Of greatest Juftice. Write, write, Rynaldo,
To this unworthy Husband of his Wife,
Let every word weigh heavy of her worth,
That he does weigh too light: My greatest Grief,
Tho' little he do feel it, fet down sharply.
Dispatch the moft convenient Meffenger;
When haply he does hear that she is gone,
He will return, and hope I may that the,
Hearing fo much, will speed her Foot again,
Led hither by pure Love. Which of them both
Is dearest to me, I have no skill in Sense
To make diftinction; Provide this Messenger;
My Heart is heavy, and mine Age is weak,

Grief would have Tears, and Sorrow bids me fpeak.

A Tucket afar off.

[Exeunt.

Enter an old Widow of Florence, Diana, Violenta, and Mariana, with other Citizens.

Wid. Nay come,

For if they do approach the City,

We shall lofe all the fight.

Dia. They fay, the French Count has done Moft honourable Service.

Wid. It is reported,

That he has ta'en their greatest Commander,
And that with his own Hand he flew

The Duke's Brother. We have loft our labour,
They are gone a contrary way: Hark,
You may know by their Trumpets.
Mar. Come, let's return again,

And fuffice our felves with the Report of it.
Well, Diana, take heed of this French Earl,
The Honour of a Maid is in her Name,
And no Legacy is fo rich

As Honesty.

Wid. I have told my Neighbour

How you have been follicited by a Gentleman.

His Companion.

fil

Mar. I know that Knave, hang him, one Parolles, thy Officer he is in thofe Suggeftions for the young Earl; beware of them, Diana; their Promifes, Enticements,

Oaths,

Oaths, and Tokens, and all the Engines of Luft, are not the things they go under; many a Maid hath been feduced by them, and the Mifery is Example, that fo terrible fhews in the wreck of Maiden-hood, cannot for all that diffuade Succeffion, but that they are limed with the Twigs that threatens them. I hope I need not to advise you further, but I hope your own Grace will keep you where you are, tho' there were no further danger known, but the Modesty which is fo loft.

Dia. You fhall not need to fear me.

Enter Helena difguifed like a Pilgrim.

Wid. I hope fo; look here comes a Pilgrim; I know fhe will lye at my Houfe; thither they fend one another; I'll queftion her; God fave you Pilgrim, whither are you bound?

Hel. To S. Jaques le grand.

Where do the Palmers lodge, I do beseech you?

Wid. At the St. Frances here befide the Port.

Hel. Is this the way?

[A March afar off.

Wid. Ay marry is't. Hark you, they come this way:

If you will tarry, holy Pilgrim,

But 'till the Troops come by,

I will Conduct you where you fhall be lodg'd;

The rather, for I think I know your Hoftefs

As ample as my felf.

Hel. Is it your felf?

Wid. If you fhall please fo, Pilgrim,

Hel. I thank you, and will ftay upon your leifure.
Wid. You came, I think, from France ?

Hel. I did fo.

Wid. Here you shall fee a Country-man of yours, That has done worthy Service.

Hel. His Name, I pray you?

Dia. The Count Roffilion: Know you fuch a one? Hel. But by the Ear that hears most nobly of him. His Face I know not.

Dia. Whatfoe'er he is,

He's bravely taken here. He ftole from France,

As 'tis reported; for the King had married him
Against his liking. Think you it is fo?

Hel Ay furely, meer the Truth, I know his Lady.

Dia. There is a Gentleman that ferves the Count, Reports but courfely of her.

Hel. What's his Name?
Dia. Monfieur Parolles.

Hel. Oh I believe with him,

In Argument of Praife, or to the Worth
Of the great Count himself, fhe is too mean
To have her Name repeated; all her deferving
Is a referved Honesty, and that

I have not heard examin'd.

Dia.

Alas, poor Lady!

'Tis a hard Bondage to become the Wife Of a detefting Lord.

Wid. Ah! right good Creature! wherefoe'er fhe is, Her Heart weighs fadly; this young Maid might do her A fhrewd turn, if the pleas'd.

Hel. How do you mean?

May be, the amorous Count follicites her

In the unlawful purpose.

Wid. He does indeed,

And brokes with all that can, in fuch a Suit,

Corrupt the tender Honour of a Maid:

But he is arm'd for him, and keeps her Guard

In honefteft Defence.

Drum and Colours.

Enter Bertram, Parolles, Officers and Soldiers attending. Mar. The Gods forbid elfe.

Wid. So, now they come :

That is Antonio, the Duke's eldest Son,

That Escalus.

Hel. Which is the Frenchman ?

Dia. He,

That with the Plume, 'tis a moft gallant Fellow,

I would he lov'd his Wife: If he were honester

He were much goodlier. Is't not a handsome Gentleman? Hel. I like him well.

Dia. 'Tis pity he is not honeft: Yond's that ame Knave That leads him to thefe Places; were I his Lady,

I would poifon that vile Rafcal.

Hel. Which is he?

Dia. That Jack-an-apes with Scarfs. hely?

Why is he melan

Hel.

Hel. Perchance he's hurt i'th' Battel,

Par. Lofe our Drum! Well.

Mar. He's fhrewdly vex'd at fomething. Look he has

'fpied us.

Wid. Marry hang you.

Exeunt Ber. and Par. &c.

Mar. And your Courtefie, for a Ring-carrier.

Wid. The Troop is paft: Come Pilgrim, I will bring
You, where you fhall hoft: Of injoyn'd Penitents
There's four or five, to great St. Jaques bound,
Already at my Houfe.

Hel. I humbly thank you :

Please it this Matron, and this gentle Maid
To eat with us to Night, the Charge and Thanking
Shall be for me; and to requite you further.

I will bestow fome Precepts on this Virgin,
Worthy the Note.

Both. We'll take your offer kindly.

Enter Bertram and the two French Lords.

[Exeunt.

I Ld. Nay, good my Lord, put him to't: Let him have his way.

2 Ld. If your Lord fhip find him not a Hilding, hold me no more in your Refpect.

I Ld. On my Life, my Lord, a Bubble.

Ber. Do you think I am fo far

Deceived in him?

I Ld. Believe it, my Lord, in mine own direct Knowledge, without any Malice, but to speak of him as my Kinfman; he's a most notable Coward, an infinite and endless Liar, an hourly Promife-breaker, the Owner of no one good Quality worthy your Lordship's Entertain

ment.

2 Ld. It were fit you knew him, left repofing too far in his Virtue, which he hath not, he might at fome great and trusty Business, in a main Danger, fail you.

Ber. I would I knew in what particular A&tion to try him.

2 Ld. None better than to let him fetch off his Drum; which you hear him fo confidently undertake to do.

I Ld. I, with a Troop of Florentines, will fuddenly Surprize him; fuch I will have whom I am fure he knows not from the Enemy: We will bind and hood-wink him fo, VOL. II.

Y

that

that he fhall fuppofe no other but that he is carried into the Leaguer of the Adverfaries, when we bring him to our own Tents; be but your Lordship prefent at his Examination, if he do not for the promise of his Life, and in the highest Compulfion of base Fear, offer to betray you, and deliver all the Intelligence in his power against you, and that with the divine Forfeit upon his Soul upon Oath, never truft my Judgment in any thing.

2 Ld. O, for the love of Laughter, let him fetch his Drum; he fays he has a Stratagem for't; when your Lordfhip fees the bottom of his fuccefs in't, and to what Metal this Counterfeit Lump of ours will be melted, if you give him not John Drum's Entertainment, your inclining cannot be removed. Here he comes.

Enter Parolles.

1 Ld. O, for the love of Laughter, hinder not the Honour of his Defign, let him fetch off his Drum in any hand.

Ber. How now Monfieur? This Drum fticks forely in your Difpofition.

2 Ld. A Pox on't, let it go, 'tis but a Drum.

Par. But a Drum! Is't but a Drum? A Drum fo loft! There was excellent Command! to charge him with our Horse upon our own Wings, and to rend our own Soldiers.

2 Ld. That was not to be blamed in the Command of the Service; it was a Difafter of War, that Cafar himself could not have prevented, if he had been there to Command.

Ber. Well, we cannot greatly condemn our Succefs: Some Dishonour we had in the lofs of that Drum, but it it is not to be recover'd.

Par. It might have been recover'd.

Ber. It might, but it not is now.

Par. It is to be recover'd, but that the Merit of Service is feldom attributed to the true exa& Performer, I would have that Drum or another, or hic jacet.

Ber. Why, if you have Stomach to't, Monfieur; if you think your Myftery in Stratagem can bring this Inftrument of Honour again into his native Quarter, be magnanimous in the Enterprize and go on, I will grace the At

tempt