Enter Corin. years old, conversed with a magician, most pro found in this art, and yet not damnable. If you Cor. Our master and mistress seek you; come, do love Rosalind so near the heart as your gesture away, away. cries it out, when your brother marries Aliena, shall Touch. Trip, Audrey, trip, Audrey ;-I attend, you marry her: I know into what straits of fortune [Exeunt. she is driven; and it is not impossible to me, if it I attend. SCENE II.-The same. Enter Orlando and appear not inconvenient to you, to set her before your eyes to-morrow, human as she is, and without any danger. Oliver. Orl. Is't possible, that on so little acquaintance Orl. Speakest thou in sober meanings? you should like her? that, but seeing, you should Ros. By my life, I do; which I tender dearly, love her? and, loving, woo? and, wooing, she though I say I am a magician: Therefore, put you should grant? and will you perséver to enjoy her? in your best array, bid1 your friends; for if you Oli. Neither call the giddiness of it in question, will be married to-morrow, you shall; and to the poverty of her, the small acquaintance, my sud- Rosalind, if you will. den wooing, nor her sudden consenting; but say with me, I love Aliena; say with her, that she Enter Silvius and Phebe. hers. loves me; consent with both, that we may enjoy Look, here comes a lover of mine, and a lover of each other: it shall be to your good; for my father's house, and all the revenue that was old sir Rowland's, will I estate upon you, and here live and die a shepherd. Orl. It is my arm. Ros. I thought thy heart had been wounded with the claws of a lion. Orl. Wounded it is, but with the eyes of a lady. Ros. Did your brother tell you how I counterfeited to swoon, when he showed me your handkerchief? Orl. Ay, and greater wonders than that. Ros. O,I know where you are:-Nay, 'tis true: there was never any thing so sudden, but the fight of two rams, and Cæsar's thrasonical brag of I came, saw, and overcame: For your brother and my sister no sooner met, but they looked; no sooner looked, but they loved; no sooner loved, but! they sighed; no sooner sighed, but they asked one another the reason; no sooner knew the reason, but they sought the remedy; and in these degrees have they made a pair of stairs to marriage, which they will climb incontinent, or else be incontinent before marriage: they are in the very wrath of love, and they will together; clubs cannot part them. Phe. Youth, you have done me much ungentle ness, To show the letter that I writ to you. Ros. I care not, if I have: it is my study, Sil. It is to be all made of sighs and tears ;- . Phe. And I for Ganymede. Ros. And I for no woman. Sil. It is to be all made of faith and service ;- Phe. And I for Ganymede. Sil. It is to be all made of phantasy, Phe. And so am I for Ganymede. Sil. If this be so, why blame you me to love you? Orl. If this be so, why blame you me to love you? Ros. Who do you speak to, Why blame you me to love you? Orl. They shall be married to-morrow; and I Orl. To her, that is not here, nor doth not hear. will bid the duke to the nuptial. But, O, how bit- Ros. Pray you, no more of this; 'tis like the ter a thing it is to look into happiness through an-howling of Irish wolves against the moon.-I will other man's eyes! By so much the more shall I to-help you, [To Silvius.] if I can:-I would love morrow be at the height of heart-heaviness, by how you, To Phebe.] if I could.-To-morrow meet me much I shall think my brother happy, in having all together.-I will marry you, [To Phebe.] if ever what he wishes for. I marry woman, and I'll be married to-morrow:Ros. Why then, to-morrow I cannot serve your I will satisfy you, [To Orlando.] if ever I satisfied turn for Rosalind? man, and you shall be married to-morrow :-I Orl. I can live no longer by thinking. will content you, [To Silvius.] if what pleases Ros. I will weary you no longer then with idle you contents you, and you shall be married totalking. Know of me then (for now I speak to morrow.-As you [To Orlando.] love Rosalind, some purpose,) that I know you are a gentleman meet;-as you [To Silvius.] love Phebe, meet; of good conceit: I speak not this, that you should And as I love no woman, I'll meet.-So, fare you bear a good opinion of my knowledge, insomuch, well; I have left you commands. I say, I know you are; neither do I labour for a greater esteem than may in some little measure draw a belief from you, to do yourself good, and not to grace me. Believe then, if you please, that I can do strange things; I have, since I was threel Nor I. Sil. I'll not fail, if I live. (1) Invite, Nor I. [Exe SCENE III.-The same. Enter Touchstone and Touch. To-morrow is the joyful day, Audrey; to-morrow will we be married. Aud. I do desire it with all my heart: and I hope it is no dishonest desire, to desire to be a woman of the world. Here comes two of the banished duke's pages. Enter two Pages. Touch. Truly, young gentlemen, though there was no great matter in the ditty, yet the note was very untunable, 1 Page. You are deceived, sir; we kept time, we lost not our time. Touch. By my troth, yes; I count it but time! lost to hear such a foolish song. God be with you; and God mend your voices!-Come, Audrey." Ros. And you say, you will have her, when 1 Phe. That will I, should I die the hour after. will? Ros. You say, that you'll have Phebe, if she [To Silvius. Sil. Though to have her and death were both one thing. Ros. I have promis'd to make all this matter Keep you your word, O duke, to give your daugh even. ter: You yours, Orlando, to receive his daughter:— [Exeunt Ros. and Cel. Enter Touchstone and Audrey. Jaq. There is, sure, another flood toward, and these couples are coming to the ark! Here comes a pair of very strange beasts, which in all tongues are called fools. Touch. Salutation and greeting to you all! Jaq. Good my lord, bid him welcome; This is the motley-minded gentleman, that I have so often met in the forest: he hath been a courtier, he swears. Touch. If any man doubt that, let him put me to my purgation. I have trod a measure;2 I have flattered a lady; I have been politic with my friend, smooth 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? Touch. Faith, we met, and found the quarrel was upon the seventh cause. [Exeunt. this fellow. Jaq. How seventh cause? Good my lord, like Duke S. I like him very well. SCENE IV-Another part of the Forest. Enter Touch. God 'ild you, sir; I desire you of the Duke senior, Amiens, Jaques, Orlando, Oliver, like. I press in here, sir, amongst the rest of the and Celia. country copulatives, to swear, and to forswear; acDuke S. Dost thou believe, Orlando, that the boy cording as marriage binds, and blood breaks:-A Can do all this that he hath promised? poor virgin, sir, an ill-favoured thing, sir, but mine Orl. I sometimes do believe, and sometimes do own; a poor humour of mine, sir, to take that that no man else will: Rich honesty dwells like a miser, As those that fear they hope, and know they fear. sir, in a poor house; as your pearl, in your foul not; Enter Rosalind, Silvius, and Phebe. Ros. Patience once more, whiles our compact is You say, if I bring in your Rosalind, [To the Duke, (1) A married woman, oyster. Duke S. By my faith, he is very swift and sen tentious. Touch. According to the fool's bolt, sir, and such dulcet diseases. Jaq. But, for the seventh cause; how did you find the quarrel on the seventh cause? Touch. Upon a lic seven times removed;-Bear (2) A stately solemn dance, vour body more seeming,' Audrey:-as thus, sir., did dislike the cut of a certain courtier's beard: he sent me word, if I said his beard was not cut well, he was in the mind it was: This is called the relort courteous. If I sent him word again, it was not well cut, he would send me word, he cut it to please himself: This is called the quip modest. If again, it was not well cut, he disabled my judgment: This is called the reply churlish. It 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 say, I lie: This is called the countercheck quarrelsome: and so to the lie circumstantial, and the lie direct. Jaq. And how oft did you say, his beard was not well cut? Touch. I durst go no further than the lie circum-】 stantial, nor he durst not give me the lie direct; and] so we measured swords, and parted. Jaq. Can you nominate in order now the degrees of the lie? Wedding is great Juno's crown; O blessed bond of board and bed! High wedlock then be honoured: Duke S. O my dear niece, welcome thou art to me, Enter Jaques de Bois. [To Silvius. Touch. O, sir, we quarrel in print, by the book; as you have books for good manners: I will name you the degrees. The first, the retort courteous; the second, the quip modest; the third, the reply churlish; the fourth, the reproof valiant; the fifth, the countercheck quarrelsome; the sixth, the lic Thy faith my fancy to thee doth combine.3 with circumstance; the seventh, the lie direct. All these you may avoid, but the lie direct; and you may avoid that too, with an if. I knew when seven justices could not take up a quarrel; but when the parties were met themselves, one of them thought but of an if, as, if you said so, then I said so; and I am the second son of old sir Rowland, they shook hands, and swore brothers. Your if, is the only peace-maker; much virtue in if. Jaq. Is not this a rare fellow, my lord? he's as good at any thing, and yet a fool. Duke S. He uses his folly like a stalking-horse, and under the presentation of that, he shoots his wit. Enter Hymen, leading Rosalind in woman's clothes; and Celia. Still music. Hym. Then is there mirth in heaven, Good duke, receive thy daughter, That thou might'st join her hand with his, Ros. To you I give myself, for I am yours. Orl. If there be truth in sight, you are my Rosalind. Phe. If sight and shape be true, Why then, my love, adieu! Ros. I'll have no father, if you be not he :- I'll have no husband, if you be not he:- Hym. Peace, ho! I bar confusion: If truth holds true contents. (1) Seemly, (2) Unless truth fails of veracity, Jaq. de B. Let me have audience for a word or That bring these tidings to this fair assembly- Duke S. Play, music;-and you brides and bridegrooms all, Jaq. To him will I: out of these convertites [To Duke S. Your patience, and your virtue, well deserves it :You [To Orlando.] to a love, that your true faith doth merit: 3) Bind, You [To Oliver.] to your land, and love, and great not become me; my way is, to conjure you; and allies:I'll begin with the women. Icharge you, women, You [To Silvius.] to a long and well-deserved for the love you bear to men, to like as much of bed: this play as please them: and so I charge you, O And you [To Touchstone.] to wrangling; for thy men, for the love you bear to women, (as I perceive loving voyage by your simpering, none of you hate them,) that Is but for two months victuall'd:-So to your plea-between you and the women, the play may please. sures; I am for other than for dancing measures. [Exit. Duke S. Proceed, proceed: we will begin these rites, And we do trust they'll end in true delights. EPILOGUE. [A dance. If I were a woman, I would kiss as many of you Of this play the fable is wild and pleasing. I know not how the ladies will approve the facility with which both Rosalind and Celia give away Ros. It is not the fashion to see the lady the epi- their hearts. To Celia much may be forgiven, for logue: but it is no more unhandsome, than to see the heroism of her friendship. The character of the lord the prologue. If it be true, that good wine Jaques is natural and well preserved. The comic needs no bush, 'tis true, that a good play needs no dialogue is very sprightly, with less mixture of low epilogue: Yet to good wine they do use good buffoonery than in some other plays; and the graver bushes; and good plays prove the better by the part is elegant and harmonious. By hastening to help of good epilogues. What a case am I in then, the end of this work, Shakspeare suppressed the that am neither a good epilogue, nor cannot insi-dialogue between the usurper and the hermit, and nuate with you in the behalf of a good play? I am lost an opportunity of exhibiting a moral lesson, in not furnished' like a beggar, therefore to beg will which he might have found matter worthy of his highest powers. ! (1) Dressed. (2) That I liked. JOHNSON. |