Act 4 — Scene III. The Florentine camp.

Enter the two French Lords and some two or three Soldiers. First Lord. You have not given him his mother's letter? Sec. Lord. I have delivered it an hour since: there is something in't that stings his nature; for on the reading it he changed almost into another man. 5 First Lord. He has much worthy blame laid upon him for shaking off so good a wife and so sweet a lady. Sec. Lord. Especially he hath incurred the everlasting displeasure of the king, who had even tuned his bounty to sing happiness to him. I will tell you a thing, but you 10 shall let it dwell darkly with you. First Lord. When you have spoken it, 'tis dead, and I am the grave of it. Sec. Lord. He hath perverted a young gentlewoman here in Florence, of a most chaste renown; and this night 15 he fleshes his will in the spoil of her honour: he hath given her his monumental ring, and thinks himself made in the unchaste composition. First Lord. Now, God delay our rebellion! as we are ourselves, what things are we! 20 Sec. Lord. Merely our own traitors. And as in the common course of all treasons, we still see them reveal themselves, till they attain to their abhorred ends, so he that in this action contrives against his own nobility, in his proper stream o'erflows himself. 25 First Lord. Is it not meant damnable in us, to be trumpeters of our unlawful intents? We shall not then have his company to-night? Sec. Lord. Not till after midnight; for he is dieted to his hour. 30 First Lord. That approaches apace: I would gladly have him see his company anatomized, that he might take a measure of his own judgements, wherein so curiously he had set this counterfeit. Sec. Lord. We will not meddle with him till he come; 35 for his presence must be the whip of the other. First Lord. In the mean time, what hear you of these wars? Sec. Lord. I hear there is an overture of peace. First Lord. Nay, I assure you, a peace concluded. 40 Sec. Lord. What will Count Rousillon do then? will he travel higher, or return again into France? First Lord. I perceive, by this demand, you are not altogether of his council. Sec. Lord. Let it be forbid, sir; so should I be a great 45 deal of his act. First Lord. Sir, his wife some two months since fled from his house: her pretence is a pilgrimage to Saint Jaques le Grand; which holy undertaking with most austere sanctimony she accomplished; and, there residing, the tenderness 50 of her nature became as a prey to her grief; in fine, made a groan of her last breath, and now she sings in heaven. Sec. Lord. How is this justified? First Lord. The stronger part of it by her own letters, which makes her story true, even to the point of her death: 55 her death itself, which could not be her office to say is come, was faithfully confirmed by the rector of the place. Sec. Lord. Hath the count all this intelligence? First Lord. Ay, and the particular confirmations, point from point, to the full arming of the verity. 60 Sec. Lord. I am heartily sorry that he'll be glad of this. First Lord. How mightily sometimes we make us comforts of our losses! Sec. Lord. And how mightily some other times we drown our gain in tears! The great dignity that his valour 65 hath here acquired for him shall at home be encountered with a shame as ample. First Lord. The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together: our virtues would be proud, if our faults whipped them not; and our crimes would despair, if 70 they were not cherished by our virtues. Enter a Messenger. How now! where's your master? Serv. He met the Duke in the street, sir, of whom he hath taken a solemn leave: his lordship will next morning for France. The Duke hath offered him letters of commendations 75 to the king. Sec. Lord. They shall be no more than needful there, if they were more than they can commend. First Lord. They cannot be too sweet for the king's tartness. Here's his lordship now. Enter Bertram. 80 How now, my lord! is't not after midnight? Ber. I have to-night dispatched sixteen businesses, a month's length a-piece, by an abstract of success: I have congied with the Duke, done my adieu with his nearest; buried a wife, mourned for her; writ to my lady mother I 85 am returning; entertained my convoy; and between these main parcels of dispatch effected many nicer needs: the last was the greatest, but that I have not ended yet. Sec. Lord. If the business be of any difficulty, and this morning your departure hence, it requires haste of your 90 lordship. Ber. I mean, the business is not ended, as fearing to hear of it hereafter. But shall we have this dialogue between the fool and the soldier? Come, bring forth this counterfeit module, has deceived me, like a double-meaning 95 prophesier. Sec. Lord. Bring him forth: he has sat i' the stocks all night, poor gallant knave. Ber. No matter; his heels have deserved it, in usurping his spurs so long. How does he carry himself? 100 Sec. Lord. I have told your lordship already, the stocks carry him. But to answer you as you would be understood; he weeps like a wench that had shed her milk: he hath confessed himself to Morgan, whom he supposes to be a friar, from the time of his remembrance to this very instant 105 disaster of his setting i' the stocks: and what think you he hath confessed? Ber. Nothing of me, has a'? Sec. Lord. His confession is taken, and it shall be read to his face: if your lordship be in't, as I believe you are, 110 you must have the patience to hear it. Enter Parolles guarded, and First Soldier. Ber. A plague upon him! muffled! he can say nothing of me: hush, hush! First Lord. Hoodman comes! Portotartarosa. First Sold. He calls for the tortures: what will you 115 say without 'em? Par. I will confess what I know without constraint: if ye pinch me like a pasty, I can say no more. First Sold. Bosko chimurcho. First Lord. Boblibindo chicurmurco. 120 First Sold. You are a merciful general. Our general bids you answer to what I shall ask you out of a note. Par. And truly, as I hope to live. First Sold. [reads] First demand of him how many horse the Duke is strong. What say you to that? 125 Par. Five or six thousand; but very weak and unserviceable: the troops are all scattered, and the commanders very poor rogues, upon my reputation and credit and as I hope to live. First Sold. Shall I set down your answer so? 130 Par. Do: I'll take the sacrament on 't, how and which way you will. Ber. All's one to him. What a past-saving slave is this! First Lord. You're deceived, my lord: this is Monsieur Parolles, the gallant militarist,—that was his own phrase,— 135 that had the whole theoric of war in the knot of his scarf, and the practice in the chape of his dagger. Sec. Lord. I will never trust a man again for keeping his sword clean, nor believe he can have every thing in him by wearing his apparel neatly. 140 First Sold. Well, that's set down. Par. Five or six thousand horse, I said,—I will say true,—or thereabouts, set down, for I'll speak truth. First Lord. He's very near the truth in this. Ber. But I con him no thanks for't, in the nature he 145 delivers it. Par. Poor rogues, I pray you, say. First Sold. Well, that's set down. Par. I humbly thank you, sir: a truth's a truth, the rogues are marvellous poor. 150 First Sold. [reads] Demand of him, of what strength they are a-foot. What say you to that? Par. By my troth, sir, if I were to live this present hour, I will tell true. Let me see: Spurio, a hundred and fifty; Sebastian, so many; Corambus, so many; Jaques, so many; 155 Guiltian, Cosmo, Lodowick, and Gratii, two hundred and fifty each; mine own company, Chitopher, Vaumond, Bentii, two hundred and fifty each: so that the muster-file, rotten and sound, upon my life, amounts not to fifteen thousand poll; half of the which dare not shake the snow from off 160 their cassocks, lest they shake themselves to pieces. Ber. What shall be done to him? First Lord. Nothing, but let him have thanks. Demand of him my condition, and what credit I have with the Duke. First Sold. Well, that's set down. [Reads] You shall demand 165 of him, whether one Captain Dumain be i' the camp, a Frenchman; what his reputation is with the Duke; what his valour, honesty, and expertness in wars; or whether he thinks it were not possible, with well-weighing sums of gold, to corrupt him to a revolt. What say you to this? what do you know of it? 170 Par. I beseech you, let me answer to the particular of the inter'gatories: demand them singly. First Sold. Do you know this Captain Dumain? Par. I know him: a' was a botcher's 'prentice in Paris, from whence he was whipped for getting the shrieve's fool 175 with child,—a dumb innocent, that could not say him nay. Ber. Nay, by your leave, hold your hands; though I know his brains are forfeit to the next tile that falls. First Sold. Well, is this captain in the Duke of Florence's camp? 180 Par. Upon my knowledge, he is, and lousy. First Lord. Nay, look not so upon me; we shall hear of your lordship anon. First Sold. What is his reputation with the Duke? Par. The Duke knows him for no other but a poor 185 officer of mine; and writ to me this other day to turn him out o' the band: I think I have his letter in my pocket. First Sold. Marry, we'll search. Par. In good sadness, I do not know; either it is there, or it is upon a file with the Duke's other letters in my tent. 190 First Sold. Here 'tis; here's a paper: shall I read it to you? Par. I do not know if it be it or no. Ber. Our interpreter does it well. First Lord. Excellently. 195 First Sold. [reads] Dian, the count's a fool, and full of gold,— Par. That is not the Duke's letter, sir; that is an advertisement to a proper maid in Florence, one Diana, to take heed of the allurement of one Count Rousillon, a foolish idle boy, but for all that very ruttish: I pray you, 200 sir, put it up again. First Sold. Nay, I'll read it first, by your favour. Par. My meaning in't, I protest, was very honest in the behalf of the maid; for I knew the young count to be a dangerous and lascivious boy, who is a whale to virginity 205 and devours up all the fry it finds. Ber. Damnable both-sides rogue! First Sold. [reads] When he swears oaths, bid him drop gold, and take it; After he scores, he never pays the score: Half won is match well made; match, and well make it; 210 He ne'er pays after-debts, take it before; And say a soldier, Dian, told thee this, Men are to mell with, boys are not to kiss: For count of this, the count's a fool, I know it, Who pays before, but not when he does owe it. 215 Thine, as he vowed to thee in thine ear, Parolles. Ber. He shall be whipped through the army with this rhyme in's forehead. Sec. Lord. This is your devoted friend, sir, the manifold 220 linguist and the armipotent soldier. Ber. I could endure any thing before but a cat, and now he's a cat to me. First Sold. I perceive, sir, by the general's looks, we shall be fain to hang you. 225 Par. My life, sir, in any case: 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' the stocks, or any where, so I may live. First Sold. We'll see what may be done, so you confess 230 freely; therefore, once more to this Captain Dumain: you have answered to his reputation with the Duke and to his valour: what is his honesty? Par. He will steal, sir, an egg out of a cloister: for rapes and ravishments he parallels Nessus: he professes 235 not keeping of oaths; in breaking 'em he is stronger than Hercules: he will lie, sir, with such volubility, that you would think truth were a fool: drunkenness is his best virtue, for he will be swine-drunk; and in his sleep he does little harm, save to his bed-clothes about him; but they 240 know his conditions and lay him in straw. I have but little more to say, sir, of his honesty: he has every thing that an honest man should not have; what an honest man should have, he has nothing. First Lord. I begin to love him for this. 245 Ber. For this description of thine honesty? A pox upon him for me, he's more and more a cat. First Sold. What say you to his expertness in war? Par. Faith, sir, has led the drum before the English tragedians; to belie him, I will not, and more of his soldiership 250 I know not; except, in that country he had the honour to be the officer at a place there called Mile-end, to instruct for the doubling of files: I would do the man what honour I can, but of this I am not certain. First Lord. He hath out-villained villany so far, that 255 the rarity redeems him. Ber. A pox on him, he's a cat still. First Sold. His qualities being at this poor price, I need not to ask you if gold will corrupt him to revolt. Par. Sir, for a quart d'écu he will sell the fee-simple of 260 his salvation, the inheritance of it; and cut the entail from all remainders, and a perpetual succession for it perpetually. First Sold. What's his brother, the other Captain Dumain? Sec. Lord. Why does he ask him of me? 265 First Sold. What's he? Par. E'en a crow o' the same nest; not altogether so 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 best that is: in a retreat he outruns any 270 lackey; many, in coming on he has the cramp. First Sold. If your life be saved, will you undertake to betray the Florentine? Par. Ay, and the captain of his horse, Count Rousillon. First Sold. I'll whisper with the general, and know his 275 pleasure. Par. [Aside] I'll no more drumming; a plague of all drums! Only to seem to deserve well, and to beguile the supposition of that lascivious young boy the count, have I run into this danger. Yet who would have suspected an 280 ambush where I was taken? First Sold. There is no remedy, sir, but you must die: the general says, you that have so traitorously discovered the secrets of your army and made such pestiferous reports of men very nobly held, can serve the world for no honest use; 285 therefore you must die. Come, headsman, off with his head. Par. O Lord, sir, let me live, or let me see my death! First Sold. That shall you, and take your leave of all your friends. [Unblinding him. So, look about you: know you any here? 290 Ber. Good morrow, noble captain. Sec. Lord. God bless you, Captain Parolles. First Lord. God save you, noble captain. Sec. Lord. Captain, what greeting will you to my Lord Lafeu? I am for France. 295 First Lord. Good captain, will you give me a copy of the sonnet you writ to Diana in behalf of the Count Rousillon? an I were not a very coward, I'ld compel it of you: but fare you well. [Exeunt Bertram and Lords. First Sold. You are undone, captain, all but your 300 scarf; that has a knot on't yet. Par. Who cannot be crushed with a plot? First Sold. If you could find out a country where but women were that had received so much shame, you might begin an impudent nation. Fare ye well, sir; I am for 305 France too: we shall speak of you there. [Exit, with Soldiers. Par. Yet am I thankful: if my heart were great, 'Twould burst at this. Captain I'll be no more; But I will eat and drink, and sleep as soft As captain shall: simply the thing I am 310 Shall make me live. Who knows himself a braggart, Let him fear this, for it will come to pass That every braggart shall be found an ass. Rust, sword! cool, blushes! and, Parolles, live Safest in shame! being fool'd, by foolery thrive! 315 There's place and means for every man alive. I'll after them. [Exit