineffes;
And would not put my reputation now
In any ftaining act.

Hel. Nor would I wish you.

Firft, give me truft, the Count he is my hufband;
And what to your fworn counfel I have spoken,
Is fo, from word to word; and then you cannot,
By the good aid that I of you fhall borrow,

Err in beftowing it.

Wid. I fhould believe you,

For you have fhew'd me that which well
Y'are great in fortune.

Hel. Take this purfe of gold,

approves

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 beft to bear it.

Now his important blood will nought deny,

That she '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 first father wore it. This ring he holds
In moft rich choice; yet in his idle fire,
To buy his will, it would not feem 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,

Herfelf moft chaftely abfent: after this,
To marry her, I'll add three thousand crowns
To what is paft already.

Wid. I have yielded.

Inftruct my daughter how fhe 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

To chide him from our eaves; for he persists,

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-

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.

Part of the French camp in Florence.

Inter one of the French Lords, with five or fix Soldiers in ambush.

Lord.

H'

E can come no other way but by this hedgecorner; when you fally upon him, fpeak what terrible language you will; though you understand it not yourselves, no matter; for we must not seem to understand him, unlefs 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 muft 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 fpeak one to another, fo we seem to know, is to know ftraight our purpose: chough's language, gabble enough, and good enough. As for you, interpreter, you must feem very politic. But couch, hoa! here he comes, to beguile two hours in a fleep, and then to return and fwear the lyes he forges.

Enter Parolles.

Par. Ten o'clock; within these three hours 'twill be