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

now he's a cat to me.

Int. I perceive, Sir, by the General's looks, we fhall be fain to hang you.

Par. My life, Sir, 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, Sir, in a dungeon, i' th' ftocks, any where, fo 1 may live.

Int. We'll fee what may be done, fo you confefs freely; therefore, once more, to this Captain Dumain: you have anfwer'd to his reputation with the Duke, and to his valour. What is his honefty?

Par. He will teal, Sir, an egg out of a cloifter; for rapes and ravifhments he parallels Neffus. He profeffes no keeping of oaths; in breaking them he is ftronger than Hercules. He will lie, Sir, 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-clothes about him; but they know his conditions, and lay him in straw. I have but little more to fay, Sir, of his honefty; he has every thing that an honeft man fhould not have; what an honeft man fhould 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.

Int. What fay you to his expertness in war?

Par. 'Faith, Sir, h'as 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 the honour to be the officer at a place there called Mileend, to instruct for the doubling of files. I would do the man what honour I can, but of this I am not certain. I Lord. He hath out-villain'd villany fo far, that the rarity redeems him.

Ber. A pox on him, he's a cat ftill.

Int. His qualities being at this poor price, I need not to afk 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 th' entail from all remainders, and a perpetual fucceffion for it pertually.

Int.

Int. What's his brother, the other Captain Dumain? 2 Lord. Why does he ask him of me?

Int. What's he?

Par. E'en a crow o' th' 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 beft that is. In a retreat he outuns any lacquey; marry, in coming on he has the cramp. Int. If your life be faved, will you undertake to betray the Florentine?

Par. Ay, and the Captain of his Horfe, Count Rou fillon.

Int. I'll whifper with the General, and know his pleafure.

Par. I'll no more drumming, a plague of all drums! Only to feem to deferve well, and to beguile the fuppofition of that lafcivious young boy the Count, have I run into danger; yet who would have fufpected an ambufh where I was taken?

J

[Afide.

Int. There is no remedy, Sir, but you must die; the General fays, you that have fo traiterously difcovered the fecrets of your army, and made fuch peftiferous reports of men very nobly held, can ferve the world for no honeft ufe; therefore you muft die. Come, headfman, off with his head.

Par. O Lord, Sir, let me live, or let me fee my death. Int. That fhall you, and take your leave of all your friends. [Unbinding him. So, look about you; know you any here? Ber. Good morrow, noble Captain. 2 Lord. God bless you, Captain Parolles. I Lord. God fave you, noble Captam.

2 Lord. Captain, what greeting will you to my Lord Lafeu? I am for France.

I Lord. Good Captain, will you give me a copy of that fame fonnet you writ to Diana in behalf of the Count Roufillon? if I were not a very coward, I'd compel it of you: but fare you well. [Exeunt Int. You are undone, Captain, all but your scarf; that has a knot on't yet.

Par. Who cannot be crufh'd with a plot?

Int. If you could And out a country where but women

F 2

were

were that had receiv'd fo much fhame, you might begin an impudent nation. Fare you well, Sir; I am for France too, we shall speak of you there.

[Exit.

SCENE VI.

my

heart were great,

Par. Yet am I thankful: if

'Twould burft at this. Captain, I'll be no more;
But I will eat and drink, and fleep as foft
As Captain fhall. Simply the thing I am
Shall make me live: who knows himself a braggart,
Let him fear this; for it will come to pass,
That every braggart fhall be found an ass.
Ruft, fword! cool, blufhes! and, Parolles, live
Safeft in fhame! being fool'd, by fool'ry thrive;
There's place and means for every man alive.
I'll after them.

SCENE VII.

Changes to the widow's houfe at Florence.

Enter Helena, Widow, and Diana.

[Exit.

Hel. That you may well perceive I have not wrong'd One of the greatest in the Christian world

Shall be my furety; 'fore whofe throne 'tis needful,
Ere I can perfect mine intents, to kneel.
Time was I did him a defired office
Dear almost as his life; which gratitude
Through flinty Tartar's bofom would peep forth,
And answer thanks. I duly am inform'd,
His Grace is at Marfeilles, to which place
We have convenient convoy! you must know,
I am fuppofed dead; the army breaking,

My husband hies him home; where, Heaven aiding,
And by the leave of my good Lord the King,

We'll be before our welcome.

Wid. Gentle Madam,

You never had a fervant, to whose trust

Your bufinefs was more welcome.

Hel. Nor you, Mistress,

[you,

Ever

Ever a friend, whose thoughts more truly labour
To recompenfe your love: doubt not, but Heav'n
Hath brought me up to your daughter's dower,
As it hath fated her to be my motive *,
And helper to a husband. But, O strange men!
That can fuch fweet ufe make of what they hatė,
When Fancy, trufting of the cozen'd thoughts,
Defiles the pitchy night; fo luft doth play
With what it loaths, for that which is away,
But more of this hereafter. You, Diana,
(Under my poor inftructions,) yet muft fuffer
Something in my behalf.

Dia. Let death and honesty

Go with your impofitions, I am yours
Upon your will to fuffer.

Hel. Yet I pray you:

But with the word the time will bring on fummer,
When briars fhall have leaves as well as thorns,
And be as fweet as fharp: we must away,
Our waggon is prepar'd, and time revives us;
All's well that ends well; ftill the fine's the crown;
Whate'er the course, the end is the renown.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VIII. Changes to Roufillon in France.

Enter Countefs, Lafeu, and Clown.

Laf. No, no, no; your fon was misled with a snip'ttaffata fellow there, whofe villanous faffron would have made all the unbak'd and doughy youth of a nation in his colour +. Your daughter-in-law had been alive at this hour; and your fon here at home, more advantaged by the King, than by that red-tail'd humble-bee I speak of.

Count. I would I had not known him! It was the death of the most virtuous gentlewoman that ever nature had praise for creating; if the had partaken of my flesh, and coft me the dearest groans of a mother, I could not have owed her a more rooted love.

Motive for affiftant.

Alluding to two fashions then in vogue; one of ufing yellow ftarch for their ruffs and bands, the other of colouring palle with faffron.

Laf. "Twas a good lady, 'twas a good lady. We may pick a thousand fallets ere we light on fuch another herb.

Clo. Indeed, Sir, fhe was the fweet' marjoram of the fallet, or rather the herb of grace.

Laf. They are not fallet-herbs, you knave, they are nofe-herbs.

Clo. I am no great Nebuchadnezzar, Sir; I have not much skill in grass.

Laf. Whether doft thou profess thyself a knave or a fool?

Clo. A fool, Sir, at a woman's fervice; and a knave, at a man's.

Laf. Your diftinction?

Clo. I would cozen the man of his wife, and do his fervice.

Laf. So you were a knave at his fervice, indeed.

Clo. And I would give his wife my folly, Sir, to do her fervice.

Laf. I will fubfcribe for thee, thou art both knave and fool.

Clo. At your fervice.

Laf. No, no, no.

Clo. Why, Sir, if I cannot ferve you, I can ferveas great a prince as you are.

Laf. Who's that, a Frenchman?

Clo. 'Faith, Sir, he has an English name; but his phifnomy is more honour'd in France than there*.

Laf. What prince is that?

Clo. The black prince, Sir, alias the prince of darkness, alias the devil.

Laf. Hold thee, there's my purfe; I give thee not this to feduce thee from thy mafter thou talk'ft of, serve him ftill.

Clo. I'm a woodland fellow, Sir, that always lov'd a great fire, and the mafter I fpeak of ever keeps a good fire; but, fure, he is the prince of the world, let his nobility remain in's court. I am for the house with the narrow gate, which I take to be too little for pomp to enter: fome, that humble themselves, may; but the

Alluding to the darker complexions of the French,

many