Mr. VVilliam Shakespeares comedies, histories, & tragedies Published according to the true originall copies.
About this Item
- Title
- Mr. VVilliam Shakespeares comedies, histories, & tragedies Published according to the true originall copies.
- Author
- Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.
- Publication
- London :: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed. Blount [at the charges of W. Iaggard, Ed. Blount, I. Smithweeke, and W. Aspley],
- 1623.
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- Cite this Item
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"Mr. VVilliam Shakespeares comedies, histories, & tragedies Published according to the true originall copies." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A11954.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 8, 2024.
Pages
Page 241
Be it his pleasure.
It hath happen'd all, as I would haue had it, saue that he comes not along with her.
By my troth I take my young Lord to be a ve∣rie melancholly man.
By what obseruance I pray you.
Why he will looke vppon his boote, and sing: mend the Ruffe and sing, aske questions and sing, picke his teeth, and sing: I know a man that had this tricke of melancholy hold a goodly Mannor for a song.
Let me see what he writes, and when he meanes to come.
I haue no minde to Isbell since I was at Court. Our old Lings, and our Isbels a' th Country, are nothing like your old Ling and your Isbels a' th Court: the brains of my Cupid's knock'd out, and I beginne to loue, as an old man loues money, with no stomacke.
What haue we heere?
This is not well rash and vnbridled boy, To flye the fauours of so good a King, To plucke his indignation on thy head, By the misprising of a Maide too vertuous For the contempt of Empire. A Letter.I haue sent you a daughter-in-Law, shee hath recouered the King, and vndone me: I haue wedded her, not bedded her, and sworne to make the not eternall. You shall heare I am runne away, know it before the report come. If there bee bredth enough in the world, I will hold a long distance. My duty to you.
Your vnfortunate sonne, Bertram.
O Madam, yonder is heauie newes within be∣tweene two souldiers, and my yong Ladie.
What is the matter.
Nay there is some comfort in the newes, some comfort, your sonne will not be kild so soone as I thoght he would.
Why should he be kill'd?
So say I Madame, if he runne away, as I heare he does, the danger is in standing too't, that's the losse of men, though it be the getting of children. Heere they come will tell you more. For my part I onely heare your sonne was run away.
Saue you good Madam.
Madam, my Lord is gone, for euer gone.
Do not say so.
When thou canst get the Ring vpon my finger, which neuer shall come off, and shew mee a childe begotten of thy bodie, that I am father too, then call me husband: but in such a (then) I write a Neuer.This is a dreadfull sentence.
Brought you this Letter Gentlemen?
I Madam, and for the Contents sake are sorrie for our paines.
I Madam.
And to be a souldier.
Returne you thither.
I Madam, with the swiftest wing of speed.
Finde you that there?
I Madame.
'Tis but the boldnesse of his hand haply, which his heart was not consenting too.
A seruant onely, and a Gentleman: whlch I haue sometime knowne.
Parolles was it not?
I my good Ladie, hee.
Indeed good Ladie the fellow has a deale of that, too much, which holds him much to haue.
Y' are welcome Gentlemen, I will intreate you when you see my sonne, to tell him that his sword can neuer winne the honor that he looses: more Ile intreate
Page 242
you written to beare along.
We serue you Madam in that and all your worthiest affaires.
Ah what sharpe stings are in her mildest words? Rynaldo, you did neuer lacke aduice so much, As letting her passe so: had I spoke with her, I could haue well diuerted her intents, Which thus she hath preuented.Letter.
I am S. Iaques Pilgrim, thither gone: Ambitious loue hath so in me offended, That bare-foot plod I the cold ground vpon With sainted vow my faults to haue amended. Write, write, that from the bloodie course of warre, My deerest Master your deare sonne, may hie, Blesse him at home in peace. Whilst I from farre, His name with zealous feruour sanctifie: His taken labours bid him me forgiue: I his despightfull Iuno sent him forth, From Courtly friends, with Camping foes to liue, Where death and danger dogges the heeles of worth. He is too good and faire for death, and mee, Whom I my selfe embrace, to set him free.
Page 243
I know that knaue, hang him, one Parolles, a filthy Officer he is in those suggestions for the young Earle, beware of them Diana; their promises, entise∣ments, oathes, tokens, and all these engines of lust, are not the things they go vnder: many a maide hath beene seduced by them, and the miserie is example, that so terrible shewes in the wracke of maiden-hood, cannot for all that disswade succession, but that they are limed with the twigges that threatens them. I hope I neede not to aduise you further, but I hope your owne grace will keepe you where you are, though there were no further danger knowne, but the modestie which is so lost.
You shall not neede to feare me.
I hope so: looke here comes a pilgrim, I know she will lye at my house, thither they send one another, Ile question her. God saue you pilgrim, whether are bound?
At the S. Francis heere beside the Port.
Is this the way?
Is it your selfe?
If you shall please so Pilgrime.
I thanke you, and will stay vpon your leisure.
you came I thinke from France?
I did so.
His name I pray you?
The Count Rossillion: know you such a one?
I surely meere the truth, I know his Lady.
What's his name?
Monsieur Parrolles.
The goddes forbid else.
Which is the Frenchman?
I like him well.
Which is he?
That Iacke an-apes with scarfes. Why is hee melancholly?
Perchance he••s hurt i' th battaile.
Loose our drum? Well.
He's shrewdly vext at something. Looke he has spyed vs.
Marrie hang you.
And your curtesie, for a ring-carrier.
Wee'l take your offer kindly.
Nay good my Lord put him too't: let him haue his way.
If your Lordshippe finde him not a Hilding, hold me no more in your respect.
On my life my Lord▪ a bubble.
Beleeue it my Lord, in mine owne direct knowledge, without any malice, but to speake of him as my kinsman, hee's a most notable Coward, an infi∣nite and endlesse Lyar, an hourely promise-breaker, the owner of no one good qualitie, worthy your Lordships entertainment.
It were fit you knew him, least▪ reposing too farre in his vertue which he hath not, he might at some great and trustie businesse, in a maine daunger, fayle you.
I would I knew in what particular action to try him.
None better then to let him fetch off his drumme, which you heare him so confidently vnder∣take to do.
I with a troop of Florentines wil sodainly sur∣prize
Page 244
him; such I will haue whom I am sure he knowes not from the enemie: wee will binde and hoodwinke him so, that he shall suppose no other but that he is car∣ried into the Leager of the aduersaries, when we bring him to our owne tents: be but your Lordship present at his examination, if he do not for the promise of his life, and in the highest compulsion of base feare, offer to betray you, and deliuer all the intelligence in his power against you, and that with the diuine forfeite of his soule vpon oath, neuer trust my iudgement in anie thing.
O for the loue of laughter, let him fetch his drumme, he sayes he has a stratagem for't: when your Lordship sees the bottome of this successe in't, and to what mettle this counterfeyt lump of ours will be mel∣ted if you giue him not Iohn drummes entertainement, your inclining cannot be remoued. Heere he comes.
O for the loue of laughter hinder not the ho∣nor of his designe, let him fetch off his drumme in any hand.
How now Monsieur? This drumme sticks sore∣ly in your disposition.
A pox on't, let it go, 'tis but a drumme.
But a drumme: Ist but a drumme? A drum so lost. There was excellent command, to charge in with our horse vpon our owne wings, and to rend our owne souldiers.
That was not to be blam'd in the command of the seruice: it was a disaster of warre that Caesar him selfe could not haue preuented, if he had beene there to command.
Well, wee cannot greatly condemne our suc∣cesse: some dishonor wee had in the losse of that drum, but it is not to be recouered.
It might haue beene recouered.
It might, but it is not now.
It is to be recouered, but that the merit of ser∣uice is sildome attributed to the true and exact perfor∣mer, I would haue that drumme or another, or hic ia∣cet.
Why if you haue a stomacke, too't Monsieur: if you thinke your mysterie in stratagem, can bring this instrument of honour againe into his natiue quarter, be magnanimious in the enterprize and go on, I wil grace the attempt for a worthy exploit: if you speede well in it, the Duke shall both speake of it, and extend to you what further becomes his greatnesse, euen to the vtmost syllable of your worthinesse.
By the hand of a souldier I will vndertake it.
But you must not now slumber in it.
Ile about it this euening, and I will presently pen downe my dilemma's, encourage my selfe in my certaintie, put my selfe into my mortall preparation: and by midnight looke to heare further from me.
May I bee bold to acquaint his grace you are gone about it.
I know not what the successe wil be my Lord, but the attempt I vow.
I loue not many words.
No more then a fish loues water. Is not this a strange fellow my Lord, that so confidently seemes to vndertake this businesse, which he knowes is not to be done, damnes himselfe to do, & dares better be damnd then to doo't.
You do not know him my Lord as we doe, certaine it is that he will steale himselfe into a mans fa∣uour, and for a weeke escape a great deale of discoue∣ries, but when you finde him out, you haue him euer af∣ter.
Why do you thinke he will make no deede at all of this that so seriouslie hee dooes addresse himselfe vnto?
None in the world, but returne with an in∣uention, and clap vpon you two or three probable lies: but we haue almost imbost him, you shall see his fall to night; for indeede he is not for your Lordshippes re∣spect.
Weele make you some sport with the Foxe ere we case him. He was first smoak'd by the old Lord Lafew, when his disguise and he is parted, tell me what a sprat you shall finde him, which you shall see this ve∣rie night.
Your brother he shall go along with me.
As't please your Lordship, Ile leaue you.
But you say she's honest.
With all my heart my Lord.
Page 245
Now I see the bottome of your purpose.