1 Lord. My lord, he is but even now gone hence; Here was he merry, hearing of a song.

Duke S. If he, compact of jars,' grow musical,
We shall have shortly discord in the spheres:-
Go, seek him; tell him I would speak with him.

Enter JAQUES.

:2

1 Lord. He saves my labour by his own approach. Duke S. Why, how now, monsieur ! what a life is this, That your poor friends must woo your company ? What! you look merrily.

Jaq. A fool, a fool !—I met a fool i' the forest, A motley fool;- -a miserable world!

As I do live by food, I met a fool;

Who laid him down and basked him in the sun,
And railed on lady Fortune in good terms,
In good set terms,—and yet a motley fool.
Good morrow, fool, quoth I. No, sir, quoth he,
Call me not fool, till heaven hath sent me fortune :
And then he drew a dial from his poke,
And looking on it with lacklustre eye,
Says, very wisely, It is ten o'clock:

Thus may we see, quoth he, how the world wags:
'Tis but an hour ago since it was nine,

And after an hour more 'twill be eleven ;
And so from hour to hour we ripe and ripe,
And then from hour to hour we rot and rot;
And thereby hangs a tale. When I did hear

1 Compact of jars] Made up of discordant notes; out of all harmony with the world.

2 Discord in the spheres] An allusion to the Pythagorean doctrine of the music of the spheres. See the Editor's Merchant of Venice, p. 132, note 6.

3

Thereby hangs a tale] This old saying occurs several times in

The motley fool thus moral on the time,
My lungs began to crow like chanticleer,
That fools should be so deep-contemplative;
And I did laugh, sans1 intermission,
An hour by his dial.-O noble fool!
A worthy fool!-Motley's the only wear.
Duke S. What fool is this?

Jaq. O worthy fool!-One that hath been a courtier, And says, if ladies be but young and fair,

They have the gift to know it: and in his brain

Which is as dry as the remainder biscuit

After a voyage-he hath strange places 2 crammed
With observations, the which he vents

In mangled forms.-O, that I were a fool!

I am ambitious for a motley coat.

Duke S. Thou shalt have one.
Jaq.
It is my only suit;
Provided that you weed your better judgments
Of all opinion that grows rank in them
That I am wise. I must have liberty
Withal, as large a charter as the wind,

To blow on whom I please; for so fools have:
And they that are most galled with my folly,
They most must laugh. And why, sir, must they so?
The why is plain as way to parish church :

He that a fool doth very wisely hit

3

Shakspeare, and means that something more follows from what has been said.

1 Sans] A French word, meaning without, which appears to have been once familiarly used in England, and pronounced sance.

2

Strange places] An allusion to the ordinary topics called loci communes, or common places.

3 Suit] No word is more frequently than this a subject of equivoque in the old dramatists.

Doth very foolishly, although he smart,

Not to seem senseless of the bob; if not,
The wise man's folly is anatomised

Even by the squandering glances1 of the fool.
Invest me in my motley; give me leave

To speak my mind, and I will through and through
Cleanse the foul body of the infected world,

If they will patiently receive my medicine.

Duke S. Fie on thee! I can tell what thou wouldst do.

Jaq. What, for a counter,2 would I do but good?
Duke S. Most mischievous foul sin in chiding sin:

For thou thyself hast been a libertine,

As sensual as the brutish sting3 itself;

And all the embossed sores and headed evils,
That thou with licence of free foot hast caught,
Wouldst thou disgorge into the general world.
Jaq. Why, who cries out on pride,

That can therein tax any private party?
Doth it not flow as hugely as the sea,
Till that the wearer's very means do ebb! 4
What woman in the city do I name,
When that I say, the city-woman bears
The cost of princes on unworthy shoulders?

Who can come in and say that I mean her,
When such a one as she, such is her neighbour?
Or what is he of basest function,

1

Squandering glances] Carelessly discharged shots.

2 For a counter] For the wager of a counter.-Counters were imitations of coin, used in reckoning.

Sting] Impulse.

Till that the wearer's, &c.] The original text has weary for wearer's. The sense is obscure; perhaps Jaques meant that the pride of dress is so extravagant, as to exceed the wearer's means, and bring poverty on him.

That says

his bravery is not on my cost1

(Thinking that I mean him), but therein suits

His folly to the mettle of my speech?

There then. How then? what then? Let me see wherein

My tongue hath wronged him: if it do him right,

Then he hath wronged himself; if he be free,

Why then my taxing like a wild goose flies,
Unclaimed of any man.-But who comes here?

Enter ORLANDO, with his sword drawn.

Orl. Forbear, and eat no more.

Jaq.

Why, I have eat none yet.

Orl. Nor shalt not, till necessity be served.

Jaq. Of what kind should this cock come of?

Duke S. Art thou thus boldened, man, by thy distress? Or else a rude despiser of good manners,

That in civility thou seem'st so empty?

2

Orl. You touched my vein at first: the thorny point Of bare distress hath ta'en from me the show

3

Of smooth civility: yet am I inland 3 bred,
And know some nurture.

But forbear, I say;

He dies that touches any of this fruit,

Till I and

my

affairs are answered.

Jaq. An you will not be answered with reason, I must die. Duke S. What would you have? Your gentleness shall force

More than your force move us to gentleness.

Orl. I almost die for food, and let me have it.

That says his bravery, &c.] That answers me by saying his finery did not cost me anything.

2 You touched my vein at first] You referred to my real disposition in what you said first: I am boldened by my distress.

3 Inland] Not in an outlandish village, or among rude country people.

Duke S. Sit down and feed, and welcome to our table.
Orl. Speak you so gently?
Pardon me, I pray you:

I thought that all things had been savage here,

And therefore put I on the countenance

Of stern commandment. But whate'er you are,
That in this desert inaccessible,

Under the shade of melancholy boughs,

Lose and neglect the creeping hours of time,—
If ever you have looked on better days;

If ever been where bells have knolled to church;
If ever sat at any good man's feast;

If ever from your eyelids wiped a tear,
And know what 'tis to pity and be pitied-
Let gentleness my strong enforcement be:
In the which hope I blush, and hide my sword.

Duke S. True is it that we have seen better days
And have with holy bell been knolled to church;
And sat at good men's feasts; and wiped our eyes
Of drops that sacred pity hath engendered:
And therefore sit you down in gentleness,
And take upon command what help we have,
That to your wanting may be ministered.

Orl. Then, but forbear your food a little while,
Whiles, like a doe, I go to find my fawn.
And give it food. There is an old poor man,
Who after me hath many a weary step
Limped in pure love; till he be first sufficed-
Oppressed with two weak evils, age and hunger-
I will not touch a bit.

And we will nothing waste 1 till you return.

Orl. I thank ye; and be blessed for your good comfort!

1 Waste] Consume.

[Exit.