1    Nay, good my lord, put him to't; let him have his
2    way.

3    If your lordship find him not a hilding, hold me no
4    more in your respect.

5    On my life, my lord, a bubble.

6    Do you think I am so far deceived in him?

7    Believe it, my lord, in mine own direct knowledge,
8    without any malice, but to speak of him as my
9    kinsman, he's a most notable coward, an infinite and
10   endless liar, an hourly promise-breaker, the owner
11   of no one good quality worthy your lordship's
12   entertainment.

13   It were fit you knew him; lest, reposing too far in
14   his virtue, which he hath not, he might at some
15   great and trusty business in a main danger fail you.

16   I would I knew in what particular action to try him.

17   None better than to let him fetch off his drum,
18   which you hear him so confidently undertake to do.

19   I, with a troop of Florentines, will suddenly
20   surprise him; such I will have, whom I am sure he
21   knows not from the enemy: we will bind and hoodwink
22   him so, that he shall suppose no other but that he
23   is carried into the leaguer of the adversaries, when
24   we bring him to our own tents. Be but your lordship
25   present at his examination: if he do not, for the
26   promise of his life and in the highest compulsion of
27   base fear, offer to betray you and deliver all the
28   intelligence in his power against you, and that with
29   the divine forfeit of his soul upon oath, never
30   trust my judgment in any thing.

31   O, for the love of laughter, let him fetch his drum;
32   he says he has a stratagem for't: when your
33   lordship sees the bottom of his success in't, and to
34   what metal this counterfeit lump of ore will be
35   melted, if you give him not John Drum's
36   entertainment, your inclining cannot be removed.
37   Here he comes.

Aside to BERTRAM
38    O, for the love of laughter,
39   hinder not the honour of his design: let him fetch
40   off his drum in any hand.

41   How now, monsieur! this drum sticks sorely in your
42   disposition.

43   A pox on't, let it go; 'tis but a drum.

44   'But a drum'! is't 'but a drum'? A drum so lost!
45   There was excellent command,--to charge in with our
46   horse upon our own wings, and to rend our own soldiers!

47   That was not to be blamed in the command of the
48   service: it was a disaster of war that Caesar
49   himself could not have prevented, if he had been
50   there to command.

51   Well, we cannot greatly condemn our success: some
52   dishonour we had in the loss of that drum; but it is
53   not to be recovered.

54   It might have been recovered.

55   It might; but it is not now.

56   It is to be recovered: but that the merit of
57   service is seldom attributed to the true and exact
58   performer, I would have that drum or another, or
59   'hic jacet.'

60   Why, if you have a stomach, to't, monsieur: if you
61   think your mystery in stratagem can bring this
62   instrument of honour again into his native quarter,
63   be magnanimous in the enterprise and go on; I will
64   grace the attempt for a worthy exploit: if you
65   speed well in it, the duke shall both speak of it.
66   and extend to you what further becomes his
67   greatness, even to the utmost syllable of your
68   worthiness.

69   By the hand of a soldier, I will undertake it.

70   But you must not now slumber in it.

71   I'll about it this evening: and I will presently
72   pen down my dilemmas, encourage myself in my
73   certainty, put myself into my mortal preparation;
74   and by midnight look to hear further from me.

75   May I be bold to acquaint his grace you are gone about it?

76   I know not what the success will be, my lord; but
77   the attempt I vow.

78   I know thou'rt valiant; and, to the possibility of
79   thy soldiership, will subscribe for thee. Farewell.

80   I love not many words.

81   No more than a fish loves water. Is not this a
82   strange fellow, my lord, that so confidently seems
83   to undertake this business, which he knows is not to
84   be done; damns himself to do and dares better be
85   damned than to do't?

86   You do not know him, my lord, as we do: certain it
87   is that he will steal himself into a man's favour and
88   for a week escape a great deal of discoveries; but
89   when you find him out, you have him ever after.

90   Why, do you think he will make no deed at all of
91   this that so seriously he does address himself unto?

92   None in the world; but return with an invention and
93   clap upon you two or three probable lies: but we
94   have almost embossed him; you shall see his fall
95   to-night; for indeed he is not for your lordship's respect.

96   We'll make you some sport with the fox ere we case
97   him. He was first smoked by the old lord Lafeu:
98   when his disguise and he is parted, tell me what a
99   sprat you shall find him; which you shall see this
100  very night.

101  I must go look my twigs: he shall be caught.

102  Your brother he shall go along with me.

103  As't please your lordship: I'll leave you.

104  Now will I lead you to the house, and show you
105  The lass I spoke of.

106  But you say she's honest.

107  That's all the fault: I spoke with her but once
108  And found her wondrous cold; but I sent to her,
109  By this same coxcomb that we have i' the wind,
110  Tokens and letters which she did re-send;
111  And this is all I have done. She's a fair creature:
112  Will you go see her?

113  With all my heart, my lord.