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.

Is not this a

Fr. Env. No more than a fish loves water. 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 him, 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.
Ber. Your brother, he shall go along with me.

Fr. Gent. As 't please your lordship.

Fr. Env. I'll leave you.

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 i' the wind,

Tokens and letters which she did re-send;

And this is all I have done. She's a fair creature:
Will you go see her?

[Exit.

Fr. Gent.

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.

Hel.

Nor would I wish you.

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.

Wid.

I should believe you;

For you have show'd me that, which well approves

You are great in fortune.

Hel.

Take this purse of gold,

And let me buy your friendly help thus far,

Which I will over-pay, and pay again,

When I have found it. The count he woos your daughter,
Lays down his wanton siege before her beauty,
Resolved to carry her: let her, in fine, consent,
As we 'll direct her how 't is best to bear it.
Now, his important blood will nought deny
That she 'll demand: a ring the county wears,
That downward hath succeeded in his house
From son to son, some four or five descents
Since the first father wore it: this ring he holds
In most rich choice; yet, in his idle fire
To buy his will, it would not seem too dear,
Howe'er repented after.

Hel. You see it lawful then. It is no more,
But that your daughter, ere she seems as won,
Desires this ring; appoints him an encounter;
In fine, delivers me to fill the time,

Herself most chastely absent. After this,
To marry her, I'll add three thousand crowns
To what is past already.
I have yielded.

Wid.

Instruct my daughter how she shall persever,
That time and place, with this deceit so lawful,
May prove coherent. Every night he comes
With musics of all sorts, and songs compos'd
To her unworthiness: it nothing steads us,
To chide him from our eaves, for he persists,
As if his life lay on 't.

Hel.

Why then, to-night Let us assay our plot; which, if it speed, Is wicked meaning in a lawful deed,

And lawful meaning in a lawful act;

Where both not sin, and yet a sinful fact.
But let's about it.

ACT IV.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.

Without the Florentine Camp.

Enter French Envoy, with five or six Soldiers in ambush.

Fr. Env. He can come no other way but by this hedge corner. When you sally upon him, speak what terrible language you will: though you understand it not yourselves, no matter; for we must not seem to understand him, unless some one among us, whom we must produce for an interpreter.

1 Sold. Good captain, let me be the interpreter.

Fr. Env. Art not acquainted with him? knows he not thy voice?

1 Sold. No, Sir, I warrant you.

Fr. Env. again?

But what linsy-woolsy hast thou to speak to us

1 Sold. Even such as you speak to me.

Fr. Env. He must think us some band of strangers i' the adversary's entertainment. Now, he hath a smack of all neighbouring languages; therefore, we must every one be a man of his own fancy, not to know what we speak one to another; so we seem to know is to know straight our purpose: chough's language, gabble enough, and good enough. As for you, interpreter, you must seem very politic. But couch, ho! here he comes, to beguile two hours in a sleep, and then to return and swear the lies he forges.

Enter PAROlles.

Par. Ten o'clock: within these three hours 't will be time enough to go home. What shall I say I have done? It must be a very plausive invention that carries it. They begin to smoke me, and disgraces have of late knocked too often at my door. I find, my tongue is too foolhardy; but my heart hath the fear of Mars before it, and of his creatures, not daring the reports of my tongue. Fr. Env. [Aside.] This is the first truth that e'er thine own tongue was guilty of.

Par. What the devil should move me to undertake the recovery of this drum, being not ignorant of the impossibility, and knowing I had no such purpose? I must give myself some hurts, and say, I got them in exploit. Yet slight ones will not carry it: they will say, "Came you off with so little?" and great ones I dare not give. Wherefore? what's the instance? Tongue, I must put you into a butter-woman's mouth, and buy myself another of Bajazet's mule, if you prattle me into these perils.

Fr. Env. [Aside.] Is it possible, he should know what he is, and be that he is?

Par. I would the cutting of my garments would serve the turn; or the breaking of my Spanish sword.

Fr. Env. [Aside.] We cannot afford you so.

Par. Or the baring of my beard; and to say, it was in stratagem.

Fr. Env. [Aside.] 'T would not do.

Par. Or to drown my clothes, and say I was stripped.

Fr. Env. [Aside.] Hardly serve.

Par. Though I swore I leaped from the window of the citadel

Fr. Env. [Aside.] How deep?

Par. Thirty fathom.

Fr. Env. [Aside.] Three great oaths would scarce make that be believed.

Par.

I would I had any drum of the enemy's: I would swear I recovered it.

Fr. Env. [Aside.] You shall hear one anon.
Par. A drum, now, of the enemy's!

[Alarum within. Fr. Env. Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo. All. Cargo, cargo, villianda par corbo, cargo. Par. O! ransom, ransom! Do not hide mine eyes. [They seize and blindfold him

1 Sold.

Boskos thromuldo boskos.

Par. I know you are the Muskos' regiment;
And I shall lose my life for want of language.
If there be here German, or Dane, low Dutch,
Italian, or French, let him speak to me:
I will discover that which shall undo

Sir,

I understand thee, and can speak thy tongue:
Kerelybonto:-
Betake thee to thy faith, for seventeen poniards
Are at thy bosom.

1 Sold. The general is content to spare thee yet,
And, hoodwink'd as thou art, will lead thee on
To gather from thee: haply, thou may'st inform
Something to save thy life.

Par.

O! let me live,