Of these events at full: Let us go in; Gra. Let it be fo: The first inter'gatory, That my Nerifsa shall be fworn on, is, Whether till the next night she had rather stay; Or go to bed now, being two hours to day: But were the day come, I should wish it dark, [Exeunt omnes. AS : Lords belonging to the two Duke with pages, foresters, and other attendants. The SCENE hes, first, near Oliver's bouf; and, afterwards, partly in the Duke's court, and partly in the foreft of Arden. Orlando. ACT SCENE I. Oliver's Orchard. Enter Orlando and Adam. 1. Enter Oliver. Adam. Yonder comes my inafter, your brother. Orla. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. Oli. Now, fir! what make you here? tof a brother, and, as much as in Lim lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the fpirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny A SI remember, Adam, it was upon against this fervitude: I will no longer endure it, this fathion bequeathed me:-By though yet I know no wife remedy how to avoid will, but a poor thousand crowns; and, as thou it. fay'st, charg'd my brother, on his bleffing, to breed me well and there begins my fadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report fpeaks 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 dearly 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. Besides this nothing that he fo plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me, his countenance feems to take from me: he lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place Orla. Nothing: I am not taught to make any: thing. Oli. What mar you then, fir? Orla. Marry, fir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. Oli. Marry, fir, be better employ'd, and be nought a while 2. Orla. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent, that I should come to such penury? Oli. Know you where you are, fir? Dr. Warburton thinks we should read flyes, i, e. keeps me like a brute. 2 Probably meaning, be content to be a cypher, or of no confequence for the prefent. Orla. Orla. O, fir, very well: here in your orchard. Oli. Good monfieur Charles !-what's the new news at the new court? Orla. Ay, better than he, I am before, knows Cha. There's no news at the court, fir, but the me. I know you are my eldest brother; and, in old news: that is, the old duke is banifh'd by his the gentle condition of blood, you should know younger brother the new duke; and three or four me: The courtesy of nations allows you my belter, loving lords have put themselves into voluntary in that you are the firft-born; but the fame tra- exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich dition takes not away my blood, were there twenty the new duke, therefore he gives them good leave brothers betwixt us; I have as much of my father to wander. in me as you; albeit, I confefs your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. Oli. What, boy! Oli. Can you tell, if Rofalind, the old duke's daughter, be banish'd with her father? Cha. O, no; for the new duke's daughter, her Orla. Come, come, elder brother, you are too coufin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles young in this. Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? Orla. I am no villain 2: I am the youngest fon of fir Rowland de Boys; he was my father; and he is thrice a villain, that fays, such 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 hast rail'd on thyfelf. Adam. Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. Oli. Let me go, I fay. bred together, that she would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. Oli. Where will the old duke live? Cha. They fay, he is already in the foreft of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England: they say, many young gentlemen flock to him every day; and fleet the time carelefly, as they did in the golden world. Oli. What, you wreftle to-morrow before the new duke? 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 Clia. Marry, do I, fir, and I come to acquaint peafant, obfcuring and hiding from me all gen-you with a matter. I am given, fir, tecretly to tleman-like qualities: the spirit of my father grow: un ferttand that your younger brother Orlando hath Strong in me, and I will no longer endure it : a difpofition to come in digu's'd against me to try therefore allow me fuch exercifes as may become a fall: To-norrow, fir, I wrestle for my credit; a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my and he that cicapes me without fome broken limb, father left me by teftament; with that I will go hall acquit him well. Your brother is but young, buy my fortunes. Jand tender; and, for your love, I would be loth Oli. And what wilt thou do? beg, when that to foil him, as I mutt, for mine own honour, if is fpent? Well, fir, get you' in 1 will not long the come in: therefore, out of my love to you, I be troubled with you: you thall have fome part of came hither to acquaint you withals that either your will: I pray you, leave me. you might itay him from his intendment, or brook Orla. I will no further offend you than becomes tuch disgrace well as he thall run into; in that me for my good. it is a thing of his own fearch, and altogether Oli. Get you with him, you old dog. againit my will. Adam. Is old dog my reward? Most true, I Oli. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, have loft my teeth in your fervice.-God be with which thou shalt find, I will most kindly requite. my old matter, he would not have spoke fuch a I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, word. [Exeunt Orlando and Adam. and have by underhand means laboured to diffuade Oli. Is it even fo? begin you to grow upon me? him from it; but he is refolute. I'll tell thee, I will phyfick your rankness, and yet give no thou- Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of sand crowns neither. Holla, Denis! Enter Dennis. Den. Calls your worship? to fpeak with me? Den. So please, he is here at the door, and portunes access to you. Ofi. Call him in [Exit Dennis.] 'Twill good way; and to-morrow the wreftling is. Enter Charles. Cha. Good-morrow to your worship. Villain here means, a wicked or bloody man. of low extraction. France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a fecret and villainous contriver againft me his natural brother; therefore ufe thy difcretion; I had as lief thou didst break his neck, as his finger; and thou wert beft look to't; for if thou doft him any flight disgrace, or if he do im-Inot mightily grace himself on thee, he will practife Jagainst thee by poiton; entrap thee by fome treaa cherous device; and never leave thee, 'till he hath ta'en thy life by fome indirect means or other: for, I affure thee, and almost with tears I fpe..k it, there is not one fo young and fo villainous ths Iday living. I fpeak but brotherly of him; but be 1 2 But in this place Orlando uses it for a felho should Thould I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. Cba. I am heartily glad I came hither to you: If he come to-morrow, I'll give him his payment: if ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more. And fo, God keep your worship! [Exit. Oli. Farewel, good Charles. Now will I ftir this gamester: 1 hope, I shall fee an end of him; for my foul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd, and yet learned; full of noble device; of all forts enchantingly beloved: and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether mifprifed: but it shall not be so long; this wrestler fhall clear all: nothing remains, but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. [Exit. Rof. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banith'd father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. Cel. Herein, I fee, thou lov'ft me not with the full weight that I love thee: if my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the duke my father, fo thou hadft been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; fo wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were fo righteoufly temper'd as mine is to thee. Ref. Well, I will forget the condition of my eftate, to rejoice in yours. Cel. You know, my father hath no child but I, por none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies, thou shalt be his heir: for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection; by mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monfter: therefore, my fweet Rofe, my dear Rose, be merry. Rof. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise fports: let me fee; What think you of falling in love? Cel. Marry, I pry'thee, do, to make sport withal: but love no man in good earneft; nor no further in sport neither, than with fafety of a pure blash thou may'st in honour come off again. Ref. What shall be our sport then? Cel. Let us fit and mock the good housewife, Fortune, from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. Rof. I would we could do fo; for her benefits are mightily misplaced and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women. Cel. 'Tis true: for those, that the makes fair, The fearce makes honeft; and those, that the makes honest, the makes very ill-favour'dly. Rof. Nay, now thou goest from fortune's office to nature's: fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of nature. Enter Touchstone, a clorun. Cel. No? When nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by fortune fall into the fire Though nature hath given us wit to flout at fortune, hath not fortune fent in this fool to cut off the argument? Rof. Indeed, there is fortune too hard for na ture; when fortune makes nature's natural the cutter off of nature's wit. Cel. Peradventure, this is not fortune's work neither, but nature's; who perceiving our natural wits too dull to reafon of fuch goddeffes, hath fent this natural for our whetstone: for always the dulnefs of the fool is the whetstone of the wits.How now, wit? whither wander you? Clo. Mistress, you must come away to your father. Cel. Were you made the meffenger? Clo. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. Rof. Where learned you that oath, fool? Clo. Of a certain knight, that fwore by his honour they were good pancakes, and fwore by his honour the mustard was naught: now, I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught, and the mustard was good; and yet was not the knight forfworn. Cal. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? Rof. Ay, marry; now unmuzzle your wifdom. Clo. Stand you both forth now: ftroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. Cel. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. Clo. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were: but if you swear by that that is not, you are not forfworn: no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had fworn it away, before ever he faw those pancakes or that mustard. Cel. Pr'ythee, who is it that thou mean'st? Cle. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. Cel. My father's love is enough to honour him: Enough! fpeak no more of him; you'll be whipp'd for taxation, one of these days. Clo. The more pity, that fools may not speak wifely what wife men do foolishly. Cel. By my troth, thou say'st true; for since the little wit, that fools have, was filenc'd, the little foolery, that wife men have, makes a great show. Here comes Monfieur Le Beau. Clo. Or as the destinies decree. but he will not be entreated: Speak to him, ladies; Cel. Well faid; that was laid on with a trowelt. fee if you can move him. Clo. Nay, if I keep not my rank, Rof. Thou loseft thy old smell. Le Beau. You amaze 2 me, ladies: I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have loft the fight of. Rof. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. Le Beau. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may fee the end; for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. Cel. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. Le Beau. There comes an old man and his three fons, Cel. I could match this beginning with an old tale. Le Beau. Three proper young men of excellent growth and prefence; Rof. With bills on their necks, -Be it known unto all men by these presents, Cel. Call him hither, good Monfieur Le Beau. Orla. I attend them with all refpect and duty. the wrestler? Orla. No, fair princess; he is the general challenger: I come but in, 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 seen cruel proof of this man's ftrength: if you faw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgement, the fear of your adventure would counfel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you for your own fake, to embrace your own fafety, and give over this attempt. Rof. Do, young fir: your reputation shall not therefore be mifprifed: we will make it our fuit to Le Beau. The eldest of the three wrestled with the duke, that the wrestling might not go forward. Charles, the duke's wrestler; which Charles in a Orla. I befeech you, punish me not with your moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, hard thoughts; wherein I confefs me much guilty, that there is little hope of life in him: so he serv'd to deny fo fair and excellent ladies any thing. But the fecond, and so the third: Yonder they lie; let your fair eyes, and gentle wishes, go with me he poor old man, their father, making fuch piti- to my trial: wherein if I be foil'd, there is but ul dole over them, that all the beholders take his one tham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but part with weeping. Rof. Alas! one dead that is willing to be so: I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; Clo. But what is the sport, monfieur, that the the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only ladies have loft? Le Beau. Why this, that I speak of. Clo. Thus men may grow wifer every day! It is the first time that ever I heard, breaking of ribs was fport for ladies. Cel. Or I, I promise thee. in the world I fill up a place, which may be better fupplied when I have made it empty. Rof. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. Cel. And mine to eke out hers. Rof. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd Cel. Your heart's defires be with you! Rof. But is there any elfe longs to fee this broken in you! mufick in his fides? is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we fee this wrestling, coufin? Le Beau. You must, if you stay here: for here is the place appointed for the wreftling, and they are ready to perform it. Cel. Yonder, fure, they are coming: Let us now ftay and fee it. Flourish. Enter Duke, Frederick, Lords, Orlando, Duke. Come on: fince the youth will not be Le Beau. Even he, madam. Col. Alas, he is too young: yet he looks fuccessfully. Duke. How now, daughter and coufin? are you crept hither to fee the wreftling? Rof. Ay, my liege, so 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, Cha. Come, where is this young gallant, that is fo defirous to lie with his mother earth? Orla. Ready, fir; but his will hath in it a more modeft working. Duke. You shall try but one fall. Cha. No, I warrant your grace; you fshall not entreat him to a fecond, that have fo mightily perfuaded him from a firft. Orla. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mocked me before: but come your ways. Rof. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! Cel. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong [They wrestle. fellow by the leg! Rof. O excellent young man! Gel. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who fhould down. [Shout. Duke. No more, no more. [Charles is thrown. well breathed. Duke. How doft thou, Charles? Le Beau. He cannot fpeak, my lord. ■ A proverbial expreffion implying a glaring falfhood. to put him out of the intended narrative. 2 Amaze here fignifies to confufe, fo as Duke. |