36

Cor.

then it will be the earliest fruit i'th' country ou'll be rotten ere you be half ripe, and that's the fght virtue of the medler.

Clo. You have faid; but whether wifely or no, let the foreft judge.

SCENE V. Enter Celia with a writing. Rof. Peace, here comes my fifter reading, ftand afide. Cel. Why Should this a defert be?

For it is unpeopled.

No;
Tongues I'll bang on every tree,
That fhall civil fayings fhor.
Some, bow brief the life of man
Runs bis erring pilgrimage,

That the firetching of a Span
Buckles in bis fum of age;

Some of violated vows,

"Twixt the fouls of friend and friend;

But upon the fairest boughs,

Or at every fentence end,

Will I Rofalinda write;

Teaching all that read to know
This quinteffence of every Sprite,
Heaven would in little fhow.
Therefore beaven nature charg'd,
That one body should be fill'd
With all graces wide enlarg'd;
Nature prefently diftill'd
Helen's cheeks, but not her heart,
Cleopatra's majefty;

Atalanta's better part,

Sad Lucretia's modefty.

Thus Rofalind of many parts

By beav'nly fynod was devis'd,

Of many faces, eyes and hearts,

To bave the touches deareft priz'd.

Heav'n would that fhe thefe gifts should bave,

And I to live and die ber flave.

Rof. O moft gentle Jupiter! what tedious homily of love have you wearied your parishioners withal, and never cry'd, have patience, good people?

Col.

Cel. How now, back-friends! fhepherd, go off a little: go with him, firrah.

Clo.Come, fhepherd, let us make an honourable retreat, tho' not with bag and baggage, yet with fcrip and fcrippage. [Exe. Cor. and Clown.

SCENE VI.

Cel. Didft thou hear these verses?

Rof. O yes, I heard them all, and more too; for fome of them had in them more feet than the verses would bear, Cel. That's no matter; the feet might bear the verses. Rof. Ay, but the feet were lame, and could not bear themselves without the verfe, and therefore ftood lamely in the verse.

Cel. But didft thou hear without wondering, how thy name fhould be hang'd and carv'd upon these trees?

Rof. I was feven of the nine days out of wonder, before you came for look here what I found on a palm-tree: I was never so be-rhimed fince Pythagoras's time, that I was an Irish rat, which I can hardly remember. Cel. Trow you who hath done this?

Rof. Is it a man?

Cel. And a chain, that you once wore, about his neck: Change you colour?

Rof. I pr'ythee, who?

Cel. O Lord, Lord, it is a hard matter for friends to meet ; but mountains may be removed with earthquakes, and fo encounter.

Rof. Nay, but who is it?

Cel. Is it poffible?

Rof. Nay, I pr'ythee now, with moft petitionary vehemence, tell me who it is.

Cel. O wonderful, wonderful, and moft wonderful wonderful, and yet again wonderful, and after that out of all hooping

Rof. Odd's, my complexion! doft thou think, though I am caparifon'd like a man, I have a doublet and a hose in my difpofition? one inch of delay more is a fouth-sea off difcovery. I pr'ythee, tell me, who is it? quickly, and fpeak apace; I would thou could'ft ftammer, that thou might't pour this concealed man out of thy mouth, as D 2

wine

wine comes out of a narrow-mouth'd bottle; either too much at once, or none at all. I pr'ythee, take the cork out of thy mouth, that I may drink thy tidings.

Cel. So you may put a man in your belly.

Rof. Is he of God's making? what manner of man? is his head worth a hat? or his chin worth a beard? Cel. Nay, he hath but a little beard.

ร

Rof. Why, God will fend more, if the man will be thankful; let me ftay the growth of his beard,if thoú de lay me not the knowledge of his chin.

Cel. It is young Orlando, that tripp'd up the wrestler's heels and your heart both in an inftant.

Rof. Nay, but the devil take mocking; fpeak, fad brow, and true maid.

Cel. I'faith, coz, 'tis he

Rof. Orlando!

Cel. Orlando.

Rof. Alas the day, what fhall I do with my doublet and hofe? what did he, when thou faw'ft him? what said he? how look'd he? wherein went he? what makes him here? did he afk for me? where remains he? how parted he with thee? and when fhalt thou see him again? answer me in one word.

Cel. You must borrow me Garagantua's mouth firft; 'tis a word too great for any mouth of this age's fize: to fay ay and no to these particulars is more than to answer is a catechifm.

Ref. But doth he know that I am in this foreft, and in man's apparel; looks he as freshly as he did the day he wrestled?

Cel. It is as eafie to count atoms as to refolve the propofitions of a lover: but take a taste of my finding him, and relish it with good obfervance. I found him under an oaktree like a dropp'd acorn.

Rof. It may well be call'd Jove's tree, when it drops forth fuch fruit.

Gel. Give me audience, good Madam.

Rof. Proceed.

Cel. There lay he ftretch'd along like a wounded Knight. Rof. Tho' it be pity to fee fuch a fight, it well becomes the ground.

Себа

Cel. Cry holla to thy tongue, I pr'ythee; it curvets unfeasonably. He was furnish'd like a hunter.

Rof. O ominous, he comes to kill my heart.

Cel. I would fing my fong without a burden; thou bring'ft me out of tune.

Rof. Do you not know I am a woman? what I think I muft fpeak: fweet, fay on.

SCENE VII. Enter Orlando and Jaques. Cel. You bring me out. Soft, comes he not here? Rof. 'Tis he; flink by, and note him.

Jaq. I thank you for your company; but good faith, I had as lief have been my felf alone.

Orla. And fo had I; but yet for fashion fake, I thank you too for your fociety.

Jaq. God b' w' you, let's meet as little as we can.
Orla. I do defire we may be better strangers.

Jaq. I pray you, marr no more trees with writing love fongs in their barks.

Orla. I pray you, marr no more of my verfes with read ing them ill-favouredly.

Jaq. Rofalind is your love's name.

Orla. Yes, just.

Jaq. I do not like her name.

Orla. There was no thought of pleafing you when she was chriften'd.

Faq. What ftature is the of?

Orla. Just as high as my heart.

Jaq. You are full of pretty anfwers; have you not been acquainted with goldsmiths wives, and conn'd them out of rings?

Orla. Not fo: but I answer you right in the ftile of the painted cloth, from whence you have ftudied your questions. Jaq. You have a nimble wit; I think it was made of Atalanta's heels. Will you fit down with me, and we two will rail against our mistress, the world, and all our mifery. Orla, I will chide no breather in the world but my felf, against whom I know no faults.

Jaq. The worst fault you have, is to be in love.

Orla. 'Tis a fault I will not change for your beft virtue; I am weary of you.

D3

Fag.

Jaq. By my troth, I was feeking for a fool, when I

found you.

Orla. He is drown'd in the brook; look but in, and you fhall fee him.

Jaq. There I fhall fee mine own figure.

Orla. Which I take to be either a fool, or a cypher. Jaq. I'll stay no longer with you; farewel, good fignior love. [Exit.

SCENE

VIII.

Orla. I am glad of your departure: adieu, good Monfieur melancholy.

Rof. I will fpeak to him like a fawcy lacquey, and under that habit play the knave with him: do you hear, forefter ?

Orla. Very well; what would you ?

Rof. I pray you, what is't a clock

Orla. You should ask me what time o' day; there's no clock in the forreft.

Rof. Then there is no true lover in the foreft; elfe fighing every minute, and groaning every hour, would detect the lazy foot of time, as well as a clock.

Orla. And why not the swift foot of time; had not that been as proper?

Rof. By no means, Sir: time travels in divers paces with divers perfons; I'll tell you who time ambles withal, who time trots withal, who time gallops withal, and who he ftands ftill withal?

Orla. I pr'ythee, whom doth he trot withal'?

Rof. Marry, he trots hard with a young maid, between the contract of her marriage, and the day it is folemniz'd : if the interim be but a fennight, time's pace is fo hard that it feems the length of seven years.

Orla. Who ambels time withal?

Ref. With a priest that lacks latin, and a rich man that hath not the gout; for the one fleeps eafily because he cannot ftudy, and the other lives merrily because he feels no pain the one lacking the burden of lean and wafteful. learning; the other knowing no burden of heavy tedious penury. These time ambles withal?

Orle, Whom doth he gallop withal ?

Ref.