Shakespeare Portal

Act 4, Scene 1

Without the Florentine camp.

  1. [Enter first Lord with five or six Soldiers in ambush.]
  2. First Lord (Dumaine)
  3. 1717 He can come no other way but by this hedge-corner. When you sally
  4. 1718 upon him, speak what terrible language you will; though you
  5. 1719 understand it not yourselves, no matter; for we must not seem to
  6. 1720 understand him, unless some one among us, whom we must produce
  7. 1721 for an interpreter.
  8. First Soldier
  9. 1722 Good captain, let me be the interpreter.
  10. First Lord (Dumaine)
  11. 1723 Art not acquainted with him? knows he not thy voice?
  12. First Soldier
  13. 1724 No, sir, I warrant you.
  14. First Lord (Dumaine)
  15. 1725 But what linsey-woolsey has thou to speak to us again?
  16. First Soldier
  17. 1726 E'en such as you speak to me.
  18. First Lord (Dumaine)
  19. 1727 He must think us some band of strangers i' the adversary's
  20. 1728 entertainment. Now he hath a smack of all neighbouring languages,
  21. 1729 therefore we must every one be a man of his own fancy; not to
  22. 1730 know what we speak one to another, so we seem to know, is to know
  23. 1731 straight our purpose: choughs' language, gabble enough, and good
  24. 1732 enough. As for you, interpreter, you must seem very politic. But
  25. 1733 couch, ho! here he comes; to beguile two hours in a sleep, and
  26. 1734 then to return and swear the lies he forges.
  27. [Enter PAROLLES.]
  28. Parolles
  29. 1735 Ten o'clock. Within these three hours 'twill be time enough to go
  30. 1736 home. What shall I say I have done? It must be a very plausive
  31. 1737 invention that carries it ; they begin to smoke me: and disgraces
  32. 1738 have of late knocked too often at my door. I find my tongue is
  33. 1739 too foolhardy; but my heart hath the fear of Mars before it, and
  34. 1740 of his creatures, not daring the reports of my tongue.
  35. Parolles
  36. 1741 FIRST LORD. {Aside.]
  37. 1742 This is the first truth that e'er thine own tongue was guilty of.
  38. Parolles
  39. 1743 What the devil should move me to undertake the recovery of this
  40. 1744 drum: being not ignorant of the impossibility, and knowing I had
  41. 1745 no such purpose? I must give myself some hurts, and say I got
  42. 1746 them in exploit: yet slight ones will not carry it: they will say
  43. 1747 Came you off with so little? and great ones I dare not give.
  44. 1748 Wherefore, what's the instance? Tongue, I must put you into a
  45. 1749 butter-woman's mouth, and buy myself another of Bajazet's mule,
  46. 1750 if you prattle me into these perils.
  47. Parolles
  48. 1751 FIRST LORD. {Aside.]
  49. 1752 Is it possible he should know what he is, and be that he is?
  50. Parolles
  51. 1753 I would the cutting of my garments would serve the turn, or the
  52. 1754 breaking of my Spanish sword.
  53. Parolles
  54. 1755 FIRST LORD. {Aside.]
  55. 1756 We cannot afford you so.
  56. Parolles
  57. 1757 Or the baring of my beard; and to say it was in stratagem.
  58. Parolles
  59. 1758 FIRST LORD. {Aside.]
  60. 1759 'Twould not do.
  61. Parolles
  62. 1760 Or to drown my clothes, and say I was stripped.
  63. Parolles
  64. 1761 FIRST LORD. {Aside.]
  65. 1762 Hardly serve.
  66. Parolles
  67. 1763 Though I swore I leap'd from the window of the citadel,—
  68. Parolles
  69. 1764 FIRST LORD. {Aside.]
  70. 1765 How deep?
  71. Parolles
  72. 1766 Thirty fathom.
  73. Parolles
  74. 1767 FIRST LORD. {Aside.]
  75. 1768 Three great oaths would scarce make that be believed.
  76. Parolles
  77. 1769 I would I had any drum of the enemy's; I would swear I recovered
  78. 1770 it.
  79. Parolles
  80. 1771 FIRST LORD. {Aside.]
  81. 1772 You shall hear one anon.
  82. Parolles
  83. 1773 A drum now of the enemy's!
  84. [Alarum within.]
  85. First Lord (Dumaine)
  86. 1774 Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo.
  87. All
  88. 1775 Cargo, cargo, cargo, villianda par corbo, cargo.
  89. Parolles
  90. 1776 O, ransom, ransom! Do not hide mine eyes.
  91. [They seize and blindfold him.]
  92. First Soldier
  93. 1777 Boskos thromuldo boskos.
  94. Parolles
  95. 1778 I know you are the Muskos' regiment,
  96. 1779 And I shall lose my life for want of language:
  97. 1780 If there be here German, or Dane, low Dutch,
  98. 1781 Italian, or French, let him speak to me;
  99. 1782 I'll discover that which shall undo the Florentine.
  100. Second Soldier
  101. 1783 Boskos vauvado:—I understand thee, and can speak thy tongue.
  102. 1784 Kerelybonto:—Sir,
  103. 1785 Betake thee to thy faith, for seventeen poniards
  104. 1786 Are at thy bosom.
  105. Parolles
  106. 1787 O!
  107. First Soldier
  108. 1788 O, pray, pray, pray!—
  109. 1789 Manka revania dulche.
  110. First Lord (Dumaine)
  111. 1790 Oscorbi dulchos volivorco.
  112. First Soldier
  113. 1791 The General is content to spare thee yet;
  114. 1792 And, hoodwink'd as thou art, will lead thee on
  115. 1793 To gather from thee: haply thou mayst inform
  116. 1794 Something to save thy life.
  117. Parolles
  118. 1795 O, let me live,
  119. 1796 And all the secrets of our camp I'll show,
  120. 1797 Their force, their purposes: nay, I'll speak that
  121. 1798 Which you will wonder at.
  122. First Soldier
  123. 1799 But wilt thou faithfully?
  124. Parolles
  125. 1800 If I do not, damn me.
  126. First Soldier
  127. 1801 Acordo linta.—
  128. 1802 Come on; thou art granted space.
  129. [Exit, with PAROLLES guarded.]
  130. First Lord (Dumaine)
  131. 1803 Go, tell the Count Rousillon and my brother
  132. 1804 We have caught the woodcock, and will keep him muffled
  133. 1805 Till we do hear from them.
  134. Second Soldier
  135. 1806 Captain, I will.
  136. First Lord (Dumaine)
  137. 1807 'A will betray us all unto ourselves;—
  138. 1808 Inform 'em that.
  139. Second Soldier
  140. 1809 So I will, sir.
  141. First Lord (Dumaine)
  142. 1810 Till then I'll keep him dark, and safely lock'd.
  143. [Exeunt.]