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Camp before Florence.
[Enter BERTRAM and the two French Lords]
SECOND LORD
Nay good my lord put him to it: let him have his way.
FIRST LORD
If your lordship find him not a hilding, hold me no more in your respect.
SECOND LORD
On my life my lord a bubble.
BERTRAM
Do you think I am so far
Deceived in him?
SECOND LORD
Believe it my lord, in mine own direct knowledge, without any malice, but to
speak of him as my kinsman, he's a most notable coward, an infinite and
endless liar, an hourly promise-breaker, the owner of no one good quality,
worthy your lordship's entertainment.
FIRST LORD
It were fit you knew him, lest reposing too far in his virtue which he hath
not, he might at some great and trusty business, in a main danger, fail you.
BERTRAM
I would I knew in what particular action to try him.
FIRST LORD
None better than to let him fetch off his drum, which you hear him so
confidently undertake to do.
SECOND LORD
I with a troop of Florentines will suddenly surprise him; such I will have,
whom I am sure he knows not from the enemy: we will bind and hoodwink him
so, that he shall suppose no other but that he is carried into the leaguer
of the adversaries, when we bring him to our own tents: Be but your lordship
present at his examination, if he do not for the promise of his life, and in
the highest compulsion of base fear, offer to betray you, and deliver all
the intelligence in his power against you, and that with the divine forfeit
of his soul upon oath, never trust my judgment in anything.
FIRST LORD
O for the love of laughter, let him fetch his drum, he says he has a
stratagem for it: when your lordship sees the bottom of his success in it,
and to what metal this counterfeit lump of ours will be melted if you give
him not John Drum's entertainment, your inclining cannot be removed. Here he
comes.
[Enter PAROLLES]
SECOND LORD
O for the love of laughter hinder not the honor of his design, let him fetch
off his drum in any hand.
BERTRAM
How now monsieur? This drum sticks sorely in your disposition.
FIRST LORD
A pox on it, let it go, 'tis but a drum.
PAROLLES
But a drum: is it but a drum? A drum so lost. There was excellent command,
to charge in with our horse upon our own wings, and to rend our own
soldiers.
FIRST LORD
That was not to be blamed in the command of the service: it was a disaster
of war that Caesar himself could not have prevented, if he had been there to
command.
BERTRAM
Well, we cannot greatly condemn our success: some dishonor we had in the
loss of that drum, but it is not to be recovered.
PAROLLES
It might have been recovered.
BERTRAM
It might, but it is not now.
PAROLLES
It is to be recovered, but that the merit of service is seldom attributed to
the true and exact performer, I would have that drum or another, or
hic jacet.
BERTRAM
Why if you have a stomach, to it monsieur: if you think your mystery in
stratagem, can bring this instrument of honor again into his native quarter,
be magnanimous in the enterprise and go on, I will grace the attempt for a
worthy exploit: if you speed well in it, the duke shall both speak of it,
and extend to you what further becomes his greatness, even to the utmost
syllable of your worthiness.
PAROLLES
By the hand of a soldier I will undertake it.
BERTRAM
But you must not now slumber in it.
PAROLLES
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.
BERTRAM
May I be bold to acquaint his grace you are gone about it.
PAROLLES
I know not what the success will be my lord, but the attempt I vow.
BERTRAM
I know thou'rt valiant;
,
, , , 2
, , ->
And to | the pos|sibil|ity | of thy
sol||diership,
,
, T
T T
Will sub|scribe for | thee: Farewell.
PAROLLES
I love not many words.
[Exit]
SECOND 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 it.
FIRST LORD
You do not know him my lord as we do, certain it is that he will steal
himself into a man's favor, and for a week escape a great deal of
discoveries, but when you find him out, you have him ever after.
BERTRAM
Why do you think he will make no deed at all of this that so seriously he
does address himself unto?
SECOND 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
tonight; for indeed he is not for your lordship's respect.
FIRST 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.
SECOND LORD
,
, ,
I must | go look | my twigs,
, ,
He shall | be caught.
BERTRAM
,
, , ,
,
Your broth|er he | shall go | along | with me.
SECOND LORD
, ,
, ,
o
As it | please your | lordship,| I'll leave |
you.
[Exit]
BERTRAM
,
, , 2
, ,
Now will | I lead | you to the | house, and |
show you
,
,
The lass | I spoke | of.
FIRST LORD
, ,
, 2->
But | you say | she's hon||est.
BERTRAM
,
, ,
, ,
That's all | the fault:| I spoke | with her | but
once,
,
, ,
2 , ,
And found | her wond|rous cold,| but I sent | to
her
, ,
, , 2 ,
By this / same cox|comb that | we have | in the
wind
,
, ,
, ,
Tokens | and let|ters, which | she did | re-send,
,
, 2 , 2 ,
,
And this | is all | I have done.| She's a fair |
creature, ??
2 ,
,
Will you go | see her?
FIRST LORD
, ,
,
With all | my heart | my lord.
[Exeunt]