text stringlengths 1 3.08k |
|---|
rogues, upon my reputation and credit, and as I hope to live. |
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! |
SECOND LORD. Y'are deceiv'd, 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. |
FIRST LORD. I will never trust a man again for keeping his sword |
clean; nor believe he can have everything 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. |
SECOND 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. |
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. '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 fifty each; mine own |
company, Chitopher, Vaumond, Bentii, two hundred 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 the |
snow from off their cassocks lest they shake themselves to |
pieces. |
BERTRAM. What shall be done to him? |
SECOND 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. 'You shall demand of him |
whether one Captain Dumain be i' th' camp, a Frenchman; what his |
reputation is with the Duke, what his valour, honesty, expertness |
in wars; or whether he thinks it were not possible, with |
well-weighing sums of gold, to corrupt him to a 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, from |
whence he was whipt 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. |
SECOND LORD. Nay, look not so upon me; we shall hear of your |
lordship anon. |
FIRST SOLDIER. What is his reputation with the Duke? |
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' th' 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. |
BERTRAM. Our interpreter does it well. |
SECOND 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 favour. |
PAROLLES. My meaning in't, I protest, was very honest in the 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; |
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 vow'd to thee in thine ear, |
PAROLLES.' |
BERTRAM. He shall be whipt through the army with this rhyme in's |
forehead. |
FIRST LORD. This is your devoted friend, sir, the manifold |
linguist, and the amnipotent soldier. |
BERTRAM. I could endure anything before but a cat, and now he's a |
cat to me. |
FIRST SOLDIER. I perceive, sir, by our 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' th' |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.