Act IV, Scene i:
Without the Florentine camp.

[Enter first Lord with five or six Soldiers in ambush.]

FIRST 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.

FIRST SOLDIER:

Good captain, let me be the interpreter.

FIRST LORD:

Art not acquainted with him? knows he not thy voice?

FIRST SOLDIER:

No, sir, I warrant you.

FIRST LORD:

But what linsey-woolsey has thou to speak to us again?

FIRST SOLDIER:

E'en such as you speak to me.

FIRST LORD:

He must think us some band of strangers i' the 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.

[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 knocked too 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.

FIRST LORD:

This is the first truth that e'er thine own tongue was guilty of.

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

butter-woman's mouth, and buy myself another of Bajazet's mule,

if you prattle me into these perils.

FIRST LORD:

Is it possible he should know what he is, and be that he is?

PAROLLES:

I would the cutting of my garments would serve the turn, or the

breaking of my Spanish sword.

FIRST LORD:

We cannot afford you so.

PAROLLES:

Or the baring of my beard; and to say it was in stratagem.

FIRST LORD:

'Twould not do.

PAROLLES:

Or to drown my clothes, and say I was stripped.

FIRST LORD:

Hardly serve.

PAROLLES:

Though I swore I leap'd from the window of the citadel,—

FIRST LORD:

How deep?

PAROLLES:

Thirty fathom.

FIRST LORD:

Three great oaths would scarce make that be believed.

PAROLLES:

I would I had any drum of the enemy's; I would swear I recovered

it.

FIRST LORD:

You shall hear one anon.

PAROLLES:

A drum now of the enemy's!

[Alarum within.]

FIRST LORD:

Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo.

ALL:

Cargo, cargo, cargo, villianda par corbo, cargo.

PAROLLES:

O, ransom, ransom! Do not hide mine eyes.

[They seize and blindfold him.]

FIRST SOLDIER:

Boskos thromuldo boskos.

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.

SECOND SOLDIER:

Boskos vauvado:—I understand thee, and can speak thy tongue.

Kerelybonto:—Sir,

Betake thee to thy faith, for seventeen poniards

Are at thy bosom.

PAROLLES:

O!

FIRST SOLDIER:

O, pray, pray, pray!—

Manka revania dulche.

FIRST LORD:

Oscorbi dulchos volivorco.

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.

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.

FIRST SOLDIER:

But wilt thou faithfully?

PAROLLES:

If I do not, damn me.

FIRST SOLDIER:

Acordo linta.—

Come on; thou art granted space.

[Exit, with PAROLLES guarded.]

FIRST 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.

SECOND SOLDIER:

Captain, I will.

FIRST LORD:

'A will betray us all unto ourselves;—

Inform 'em that.

SECOND SOLDIER:

So I will, sir.

FIRST LORD:

Till then I'll keep him dark, and safely lock'd.

[Exeunt.]