SCENE III. The Florentine camp. All's Well That Ends Well  Shakespeare homepage  |  All's Well That Ends Well  | Act 4, Scene 3 

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 Enter the two French Lords and some two or three Soldiers  First Lord  You have not given him his mother's letter? 

 Second Lord  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  He has much worthy blame laid upon him for shaking 

 off so good a wife and so sweet a lady. 

 Second Lord  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. 

 First Lord  When you have spoken it, 'tis dead, and I am the 

 grave of it. 

 Second Lord  He hath perverted a young gentlewoman here in 

 Florence, of a most chaste renown; and this night he 

 fleshes his will in the spoil of her honour: he hath 

 given her his monumental ring, and thinks himself 

 made in the unchaste composition. 

 First Lord  Now, God delay our rebellion! as we are ourselves, 

 what things are we! 

 Second Lord  Merely our own traitors. And as in the common course 

 of all treasons, we still see them reveal 

 themselves, till they attain to their abhorred ends, 

 so he that in this action contrives against his own 

 nobility, in his proper stream o'erflows himself. 

 First Lord  Is it not meant damnable in us, to be trumpeters of 

 our unlawful intents? We shall not then have his 

 company to-night? 

 Second Lord  Not till after midnight; for he is dieted to his hour. 

 First Lord  That approaches apace; I would gladly have him see 

 his company anatomized, that he might take a measure 

 of his own judgments, wherein so curiously he had 

 set this counterfeit. 

 Second Lord  We will not meddle with him till he come; for his 

 presence must be the whip of the other. 

 First Lord  In the mean time, what hear you of these wars? 

 Second Lord  I hear there is an overture of peace. 

 First Lord  Nay, I assure you, a peace concluded. 

 Second Lord  What will Count Rousillon do then? will he travel 

 higher, or return again into France? 

 First Lord  I perceive, by this demand, you are not altogether 

 of his council. 

 Second Lord  Let it be forbid, sir; so should I be a great deal 

 of his act. 

 First Lord  Sir, his wife some two months since fled from his 

 house: her pretence is a pilgrimage to Saint Jaques 

 le Grand; which holy undertaking with most austere 

 sanctimony she accomplished; and, there residing the 

 tenderness of her nature became as a prey to her 

 grief; in fine, made a groan of her last breath, and 

 now she sings in heaven. 

 Second Lord  How is this justified? 

 First Lord  The stronger part of it by her own letters, which 

 makes her story true, even to the point of her 

 death: her death itself, which could not be her 

 office to say is come, was faithfully confirmed by 

 the rector of the place. 

 Second Lord  Hath the count all this intelligence? 

 First Lord  Ay, and the particular confirmations, point from 

 point, so to the full arming of the verity. 

 Second Lord  I am heartily sorry that he'll be glad of this. 

 First Lord  How mightily sometimes we make us comforts of our losses! 

 Second Lord  And how mightily some other times we drown our gain 

 in tears! The great dignity that his valour hath 

 here acquired for him shall at home be encountered 

 with a shame as ample. 

 First Lord  The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and 

 ill together: our virtues would be proud, if our 

 faults whipped them not; and our crimes would 

 despair, if they were not cherished by our virtues. 



 Enter a Messenger  How now! where's your master? 

 Servant  He met the duke in the street, sir, of whom he hath 

 taken a solemn leave: his lordship will next 

 morning for France. The duke hath offered him 

 letters of commendations to the king. 

 Second Lord  They shall be no more than needful there, if they 

 were more than they can commend. 

 First Lord  They cannot be too sweet for the king's tartness. 

 Here's his lordship now. 



 Enter BERTRAM  How now, my lord! is't not after midnight? 

 BERTRAM  I have to-night dispatched sixteen businesses, a 

 month's length a-piece, by an abstract of success: 

 I have congied with the duke, done my adieu with his 

 nearest; buried a wife, mourned for her; writ to my 

 lady mother I am returning; entertained my convoy; 

 and between these main parcels of dispatch effected 

 many nicer needs; the last was the greatest, but 

 that I have not ended yet. 

 Second Lord  If the business be of any difficulty, and this 

 morning your departure hence, it requires haste of 

 your lordship. 

 BERTRAM  I mean, the business is not ended, as fearing to 

 hear of it hereafter. But shall we have this 

 dialogue between the fool and the soldier? Come, 

 bring forth this counterfeit module, he has deceived 

 me, like a double-meaning prophesier. 

 Second Lord  Bring him forth: has sat i' the stocks all night, 

 poor gallant knave. 

 BERTRAM  No matter: his heels have deserved it, in usurping 

 his spurs so long. How does he carry himself? 

 Second Lord  I have told your lordship already, the stocks carry 

 him. But to answer you as you would be understood; 

 he weeps like a wench that had shed her milk: he 

 hath confessed himself to Morgan, whom he supposes 

 to be a friar, from the time of his remembrance to 

 this very instant disaster of his setting i' the 

 stocks: and what think you he hath confessed? 

 BERTRAM  Nothing of me, has a'? 

 Second Lord  His confession is taken, and it shall be read to his 

 face: if your lordship be in't, as I believe you 

 are, you must have the patience to hear it. 



 Enter PAROLLES guarded, and First Soldier  BERTRAM  A plague upon him! muffled! he can say nothing of 

 me: hush, hush! 

 First Lord  Hoodman comes! Portotartarosa 

 First Soldier  He calls for the tortures: what will you say 

 without 'em? 

 PAROLLES  I will confess what I know without constraint: if 

 ye pinch me like a pasty, I can say no more. 

 First Soldier  Bosko chimurcho. 

 First Lord  Boblibindo chicurmurco. 

 First Soldier  You are a merciful general. Our general bids you 

 answer to what I shall ask you out of a note. 

 PAROLLES  And truly, as I hope to live. 

 First Soldier  [Reads]  'First demand of him how many horse the 

 duke is strong.' What say you to that? 

 PAROLLES  Five or six thousand; but very weak and 

 unserviceable: the troops are all scattered, and 

 the commanders very poor rogues, upon my reputation 

 and credit and as I hope to live. 

 First Soldier  Shall I set down your answer so? 

 PAROLLES  Do: I'll take the sacrament on't, how and which way you will. 

 BERTRAM  All's one to him. What a past-saving slave is this! 

 First Lord  You're deceived, my lord: this is Monsieur 

 Parolles, the gallant militarist,--that was his own 

 phrase,--that had the whole theoric of war in the 

 knot of his scarf, and the practise in the chape of 

 his dagger. 

 Second Lord  I will never trust a man again for keeping his sword 

 clean. nor believe he can have every thing in him 

 by wearing his apparel neatly. 

 First Soldier  Well, that's set down. 

 PAROLLES  Five or six thousand horse, I said,-- I will say 

 true,--or thereabouts, set down, for I'll speak truth. 

 First Lord  He's very near the truth in this. 

 BERTRAM  But I con him no thanks for't, in the nature he 

 delivers it. 

 PAROLLES  Poor rogues, I pray you, say. 

 First Soldier  Well, that's set down. 

 PAROLLES  I humbly thank you, sir: a truth's a truth, the 

 rogues are marvellous poor. 

 First Soldier  [Reads]  'Demand of him, of what strength they are 

 a-foot.' What say you to that? 

 PAROLLES  By my troth, sir, if I were to live this present 

 hour, I will tell true. Let me see: Spurio, a 

 hundred and fifty; Sebastian, so many; Corambus, so 

 many; Jaques, so many; Guiltian, Cosmo, Lodowick, 

 and Gratii, two hundred and fifty each; mine own 

 company, Chitopher, Vaumond, Bentii, two hundred and 

 fifty each: so that the muster-file, rotten and 

 sound, upon my life, amounts not to fifteen thousand 

 poll; half of the which dare not shake snow from off 

 their cassocks, lest they shake themselves to pieces. 

 BERTRAM  What shall be done to him? 

 First Lord  Nothing, but let him have thanks. Demand of him my 

 condition, and what credit I have with the duke. 

 First Soldier  Well, that's set down. 



 Reads  'You shall demand of him, whether one Captain Dumain 

 be i' the camp, a Frenchman; what his reputation is 

 with the duke; what his valour, honesty, and 

 expertness in wars; or whether he thinks it were not 

 possible, with well-weighing sums of gold, to 

 corrupt him to revolt.' What say you to this? what 

 do you know of it? 

 PAROLLES  I beseech you, let me answer to the particular of 

 the inter'gatories: demand them singly. 

 First Soldier  Do you know this Captain Dumain? 

 PAROLLES  I know him: a' was a botcher's 'prentice in Paris, 

 from whence he was whipped for getting the shrieve's 

 fool with child,--a dumb innocent, that could not 

 say him nay. 

 BERTRAM  Nay, by your leave, hold your hands; though I know 

 his brains are forfeit to the next tile that falls. 

 First Soldier  Well, is this captain in the duke of Florence's camp? 

 PAROLLES  Upon my knowledge, he is, and lousy. 

 First Lord  Nay look not so upon me; we shall hear of your 

 lordship anon. 

 First Soldier  What is his reputation with the duke? 

 PAROLLES  The duke knows him for no other but a poor officer 

 of mine; and writ to me this other day to turn him 

 out o' the band: I think I have his letter in my pocket. 

 First Soldier  Marry, we'll search. 

 PAROLLES  In good sadness, I do not know; either it is there, 

 or it is upon a file with the duke's other letters 

 in my tent. 

 First Soldier  Here 'tis; here's a paper: shall I read it to you? 

 PAROLLES  I do not know if it be it or no. 

 BERTRAM  Our interpreter does it well. 

 First Lord  Excellently. 

 First Soldier  [Reads]  'Dian, the count's a fool, and full of gold,'-- 

 PAROLLES  That is not the duke's letter, sir; that is an 

 advertisement to a proper maid in Florence, one 

 Diana, to take heed of the allurement of one Count 

 Rousillon, a foolish idle boy, but for all that very 

 ruttish: I pray you, sir, put it up again. 

 First Soldier  Nay, I'll read it first, by your favour. 

 PAROLLES  My meaning in't, I protest, was very honest in the 

 behalf of the maid; for I knew the young count to be 

 a dangerous and lascivious boy, who is a whale to 

 virginity and devours up all the fry it finds. 

 BERTRAM  Damnable both-sides rogue! 

 First Soldier  [Reads]  'When he swears oaths, bid him drop gold, and take it; 

 After he scores, he never pays the score: 

 Half won is match well made; match, and well make it; 

 He ne'er pays after-debts, take it before; 

 And say a soldier, Dian, told thee this, 

 Men are to mell with, boys are not to kiss: 

 For count of this, the count's a fool, I know it, 

 Who pays before, but not when he does owe it. 

 Thine, as he vowed to thee in thine ear, 

 PAROLLES.' 

 BERTRAM  He shall be whipped through the army with this rhyme 

 in's forehead. 

 Second Lord  This is your devoted friend, sir, the manifold 

 linguist and the armipotent soldier. 

 BERTRAM  I could endure any thing before but a cat, and now 

 he's a cat to me. 

 First Soldier  I perceive, sir, by the general's looks, we shall be 

 fain to hang you. 

 PAROLLES  My life, sir, in any case: not that I am afraid to 

 die; but that, my offences being many, I would 

 repent out the remainder of nature: let me live, 

 sir, in a dungeon, i' the stocks, or any where, so I may live. 

 First Soldier  We'll see what may be done, so you confess freely; 

 therefore, once more to this Captain Dumain: you 

 have answered to his reputation with the duke and to 

 his valour: what is his honesty? 

 PAROLLES  He will steal, sir, an egg out of a cloister: for 

 rapes and ravishments he parallels Nessus: he 

 professes not keeping of oaths; in breaking 'em he 

 is stronger than Hercules: he will lie, sir, with 

 such volubility, that you would think truth were a 

 fool: drunkenness is his best virtue, for he will 

 be swine-drunk; and in his sleep he does little 

 harm, save to his bed-clothes about him; but they 

 know his conditions and lay him in straw. I have but 

 little more to say, sir, of his honesty: he has 

 every thing that an honest man should not have; what 

 an honest man should have, he has nothing. 

 First Lord  I begin to love him for this. 

 BERTRAM  For this description of thine honesty? A pox upon 

 him for me, he's more and more a cat. 

 First Soldier  What say you to his expertness in war? 

 PAROLLES  Faith, sir, he has led the drum before the English 

 tragedians; to belie him, I will not, and more of 

 his soldiership I know not; except, in that country 

 he had the honour to be the officer at a place there 

 called Mile-end, to instruct for the doubling of 

 files: I would do the man what honour I can, but of 

 this I am not certain. 

 First Lord  He hath out-villained villany so far, that the 

 rarity redeems him. 

 BERTRAM  A pox on him, he's a cat still. 

 First Soldier  His qualities being at this poor price, I need not 

 to ask you if gold will corrupt him to revolt. 

 PAROLLES  Sir, for a quart d'ecu he will sell the fee-simple 

 of his salvation, the inheritance of it; and cut the 

 entail from all remainders, and a perpetual 

 succession for it perpetually. 

 First Soldier  What's his brother, the other Captain Dumain? 

 Second Lord  Why does be ask him of me? 

 First Soldier  What's he? 

 PAROLLES  E'en a crow o' the same nest; not altogether so 

 great as the first in goodness, but greater a great 

 deal in evil: he excels his brother for a coward, 

 yet his brother is reputed one of the best that is: 

 in a retreat he outruns any lackey; marry, in coming 

 on he has the cramp. 

 First Soldier  If your life be saved, will you undertake to betray 

 the Florentine? 

 PAROLLES  Ay, and the captain of his horse, Count Rousillon. 

 First Soldier  I'll whisper with the general, and know his pleasure. 

 PAROLLES  [Aside]  I'll no more drumming; a plague of all 

 drums! Only to seem to deserve well, and to 

 beguile the supposition of that lascivious young boy 

 the count, have I run into this danger. Yet who 

 would have suspected an ambush where I was taken? 

 First Soldier  There is no remedy, sir, but you must die: the 

 general says, you that have so traitorously 

 discovered the secrets of your army and made such 

 pestiferous reports of men very nobly held, can 

 serve the world for no honest use; therefore you 

 must die. Come, headsman, off with his head. 

 PAROLLES  O Lord, sir, let me live, or let me see my death! 

 First Lord  That shall you, and take your leave of all your friends. 



 Unblinding him  So, look about you: know you any here? 

 BERTRAM  Good morrow, noble captain. 

 Second Lord  God bless you, Captain Parolles. 

 First Lord  God save you, noble captain. 

 Second Lord  Captain, what greeting will you to my Lord Lafeu? 

 I am for France. 

 First Lord  Good captain, will you give me a copy of the sonnet 

 you writ to Diana in behalf of the Count Rousillon? 

 an I were not a very coward, I'ld compel it of you: 

 but fare you well. 



 Exeunt BERTRAM and Lords  First Soldier  You are undone, captain, all but your scarf; that 

 has a knot on't yet 

 PAROLLES  Who cannot be crushed with a plot? 

 First Soldier  If you could find out a country where but women were 

 that had received so much shame, you might begin an 

 impudent nation. Fare ye well, sir; I am for France 

 too: we shall speak of you there. 



 Exit with Soldiers  PAROLLES  Yet am I thankful: if my heart were great, 

 'Twould burst at this. Captain I'll be no more; 

 But I will eat and drink, and sleep as soft 

 As captain shall: simply the thing I am 

 Shall make me live. Who knows himself a braggart, 

 Let him fear this, for it will come to pass 

 that every braggart shall be found an ass. 

 Rust, sword? cool, blushes! and, Parolles, live 

 Safest in shame! being fool'd, by foolery thrive! 

 There's place and means for every man alive. 

 I'll after them. 



 Exit  Shakespeare homepage  |  All's Well That Ends Well  | Act 4, Scene 3 

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