DUKE. FREDERICK, brother to the Duke, and ufurper. AMIENS, Lords attending upon the Duke in his banishJAQUES, ment. LE BEU, a courtier attending upon Frederick. JAQUES, ORLANDO, Younger brothers to Oliver. ADAM, an old fervant of Sir Rowland de Boys. TOUCHSTONE, a clown. WILLIAM, in love with Audrey. Sir OLIVER MAR-TEXT, a country curate. ROSALIND, daughter to the Duke. CELIA, daughter to Frederick. PHEBE, a fhepherdess. AUDREY, a country wench. Lords belonging to the two Dukes with pages, fresters, and other attendants. The SCENE lies, firft, near Oliver's house; and, afterwards, partly in the Duke's court; and parly in the forest of Arden. AS YOU LIKE IT. A ACT I. SCENE I. OLIVER'S orchard. Enter Orlando and Adam. SI remember, ORLANDO. Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me. By will, but a poor thousand crowns; and, as thou fay'ft, charged my brother on his bleffing to breed me well. And there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at fchool, and report fpeaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me ruftically at home; or, to speak more properly, fties 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 horfes are bred better; for befides 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. Befides this Nothing that he fo plentifully gives me, the Something that nature gave me, his countenance 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 lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the fpirit of my father, which, I think, is within me, begins to mutiny against this fervitude. I will no longer endure it, tho' yet I know no wife remedy how to avoid it. SCENE II. Enter Oliver. ADAM. Yonder comes my mafter, your brother. ORLA. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will fhake me up. OLI. Now, Sir, what make ye 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 idleness. OLI. Marry, Sir, be better employ'd, and be nought a while. ORLA. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? what prodigal's portion have I spent, that I fhould come to fuch penury? OLI. Know you where you are, Sir? ORLA. O, Sir, very well; here in your Orchard. OLI. Know you before whom, Sir? ORLA. Ay, better than he, I am before, knows me. I know, you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you fhould fo know me. The courtesy of nations 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 confefs your coming before me iş nearer to his reverence. OLI. What, boy! [menacing with his hand. ORLA. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this. [collaring him. OLI. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORLA. I am no villain: I am the youngest fon of Sir Rowland de Boys; he was my father, and he is thrice a villain, that fays, fuch a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat, 'till this other had pulled out thy tongue for faying fo; thou haft rail'd on thyself. 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 fhall hear me→→ My father charged you in his will to give me good education; you have train'd me up like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows ftrong in me, and I will no longer endure it: therefore allow me fuch 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 some 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 master, he would not have spoke fuch a word. [Exit Orla. and Adam. SCENE III. OLI. Is it even fo? Begin you to grow upon me?. |