SCENE VI.

Camp before Florence.

Enter BERTRAM, and the two Frenchmen".

Fr. Env. Nay, good my lord, put him to't let him have his way.

Fr. Gent. If your lordship find him not a hilding, hold me no more in your respect.

Fr. Env. On my life, my lord, a bubble.

Ber. Do you think I am so far deceived in him?

Fr. Env. 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.

Fr. Gent. 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.

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

Fr. Gent. None better than to let him fetch off his drum, which you hear him so confidently undertake to do.

Fr. Env. 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

5 Enter Bertram, and the two Frenchmen.] The old stage-direction is, "Enter Count Rousillon and the Frenchmen, as at first," referring to the scene, in which French E." and " French G." had appeared. In the present scene, in the old copies, they are called "Cap. E." and "Cap. G." in the prefixes, while the modern editors create them "lords," "1 Lord" and "2 Lord." For the sake of consistency, they are called in our text, as before, "French Envoy," and "French Gentleman." It appears, by A. iv. sc. 3, that both of them were named Dumaine, and that they were brothers.

6 — a HILDING,] A hilding is a low, cowardly fellow. See p. 138, note 2.

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 any thing.

Fr. Gent. O! for the love of laughter, let him fetch his drum he says he has a stratagem for't. When your lordship sees the bottom of his success in't, and to what metal this counterfeit lump of ore will be melted, if you give him not John Drum's entertainment1o, your inclining cannot be removed. Here he comes.

Enter PAROlles.

Fr. Env. O! for the love of laughter, hinder not the honour of his design': let him fetch off his drum in any hand.

Ber. How now, monsieur? this drum sticks sorely in your disposition.

7

he is carried into the LEAGUER of the adversaries,] i. e. Camp. Douce aptly quotes the following :—“ They will not vouchsafe in their speaches or writings to use our ancient termes belonging to matters of warre, but doo call a campe by the Dutch name of Legar; nor will not affoord to say, that such a towne or such a fort is besieged, but that it is belegard." Sir John Smythe's Discourses, &c. 1590. Malone omits "own" before "tents," at the end of this

sentence.

8 — of HIS Success in't,] The old copies have this for "his."

9

counterfeit lump of ORE-] The old copies read ours for "ore." Theobald made the judicious alteration.

10

John Drum's entertainment,] This proverbial expression seems equivalent to drumming out. It is often met with in old writers, beginning with Gosson, in his "School of Abuse," 1579. In 1601, a play was published, called "Jack Drum's Entertainment," which was so popular as to be reprinted twice afterwards. One of the earliest dramas, in which Jack Drum's entertainment is mentioned, is "The Three Ladies of London," 1584, where Dissimulation tells Simplicity, "Pack hence, away-Jack Drum's entertainment."

1 - hinder not the HONOUR of his design:] This is the reading of the old copies, which ought to be adhered to: "the honor of his design" is the honor Parolles will pretend to gain by it. Modern editors have changed "honor" to humour, without either warranty or fitness.

[ACT III.

Fr. Gent. A pox on't! let it go: 'tis but a drum. Par. But a drum! Is't but a drum? lost-There was an excellent command, to charge in A drum so with our horse upon our own wings, and to rend our own soldiers !

Fr. Gent. That was not to be blamed in the command of the service: it was a disaster of war that Cæsar himself could not have prevented, if he had been there to command.

Ber. Well, we cannot greatly condemn our success: some dishonour we had in the loss of that drum; but it is not to be recovered.

Par. It might have been recovered.

Ber. It might; but it is not now.

Par. 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

Ber. Why, if you have a stomach to't, monsieur, if you think your mystery in stratagem can bring this instrument of honour 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 farther becomes his greatness, even to the utmost syllable of your worthiness.

it.

Par. By the hand of a soldier, I will undertake

Ber. But you must not now slumber 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 farther from me.

Ber. May I be bold to acquaint his grace you are gone about it?

Par. I know not what the success will be, my lord; but the attempt I vow.

Ber. I know thou art valiant, and to the possibility of thy soldiership will subscribe for thee. Farewell. Par. I love not many words.

[Exit.

Fr. Env. 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't??

Fr. Gent. You do not know him, my lord, as we do: certain it is, that he will steal himself into a man's favour, and for a week escape a great deal of discoveries; 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 so seriously he does address himself unto?

Fr. Env. None in the world; but return with an invention, and clap upon you two or three probable lies. But we have almost embossed him3, you shall see his fall to-night; for, indeed, he is not for your lordship's respect.

Fr. Gent. 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.

Fr. Env. I must go look my twigs: he shall be caught.

3

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

2 be damned than To do't.] So the old copies: Malone omits "to."

we have almost EMBOSSED him,] To emboss a deer (as appears by a passage from Markham's "Country Contentments," adduced by Steevens) is to run it, until it is weary and foams at the mouth. In Heywood's " Edward IV." 1600, pt. i. sign. E. 3, this dialogue occurs :

"Duchess. Came thou down the wood?

"Hobs. Yes, mistress, that I did.

"Duchess. And saw'st thou not the deer imbost?

The "fall of the deer" was also technical. See likewise p. 108, note 6. ✦ere we CASE him.] Ere we deprive him of his "case," strip him.

Fr. Gent. As't please your lordship.

Fr. Env. I'll leave you3.

[Exit.

Ber. Now will I lead you to the house, and show

you

The lass I spoke of.

Fr. Gent.

But, you say, she's honest.

Ber. That's all the fault. I spoke with her but once,
And found her wondrous cold; but I sent to her,
By this same coxcomb that we have i̇' the wind,
Tokens and letters which she did re-send;
And this is all I have done.

Will you go see her?

Fr. Gent.

She's a fair creature:

With all my heart, my lord.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VII.

Florence. A Room in the Widow's House.

Enter HELENA and Widow.

Hel. If you misdoubt me that I am not she, I know not how I shall assure you farther,

But I shall lose the grounds I work upon.

Wid. Though my estate be fall'n, I was well born, Nothing acquainted with these businesses,

And would not put my reputation now

In any staining act.

Nor would I wish you.

Hel.
First, give me trust, the count he is my husband,
And what to your sworn counsel I have spoken,
Is so, from word to word; and then you cannot,
By the good aid that I of you shall borrow,
Err in bestowing it.

5 Fr. Ent. I'll leave you.] There is some little confusion of persons in this part of the dialogue. The Fr. Env. should say, "I'll leave you," and make his exit, for the purpose of "looking to his twigs :" the Fr. Gent. should remain with Bertram. Perhaps all that is absolutely necessary is to give," As't please your lordship: I'll leave you," to the Fr. Enc. instead of the Fr. Gent, as in the old copies.