All's Well That Ends Well: Act 3, Scene 6 Translation

Enter Bertram Count Rossillion and the French
Lords, as at first.

FIRST LORD Nay, good my lord, put him to ’t. Let him
have his way.

SECOND LORD If your Lordship find him not a hilding,
hold me no more in your respect.

FIRST LORD On my life, my lord, a bubble. 5

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

FIRST LORD 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, 10
the owner of no one good quality worthy
your Lordship’s entertainment.

SECOND LORD 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 15
fail you.

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

SECOND LORD None better than to let him fetch off his
drum, which you hear him so confidently undertake 20
to do.

FIRST LORD 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 25
but that he is carried into the leaguer of the adversary’s
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 30
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 anything.

SECOND LORD O, for the love of laughter, let him fetch
his drum. He says he has a stratagem for ’t. When 35
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 removed.
Here he comes. 40

Enter Parolles.

FIRST LORD, aside to Bertram O, for the love of laughter,
hinder not the honor of his design. Let him
fetch off his drum in any hand.

BERTRAM, to Parolles How now, monsieur? This
drum sticks sorely in your disposition. 45

SECOND LORD A pox on ’t! Let it go. ’Tis but a drum.

PAROLLES 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! 50

SECOND LORD That was not to be blamed 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 Well, we cannot greatly condemn our success. 55
Some dishonor we had in the loss of that
drum, but it is not to be recovered.

PAROLLES It might have been recovered.

BERTRAM It might, but it is not now.

PAROLLES It is to be recovered. But that the merit of 60
service is seldom attributed to the true and exact
performer, I would have that drum or another, or
hic jacet.

BERTRAM Why, if you have a stomach, to ’t, monsieur!
If you think your mystery in stratagem can bring 65
this instrument of honor again into his native
quarter, be magnanimous 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, 70
even to the utmost syllable of your
worthiness.

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

BERTRAM But you must not now slumber in it.

PAROLLES I’ll about it this evening, and I will presently 75
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 May I be bold to acquaint his Grace you are
gone about it? 80

PAROLLES I know not what the success will be, my
lord, but the attempt I vow.

BERTRAM I know thou ’rt valiant, and to the possibility
of thy soldiership will subscribe for thee. Farewell.

PAROLLES I love not many words.  85

He exits.

FIRST LORD 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 damned than to do ’t? 90

SECOND LORD 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. 95

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

FIRST LORD None in the world, but return with an
invention and clap upon you two or three probable 100
lies. But we have almost embossed him. You shall
see his fall tonight; for indeed he is not for your
Lordship’s respect.

SECOND LORD We’ll make you some sport with the fox
ere we case him. He was first smoked by the old 105
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.

FIRST LORD I must go look my twigs. He shall be
caught. 110

BERTRAM Your brother he shall go along with me.

FIRST LORD As ’t please your Lordship. I’ll leave you.

He exits.

BERTRAM
Now will I lead you to the house and show you
The lass I spoke of.

SECOND LORD But you say she’s honest. 115

BERTRAM
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. 120
Will you go see her?

SECOND LORD With all my heart, my lord.

They exit.