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.
INTERPRETER
But wilt thou faithfully?
PAROLES
If I do not, damn me.
INTERPRETER
Acordo linta.—
Come on, thou art granted space. 90
Exeunt all but ⌈Second⌉ Lord Dumaine and a Soldier
A short alarum within
⌈SECOND⌉ LORD DUMAINE
Go tell the Count Roussillon and my brother
We have caught the woodcock, and will keep him
muffled
Till we do hear from them.
SOLDIER
Captain, I will.
⌈SECOND⌉ LORD DUMAINE
A will betray us all unto ourselves.
Inform on that.
SOLDIER
So I will, sir.
⌈SECOND⌉ LORD DUMAINE
Till then I’ll keep him dark and safely locked.
Exeunt severally
4.2 Enter Bertram and the maid called Diana
BERTRAM
They told me that your name was Fontibel.
DIANA
No, my good lord, Diana.
BERTRAM
Titled goddess,
And worth it, with addition. But, fair soul,
In your fine frame hath love no quality?
If the quick fire of youth light not your mind,
You are no maiden but a monument.
When you are dead you should be such a one
As you are now, for you are cold and stern,
And now you should be as your mother was
When your sweet self was got.
DIANA She then was honest.
BERTRAM So should you be.
DIANA
No.
My mother did but duty; such, my lord,
As you owe to your wife.
BERTRAM)
No more o’ that.
I prithee do not strive against my vows.
I was compelled to her, but I love thee
By love’s own sweet constraint, and will for ever
Do thee all rights of service.
DIANA
Ay, so you serve us
Till we serve you. But when you have our roses,
You barely leave our thorns to prick ourselves,
And mock us with our bareness.
BERTRAM)
How have I sworn!
DIANA
‘Tis not the many oaths that makes the truth,
But the plain single vow that is vowed true.
What is not holy, that we swear not by,
But take the high’st to witness; then pray you, tell me,
If I should swear by Jove’s great attributes
I loved you dearly, would you believe my oaths
When I did love you ill? This has no holding,
To swear by him whom I protest to love
That I will work against him. Therefore your oaths
Are words and poor conditions but unsealed,
At least in my opinion.
BERTRAM)
Change it, change it.
Be not so holy-cruel. Love is holy,
And my integrity ne’er knew the crafts
That you do charge men with. Stand no more off,
But give thyself unto my sick desires,
Who then recovers. Say thou art mine, and ever
My love as it begins shall so persever.
DIANA
I see that men make toys e’en such a surance
That we’ll forsake ourselves. Give me that ring.
BERTRAM
I’ll lend it thee, my dear, but have no power
To give it from me.
DIANA
Will you not, my lord?
BERTRAM
It is an honour ‘longing to our house,
Bequeathed down from many ancestors,
Which were the greatest obloquy i’th’ world
In me to lose.
DIANA
Mine honour’s such a ring.
My chastity’s the jewel of our house,
Bequeathed down from many ancestors,
Which were the greatest obloquy i’th’ world
In me to lose. Thus your own proper wisdom
Brings in the champion Honour on my part
Against your vain assault.
BERTRAM)
Here, take my ring.
My house, mine honour, yea my life be thine,
And I’ll be bid by thee.
DIANA
When midnight comes, knock at my chamber window.
I’ll order take my mother shall not hear.
Now will I charge you in the bond of truth,
When you have conquered my yet maiden bed,
Remain there but an hour, nor speak to me—
My reasons are most strong, and you shall know them
When back again this ring shall be delivered—
And on your finger in the night I’ll put
Another ring that, what in time proceeds,
May token to the future our past deeds.
Adieu till then; then, fail not. You have won
A wife of me, though there my hope be done.
BERTRAM
A heaven on earth I have won by wooing thee.
DIANA
For which live long to thank both heaven and me.
You may so in the end. ⌈Exit Bertram⌉
My mother told me just how he would woo,
As if she sat in’s heart. She says all men
Have the like oaths. He had sworn to marry me
When his wife’s dead; therefore I’ll lie with him
When I am buried. Since Frenchmen are so braid,
Marry that will; I live and die a maid.
Only, in this disguise I think’t no sin
To cozen him that would unjustly win. Exit
4.3 Enter the two Captains Dumaine and some two or three soldiers
FIRST LORD DUMAINE You have not given him his mother’s letter?
SECOND LORD DUMAINE I have delivered it an hour since. There is something in’t that stings his nature, for on the reading it he changed almost into another man.
FIRST LORD DUMAINE He has much worthy blame laid upon him for shaking off so good a wife and so sweet a lady.
SECOND LORD DUMAINE Especially he hath incurred the everlasting displeasure of the King, who had even tuned his bounty to sing happiness to him. I will tell you a thing, but you shall let it dwell darkly with you.