SCENE, at first, near Oliver's House; afterwards, in the Usurper's Court,

and in the Forest of Arden.

Orl. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion, he bequeathed me by will but poor a1 thousand crowns; and,

1 Such was the usage of the time. We have like forms of speech in good my lord, sweet my coz, gentle my brother, dear my sister, and many others."On his blessing," in the next line, means as the condition of his blessing.

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as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques 2 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,3 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 nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that Nature gave me his countenance 4 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 5 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 avoid it.

2 Shakespeare and other dramatists of his time use Jaques as a dissyllable, and, wherever the name occurs in their verse, the metre requires it to be pronounced so.

3 Manage was used for the training, breaking, or educating of a horse to obey the hand and voice.

4 Countenance, here, is treatment or entertainment. Well explained in Selden's Table Talk: "The old law was, that when a man was fined, he was to be fined salvo contenemento, so as his countenance might be safe; taking countenance in the same sense as your countryman does when he says, if you will come to my house, I will show you the best countenance I can; that is, not the best face, but the best entertainment."

5 Mines for undermines, and gentility for noble birth. So that the meaning is, "What an honourable parentage has done for me, he strives to undo by base breeding."

Adam. Yonder comes my master, your brother.

Orl. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will

shake me up.

Enter OLIVER.

[ADAM retires.

Oli. Now, sir! what make you here?6

Orl. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing.
Oli. What mar you then, sir?

7

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 employed, and be naught a while ! 8

Orl. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal's portion9 have I spent, that I should come to such penury?

Oli. Know you where you are, sir?

Orl. O, sir, very well: here in your orchard.

Oli. Know you before whom, 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 me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the first-born; 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

6 "What make you here?" is old language for “what are you doing here?" A very frequent usage.

7 Marry was used a good deal in colloquial language as a petty oath or intensive; something like the Latin heracle and edepol. This use of marry sprang from a custom of swearing by St. Mary the Virgin.

8 Be naught, or go and be naught, was formerly a petty execration between anger and contempt, which has been supplanted by others, as be hanged, be cursed, &c.; awhile, or the while, was added merely to round the phrase. 9 The allusion to the parable of the Prodigal Son is obvious enough.

you; albeit, I confess, your coming before me is nearer to his reverence." 10

Oli. What, boy!

Orl. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this.11 Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?

Orl. I am no villain: I am the youngest son of Sir Roland de Bois; he was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such 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 hast rail'd on thyself.

for

Adam. [Coming forward.] Sweet masters, be patient: your father's remembrance, be at accord.

Oli. Let me go, I say.

My

Orl. I will not, till I please: you shall hear me. father charged you in his will to give me good education : you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities.12 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 13 my father left me by testament; 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;

10 Nearer to him in the right of that reverence which was his due.

11 The word boy naturally provokes and awakens in Orlando the sense of his manly powers; and, with the retort of elder brother, he grasps him with firm hands, and makes him feel he is no boy. So in Lodge's story: "Though I am eldest by birth, yet, never having attempted any deeds of arms, I am youngest to perform any martial exploits."

12 Qualities here probably means pursuits or occupations; thus according with exercises a little after. The Poet often uses quality so.

13 Allottery is portion; that which is allotted.

you shall have some part of your will: I pray you, leave

me.

Orl. 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 lost my teeth in your service. — God be with my old master! he would not have spoke such a word.

[Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM. Oli. Is it even so? begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, 14 and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Denis!

Enter DENIS.

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. [Exit DENIS.]— 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is.

Enter CHARLES.

Cha. Good morrow to your Worship.

Oli. Good morrow, Monsieur Charles. What's the new news at the new Court?

Cha. There's no news at the new Court, sir, but the old news that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke; and three or four loving lords have

14 Rankness is overgrowth, or having too much blood in him. Oliver's thought is, that Orlando is growing too big for his station, and so needs to be taken down. The Poet repeatedly uses to physic for to heal.