OBSERVATIONS. this play the fable is wild and pleafing. I know not how the ladies will approve the facility with which both Rofalind and Celia give away their hearts. To Celia much may be forgiven for the heroism of her friendship. The character of Jaques is natural and well preserved. The comic dialogue is very sprightly, with less mixture of low buffoonery than in some other plays; and the graver part is elegant and harmonious. By haftening to the end of his work, Shakespeare suppressed the dialogue between the ufurper and the hermit, and lost an opportunity of exhibiting a moral leffon in which he might have found matter worthy of his highest powers. JOHNSON AS YOU LIKE IT was borrowed, if we believe Dr. Grey, and Mr. Upton, from the Coke's Tale of Gamelyn; which by the way was not printed till a century afterward when in truth the old bard, who was no hunter of MSS. contented himself solely with Lodge's Rofalynd, or Euphues' Golden Legacye. 4to. 1590. FARMER. Shakespeare has followed the fable more exactly than is his general custom when he is indebted to fuch worthless originals; and has sketched fome of his principal characters, and borrowed a few expreffions from it. His imitations, &c. however, are too infignificant to merit transcription. STEEVENS.. PERSONS REPRESENTED.. Duke. FREDERIC, Brother to the Duke, and Ufurper. JAQUES, } Lords attending upon the Duke in his ban LE BEAU, a Courtier attending upon Frederic. ORLANDO, younger Brothers to Oliver. ADAM, an old Servant of Sir Rowland de Boys.. CORIN, SYLVIUS, Shepherds. WILLIAM, in love with Audrey. Sir OLIVER MAR-TEXT, a country Curate. ROSALIND, Daughter to the Duke. CELIA, Daughter to Frederic. PHEBE, a Shepherdess. AUDREY, a country Wench. Lords belonging to the two Dukes; with Pages, Fore refters, and other Attendants. The SCENE lies, firft, near Oliver's Houfe; and, af terwards, partly in the Duke's Court, and partly in. the Foreft of Arden. AS YOU LIKE IT. ACT I. SCENE I. OLIVER'S Orchard. Enter ORLANDO and ADAM. As Orlando. S I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me : By will, but a poor thousand crowns; and, as thou say'ft, charged my brother on his bleffing, to breed me well: and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me ruftically 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 horfes are bred better; for, befides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders daily 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 fomething that nature gave me, his countenance feems 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 spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this fervitude: I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wife remedy how to avoid it. Enter OLIVER. Adam. Yonder comes my mafter, your brother. Orla. Go apart, Adam, and thou fhalt hear how he will fhake me up. Oli. Now, fir! what make you here? Orla. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing. Oli. What mar ye then, fir? VOL. II. 1 Orla. Marry, fir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idlenefs. Oli. Marry, fir, be better employ'd, and be nought a while. Orla. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat hufks with them? What prodigal's portion have I spent, that I fhould come to fuch penury ? Oli. Know you where you are, fir? Orla. O, fir, very well: here in your orchard. 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 firstborn; 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 is nearer to his reverence. Oli. What, boy! [Menacing with his hand. Orla. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young [Collaring him. Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? in this. Orla. I am no villain :[1] 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 masters, be patient: for your father's remembrance, be at accord. Oli. Let me go, I fay. Orla. I will not, till I please: you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me up like a peasant, obfcuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities: The fpirit 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. [1] The word Villain is ufed by the elder brother, in its prefent meaning, for a worthlefs, wicked, or bloody man; by Orlando in its original fignification, for a fellow of bafe extraction." JOHNS. |