DUKE. FREDERICK, brother to the Duke, and ufurper of bis duke.. dom. AMIENS, Lords attending upon the Duke in bis banishJAQUES, 5. ment: LE BEU, a courtier attending on Frederick. OLIVER, eldest fon to Sir Rowland de Boys, who had for merly been a fervant to the Duke. JAQUES, Younger brothers ξ ORLANDO, S to Oliver. ADAM, an old fervant of Sir Rowland de Boys, now fol A lowing the fortunes of Orlando, DENNIS, fervant to Oliver. CHARLES, a wrestler, and fervant to the ufurping Duke Frederick. TOUCHSTONE, a clown attending on Celia and Rosalind. CORIN, SYLVIUS, S Shepherds. A clown, in love with Audrey. WILLIAM, another clown, in love with Audrey. Sir OLIVER MAR-TEXT, a country curate. ROSALIND, daughter to the Duke. CELIA, daughter to Frederick. PHEBE, a shepherdess. AUDREY, a country wench. Lords belonging to the two Dukes, with pages, foresters, and other attendants. The SCENE lyes first near Oliver's house, and afterwards partly in the Duke's court, and partly in the foreft of Arden. As AS YOU LIKE IT. Orla. ACT I. SCENE İ. A S I remember, Adam, it was upon this my father bequeath'd me by will but a poor thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother on his bleffing to breed me well; and there begins my fadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report Ipeaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me ruftically 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 his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this no thing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his discountenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and, as much as in him lyes, 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 en dure it, tho' yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. A 3 SCENE SCENE II. Enter Oliver. Adam. Yonder comes my master, your brother. Orla. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. Oli. Now, Sir, what make you here? Orla. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing. : Orla. Marry, Sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idlenefs. Oli. Marry, Sir, be better employ'd, and do aught a while. Orla. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? what prodigal's portion have I spent, that I should come to such penury? Oli. Know you where you are, Sir? Orla. O, Sir, very well; here in your orchard. A ۱ I Orla. Ay, better than he I am before knows me. know you are my eldest brother, and in the gentle condition of blood you should so know me: the courtefie of mations allows you my better, in that you are the first born; but the fame tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me, as you; albeit, I confess you coming before me are nearer to his revenue. Oli. What, boy! Orla. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? Orla. I am no villain: I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys; he was my father, and he is thrice a villain that says fuch a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat, 'till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying so; thou haft rail'd on thy felf. Adam. Sweet mafters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. Oli. Let me go, I say.. Orla. I will not 'till I please: you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you you have train'd me up like a peasant, obfcuring and his ding me from 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 teftament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. Oli. And what wilt thou do? beg when that is spent? well, Sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you: you shall have fome part of your will. I pray you, leave me. Orla. I will no further offend you than becomes me for my good. Oli. Get you with him, you old dog. Adam. Is old dog my reward? most true, I have loft my teeth in your service. God be with my old mafter, he would not have spoke such a word. : [Exeunt Orlando and Adam. SCENE III. Oli. Is it even so? begin you to grow upon me? I will physick your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis! Enter Dennis. Den. Calls your worship? Oli. Was not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak. with me? Den. So please you, he is here at the door, and importunes access to you. Oli. Call him in; - 'twill be a good way; and tomorrow the wrestling is. Enter Charles. Cha. Good morrow to your worship. Oli. Good Monfieur Charles, what's the new news at the new court? Cha. There's no news at the court, Sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banish'd by his younger brother the new Duke, and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke, therefore he gives them good leave to wander. Oli. Can you tell if Rosalind, the old Duke's daughter, be banish'd with her father? Cha. O, no; for the new Duke's daughter her coufin so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter, and never two ladies loved as they do. Oli. Where will the old Duke live? Cha. They fay, he is already in the forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England; they say, many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelesly, as they did in the golden world. Oli. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? Cha. Marry do I, Sir, and I come to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, Sir, secretly to understand, that your younger brother Orlando hath a disposition to come in disguis'd againft me to try a fall; to-morrow, Sir, I wreftle for my credit, and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender, and for your love I would be loth to foil him, as I must for mine 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 againft my will. Oli. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. I had my self notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I tell thee, Charles, he is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother; therefore use thy difcretion; 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 flight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by |