No Fear Shakespeare: All's Well That Ends Well: Act 4 Scene 1

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All's Well That Ends Well

William Shakespeare

Original Text

Modern Text

Original Text

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Original Text	Modern Text
Enter one of the French LORDS, with five or six other SOLDIERS in ambush.	Enter one of the French LORDS, with five or six other SOLDIERS in ambush.
LORD He can come no other way but by this hedge corner. When you sally upon him, speak what terrible language you will. Though you understand it not yourselves, no matter. For we must not seem to 5 understand him, unless some one among us whom we must produce for an interpreter	LORD He can come no other way but by this hedge corner. When you sally upon him, speak what terrible 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 th’ interpreter.	FIRST SOLDIER Good captain, let me be th’ interpreter.
LORD Art not acquainted with him? Knows he not thy voice?	LORD Art not acquainted with him? Knows he not thy voice?
FIRST SOLDIER 10 No, sir, I warrant you.	FIRST SOLDIER No, sir, I warrant you.
LORD But what linsey-woolsey hast thou to speak to us again?	LORD But what linsey-woolsey hast thou to speak to us again?
FIRST SOLDIER E’en such as you speak to me	FIRST SOLDIER E’en such as you speak to me
LORD He must think us some band of strangers i’ th’ 15 adversary’s entertainment. Now, he hath a smack of all neighboring 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, 20 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. They move aside.	LORD He must think us some band of strangers i’ th’ adversary’s entertainment. Now, he hath a smack of all neighboring 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, 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. They move aside.
Enter PAROLLES.	Enter PAROLLES.
PAROLLES 25 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 30 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.	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 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.
LORD, aside This is the first truth that e’er thine own tongue was guilty of.	LORD, aside This is the first truth that e’er thine own tongue was guilty of.
PAROLLES 35 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. 40 They 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 Bajazeth’s mule if you prattle me into these perils.	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 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 Bajazeth’s mule if you prattle me into these perils.
LORD, aside 45 Is it possible he should know what he is, and be that he is?	LORD, aside 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.	PAROLLES I would the cutting of my garments would serve the turn, or the breaking of my Spanish sword.
LORD, aside 50 We cannot afford you so.	LORD, aside We cannot afford you so.
PAROLLES Or the baring of my beard, and to say it was in stratagem.	PAROLLES Or the baring of my beard, and to say it was in stratagem.
LORD, aside ’Twould not do.	LORD, aside ’Twould not do.
PAROLLES Or to drown my clothes and say I was 55 stripped.	PAROLLES Or to drown my clothes and say I was stripped.
LORD, aside Hardly serve.	LORD, aside Hardly serve.
PAROLLES Though I swore I leapt from the window of the citadel—	PAROLLES Though I swore I leapt from the window of the citadel—
LORD, aside How deep?	LORD, aside How deep?
PAROLLES 60 Thirty fathom.	PAROLLES Thirty fathom.
LORD, aside Three great oaths would scarce make that be believed.	LORD, aside Three great oaths would scarce make that be believed.
PAROLLES I would I had any drum of the enemy’s. I would swear I recovered it.	PAROLLES I would I had any drum of the enemy’s. I would swear I recovered it.
65 LORD, aside You shall hear one anon.	LORD, aside You shall hear one anon.
PAROLLES A drum, now, of the enemy’s—	PAROLLES A drum, now, of the enemy’s—
Alarum within.	Alarum within.
LORD, advancing Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo.	LORD, advancing Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo.
ALL Cargo, cargo, cargo, villianda par corbo, cargo. They seize him.	ALL Cargo, cargo, cargo, villianda par corbo, cargo. They seize him.
PAROLLES 70 O ransom, ransom! Do not hide mine eyes.	PAROLLES O ransom, ransom! Do not hide mine eyes.
They blindfold him.	They blindfold him.
FIRST SOLDIER Boskos thromuldo boskos.	FIRST SOLDIER Boskos thromuldo boskos.
PAROLLES I know you are the Muskos’ regiment, And I shall lose my life for want of language. If there be here German or Dane, Low Dutch, 75 Italian, or French, let him speak to me. I’ll discover that which shall undo the Florentine.	PAROLLES I know you are the Muskos’ regiment, 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 thy tongue. Kerelybonto, sir, betake thee to thy faith, for seventeen poniards are at thy 80 bosom.	FIRST SOLDIER Boskos vauvado, I understand thee and can speak thy tongue. Kerelybonto, sir, betake thee to thy faith, for seventeen poniards are at thy bosom.
PAROLLES O!	PAROLLES O!
FIRST SOLDIER O, pray, pray, pray! Manka reuania dulche	FIRST SOLDIER O, pray, pray, pray! Manka reuania dulche
LORD Oscorbidulchos voliuorco.	LORD Oscorbidulchos voliuorco.
FIRST SOLDIER 85 The General is content to spare thee yet And, hoodwinked as thou art, will lead thee on To gather from thee. Haply thou mayst inform Something to save thy life.	FIRST SOLDIER The General is content to spare thee yet And, hoodwinked 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, 90 And all the secrets of our camp I’ll show, Their force, their purposes. Nay, I’ll speak that Which you will wonder at.	PAROLLES 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.
FIRST SOLDIER But wilt thou faithfully?	FIRST SOLDIER But wilt thou faithfully?
PAROLLES If I do not, damn me.	PAROLLES If I do not, damn me.
FIRST SOLDIER 95 Acordo linta. Come on, thou art granted space.	FIRST SOLDIER Acordo linta. Come on, thou art granted space.
He exits with PAROLLES under guard. A short alarum within.	He exits with PAROLLES under guard. A short alarum within.
LORD Go tell the Count Rossillion and my brother We have caught the woodcock and will keep him muffled 100 Till we do hear from them.	LORD Go tell the Count Rossillion and my brother We have caught the woodcock and will keep him muffled Till we do hear from them.
SECOND SOLDIER Captain, I will.	SECOND SOLDIER Captain, I will.
LORD He will betray us all unto ourselves. Inform on that.	LORD He will betray us all unto ourselves. Inform on that.
SECOND SOLDIER So I will, sir.	SECOND SOLDIER So I will, sir.
LORD 105 Till then I’ll keep him dark and safely locked. They exit.	LORD Till then I’ll keep him dark and safely locked. They exit.