Act IV, Scene 1

Without the Florentine camp.

[Enter Second French Lord, with five or six other] [p]Soldiers in ambush]

• Second Lord. He can come no other way but by this hedge-corner.
  When you sally upon him, speak what terrible 1905
  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. Good captain, let me be the interpreter. 1910

• Second Lord. Art not acquainted with him? knows he not thy voice?

• First Soldier. No, sir, I warrant you.

• Second Lord. But what linsey-woolsey hast thou to speak to us again?

• First Soldier. E'en such as you speak to me.

• Second Lord. He must think us some band of strangers i' the 1915
  adversary's entertainment. Now he hath a smack of
  all neighbouring 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, 1920
  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.

[Enter PAROLLES]

• Parolles. Ten o'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 knocked too often at my door. I find 1930
  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 Lord. This is the first truth that e'er thine own tongue
  was guilty of. 1935

• Parolles. 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 1940
  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
  Bajazet's mule, if you prattle me into these perils. 1945

• Second Lord. Is it possible he should know what he is, and be
  that he is?

• Parolles. I would the cutting of my garments would serve the
  turn, or the breaking of my Spanish sword.

• Second Lord. We cannot afford you so. 1950

• Parolles. Or the baring of my beard; and to say it was in
  stratagem.

• Second Lord. 'Twould not do.

• Parolles. Or to drown my clothes, and say I was stripped.

• Second Lord. Hardly serve. 1955

• Parolles. Though I swore I leaped from the window of the citadel.

• Second Lord. How deep?

• Parolles. Thirty fathom.

• Second Lord. Three great oaths would scarce make that be believed.

• Parolles. I would I had any drum of the enemy's: I would swear 1960
  I recovered it.

• Second Lord. You shall hear one anon.

• Parolles. A drum now of the enemy's,—

[Alarum within]

• Second Lord. Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo. 1965

• All. Cargo, cargo, cargo, villiando par corbo, cargo.

• Parolles. O, ransom, ransom! do not hide mine eyes.

[They seize and blindfold him]

• First Soldier. Boskos thromuldo boskos.

• Parolles. I know you are the Muskos' regiment: 1970
  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. Boskos vauvado: I understand thee, and can speak 1975
  thy tongue. Kerely bonto, sir, betake thee to thy
  faith, for seventeen poniards are at thy bosom.

• Parolles. O!

• First Soldier. O, pray, pray, pray! Manka revania dulche.

• Second Lord. Oscorbidulchos volivorco. 1980

• First Soldier. 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.

• Parolles. O, let me live! 1985
  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. But wilt thou faithfully?

• Parolles. If I do not, damn me. 1990

• First Soldier. Acordo linta.
  Come on; thou art granted space.

[Exit, with PAROLLES guarded. A short alarum within]

• Second Lord. Go, tell the Count Rousillon, and my brother,
  We have caught the woodcock, and will keep him muffled 1995
  Till we do hear from them.

• Second Soldier. Captain, I will.

• Second Lord. A' will betray us all unto ourselves:
  Inform on that.

• Second Soldier. So I will, sir. 2000

• Second Lord. Till then I'll keep him dark and safely lock'd.

[Exeunt]