SCENE VI.

Flourish. Enter Duke Frederick, Lords, Orlando, Charles, and Attendants.

Duke. Come on, fince the youth will not be entreated; his own peril on his forwardness.

Rof. Is yonder the man?

Le Beu. Even he, Madam.

Cel. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks fuccefsfully. Duke. How now, daughter and coufin; are you crept hither to see the wrestling?

Rof. Ay, my liege, fo please you give us leave.

Duke. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is fuch odds in the men; in pity of the challenger's youth, I would fain diffuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies, fee if you can move him. Cel. Call him hither, good Monfieur Le Beu. Duke. Do fo; I'll not be by.

Le Beu, Monfieur the challenger, the Princefs calls for you.

Orla. I attend her with all refpect and duty.

Rof.Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? Orla. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger I come but as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth.

Cel. Young gentleman, your fpirits are too bold for your years: you have feen cruel proof of this man's ftrength. If you faw yourself with our eyes, or knew your self with our judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprife. We pray you for your own fake to embrace your own safety, and give over this attempt.

Rof. Do, young Sir, your reputation fhall not therefore be mifprifed; we will make it our fuit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward.

Orla. I beseech you punifh me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confefs me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my tryal, wherein if I be foil'd, there is but one fham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be fo; I fhall do my friends Vos. III.

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no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fiII up a place, which may be better fupply'd when I have made it empty.

Ref. The little ftrength that I have, I would it were with you.

Cel. And mine to eek out hers.

Rof. Fare you well; pray heav'n I be deceiv'd in you. Orla. Your heart's defires be with you!

Cha, Come, where is this young gallant, that is fo defirous to lye with his mother earth?

Orla. Ready, Sir; but his will hath in it a more modeft working.

Duke. You fhall try but one fall.

Cha. No, I warrant your Grace you shall not entreat him to a fecond, that have fo mightily perfuaded him from a first. Orla. You mean to mock me after; you fhould not have mockt before; but come your ways.

Rof. Now Hercules be thy fpeed, young man!

Cel. I would I were invifible, to catch the ftrong fellow by the leg! [They wrefile.

Rof. O excellent young man!

Cel. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell whe fhould down.

Duke. No more, no more.

[Shout. [Charles is thrown. Orla. Yes, I befeech your Grace; I am not yet well breathed.

Duke. How doft thou do, Charles 2

Le Beu. He cannot fpeak, my Lord.

Duke. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man ? Orla. Orlando, my liege, the youngest fon of Sir Rozuland de Boys.

Duke. I would thou hadst been fon to fome man elfe 3 The world efteem'd thy father honourable,

But I did find him ftill mine enemy;

Thou shouldft have better pleas'd me with this deed,
Hadft thou defcended from another house.
But fare thee well, thou art a gallant youth,
I would thou hadst told me of another father.

[Exit Duke with bis Train.
SCENE

SCENE VII,

Cel. Were I my father, coz, would I do this?
Orla. I am moft proud to be Sir Rowland's fon,
His youngest son, and would not change that calling
To be adopted heir to Frederick.

Rof. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his foul,
And all the world was of my father's mind:
Had I before known this young man his son,
I fhould have giv'n him tears unto entreaties,
Ere he fhould thus have ventur'd.

Cel. Gentle coufin,

Let us go thank him, and encourage him;
My father's rough and envious difpofition
Sticks at my heart. Sir, you have well deferv'd
you do keep your promifes in love

If

But juftly, as you've here exceeded promise,
Your mistress fhall be happy.

Rof. Gentleman,

Wear this for me, one out of fuits with fortune,

That would give more, but that her hand lacks means.

Shall we go, coz ?

[Giving bim a chain from ber neck,

Cel. Ay; fare you well, fair gentleman.

Orla. Can I not fay, I thank you? my better parts Are all thrown down, and that which here ftands up Is but a quintain, a meer lifelefs block.

Rof. He calls us back: my pride fell with my fortunes I'll afk him what he would. Did you call, Sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies.

Cel. Will you go, coz?

Rof. Have with you: fare you well. [Exe. Rof, amd Cela Orla, What paffion hangs thefe weights upon my tongue? I cannot fpeak to her; yet the urg'd conference.

Enter Le Beu.

poor Orlando! thou art overthrown;

Or Charles, or fomething weaker, masters thee.

Le Beu. Good Sir, I do in friendship counsel you
To leave this place: albeit you have deferv'd
High commendation, true applaufe, and love;
Yet fuch is now the Duke's condition,

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That

That he mifconftrues all that you have done.
The Duke is humorous; what he is indeed
More fuits you to conceive, than me to speak of.
Orla. I thank you, Sir; and pray you, tell me this;
Which of the two was daughter of the Duke,
That here were at the wrestling?

Le Beu. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners;
But yet indeed the fhorter is his daughter;
The other's daughter to the banish'd Duke,
And here detained by her ufurping uncle
To keep his daughter company; whofe loves
Are dearer than the natural bond of fifters.
But I can tell you, that of late this Duke
Hath ta'en difpleasure 'gainst his gentle neice,
Grounded upon no other argument,

But that the people praise her for her virtues,
And pity her for her good father's fake;
And on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady
Will fuddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well;
Hereafter in a better world than this

[Exit,

I fhall defire more love and knowledge of you.
Orla. I reft much bounden to you: fare you well!
Thus must I from the smoke into the fmother;
From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother:
But, heav'nly Rofalind!

[Exit,

SCENE VIII. Re-enter Celia and Rofalind. Cel. Why, coufin, why, Rofalind; Cupid have mercy, not a word!

Rof. Not one to throw at a dog.

Cel. No, thy words are too precious to be caft away upon curs, throw fome of them at me; come, lame me with reafons.

Rof. Then there were two coufins laid up, when the one fhould be lam'd with reasons, and the other mad without any.

Cel. But is all this for your father?

Rof. No, fome of it is for my father's child. Oh, how full of briers is this working-day-world!

Cel. They are but burs, coufin, thrown upon thee in

holiday

holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them.

Rof. I could fake them off my coat; these burs are in my heart.

Cel. Hem them away.

Rof. I would try, if I could cry hem, and have him.
Cel. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections.

Rof. O, they take the part of a better wreftler than my felf. Cel: O, a good with upon you! you will try in time in defpight of a fall; but turning these jefts out of fervice let us talk in good earneft: is it poffible on fuch a fudden you fhould fall into fo ftrong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest fon?

Rof. The Duke my father lov'd his father dearly.

Cel. Doth it therefore enfue that you fhould love his fon dearly? by this kind of chase I fhould hate him; for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. Rof. No, faith; hate him not, for my fake. Cel. Why fhould I? doth he not deferve well?

SCENE IX: Enter Duke with Lords; Rof. Let me love him for that; and do you love him, becaufe I do. Look, here comes the Duke.

Cel. With his eyes full of anger.

Duke. Miftrefs, dispatch you with your safest hafte, And get you from our court.

Rof. Me, uncle !

Duke. You:

Within these ten days if that thou beft found
So near our publick court as twenty miles,
Thou dieft for it.

Let

Rof. I do befeech your Grace,

me the knowledge of my fault bear with mes If with my felf I hold intelligence,

Or have acquaintance with my own defires,
If that I do not dream, or be not frantick,
As I do truft I am not; then, dear uncle,
Never so much as in a thought unborn`
Did I offend your Highness.

Dukes Thus do all traitors;
If their purgation did confift in words,

B 3

They