that I know, you are a gentleman of good conceit. I fpeak not this, that you should bear a good opinion of my knowledge, infomuch, I fay, I know what you are; neither do I labour for a greater efteem than may in fome little measure draw a belief from you, to do yourfelf good, and not to grace me. Believe, then, if you please, that I can do ftrange things: I have, fince I was three years old, convers'd with a magician, most profound in his art, and yet not damnable. If you do love Rofalind fo near the heart, as your gefture cries it out, when your brother marries Aliena, you shall marry her. I know into what ftraights of fortune fhe is driven; and it is not impoffible to me, if it appear not inconvenient to you, to fet her before your eyes to-morrow, human as fhe is, and without any danger.[7] Orla. Speak'st thou in fober meaning? Rof. By my life, I do; which I tender dearly, though I fay, I am a magician :[8] Therefore, put on your best array, bid your friends; for if you will be married tomorrow, you shall; and to Rofalind, if you will. Enter SYLVIUS and PHEBE. Look, here comes a lover of mine, and a lover of hers. Rof. I care not, if I have: it is my study Phe. Good fhepherd, tell this youth what 'tis to love. And fo am I for Phebe. Phe. And I for Ganimed. Rof. And I for no woman. Syl. It is to be made all of faith and fervice; And fo am I for Phebe. Phe. And I for Ganimed. Rof. And I for no woman. [7] That is, not a phantom, but the real Rofalind, without any of the danger generally conceived to attend the rites of incantation. JOHNS. [8] Hence it appears this was written in James's time, when there was a fevere inquifition after witches and magicians. WARB. Syl. It is to be all made of fantasy, All humbleness, all patience, and impatience, Phe. And fo am I for Ganimed. Rof. And fo am I for no woman. Syl. If this be fo, why blame you me to love you? [TO PHE. Orla. If this be so, why blame you me to love you? Rof. Who do you speak to, why blame you me to love you? Orla. To her, that is not here, nor doth not hear. Rof. Pray you, no more of this; 'tis like the howling of Irish wolves against the moon.--I will help you, if I can; [To SYLVIUS]-I would love you, if I could; [To PHEBE-To-morrow meet me all together. I will marry you, [To PHEBE] if ever I marry woman, and I'll be married to-morrow.-I will fatisfy you, [To ORLANDO] if ever I fatisfy'd man, and you shall be married to-morrow. I will content you, [To SYLVIUS] if, what pleases you, contents you, and you fhall be married tomorrow. As you love Rofalind, meet; [To ORLANDO] -As you love Phebe, meet; [To SYLVIUS]-And as I love no woman, I'll meet.-So fare you well; I have left you commands. Syl. I'll not fail, if I live. Clo. To-morrow is the joyful day, Audrey ;-tomorrow will we be married. Aud. I do defire it with all my heart: and, I hope, it is no dishoneft defire, to defire to be a woman of the world. Here come two of the banish'd duke's pages. Enter two Pages. 1 Page. Well met, honest gentleman. Clo. By my troth, well met: Come, fit, fit, and a fong. 2 Page. We are for you: Sit i' the middle. I Page. Shall we clap into't roundly, without hawking, or spitting, or faying we are hoarfe; which are the only prologues to a bad voice? 1 Page. I'faith, i'faith; and both in a tune, like two gypfies on a horse.. SONG. It was a lover and his lafs, With a bey, and a ho, and a bey nonino, That o'er the green corn-field did pass, In the fpring time, the pretty rank time, When birds did fing, hey ding a ding, ding; Sweet lovers love the spring. Between the acres of the rye, With a bey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, Thefe pretty country folks would lie, The carol they began that hour, With a bey, and a bo, and a bey nonino, How that a life was but a flower, In the fpring time, &c. And therefore take the prefent time, With a bey, and a bo, and a bey nonino; For love is crowned with the prime, In the fpring time, c. Clo. Truly, young gentleman, though there was nogreat matter in the ditty, yet the note was very untuneable. 1 Page. You are deceiv'd, fir; we kept time, we loft not our time. Clo. By my troth, yes: I count it but time loft to hear fuch a foolish fong. God be with you; and God mend your voices.-Come, Audrey. Q 2. [Exe.. SCENE IV. Another part of the Foreft. Enter Duke fenior, AMIENS, JAQUES, ORLANDO, OLIVER, and CELIA. Duke fen. Doft thou believe, Orlando, that the boy Can do all this that he hath promised ? Orla. I fometimes do believe, and fometimes do not As thofe that fear, they hope, and know they fear. Enter ROSALIND, SYLVIUS, and PHEBE. Rof. Patience, once more, whiles our compact is urg'd: You fay, if I bring in your Rofalind, You will beftow her on Orlando here? [To the Duke. Duke fen. That would I, had I kingdoms to give with her. Rof. And you say, you will have her, when I bring her? [TO ORLANDO.. Orla. That would I, were I of all kingdoms king. Rof. You fay, you'll marry me, if I be willing? [To PHEBE. Phe. That will I, fhould I die the hour after. Rof. But, if you do refuse to marry me, You'll give yourself to this most faithful shepherd ? Phe. So is the bargain. Rof. You fay, that you'll have Phebe, if he will ? [To SYLVIUS. Syl. Though to have her and death were both one thing. Rof. I have promis'd to make all this matter even. Keep you your word, O duke, to give your daughter ;You yours, Orlando, to receive his daughter :— Keep your word, Phebe, that you'll marry me ; Or elfe, refufing me, to wed this fhepherd :Keep your word, Sylvius, that you'll marry her, If the refufe me :-and from hence I go, To make these doubts all even. [Exe. Ros. and CEL.. Duke fen. I do remember in this fhepherd-boy Some lively touches of my daughter's favour. Orla. My lord, the first time that I ever faw him, Methought, he was a brother to your daughter : But, my good lord, this boy is foreft-born, And hath been tutor'd in the rudiments Of many defperate ftudies by his uncle, Enter Cloan and AUDREY. Jaq. There is fure another flood toward, and thefe couples are coming to the ark! Here comes a pair of very ftrange beafts, which in all tongues are call'd fools. Clo. Salutation, and greeting, to you all! Jaq. Good my lord, bid him welcome: This is the motley-minded gentleman, that I have fo often met in the foreft: he has been a courtier, he fwears. Clo. If any man doubt that, let him put me to my purgation. I have trod a measure; I have flatter'd a lady; I have been politic with my friend, fmooth with mine enemy; I have undone three tailors; I have had four quarrels, and like to have fought one. Faq. And how was that ta'en up ? Clo. 'Faith, we met; and found the quarrel was upon the feventh caufe.[9] Jaq. How the seventh cause ?-Good my lord, like this fellow. Duke fen. I like him very well. Clo. God'ild you, fir; I defire of you the like: I prefs in here, fir, amongst the rest of the country copu→ latives, to fwear, and to forfwear; according as marriage binds, and blood breaks :-A poor virgin, fir, an ill-favoured thing, fir, but mine own; a poor humour of mine, fir, to take that that no man elfe will. Rich hon efty dwells like a mifer, fir, in a poor houfe; as your pearl in your foul oyster. Duke fen. By my faith, he is very swift and fententious. Clo. According to the fool's bolt, fir, and such dulcet diseases. Faq. But, for the feventh caufe: how did you find the quarrel upon the feventh cause ? Clo. Upon a lie feven times removed :-Bear your body more feeming, Audrey As thus, fir; I did diflike the cut of a certain courtier's beard; he fent me word, if I faid his beard was not cut well, he was in the mind it was: This is called the Retort courteous. If I fent him word again, it was not well cut, he would send me word, [9] So all the copies; but it is apparent from the fequel that we must read, 'the quarrel was not upon the seventh cause,' JOHNS. |