| [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. |
| First Soldier | Good captain, let me be the interpreter. |
| Second Lord | Art not acquainted with him? knows he not thy voice? |
| First Soldier | No, sir, I warrant you. |
| Second Lord | But what linsey-woolsey hast thou to speak to us again? |
| First Soldier | E'en such as you speak to me. |
| Second 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. |
| Second 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. |
| Second 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. |
| Second Lord | We cannot afford you so. |
| PAROLLES | Or the baring of my beard; and to say it was in stratagem. |
| Second Lord | 'Twould not do. |
| PAROLLES | Or to drown my clothes, and say I was stripped. |
| Second Lord | Hardly serve. |
| PAROLLES | Though I swore I leaped from the window of the citadel. |
| Second Lord | How deep? |
| PAROLLES | Thirty fathom. |
| Second 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. |
| Second Lord | You shall hear one anon. |
| PAROLLES | A drum now of the enemy's,-- |
| [Alarum within] | |
| Second Lord | Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo. |
| All | Cargo, cargo, cargo, villiando 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. |
| 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. |
| PAROLLES | O! |
| First Soldier | O, pray, pray, pray! Manka revania dulche. |
| Second Lord | Oscorbidulchos 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. 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. |
| Second Soldier | Captain, I will. |
| Second Lord | A' will betray us all unto ourselves: Inform on that. |
| Second Soldier | So I will, sir. |
| Second Lord | Till then I'll keep him dark and safely lock'd. |
| [Exeunt] |