2 Page. We are for you, fit i' the middle.

1 Page. Shall we clap into't roundly, without hawking, or fpitting, or faying we are hoarse, which are the only prologues to a bad voice?

2 Page, I'faith, i'faith, and both in a tune, like two gypfies on a horie.

SONG.

It was a lover and his lafs,

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
That o'er the green corn field did pafs

In the fpring time; the pretty spring time,
When birds do fing, hey ding a ding, ding,
Sweet lovers love the fpring.

And therefore take the prefent time,

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
For love is crowned with the prime,
In the fpring time, &c.

Between the acres of the rye,

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
Thefe pretty country-folks would ly,
In the fpring time, &c.

The carrol they began that hour,

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, How that a life was but a flower,

In the fpring time, &c.

Clo. Truly, young gentleman, though there was: no great matter in the ditty, yet the note was very untimeable. (26)

(26) Truly, young gentleman, though there was no great matter in the ditty, yet the note was very untunable.] Though it is thus in all the printed copies, it is evident, from the sequel of the dialogue, that the Poet wrote as I have reformed in the text, untimeable.

1 Page. You are deceived, Sir, we kept time, we loft not our time.

Clo. By my troth, yes: I count it but time loft to hear fuch a foolish fong. God b' w' you, and God mend your voices. Come, Audrey. [Exeunt.

SCENE changes to another part of the Foreft. Enter Duke Senior, AMIENS, JAQUES, ORLANDO, OLIVER, and CELIA.

Duke Sen. Doft thou believe, Orlando, that the Can do all this that he hath promised?

[boy Orla. I fometimes do believe, and fometimes do not, As thofe that fear they hope, and know they fear.

Enter ROSALIND, SILVIUS, and PHEBE.

Ref. Patience once more, whiles our compact is urged:

You fay, if I bring in your Rofalind, [To the Duke. You will beftow her on Orlando here?

Duke Sen. That would I, had I kingdoms to give

with her.

Rof. And you fay you will have her when I bring her? [To Orlando. Orla. That would I, were I of all kingdoms king. Rof. You fay you'll marry me if I be willing. [To Phebe. Phe. That will I, fhould I die the hour after. Rof. But if you do refufe to marry me, You'll give yourself to this most faithful shepherd. Phe. So is the bargain.

Ref. You fay that you'll have Phebe if fhe will? [To Silvius. Sil. Tho' to have her and death were both one

thing.

Rof. I've promifed to make all this matter even; VOL. IV.

P

Keep you your word, O Duke, to give your daughter;
You yours, Orlando, to receive his daughter;
Keep your word, Phebe, that you'll marry me,.
Or elfe, refufing me, to wed this fhepherd;
Keep your word, Silvius, that you'll marry her,
If the refufes me; and from hence I go

To make thefe doubts all even.

[Exeunt Rofalind and Celia. Duke Sen. I do remember in this fhepherd boy Some lively touches of my daughter's favour. Orla. My Lord, the first time that I ever faw him Methought he was a brother to your daughter; But, my good Lord, this boy is forest-born, And hath been tutored in the rudiments Of many defperate studies by his uncle, Whom he reports to be a great magician, Obfcured in the circle of this foreft.

Enter Clown and AUDREY.

Jaq. There is, fure, another flood toward, and

thefe couples are coming to the ark.

Here come a

pair of very strange beaits, which in all tongues are called fools.

This

Clo. Salutation and greeting to you all. Jaq. Good my Lord, bid him welcome. is the motley-minded gentleman that I have fo often met in the foreft: he hath been a courtier, he fwears.

Clo. If any man doubt that, let him put me to my purgation; I have trod a measure, I have flattered a lady; I have been politic with my friend, fmooth with mine enemy, I have undone three tailors, I have had four quarrels, and like to have fought one.

Jaq. And how was that ta'en up?

Clo. 'Faith we met, and found the quarrel was upon the feventh caufe.

Jaq. How the feventh caufe? good my Lord, like this fellow.

Duke Sen. I like him very well.

Clo. God'ild you, Sir, I defire you of the like: I prefs in here, Sir, amongst the rest of the country copulatives, to fwear, and to forfwear, according as marriage binds, and blood breaks: a poor virgin, Sir, an ill-favoured thing, Sir, but mine own: a poor humour of mine, Sir, to take that that no one else will. Rich honefty dwells like a miser, Sir, in a poor houfe, as your pearl in your foul oyiter.

Duke Sen. By my faith he is very swift and fententious.

Clo. According to the fool's bolt, Sir, and fuch dulcet difeafes.

Jaq. But for the seventh cause; how did you find the quarrel on the feventh caufe?

Clo. Upon a lie feven times removed; (bear your body more feeming, Audrey) as thus, Sir; I did diflike the cut of a certain courtier's beard; he sent me word, if I faid his beard was not cut well, he was in the mind it was. This is called the retort courteous. If I fent him word again it was not well cut, he would fend me word he cut it to please himself. This is called the quip modeft. If again, it was not well cut, he difabled my judgment. This is called the reply churlifh. If again, it was not well cut, he would answer, I spake not true. This is called the reproof valiant. If again, it was not well cut, he would fay, I lie. This is called the countercheck quarrelfome; and fo the lie circumftantial, and the lie direct.

Jaq. And how oft did you fay his beard was not

well cut?

Clo. I durft go no farther than the lie circum

ftantial; nor he durft not give me the lie direct; and fo we meafured fwords and parted.

Jaq. Can you nominate in order now the degrees of the lie?

Clo. O, Sir, we quarrel in print, by the book; as you have books for good manners (27). I will name you the degrees. The first, the retort cour~: teous; the fecond, the quip modeft; the third, the reply churlish; the fourth, the reproof valiant; the fifth, the countercheck quarrelfome; the fixth, the lie with circumftance; the feventh, the lie direct. All thefe you may avoid, but the lie direct; and you may avoid that too, with an if. I knew when feven juftices could not take up a quarrel; but when the parties were met themselves, one of them thought but of an if; as, if you faid fo, then I faid fo; and they fhook hands, and fwore brothers.. Your if is the only peace-maker; much virtue in if Jaq. Is not this a rare fellow, my Lord? he's good at any thing, and yet a fool.

Duke Sen. He ufes his folly like a ftalking horfe, and under the presentation of that he fhoots his wit.

(27) O, Sir, we quarrel in print, by the book; as you have books for good manners,] The Poet, throughout this fcene, has, with great humour and addrefs, rallied the mode, so prevailing in his time, of formal duelling. Nor could he treat it with a happier contempt, than by making his Clown fo knowing in all its forms and preliminaries. It was in Queen Elizabeth's reign, that puthing with the rapier or fmall fword was first practifed in England: and the boi fterous gallants fell into the fashion with fo much zeal, that they did not content themselves with practifing at the fword in the fchools; but they ftudied the theory of the art, the grounding of quarrels, and the procefs of giving and receiving challenges, from Lewis de Caranza's treatise of fencing, Vicentio Saviola's practice of the rapier and dagger, and Giacomo Di Graff's art of defence with many other inftructions upon the several branches of the science.