TPTT All's Well That Ends Well: ACT III
Introduction
ACT I
ACT II
ACT III
SCENE I. Florence. The DUKE's palace.
SCENE II. Rousillon. The COUNT's palace.
SCENE III. Florence. Before the DUKE's palace.
SCENE IV. Rousillon. The COUNT's palace.
SCENE V. Florence. Without the walls. A tucket afar off.
SCENE VI. Camp before Florence.
SCENE VII. Florence. The Widow's house.
ACT IV
ACT V
About the Play
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SCENE VI. Camp before Florence.
Enter BERTRAM and the two French Lords
Second Lord
      Nay, good my lord, put him to't; let him have his
      way.
First Lord
      If your lordship find him not a hilding, hold me no
      more in your respect.
Second Lord
5     On my life, my lord, a bubble.
BERTRAM
      Do you think I am so far deceived in him?
Second Lord
      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
10    endless liar, an hourly promise-breaker, the owner
      of no one good quality worthy your lordship's
      entertainment.
First Lord
      It were fit you knew him; lest, reposing too far in
      his virtue, which he hath not, he might at some
15    great and trusty business in a main danger fail you.
BERTRAM
      I would I knew in what particular action to try him.
First Lord
      None better than to let him fetch off his drum,
      which you hear him so confidently undertake to do.
Second Lord
      I, with a troop of Florentines, will suddenly
20    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
25    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
30    trust my judgment in any thing.
First Lord
      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
35    melted, if you give him not John Drum's
      entertainment, your inclining cannot be removed.
      Here he comes.
Enter PAROLLES
Second Lord
      (Aside to BERTRAM) O, for the love of laughter,
      hinder not the honour of his design: let him fetch
40    off his drum in any hand.
BERTRAM
      How now, monsieur! this drum sticks sorely in your
      disposition.
First Lord
      A pox on't, let it go; 'tis but a drum.
PAROLLES
      'But a drum'! is't 'but a drum'? A drum so lost!
45    There was excellent command,--to charge in with our
      horse upon our own wings, and to rend our own soldiers!
First Lord
      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
50    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
55    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
60    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
65    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
70    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
75    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
80    I love not many words.
Exit
Second Lord
      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
85    damned than to do't?
First Lord
      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
90    Why, do you think he will make no deed at all of
      this that so seriously he does address himself unto?
Second Lord
      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
95    to-night; for indeed he is not for your lordship's respect.
First Lord
      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
100   very night.
Second Lord
      I must go look my twigs: he shall be caught.
BERTRAM
      Your brother he shall go along with me.
Second Lord
      As't please your lordship: I'll leave you.
Exit
BERTRAM
      Now will I lead you to the house, and show you
105   The lass I spoke of.
First Lord
      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' the wind,
110   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?
First Lord
      With all my heart, my lord.
Exeunt
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