ACT IV. SCENE 1.
Without the Florentine camp
Enter SECOND FRENCH LORD with five or six other SOLDIERS in ambush
SECOND LORD. | 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.
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FIRST SOLDIER. | Good captain, let me be th' interpreter.
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SECOND LORD. | Art not acquainted with him? Knows he not thy voice?
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FIRST SOLDIER. | No, sir, I warrant you.
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SECOND LORD. | But what linsey-woolsey has thou to speak to us again?
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FIRST SOLDIER. | E'en such as you speak to me.
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SECOND LORD. | He must think us some band of strangers i' th'
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: choughs' 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.
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Enter PAROLLES
PAROLLES. | Ten o'clock. Within these three hours 'twill 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 knock'd to 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.
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SECOND LORD. | This is the first truth that e'er thine own tongue was
guilty of.
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PAROLLES. | 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 butterwoman's mouth, and buy myself another of
Bajazet's mule, if you prattle me into these perils.
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SECOND LORD. | Is it possible he should know what he is, and be that
he is?
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PAROLLES. | I would the cutting of my garments would serve the turn,
or the breaking of my Spanish sword.
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SECOND LORD. | We cannot afford you so.
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PAROLLES. | Or the baring of my beard; and to say it was in
stratagem.
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SECOND LORD. | 'Twould not do.
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PAROLLES. | Or to drown my clothes, and say I was stripp'd.
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SECOND LORD. | Hardly serve.
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PAROLLES. | Though I swore I leap'd from the window of the citadel-
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SECOND LORD. | How deep?
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PAROLLES. | Thirty fathom.
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SECOND LORD. | Three great oaths would scarce make that be believed.
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PAROLLES. | I would I had any drum of the enemy's; I would swear I
recover'd it.
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SECOND LORD. | You shall hear one anon
[Alarum within]
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PAROLLES. | A drum now of the enemy's!
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SECOND LORD. | Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo.
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ALL. | Cargo, cargo, cargo, villianda par corbo, cargo.
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PAROLLES. | O, ransom, ransom! Do not hide mine eyes.
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[They blindfold him]
FIRST SOLDIER. | Boskos thromuldo boskos.
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PAROLLES. | 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'll discover that which shall undo the Florentine.
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FIRST SOLDIER. | Boskos vauvado. I understand thee, and can speak thy
tongue. Kerely-bonto, sir, betake thee to thy faith, for
seventeen poniards are at thy bosom.
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PAROLLES. | O!
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FIRST SOLDIER. | O, pray, pray, pray! Manka revania dulche.
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SECOND LORD. | Oscorbidulchos volivorco.
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FIRST SOLDIER. | The General is content to spare thee yet;
And, hoodwink'd as thou art, will lead thee on
To gather from thee. Haply thou mayst inform
Something to save thy life.
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PAROLLES. | O, let me live,
And all the secrets of our camp I'll show,
Their force, their purposes. Nay, I'll speak that
Which you will wonder at.
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FIRST SOLDIER. | But wilt thou faithfully?
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PAROLLES. | If I do not, damn me.
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FIRST SOLDIER. | Acordo linta.
Come on; thou art granted space.
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Exit, PAROLLES guarded. A short alarum within
SECOND LORD. | Go, tell the Count Rousillon and my brother
We have caught the woodcock, and will keep him muffled
Till we do hear from them.
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SECOND SOLDIER. | Captain, I will.
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SECOND LORD. | 'A will betray us all unto ourselves-
Inform on that.
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SECOND SOLDIER. | So I will, sir.
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SECOND LORD. | Till then I'll keep him dark and safely lock'd.
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Exeunt
Next
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