All’s Well That Ends Well
Act IV, Scene 1
Without the Florentine camp .
- Enter Second French Lord with five or six other Soldiers in
- ambush .
Second French Lord Dumaine
1 - 5- 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
6- Good captain , let me be th’ interpreter .
Second French Lord Dumaine
7- Art not acquainted with him ? Knows he not thy voice ?
First Soldier
8- No , sir , I warrant you .
Second French Lord Dumaine
9- But what linsey - woolsey hast thou to speak to us again ?
First Soldier
10- E’en such as you speak to me .
Second French Lord Dumaine
11 - 19- He must think us some band of strangers i’ th’ adversary’s
- entertainment . Now he hath a smack of all neighboring
- 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 .
- They stand aside .
- Enter Parolles .
Parolles
20 - 26- Ten a’ 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 knock’d 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 French Lord Dumaine
27 - 28- Aside .
- This is the first truth that e’er thine own tongue was
- guilty of .
Parolles
29 - 37- 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 Bajazeth’s mule , if you prattle me
- into these perils .
Second French Lord Dumaine
38- Aside .
- Is it possible he should know what he is , and be that he is ?
Do not hide mine eyes
John Thurston, 1825
Parolles
39 - 40- I would the cutting of my garments would serve the turn , or
- the breaking of my Spanish sword .
Second French Lord Dumaine
41- Aside .
- We cannot afford you so .
Parolles
42- Or the baring of my beard , and to say it was in stratagem .
Second French Lord Dumaine
43- Aside .
- ’Twould not do .
Parolles
44- Or to drown my clothes , and say I was stripp’d .
Second French Lord Dumaine
45- Aside .
- Hardly serve .
Parolles
46- Though I swore I leapt from the window of the citadel —
Second French Lord Dumaine
47- Aside .
- How deep ?
Parolles
48- Thirty fathom .
Second French Lord Dumaine
49- Aside .
- Three great oaths would scarce make that be believ’d .
Parolles
50 - 51- I would I had any drum of the enemy’s . I would swear I
- recover’d it .
Second French Lord Dumaine
52- Aside .
- You shall hear one anon .
Parolles
53- A drum now of the enemy’s —
- Alarum within .
Second French Lord Dumaine
54- Throca movousus , cargo , cargo , cargo .
Parolles
55 - 56- O , ransom , ransom !
- They seize him .
- Do not hide mine eyes .
- They blindfold him .
First Soldier
57- Boskos thromuldo boskos .
Parolles
58 - 62- 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
63 - 65- Boskos vauvado . I understand thee , and can speak thy tongue .
- Kerelybonto , sir , betake thee to thy faith , for seventeen
- poniards are at thy bosom .
Parolles
66- O !
First Soldier
67- O , pray , pray , pray ! Manka revania dulche .
Second French Lord Dumaine
68- Oscorbidulchos volivorco .
First Soldier
69 - 72- 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 .
O, ransom, ransom!
Edwin Austin Abbey, circa 1891
Parolles
73 - 76- 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
77- But wilt thou faithfully ?
Parolles
78- If I do not , damn me .
First Soldier
79 - 80- Acordo linta .
- Come on , thou art granted space ,
- Exit with Parolles guarded .
- A short alarum within .
Second French Lord Dumaine
81 - 83- Go tell the Count Roussillon , and my brother ,
- We have caught the woodcock , and will keep him muffled
- Till we do hear from them .
Second Soldier
84- Captain , I will .
Second French Lord Dumaine
85 - 86- ’A will betray us all unto ourselves :
- Inform on that .
Second Soldier
87- So I will , sir .
Second French Lord Dumaine
88- Till then I’ll keep him dark and safely lock’d .
- Exeunt .
What shall I say I have done?
Dalziel Brothers, printmaker; John Gilbert; 19th century