DENNIS, } servants to Oliver. TOUCHSTONE, a clown. CORIN, WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with A Person representing Hymen. PHEBE, a shepherdess. AUDREY, a country wench. Lords belonging to the two Dukes; Pages, Foresters, and other Attendants. The Scene lies, first, near Oliver's House: afterwards, partly in the Usurper's Court, and partly in the forest of Arden. ACT I. Enter ORLANDO and ADAM. Orl. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me: By will, but a poor thousand crowns; and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept: For call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth, that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hired: but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on bis dung-hills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me, his countenance seems to take from nie: he lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and, as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude: I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to ayoid it. Orl, Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. Oli. Now, sir! what make you here? Orl. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing. Ol. What mar you then, sir? Orl. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. Oli. Marry, sir, be better employ'd, and be naught awhile. Orl. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent, that I should come to such penury? Oli. Know you where you are, sir? Orl. Ay, better than he I am before knows me. I know, you are my eldest brother; and, in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know ine: The courtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the firstborn; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us: I have as much of my father in me, as yon; albeit, I confess, your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. Oli. What, boy! Orl. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain ? Orl. I am no villaint: I am the youngest son of sir Rowland de Bois; he was my father; and he is thrice a villain, that says, such a Adam. Yonder comes my master, your father begot villains: Wert thou not my brother, Enter OLIVER. brother, I would not take this band from thy • What do you here? + Villain is used in a double sense; by Oliver for a worthless fellow, and by Orlando for a man of base extraction. Scene 1. AS YOU LIKE IT throat, till this other had pulled out thy tongue for saying so; thou hast railed on thyself. Adam. Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. Oli. Let me go, I say. Orl. I will not, till I please: you shall hear me. My father charged you in his will to give me good education: you have trained me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities: the spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it: therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my England: they say, many young gentlemen Oli. What, you wrestle to-morrow before Cha. Marry, do 1, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand, that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in di-guis'd against me to try a fall: Tomorrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb, shall acquit him well. Your brother is but would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my young, and tender; and, for your love, I own honour, if he come in: therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal; that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into; in that it is a thing of his own search, and altogether against my will. Oli. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt fiud I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's means laboured to dissuade him fro. it; but purpose herein, and have by underhand he is resolute. I'll tell thee, Charles,-it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villanous contriver against ine his natural brother; therefore use thy discretion; I had as lief, thou didst break his neck as his finger: And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other: for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and 80 villanons this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. Ch. There's no news at the court, sir, but Cha. I am heartily glad I came hither to the old news: that is, the old duke is banished by his younger brother the new dake: you: If he come to-morrow, I'll give him [Exit. and three or four loving lords have put them- his payment: If ever he go alone again, I'll selves into voluntary exile with him, whose never wrestle for prize more: And so, God lands and revenues enrich the new duke; keep your worship! Oli. Farewell, good Charles.-Now will I therefore he gives them good leave to wander. O. Can you tell, if Rosalind, the duke's stir this gamester t: I hope, I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd, and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised: but it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all: nothing remains, but They say, he is already in the forest that 1 kindle the boy thither, which now I'll of Arden, and a many merry men with him; go about. SCENE 11. A Lawn before the Duke's stone for always the dulness of the fool in the whetstone of his wits.-How now, wit f whither wander you? Palace. Enter ROSALIND and CELIA. Cel. I pray thee, Kosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. Ros. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless yon could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember auy extraordinary pleasure. Cel. Herein, I see, thou lovest me not with the full weight that I love thee: if my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. Ros. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. Cel. You know, my father hath no child but 1, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies, thou shalt be his heir: for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection; by mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster: therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. Ros. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports: let me see; What think you of falling in love? Cel. Marry, I pr'ythee, do, to make sport withal: but love no man in good earnest nor no further in sport neither, than with safety of a pure blash thou mayst in honour come off again. Ros. What shall be our sport then? Cel. Let us sit and mock the good housewife, Fortune, from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. Ros. I would, we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced: and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. Cel. 'Tis true: for those, that she makes fair, she scarce makes honest; and those, that she makes honest, she makes very ill-favour'dly. Ros. Nay, now thon goest from fortune's office to nature's: fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of nature. Enter TOUCHSTONE. Cel. No? When nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by fortune fall into the fre?-Though nature hath given us wit to font at fortune, hath not fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? Ros. Indeed, there is fortune too hard for nature; when fortane makes nature's natural the cutter off of nature's wit. Cel. Peradventure, this is not fortune's work neither, but nature's; who perceiving our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, bath sent this natural for our whet • Satire. Touch. Mistress, you must come away to your father. Cel. Were you made the messenger? bid to come for you. Touch. No, by mine honour; but I was Ros. Where learned you that oath, fool? Touch. Of a certain knight, that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and now, I'll stand to it, the pancakes were swore by his honour the mustard was nanght: naught, and the mustard was good; and yet was not the knight forsworn. heap of your knowledge? Ros. Ay, marry; now uamuzzle your wisdom. your chins, and swear by your beards that I Touch. Stand you both forth now: stroke am a knave. Cel. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. were: but if you swear by that that is not, Touch. By my knavery, if I had it, then I you are not fors worn: no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he bad, he had sworn it away, before ever he saw those pancakes or that mustard. Cel. Prythee, who is't that thon mean'st? Touch. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. Cel. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough speak no more of him; you'll be whip'd for taxation, one of these days. Touch. The more pity, that fools may not speak wisely, what wise inen do foolishly. Cel. By my troth, thou say'st true for silenced, the little foolery, that wise men since the little wit, that fools have, was have, makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. Enter LE BEAU. Cel. Which he will put on us, as pigeons feed their young. Ros. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. Le Beau. Fair princess, you have lost much good sport. Cel. Sport? Of what colour? Le Beau. What colour, madam? How shall I answer yon? Ros. As wit and fortune will. Touch. Or as the destinies decree. Cl. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. Touch. Nay, if I keep not my rank,- Le Beau. You amazet me, ladies: I would have told you ef good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. Ros. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. ↑ Perplex, confuse. Cel. I could match this beginning with an old tale. Le Beau. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence ;————~~ Ro. With bills on their necks,-Be it known unto all men by these presents,Le Bean. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of afe in him: so he served the second, and so the third: Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them, that all the beholders take his part with weeping. Res. Alas! Touch. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? Le Beau. Why, this that I speak of. Touch. Thus men may grow wiser every day! it is the first time that ever I heard, breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. Cel. Or F, I promise thee. Ros. But is there any else longs to see this oroken music in bis sides? is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking?-Shall we see this wrestling, consin? Le Beau. You must, if you stay here: for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. Cel. Yonder, sure, they are coming: Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter Duke FREDERICK, Lords, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and Attendants. Duke F. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his for wardness. Orl. No, fair princess; he is the general challenger: I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. Cel. Young gentieman, your spirits are too bold for your years: You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety, and give over this attempt. Ros. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be mprised: we will make it our suit to the duke, that the wrestling might not go forward. Örl. I beseech vou, punish me not with your hard thoughts; wherein I confess ine much guilty, to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes, and gentle wishes, go with me to my trial: wherein if I be foiled, there is but one shamed that was never gracions; if killed, but one dead that is willing to be so: I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. Ros. Is yonder the man? Duke F. How now, daughter, and cousin? leave. Kos. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. Duke F. You will take little delight in it, Cel. And mine, to eke out hers. Ros. Fare you well. Pray heaven, I be deceived in you! Cel. Your heart's desires be with you. Cha. Come, where is this young gallant, that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? Cel. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [CHARLES and ORLANDO wrestle. Ros. O excellent young man! Cel. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I I can tell yon, there is such odds in the men: can tell who should down. In pity of the challenger's youth, I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated: Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. Cel. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. Duke F. Do so; I'll not be by. rincesses cail for you. Orl. I attend them, with all respect and Ros. Young man, have you challenge' Charies the wrestler? [CHARLES is thrown. Shout. Duke F. No more, no more. Orl. Yes, I beseech your grace; I am not yet well breathed. Duke F. How dost thou, Charles? Le Beau. He cannot speak, my lord. Duke F. Bear him away. (CHARES is borne out.] What is thy name, young man? Orl. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of sir Rowland de Bois. Duke F. I would, thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father h›nourable, Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. I'll ask him what he would:-Did you call, [ence. I cannot speak to her, yet she urged confer- O poor Orlando! thon art overthrown; • Appellation. Le Beau. Neither his daughter, if we But yet, indeed, the shorter is his daughter: Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of SCENE III. A Room in the Palace. Ros. Not one to throw at a dog. Cel. No, thy words are too precions to be cast away upon curs, throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. Ros. Then there were two cousins laid up; when the one should be lamed with reasons, and the other mad without any. Cel. But is all this for your father? Cel. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. Ros. I could shake them off my coat; these burs are in my heart. Cel. Hem them away. Ros. I would try; if I could cry hem, and have him. Cel. Come, come, wrestle with thy affec tions. Ros. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. Cel. O, a good wish upon you! you will try in time, in despite of a fall.-But, turning these jests ont of service, let us talk in good earnest: Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old sit Rowland's youugest son? Ros. The duke my father loved bis father dearly. Doth it therefore ensue, that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase, I should Late him, for my father hated his father dearly, yet I hate not Orlando. Ros. No 'faith, hate him not, for my sake. + Turned out of her service. The object to dart at in martial Temper, disposition. exercises. Inveterately. |