All’s Well That Ends Well
Act III, Scene 6
Camp before Florence .
Baliol Holloway as Parolles
From the 1922 production of All's Well that Ends Well, in the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, directed by William Bridges-Adams.
Royal Shakespeare Company, 1922
- Enter ( Bertram ) Count Roussillon and the two French Lords .
Second French Lord Dumaine
1- Nay , good my lord , put him to’t ; let him have his way .
First French Lord Dumaine
2 - 3- If your lordship find him not a hilding , hold me no more in
- your respect .
Second French Lord Dumaine
4- On my life , my lord , a bubble .
Bertram
5- Do you think I am so far deceiv’d in him ?
Second French Lord Dumaine
6 - 10- Believe it , my lord , in mine own direct knowledge , without
- any malice , but to speak of him as my kinsman , he’s a most
- notable coward , an infinite and endless liar , an hourly
- promise - breaker , the owner of no one good quality worthy
- your lordship’s entertainment .
First French Lord Dumaine
11 - 13- It were fit you knew him , lest reposing too far in his
- virtue , which he hath not , he might at some great and trusty
- business in a main danger fail you .
Bertram
14- I would I knew in what particular action to try him .
First French Lord Dumaine
15 - 16- None better than to let him fetch off his drum , which you
- hear him so confidently undertake to do .
Second French Lord Dumaine
17 - 27- I , with a troop of Florentines , will suddenly surprise him ;
- such I will have , whom I am sure he knows not from the
- enemy . We will bind and hoodwink him so , that he shall
- suppose no other but that he is carried into the leaguer of
- the adversaries , when we bring him to our own tents . Be but
- your lordship present at his examination , if he do not , for
- the promise of his life , and in the highest compulsion of
- base fear , offer to betray you , and deliver all the
- intelligence in his power against you , and that with the
- divine forfeit of his soul upon oath , never trust my
- judgment in any thing .
First French Lord Dumaine
28 - 33- O , for the love of laughter , let him fetch his drum ; he says
- he has a stratagem for’t . When your lordship sees the bottom
- of his success in’t , and to what metal this counterfeit lump
- of ore will be melted , if you give him not John Drum’s
- entertainment , your inclining cannot be remov’d . Here he
- comes .
- Enter Parolles .
Second French Lord Dumaine
34 - 35- O , for the love of laughter , hinder not the honor of his
- design . Let him fetch off his drum in any hand .
Bertram
36 - 37- How now , monsieur ? This drum sticks sorely in your
- disposition .
First French Lord Dumaine
38- A pox on’t , let it go , ’tis but a drum .
Parolles
39 - 41- But a drum ! Is’t but a drum ? A drum so lost ! There was
- excellent command — to charge in with our horse upon our own
- wings , and to rend our own soldiers !
First French Lord Dumaine
42 - 44- That was not to be blam’d in the command of the service ; it
- was a disaster of war that Caesar himself could not have
- prevented , if he had been there to command .
Bertram
45 - 47- Well , we cannot greatly condemn our success . Some dishonor
- we had in the loss of that drum , but it is not to be
- recover’d .
Parolles
48- It might have been recover’d .
Bertram
49- It might , but it is not now .
Parolles
50 - 52- It is to be recover’d . But that the merit of service is
- seldom attributed to the true and exact performer , I would
- have that drum or another , or hic jacet .
Bertram
53 - 59- Why , if you have a stomach , to’t , monsieur : if you think
- your mystery in stratagem can bring this instrument of honor
- again into his native quarter , be magnanimious in the
- enterprise and go on ; I will grace the attempt for a worthy
- exploit . If you speed well in it , the Duke shall both speak
- of it , and extend to you what further becomes his greatness ,
- even to the utmost syllable of your worthiness .
Florence
Mathaus Merian, circa 1640
Parolles
60- By the hand of a soldier , I will undertake it .
Bertram
61- But you must not now slumber in it .
Parolles
62 - 65- I’ll about it this evening , and I will presently pen down my
- dilemmas , encourage myself in my certainty , put myself into
- my mortal preparation ; and by midnight look to hear further
- from me .
Bertram
66- May I be bold to acquaint his Grace you are gone about it ?
Parolles
67 - 68- I know not what the success will be , my lord , but the
- attempt I vow .
Bertram
69 - 70- I know th’ art valiant , and to the possibility of thy
- soldiership will subscribe for thee . Farewell .
Parolles
71- I love not many words .
- Exit .
Second French Lord Dumaine
72 - 75- No more than a fish loves water . Is not this a strange
- fellow , my lord , that so confidently seems to undertake this
- business , which he knows is not to be done , damns himself to
- do , and dares better be damn’d than to do’t ?
First French Lord Dumaine
76 - 79- You do not know him , my lord , as we do . Certain it is that
- he will steal himself into a man’s favor , and for a week
- escape a great deal of discoveries , but when you find him
- out , you have him ever after .
Bertram
80 - 81- Why , do you think he will make no deed at all of this that
- so seriously he does address himself unto ?
Second French Lord Dumaine
82 - 85- None in the world , but return with an invention , and clap
- upon you two or three probable lies . But we have almost
- emboss’d him , you shall see his fall tonight ; for indeed he
- is not for your lordship’s respect .
First French Lord Dumaine
86 - 89- We’ll make you some sport with the fox ere we case him . He
- was first smok’d by the old Lord Lafew . When his disguise
- and he is parted , tell me what a sprat you shall find him ,
- which you shall see this very night .
Second French Lord Dumaine
90- I must go look my twigs . He shall be caught .
Bertram
91- Your brother he shall go along with me .
Second French Lord Dumaine
92- As’t please your lordship . I’ll leave you .
- Exit .
Bertram
93 - 94- Now will I lead you to the house , and show you
- The lass I spoke of .
First French Lord Dumaine
95- But you say she’s honest .
Bertram
96 - 101- That’s all the fault . I spoke with her but once ,
- And found her wondrous cold , but I sent to her ,
- By this same coxcomb that we have i’ th’ wind ,
- Tokens and letters which she did re - send ,
- And this is all I have done . She’s a fair creature ;
- Will you go see her ?
First French Lord Dumaine
102- With all my heart , my lord .
- Exeunt .