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The Illustrated Works of Shakespeare
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Illustrated Works of Shakespeare, The (1990)(Animated Pixels)[!][CDTV-PC].iso
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03_06
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1991-04-10
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149 lines
The Florentine Camp.
Enter BERTRAM and the TWO LORDS DUMAINE.
1st Dumaine Nay, good my lord, put him to't. Let him have his way.
2nd Dumaine If your lordship find him not a hilding, hold me no more in
your respect.
1st Dumaine On my life, my lord, a bubble.
Bertram Do you think I am so far deceived in him?
1st Dumaine Believe it, my lord, in mine own direct knowledge, without
any malice, but to speak of him as my kinsman, he's a most
notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly
promise-breaker, the owner of no one good quality worthy
your lordship's entertainment.
2nd Dumaine It were fit you knew him, lest, reposing too far in his
virtue - which he hath not - he might at some great and
trusty business in a main danger fail you.
Bertram I would I knew in what particular action to try him.
2nd Dumaine None better than to let him fetch off his drum, which you
hear him so confidently undertake to do.
1st Dumaine I, with a troop of Florentines, will suddenly surprise him;
such I will have whom I am sure he knows not from the
enemy. We will bind and hoodwink him so, that he shall
suppose no other but that he is carried into the leaguer of
the adversaries when we bring him to our own 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 fear, offer to betray you and deliver all the
intelligence in his power against you, and that with the
divine forfeit of his soul upon oath, never trust my
judgment in anything.
2nd Dumaine O, for the love of laughter, let him fetch his drum; he
says he has a stratagem for't. When your lordship sees the
bottom of his success in't, and to what metal this
counterfeit lump of ore will be melted, if you give him not
John Drum's entertainment, your inclining cannot be
removed. Here he comes.
Enter PAROLLES.
1st Dumaine O, for the love of laughter, hinder not the honour of his
design; let him fetch off his drum in any hand.
Bertram How now, monsieur! This drum sticks sorely in your
disposition.
2nd Dumaine A pox on't! Let it go - 'tis but a drum.
Parolles But a drum! Is't but a drum? A drum so lost! There was
excellent command: to charge in with our horse upon our own
wings and to rend our own soldiers!
2nd Dumaine That was not to be blamed in the command of the service; it
was a disaster of war that Caesar himself could not have
prevented if he had been there to command.
Bertram Well, we cannot greatly condemn our success. Some dishonour
we had in the loss of that drum, but it is not to be
recovered.
Parolles It might have been recovered.
Bertram It might; but it is not now.
Parolles It is to be recovered. But that the merit of service is
seldom attributed to the true and exact performer, I would
have that drum or another, or hic jacet.
Bertram Why, if you have a stomach, to't, monsieur. If you think
your mystery in stratagem can bring this instrument of
honour again into his native quarter, be magnanimous in the
enterprise and go on; I will grace the attempt for a worthy
exploit. If you speed well in it, the duke shall both speak
of it and extend to you what further becomes his greatness,
even to the utmost syllable of your worthiness.
Parolles By the hand of a soldier, I will undertake it.
Bertram But you must not now slumber in it.
Parolles I'll about it this evening, and I will presently pen down
my dilemmas, encourage myself in my certainty, put myself
into my mortal preparation; and by midnight look to hear
further from me.
Bertram May I be bold to acquaint his grace you are gone about it?
Parolles I know not what the success will be, my lord, but the
attempt I vow.
Bertram I know thou'rt valiant; and to the possibility of thy
soldiership will subscribe for thee. Farewell.
Parolles I love not many words.
[Exit.
1st Dumaine No more than a fish loves water. Is not this a strange
fellow, my lord, that so confidently seems to undertake
this business, which he knows is not to be done; damns
himself to do, and dares better be damned than to do't?
2nd Dumaine You do not know him, my lord, as we do. Certain it is that
he will steal himself into a man's favour, and for a week
escape a great deal of discoveries; but when you find him
out you have him ever after.
Bertram Why, do you think he will make no deed at all of this that
so seriously he does address himself unto?
1st Dumaine None in the world, but return with an invention, and clap
upon you two or three probable lies. But we have almost
embossed him, you shall see his fall tonight; for, indeed,
he is not for your lordship's respect.
2nd Dumaine We'll make you some sport with the fox ere we case him. He
was first smoked by the old Lord Lafeu. When his disguise
and he is parted tell me what a sprat you shall find him;
which you shall see this very night.
1st Dumaine I must go look my twigs: he shall be caught.
Bertram Your brother, he shall go along with me.
1st Dumaine As't please your lordship. I'll leave you.
[Exit.
Bertram Now will I lead you to the house and show you
The lass I spoke of.
2nd Dumaine But you say she's honest.
Bertram That's all the fault. I spoke with her but once,
And found her wondrous cold; but I sent to her,
By this same coxcomb that we have i'th' wind,
Tokens and letters which she did re-send;
And this is all I have done. She's a fair creature;
Will you go see her?
2nd Dumaine With all my heart, my lord.
[Exeunt.