1    He can come no other way but by this hedge-corner.
2    When you sally upon him, speak what terrible
3    language you will: though you understand it not
4    yourselves, no matter; for we must not seem to
5    understand him, unless some one among us whom we
6    must produce for an interpreter.

7    Good captain, let me be the interpreter.

8    Art not acquainted with him? knows he not thy voice?

9    No, sir, I warrant you.

10   But what linsey-woolsey hast thou to speak to us again?

11   E'en such as you speak to me.

12   He must think us some band of strangers i' the
13   adversary's entertainment. Now he hath a smack of
14   all neighbouring languages; therefore we must every
15   one be a man of his own fancy, not to know what we
16   speak one to another; so we seem to know, is to
17   know straight our purpose: choughs' language,
18   gabble enough, and good enough. As for you,
19   interpreter, you must seem very politic. But couch,
20   ho! here he comes, to beguile two hours in a sleep,
21   and then to return and swear the lies he forges.

22   Ten o'clock: within these three hours 'twill be
23   time enough to go home. What shall I say I have
24   done? It must be a very plausive invention that
25   carries it: they begin to smoke me; and disgraces
26   have of late knocked too often at my door. I find
27   my tongue is too foolhardy; but my heart hath the
28   fear of Mars before it and of his creatures, not
29   daring the reports of my tongue.

30   This is the first truth that e'er thine own tongue
31   was guilty of.

32   What the devil should move me to undertake the
33   recovery of this drum, being not ignorant of the
34   impossibility, and knowing I had no such purpose? I
35   must give myself some hurts, and say I got them in
36   exploit: yet slight ones will not carry it; they
37   will say, 'Came you off with so little?' and great
38   ones I dare not give. Wherefore, what's the
39   instance? Tongue, I must put you into a
40   butter-woman's mouth and buy myself another of
41   Bajazet's mule, if you prattle me into these perils.

42   Is it possible he should know what he is, and be
43   that he is?

44   I would the cutting of my garments would serve the
45   turn, or the breaking of my Spanish sword.

46   We cannot afford you so.

47   Or the baring of my beard; and to say it was in
48   stratagem.

49   'Twould not do.

50   Or to drown my clothes, and say I was stripped.

51   Hardly serve.

52   Though I swore I leaped from the window of the citadel.

53   How deep?

54   Thirty fathom.

55   Three great oaths would scarce make that be believed.

56   I would I had any drum of the enemy's: I would swear
57   I recovered it.

58   You shall hear one anon.

59   A drum now of the enemy's,--

60   Throca movousus, cargo, cargo, cargo.

61   Cargo, cargo, cargo, villiando par corbo, cargo.

62   O, ransom, ransom! do not hide mine eyes.

63   Boskos thromuldo boskos.

64   I know you are the Muskos' regiment:
65   And I shall lose my life for want of language;
66   If there be here German, or Dane, low Dutch,
67   Italian, or French, let him speak to me; I'll
68   Discover that which shall undo the Florentine.

69   Boskos vauvado: I understand thee, and can speak
70   thy tongue. Kerely bonto, sir, betake thee to thy
71   faith, for seventeen poniards are at thy bosom.

72   O!

73   O, pray, pray, pray! Manka revania dulche.

74   Oscorbidulchos volivorco.

75   The general is content to spare thee yet;
76   And, hoodwink'd as thou art, will lead thee on
77   To gather from thee: haply thou mayst inform
78   Something to save thy life.

79   O, let me live!
80   And all the secrets of our camp I'll show,
81   Their force, their purposes; nay, I'll speak that
82   Which you will wonder at.

83   But wilt thou faithfully?

84   If I do not, damn me.

85   Acordo linta.
86   Come on; thou art granted space.

87   Go, tell the Count Rousillon, and my brother,
88   We have caught the woodcock, and will keep him muffled
89   Till we do hear from them.

90   Captain, I will.

91   A' will betray us all unto ourselves:
92   Inform on that.

93   So I will, sir.

94   Till then I'll keep him dark and safely lock'd.