The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare (book suggestions .TXT) 📗

hundred 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 their cassocks lest they shake themselves to pieces.

BERTRAM. What shall be done to him?

SECOND LORD. Nothing, but let him have thanks. Demand of him my condition, and what credit I have with the Duke.

FIRST SOLDIER. Well, that’s set down. ‘You shall demand of him whether one Captain Dumain be i’ th’ camp, a Frenchman; what his reputation is with the Duke, what his valour, honesty, 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?

PAROLLES. I beseech you, let me answer to the particular of the inter’gatories. Demand them singly.

FIRST SOLDIER. Do you know this Captain Dumain?

PAROLLES. I know him: ‘a was a botcher’s prentice in Paris, from whence he was whipt for getting the shrieve’s fool with child-a dumb innocent that could not say him nay.

BERTRAM. Nay, by your leave, hold your hands; though I know his brains are forfeit to the next tile that falls.

FIRST SOLDIER. Well, is this captain in the Duke of Florence’s camp?

PAROLLES. Upon my knowledge, he is, and lousy.

SECOND LORD. Nay, look not so upon me; we shall hear of your lordship anon.

FIRST SOLDIER. What is his reputation with the Duke?

PAROLLES. The Duke knows him for no other but a poor officer of mine; and writ to me this other day to turn him out o’ th’ band.

I think I have his letter in my pocket.

FIRST SOLDIER. Marry, we’ll search.

PAROLLES. 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.

FIRST SOLDIER. Here ‘tis; here’s a paper. Shall I read it to you?

PAROLLES. I do not know if it be it or no.

BERTRAM. Our interpreter does it well.

SECOND LORD. Excellently.

FIRST SOLDIER. [Reads] ‘Dian, the Count’s a fool, and full of gold.’

PAROLLES. 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, sir, put it up again.

FIRST SOLDIER. Nay, I’ll read it first by your favour.

PAROLLES. 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, and devours up all the fry it finds.

BERTRAM. Damnable both-sides rogue!

FIRST SOLDIER. [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; 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.

Thine, as he vow’d to thee in thine ear, PAROLLES.’

BERTRAM. He shall be whipt through the army with this rhyme in’s forehead.

FIRST LORD. This is your devoted friend, sir, the manifold linguist, and the amnipotent soldier.

BERTRAM. I could endure anything before but a cat, and now he’s a cat to me.

FIRST SOLDIER. I perceive, sir, by our General’s looks we shall be fain to hang you.

PAROLLES. 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’ th’

stocks, or anywhere, so I may live.

FIRST SOLDIER. We’ll see what may be done, so you confess freely; therefore, once more to this Captain Dumain: you have answer’d to his reputation with the Duke, and to his valour; what is his honesty?

PAROLLES. He will steal, sir, an egg out of a cloister; for rapes and ravishments he parallels Nessus. He professes 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 bedclothes about him; but they know his conditions and lay him in straw. I have but little more to say, sir, of his honesty. He has everything that an honest man should not have; what an honest man should have he has nothing.

SECOND LORD. I begin to love him for this.

BERTRAM. For this description of thine honesty? A pox upon him! For me, he’s more and more a cat.

FIRST SOLDIER. What say you to his expertness in war?

PAROLLES. Faith, sir, has led the drum before the English tragedians-to belie him I will not-and more of his soldiership 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.

SECOND LORD. He hath out-villain’d villainy so far that the rarity redeems him.

BERTRAM. A pox on him! he’s a cat still.

FIRST SOLDIER. His qualities being at this poor price, I need not to ask you if gold will corrupt him to revolt.

PAROLLES. Sir, for a cardecue he will sell the fee-simple of his salvation, the inheritance of it; and cut th’ entail from all remainders and a perpetual succession for it perpetually.

FIRST SOLDIER. What’s his brother, the other Captain Dumain?

FIRST LORD. Why does he ask him of me?

FIRST SOLDIER. What’s he?

PAROLLES. E’en a crow o’ th’ 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 lackey: marry, in coming on he has the cramp.

FIRST SOLDIER. If your life be saved, will you undertake to betray the Florentine?

PAROLLES. Ay, and the Captain of his Horse, Count Rousillon.

FIRST SOLDIER. I’ll whisper with the General, and know his pleasure.

PAROLLES. [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 ambush where I was taken?

FIRST SOLDIER. There is no remedy, sir, but you must die.

The General says you that have so traitorously discover’d the secrets of your army, and made such pestiferous reports of men very nobly held, can serve the world for no honest use; therefore you must die. Come, headsman, of with his head.

PAROLLES. O Lord, sir, let me live, or let me see my death!

FIRST SOLDIER. That shall you, and take your leave of all your friends. [Unmuffling him] So look about you; know you any here?

BERTRAM. Good morrow, noble Captain.

FIRST LORD. God bless you, Captain Parolles.

SECOND LORD. God save you, noble Captain.

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

SECOND 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’d compel it of you; but fare you well.

Exeunt BERTRAM and LORDS

FIRST SOLDIER. You are undone, Captain, all but your scarf; that has a knot on ‘t yet.

PAROLLES. Who cannot be crush’d with a plot?

FIRST SOLDIER. 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 France too; we shall speak of you there. Exit with SOLDIERS

PAROLLES. 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 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 fool’ry thrive.

There’s place and means for every man alive.

I’ll after them. Exit

ACT IV SCENE 4.

The WIDOW’S house

 

Enter HELENA, WIDOW, and DIANA

 

HELENA. That you may well perceive I have not wrong’d you!

One of the greatest in the Christian world Shall be my surety; fore whose throne ‘tis needful, Ere I can perfect mine intents, to kneel.

Time was I did him a desired office,

Dear almost as his life; which gratitude Through flinty Tartar’s bosom would peep forth, And answer ‘Thanks.’ I duly am inform’d His Grace is at Marseilles, to which place We have convenient convoy. You must know I am supposed 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.

WIDOW. Gentle madam,

You never had a servant to whose trust Your business was more welcome.

HELENA. Nor you, mistress,

Ever a friend whose thoughts more truly labour To recompense your love. Doubt not but heaven Hath brought me up to be your daughter’s dower, As it hath fated her to be my motive

And helper to a husband. But, O strange men!

That can such sweet use make of what they hate, When saucy trusting of the cozen’d thoughts Defiles the pitchy night. So lust doth play With what it loathes, for that which is away.

But more of this hereafter. You, Diana, Under my poor instructions yet must suffer Something in my behalf.

DIANA. Let death and honesty

Go with your impositions, I am yours

Upon your will to suffer.

HELENA. Yet, I pray you:

But with the word the time will bring on summer, When briers shall have leaves as well as thorns And be as sweet as sharp. We must away; Our waggon is prepar’d, and time revives us.

All’s Well that Ends Well. Still the fine’s the crown.

Whate’er the course, the end is the renown. Exeunt

ACT IV SCENE 5.

Rousillon. The COUNT’S palace

 

Enter COUNTESS, LAFEU, and CLOWN

 

LAFEU. No, no, no, son was misled with a snipt-taffeta fellow there, whose villainous saffron 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 son here at home, more advanc’d by the King than by that red-tail’d humble-bee I speak of.

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

LAFEU. ‘Twas a good lady, ‘twas a good lady. We may pick a thousand sallets ere we light on such another herb.

CLOWN. Indeed, sir, she was the sweet-marjoram of the sallet, or, rather, the herb of grace.

LAFEU. They are not sallet-herbs, you knave; they are nose-herbs.

CLOWN. I am no great Nebuchadnezzar, sir; I have not much skill in grass.

LAFEU. Whether dost thou profess thyself-a knave or a fool?

CLOWN. A fool, sir, at a woman’s service, and a knave at a man’s.

LAFEU. Your distinction?

CLOWN. I would cozen the