_! and let the tongue of war
Plead for our interest, and our being here.

_Bastard._ Indeed, your _drums_, being _beaten_, will cry out;
And so shall you, being _beaten_. Do but start
An _echo_ with the clamour of thy drum,
And even at hand a _drum_ is ready brac'd,
That shall reverberate all as loud as thine;
_Sound_ but _another_, and another shall,
As loud as thine, _rattle the welkin's ear_,
And mock the deep-mouth'd thunder.

An entirely different use of the Drum is alluded to by Parolles, in
his slanderous evidence against Captain Dumain.

_All's Well_ IV, iii, 262.

_1 Soldier._ What say you to his expertness in war?

_Parolles._ 'Faith, sir, he has _led the drum before the
English tragedians_, ... and more of his soldiership I know
not.

There are several occasions in Shakespeare when _trumpets_ are sounded
to herald the approach of play-actors, but _drums_ are not mentioned
in this connection except here. Rimbault's Preface to Purcell's Opera
'Bonduca' (Musical Antiquarian Society) says that a Play was always
introduced by the trumpet sounding three times, after which the
Prologue entered. Dekker, referring to the list of _errata_ in his
'Satiromastix,' 1602, says--"Instead of the trumpets sounding thrice
before the play begin, it shall not be amiss for him that will read,
first to behold this short Comedy of Errors."

VII

ON THE USE OF THE MUSICAL STAGE DIRECTIONS

_With references to the same Words as they occur in the Text_

_Alarum, Alarums_ (of Drums), occurs as a stage direction about 72
times in fourteen of the historical plays, always in connection with
battle. It is found alone, as above, about 45 times, sometimes
qualified--_e.g._, Loud alarum, Low alarum, Short alarum, Alarum
within. _Alarums and Excursions_ occurs about 21 times, always in
fight. ['Excursions' merely means 'parties of men running about;' see
the stage direction _H. 6. A._ IV, vi. 'Excursions, _wherein_ Talbot's
son is hemmed about;' also _Id._ I, v, where the direction has
'Alarum. _Skirmishings_,' instead of the usual 'excursions.']

A few special cases are--Alarum _with thunder and lightning_, _H. 6.
A._ I, iv, 97; _Flourish and Alarums_, used by Rich. III. to drown the
reproaches of Q. Eliz., etc.; Alarum and _chambers_ [cannon] _go off_,
_H. 5._ Act iii. line 33 of the chorus, and again _Id._ end of sc