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- $Unique_ID{SSP01168}
- $Title{All's Well That Ends Well: Act IV, Scene III}
- $Author{Shakespeare, William}
- $Subject{}
- $Log{Dramatis Personae*01150.txt}
-
- Portions copyright (c) CMC ReSearch, Inc., 1989
-
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
-
- ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
-
-
- ACT IV
- ................................................................................
-
-
- SCENE III: The Florentine camp.
- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-
- {Enter the two French Lords and some two or three
- Soldiers.}
-
- First Lord: You have not given him his mother's letter?
-
- Second Lord: I have delivered it an hour since: there is
- something in't that stings his nature; for on the
- reading it he changed almost into another man.
-
- First Lord: He has much worthy blame laid upon him for shaking
- off so good a wife and so sweet a lady.
-
- Second Lord: Especially he hath incurred the everlasting
- displeasure of the king, who had even tuned his
- bounty to sing happiness to him. I will tell you a
- thing, but you shall let it dwell darkly with you. 10
-
- First Lord: When you have spoken it, 'tis dead, and I am the
- grave of it.
-
- Second Lord: He hath perverted a young gentlewoman here in
- Florence, of a most chaste renown; and this night he
- fleshes his will in the spoil of her honor: he hath
- given her his monumental ring, and thinks himself
- made in the unchaste composition.
-
- First Lord: Now, God delay our rebellion! as we are ourselves,
- what things are we!
-
- Second Lord: Merely our own traitors. And as in the common course 20
- of all treasons, we still see them reveal
- themselves, till they attain to their abhorred ends,
- so he that in this action contrives against his own
- nobility, in his proper stream o'erflows himself.
-
- First Lord: Is it not meant damnable in us, to be trumpeters of
- our unlawful intents? We shall not then have his
- company to-night?
-
- Second Lord: Not till after midnight; for he is dieted to his
- hour.
-
- First Lord: That approaches apace; I would gladly have him see 30
- his company anatomized, that he might take a measure
- of his own judgments, wherein so curiously he had
- set this counterfeit.
-
- Second Lord: We will not meddle with him till he come; for his
- presence must be the whip of the other.
-
- First Lord: In the mean time, what hear you of these wars?
-
- Second Lord: I hear there is an overture of peace.
-
- First Lord: Nay, I assure you, a peace concluded.
-
- Second Lord: What will Count Rousillon do then? will he travel
- higher, or return again into France? 40
-
- First Lord: I perceive, by this demand, you are not altogether
- of his council.
-
- Second Lord: Let it be forbid, sir; so should I be a great deal
- of his act.
-
- First Lord: Sir, his wife some two months since fled from his
- house: her pretence is a pilgrimage to Saint Jaques
- le Grand; which holy undertaking with most austere
- sanctimony she accomplished; and, there residing the
- tenderness of her nature became as a prey to her
- grief; in fine, made a groan of her last breath, and 50
- now she sings in heaven.
-
- Second Lord: How is this justified?
-
- First Lord: The stronger part of it by her own letters, which
- makes her story true, even to the point of her
- death: her death itself, which could not be her
- office to say is come, was faithfully confirmed by
- the rector of the place.
-
- Second Lord: Hath the count all this intelligence?
-
- First Lord: Ay, and the particular confirmations, point from
- point, so to the full arming of the verity. 60
-
- Second Lord: I am heartily sorry that he'll be glad of this.
-
- First Lord: How mightily sometimes we make us comforts of our
- losses!
-
- Second Lord: And how mightily some other times we drown our gain
- in tears! The great dignity that his valor hath
- here acquired for him shall at home be encountered
- with a shame as ample.
-
- First Lord: The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and
- ill together: our virtues would be proud, if our
- faults whipped them not; and our crimes would 70
- despair, if they were not cherished by our virtues.
-
- {Enter a Messenger.}
-
- How now! where's your master?
-
- Servant: He met the duke in the street, sir, of whom he hath
- taken a solemn leave: his lordship will next
- morning for France. The duke hath offered him
- letters of commendations to the king.
-
- Second Lord: They shall be no more than needful there, if they
- were more than they can commend.
-
- First Lord: They cannot be too sweet for the king's tartness.
- Here's his lordship now. 80
-
- {Enter BERTRAM.}
-
- How now, my lord! is't not after midnight?
-
- BERTRAM: I have to-night dispatched sixteen businesses, a
- month's length a-piece, by an abstract of success:
- I have congied with the duke, done my adieu with his
- nearest; buried a wife, mourned for her; writ to my
- lady mother I am returning; entertained my convoy;
- and between these main parcels of dispatch effected
- many nicer needs; the last was the greatest, but
- that I have not ended yet.
-
- Second Lord: If the business be of any difficulty, and this 90
- morning your departure hence, it requires haste of
- your lordship.
-
- BERTRAM: I mean, the business is not ended, as fearing to
- hear of it hereafter. But shall we have this
- dialogue between the fool and the soldier? Come,
- bring forth this counterfeit module, he has deceived
- me, like a double-meaning prophesier.
-
- Second Lord: Bring him forth: has sat i' the stocks all night,
- poor gallant knave.
-
- BERTRAM: No matter: his heels have deserved it, in usurping 100
- his spurs so long. How does he carry himself?
-
- Second Lord: I have told your lordship already, the stocks carry
- him. But to answer you as you would be understood;
- he weeps like a wench that had shed her milk: he
- hath confessed himself to Morgan, whom he supposes
- to be a friar, from the time of his remembrance to
- this very instant disaster of his setting i' the
- stocks: and what think you he hath confessed?
-
- BERTRAM: Nothing of me, has a'?
-
- Second Lord: His confession is taken, and it shall be read to his 110
- face: if your lordship be in't, as I believe you
- are, you must have the patience to hear it.
-
- {Enter PAROLLES guarded, and First Soldier.}
-
- BERTRAM: A plague upon him! muffled! he can say nothing of
- me: hush, hush!
-
- First Lord: Hoodman comes! Portotartarosa
-
- First Soldier: He calls for the tortures: what will you say
- without 'em?
-
- PAROLLES: I will confess what I know without constraint: if
- ye pinch me like a pasty, I can say no more.
-
- First Soldier: Bosko chimurcho. 120
-
- First Lord: Boblibindo chicurmurco.
-
- First Soldier: You are a merciful general. Our general bids you
- answer to what I shall ask you out of a note.
-
- PAROLLES: And truly, as I hope to live.
-
- First Soldier: [Reads] 'First demand of him how many horse the
- duke is strong.' What say you to that?
-
- PAROLLES: Five or six thousand; but very weak and
- unserviceable: the troops are all scattered, and
- the commanders very poor rogues, upon my reputation
- and credit and as I hope to live. 130
-
- First Soldier: Shall I set down your answer so?
-
- PAROLLES: Do: I'll take the sacrament on't, how and which way
- you will.
-
- BERTRAM: All's one to him. What a past-saving slave is this!
-
- First Lord: You're deceived, my lord: this is Monsieur
- Parolles, the gallant militarist,--that was his own
- phrase,--that had the whole theoric of war in the
- knot of his scarf, and the practice in the chape of
- his dagger.
-
- Second Lord: I will never trust a man again for keeping his sword 140
- clean. nor believe he can have every thing in him
- by wearing his apparel neatly.
-
- First Soldier: Well, that's set down.
-
- PAROLLES: Five or six thousand horse, I said,-- I will say
- true,--or thereabouts, set down, for I'll speak
- truth.
-
- First Lord: He's very near the truth in this.
-
- BERTRAM: But I con him no thanks for't, in the nature he
- delivers it.
-
- PAROLLES: Poor rogues, I pray you, say. 150
-
- First Soldier: Well, that's set down.
-
- PAROLLES: I humbly thank you, sir: a truth's a truth, the
- rogues are marvellous poor.
-
- First Soldier: [Reads] 'Demand of him, of what strength they are
- a-foot.' What say you to that?
-
- PAROLLES: By my troth, sir, if I were to live this present
- hour, I will tell true. Let me see: Spurio, a
- hundred and fifty; Sebastian, so many; Corambus, so
- many; Jaques, so many; Guiltian, Cosmo, Lodowick,
- and Gratii, two hundred and fifty each; mine own 160
- company, Chitopher, Vaumond, Bentii, two hundred and
- fifty each: so that the muster-file, rotten and
- sound, upon my life, amounts not to fifteen thousand
- poll; half of the which dare not shake snow from off
- their cassocks, lest they shake themselves to pieces.
-
- BERTRAM: What shall be done to him?
-
- First Lord: Nothing, but let him have thanks. Demand of him my
- condition, and what credit I have with the duke.
-
- First Soldier: Well, that's set down.
-
- [Reads.]
-
- 'You shall demand of him, whether one Captain Dumain 170
- be i' the camp, a Frenchman; what his reputation is
- with the duke; what his valor, honesty, and
- expertness in wars; or whether he thinks it were not
- possible, with well-weighing sums of gold, to
- corrupt him to revolt.' What say you to this? what
- do you know of it?
-
- PAROLLES: I beseech you, let me answer to the particular of
- the inter'gatories: demand them singly.
-
- First Soldier: Do you know this Captain Dumain?
-
- PAROLLES: I know him: a' was a botcher's 'prentice in Paris, 180
- from whence he was whipped for getting the shrieve's
- fool with child,--a dumb innocent, that could not
- say him nay.
-
- BERTRAM: Nay, by your leave, hold your hands; though I know
- his brains are forfeit to the next tile that falls.
-
- First Soldier: Well, is this captain in the duke of Florence's camp?
-
- PAROLLES: Upon my knowledge, he is, and lousy.
-
- First Lord: Nay look not so upon me; we shall hear of your
- lordship anon.
-
- First Soldier: What is his reputation with the duke? 190
-
- PAROLLES: The duke knows him for no other but a poor officer
- of mine; and writ to me this other day to turn him
- out o' the band: I think I have his letter in my
- pocket.
-
- First Soldier: Marry, we'll search.
-
- PAROLLES: In good sadness, I do not know; either it is there,
- or it is upon a file with the duke's other letters
- in my tent.
-
- First Soldier: Here 'tis; here's a paper: shall I read it to you?
-
- PAROLLES: I do not know if it be it or no. 200
-
- BERTRAM: Our interpreter does it well.
-
- First Lord: Excellently.
-
- First Soldier: [Reads] 'Dian, the count's a fool, and full of
- gold,'--
-
- PAROLLES: 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
- Rousillon, a foolish idle boy, but for all that very
- ruttish: I pray you, sir, put it up again.
-
- First Soldier: Nay, I'll read it first, by your favor.
-
- PAROLLES: My meaning in't, I protest, was very honest in the 210
- behalf of the maid; for I knew the young count to be
- a dangerous and lascivious boy, who is a whale to
- virginity and devours up all the fry it finds.
-
- BERTRAM: Damnable both-sides rogue!
-
- First Soldier: [Reads] 'When he swears oaths, bid him drop gold, and
- take it;
- After he scores, he never pays the score:
- Half won is match well made; match, and well make it;
- He ne'er pays after-debts, take it before;
- And say a soldier, Dian, told thee this,
- Men are to mell with, boys are not to kiss: 220
- For count of this, the count's a fool, I know it,
- Who pays before, but not when he does owe it.
- Thine, as he vowed to thee in thine ear,
- PAROLLES.'
-
- BERTRAM: He shall be whipped through the army with this rhyme
- in's forehead.
-
- Second Lord: This is your devoted friend, sir, the manifold
- linguist and the armipotent soldier.
-
- BERTRAM: I could endure any thing before but a cat, and now
- he's a cat to me. 230
-
- First Soldier: I perceive, sir, by the general's looks, we shall be
- fain to hang you.
-
- PAROLLES: 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' the stocks, or any where, so I
- may live.
-
- First Soldier: We'll see what may be done, so you confess freely;
- therefore, once more to this Captain Dumain: you
- have answered to his reputation with the duke and to 240
- his valor: what is his honesty?
-
- PAROLLES: He will steal, sir, an egg out of a cloister: for
- rapes and ravishments he parallels Nessus: he
- professes not keeping of oaths; in breaking 'em he
- is stronger than Hercules: he will lie, sir, with
- such volubility, that you would think truth were a
- fool: drunkenness is his best virtue, for he will
- be swine-drunk; and in his sleep he does little
- harm, save to his bed-clothes about him; but they
- know his conditions and lay him in straw. I have but 250
- little more to say, sir, of his honesty: he has
- every thing that an honest man should not have; what
- an honest man should have, he has nothing.
-
- First Lord: I begin to love him for this.
-
- BERTRAM: For this description of thine honesty? A pox upon
- him for me, he's more and more a cat.
-
- First Soldier: What say you to his expertness in war?
-
- PAROLLES: Faith, sir, he has led the drum before the English
- tragedians; to belie him, I will not, and more of
- his soldiership I know not; except, in that country 260
- he had the honor to be the officer at a place there
- called Mile-end, to instruct for the doubling of
- files: I would do the man what honor I can, but of
- this I am not certain.
-
- First Lord: He hath out-villained villany so far, that the
- rarity redeems him.
-
- BERTRAM: A pox on him, he's a cat still.
-
- First Soldier: His qualities being at this poor price, I need not
- to ask you if gold will corrupt him to revolt.
-
- PAROLLES: Sir, for a quart d'ecu he will sell the fee-simple 270
- of his salvation, the inheritance of it; and cut the
- entail from all remainders, and a perpetual
- succession for it perpetually.
-
- First Soldier: What's his brother, the other Captain Dumain?
-
- Second Lord: Why does be ask him of me?
-
- First Soldier: What's he?
-
- PAROLLES: E'en a crow o' the same nest; not altogether so
- 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: 280
- in a retreat he outruns any lackey; marry, in coming
- on he has the cramp.
-
- First Soldier: If your life be saved, will you undertake to betray
- the Florentine?
-
- PAROLLES: Ay, and the captain of his horse, Count Rousillon.
-
- First Soldier: I'll whisper with the general, and know his
- pleasure.
-
- PAROLLES: [Aside] I'll no more drumming; a plague of all
- drums! Only to seem to deserve well, and to
- beguile the supposition of that lascivious young boy 290
- the count, have I run into this danger. Yet who
- would have suspected an ambush where I was taken?
-
- First Soldier: There is no remedy, sir, but you must die: the
- general says, you that have so traitorously
- discovered the secrets of your army and made such
- pestiferous reports of men very nobly held, can
- serve the world for no honest use; therefore you
- must die. Come, headsman, off with his head.
-
- PAROLLES: O Lord, sir, let me live, or let me see my death!
-
- First Lord: That shall you, and take your leave of all your 300
- friends.
-
- [Unblinding him.]
-
- So, look about you: know you any here?
-
- BERTRAM: Good morrow, noble captain.
-
- Second Lord: God bless you, Captain Parolles.
-
- First Lord: God save you, noble captain.
-
- Second Lord: Captain, what greeting will you to my Lord Lafeu?
- I am for France.
-
- First Lord: Good captain, will you give me a copy of the sonnet
- you writ to Diana in behalf of the Count Rousillon?
- an I were not a very coward, I'ld compel it of you: 310
- but fare you well.
-
- [Exeunt BERTRAM and Lords.]
-
- First Soldier: You are undone, captain, all but your scarf; that
- has a knot on't yet
-
- PAROLLES: Who cannot be crushed with a plot?
-
- First Soldier: If you could find out a country where but women were
- that had received so much shame, you might begin an
- impudent nation. Fare ye well, sir; I am for France
- too: we shall speak of you there.
-
- [Exit with Soldiers.]
-
- PAROLLES: Yet am I thankful: if my heart were great,
- 'Twould burst at this. Captain I'll be no more; 320
- But I will eat and drink, and sleep as soft
- As captain shall: simply the thing I am
- Shall make me live. Who knows himself a braggart,
- Let him fear this, for it will come to pass
- that every braggart shall be found an ass.
- Rust, sword? cool, blushes! and, Parolles, live
- Safest in shame! being fool'd, by foolery thrive!
- There's place and means for every man alive.
- I'll after them.
-
- [Exit.]
-
