Par. Do, I'll take the facrament on't, how and which way you will: all's one to me. Ber. What a paft-faving flave is this? 1 Lord. Y'are deceiv'd, my Lord, this is Monfieur Parolles, the gallant militarist, that was his own phrafe, that had the whole theory of war in the knot of his fcarf, and the practice in the chape of his dagger. 2 Lord. I will never trust a man again for keeping his fword clean; nor believe, he can have every thing in him by wearing his apparel neatly. Int. Well, that's fet down. Par. Five or fix thousand horfe I faid, (I will fay true,) or thereabouts, fet down; for I'll fpeak truth. 1 Lord. He's very near the truth in this. Ber. But I con him no thanks for't, in the nature he delivers it. Par. Poor rogues, I pray you, fay. Int. Well, that's fet down. Par. I humbly thank you, Sir; a truth's a truth, the rogues are marvellous poor. Int. Demand of him of what ftrength they are a-foot. What fay you to that? Par. By my troth, Sir, if I were to live this prefent hour I will tell true. Let me fee, Spurio a hundred and fifty, Sebaftian fo many, Corambus fo many, Jacques fo many; Guiltian, Cofmo, Lodowick, and Gratii, two hundred and fifty each; mine own company, Chitopher, Vaumond, Bentii, two hundred and fifty each; fo that the mufter file, rotten and found, upon my life amounts not to fifteen thoufand Poll; half of the which dare not shake the fnow from off their caffocks, left they fhake themfelves to pieces. Ber. What shall be done to him 1 Lord. Nothing, but let him have thanks. Demand of him my conditions, and what credit I have with the Duke. Int. Well, that's fet 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, honefty, and expertnefs in war; or D 2 whether whether he thinks, it were not poffible with wellweighing fums of gold to corrupt him to a revolt. What fay you to this? what do you know of it? Par. 1 befeech you, let me anfwer to the particular of the interrogatories. Demand them fingly. Int. Do you know this Captain Dumain? Par. I know him; he was a botcher's prentice in Paris, from whence he was whipt for getting the fheriff's fool with child, a dumb innocent, that could not fay him nay. Ber. Nay, by your leave, hold your hands; tho' I know, his brains are forfeit to the next tile that falls. Int. Well, is this Captain in the Duke of Florence's camp? Par. Upon my knowledge he is, and loufy. 1 Lord. Nay, look not fo upon me, we shall hear of your Lordship anon. Int. What is his reputation with the Duke? Par. The Duke knows him for no other but a poor officer of mine, and writ to me the other day to turn him out o'th' band. I think, I have his letter in my pocket. Int. Marry, we'll fearch. Par. In good fadnefs, I do not know; either it is there, or it is upon the file with the Duke's other letters in my tent. Int. Here 'tis, here's a paper, fhall I read it to you? Par. I do not know, if it be it or no. Ber. Our interpreter does it well. 1 Lord. Excellently. Int. 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 Roufillon, a toolish idle boy; but, for all that, very ruttish. I pray you, Sir, put it up again, Int. Nay, I'll read it firft, by your favour. Par. My meaning in't, I proteft, was very honeft in the behalf of the maid; for I knew the young Count 6 to to be a dangerous and lafcivious boy, who is a whale to virginity, and devours up all the fry it finds. Ber. Damnable! both fides rogue. Interpreter reads the letter. When he fwears oaths, bid him drop gold, and take it. (33) Men are to mell with, boys are but to kifs. Thine, as he vow'd to thee in thine ear, PAROLLES. Ber. He fhall be whipt through the army with this rhime in his forehead. 2 Lord. This is your devoted friend, Sir, the manifold linguist and the armi-potent foldier. Ber. I could endure any thing before but a cat, and now he's a cat to me. Int. I perceive, Sir, by the General's looks, we fhall be fain to hang you. 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'th' ftocks, any where, so I may live. Int. We'll fee what may be done, fo you confefs (33) Men are to mell with, boys are not to kifs.] All the editors have obtruded a new maxim upon us here, that boys are not to kifs.Livia, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Tamer-tam'd, is of a quite oppofite opinion. For boys were made for nothing but dry kiffes. And our Poet's thought, I am perfuaded, went to the fame tune; that boys are fit only to kifs; men to mingle with, and give more fubftantial pleasures. To mell, is deriv'd from the French word, meler; to mingle. I made this correction when I publish'd SHAKESPEARE refor'd; and Mr. Pope has thought fit to adopt it in his laft impreffion, D 3 freely; freely; therefore, once more, to this Captain Dumain : you have anfwer'd to his reputation with the Duke, ard to his valour, What is his honefty? Par. He will fteal, Sir, an egg out of a cloister: for rapes and ravifhments he parallels Neus. He profeffes not keeping of oaths; in breaking them he is ftronger than Hercules. He will lye, Sir, with much volubility, that you would think, truth were a fool: drunkennefs is his best virtue, for he will be fwinedrunk, and in his fleep he does little harm, fave to his bed-cloaths about him; but they know his conditions, and lay him in ftraw. I have but little more to say, Sir, of his honesty, he has every thing that an honest man should not have; what an honeft man fhould have, he has nothing. 1 Lord. I begin to love him for this. Ber. For this defcription of thine honefty? a pow pon him for me, he is more and more a cat. Int. What fay you to his expertnefs in war? Par. Faith, Sir, h'as led the drum before the Engli tragedians to belie him, I will not; and more of his foldierfhip I know not; except in that country, he had the honour to be the officer at a place there call'd Mile-end, to inftruct for the doubling of files. I would do the man what honour I can, but of this I am not certain. Lord. He hath out-villain'd villainy so far, that the rarity redeems him. Ber. A pox on him, he's a cat fill. Int. His qualities being at this poor price, I need not to afk you if gold will corrupt him to revolt. Par. Sir, for a Quart-d'ecu he will fell the fee-fimple of his falvation, the inheritance of it, and cut th' intail from all remainders, and a perpetual fucceffion for it perpetually. Int. What's his brother, the other Captain Dumain? 2 Lord. Why does he ask him of me? Int. What's he? Par. E'en a crow o'th' fame neft; not altogether fo 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 out-runs any lacquey; marry, in coming en he has the cramp. Int. If your life be faved, will you undertake to betray the Florentine ? " Par. Ay, and the Captain of his horfe, Count Reufillon. Int. I'll whifper with the General and know his pleasure. Par. I'll no more drumming, a plague of all drums! Only to feem to deferve well, and to beguile the fep pofition of that lafcivious young boy the Count, have I run into danger; yet who would have fufpected an ambufh where I was taken ? [Afide. Int. There is no remedy, Sir, but you muft die; the General fays, you, that have fo traiterously discovered the fecrets of your army, and made fuch peftife. rous reports of men very nobly held, can ferve the world for no honeft ufe; therefore you must die. Come, headfman, off with his head. Par. O Lord, Sir, let me live, or let me fee my death. Int. That fhall you, and take your leave of all your friends. [Unbinding him. So, look about you; know you any here? Ber. Good morrow, noble Captain. 2 Lord. God bless you, Captain Parolles. 2 Lord. Captain, what greeting will you to my Lord Lafeu? I am for France. 1 Lord. Good Captain, will you give me a copy of that fame fonnet you writ to Diana in behalf of the Count Roufillon? If I were not a very coward, I'd compel it of you; but fare you well. [Exeunt Int. You are undone, Captain, all but your fearf; that has a knot on't yet. Par. Who cannot be crush'd with a plot ? Int. If you could find out a country where but women were that had receiv'd fo much fhame, you D 4 might |