men's; then, to have feen much, and to have nothing, is to have rich eyes and poor hands.

Jaq. Yes, I have gain'd my experience.

Enter Orlando.

Rof. And your experience makes you fad: I had rather have a fool to make me merry, than experience to make me fad; and to travel for it too.

Orla. Good day, and happiness, dear Rofalind!

Jaq. Nay then, God be wi' you, an you talk in blank verse.

Р

[Exit.

Rof. Farewel, monfieur traveller: Look, you lifp, and wear strange suits; difable all the benefits of your own country; be out of love with your nativity, and almost chide God for making you that countenance you are; or I will fcarce think you have 'fwam in a gondola.-Why, how now, Orlando! where have you been all this while? You a lover?-An you serve me such another trick, never come in my fight more.

Orla. My fair Rofalind, I come within an hour of my promise.

Rof. Break an hour's promise in love? He that will divide a minute into a thoufand parts, and break but a part of the thousandth part of a minute in the affairs of love, it may be faid of him, that Cupid hath clapt him o' the fhoulder, but I warrant him heart-whole.

Orla. Pardon me, dear Rofalind.

Rof. Nay, an you be fo tardy, come no more in my fight; I had as lief be woo'd of a snail.

Orla. Of a fnail?

Rof. Ay, of a fnail; for though he comes flowly, he carries his house on his head; a better jointure, I think,

P difable]-difparage.

nativity,]-birth-place.

R

than

fram in a gondola.]-been at Venice. VOL. II.

than you can make a woman: Besides, he brings his destiny with him.

Orla. What's that?

Rof. Why, horns; which fuch as you are fain to be beholden to your wives for: but he comes armed in his fortune, and prevents the flander of his wife.

Orla. Virtue is no horn-maker; and my Rofalind is virtuous.

Rof. And I am your Rofalind.

Cel. It pleases him to call you fo; but he hath a Rofalind of a better' leer than you.

Rof. Come, woo me, woo me; for now I am in a holiday humour, and like enough to confent :-What would you fay to me now, an I were your very very Rofalind? Orla. I would kifs, before I spoke.

Rof. Nay, you were better speak first; and when you were gravell'd for lack of matter, you might take occafion to kifs. Very good orators, when they are out, they will fpit; and for lovers, lacking (God warn us!) matter, the cleanlieft shift is to kifs.

Orla. How if the kifs be denied?

Rof. Then he puts you to entreaty, and there begins

new matter.

Orla. Who could be out, being before his beloved miftrefs?

Rof. Marry, that should you, if I were your mistress; or I should think my honesty ranker than my wit.

Orla. What, of my fuit?

Rof. Not out of your apparel, and yet out of your fuit. Am not I your Rofalind?

Orla. I take fome joy to fay you are, because I would be talking of her.

leer]-look, feature, complexion.

"Here's a young lad fram'd of another leer."

TITUS ANDRONICUS, A& IV, S. 2. Aar.

Rof.

Rof. Well, in her perfon, I fay-I will not have you. Orla. Then, in mine own perfon, I die.

Rof. No, faith, die by attorney. The poor world is almost fix thousand years old, and in all this time there was not any man died in his own perfon, videlicet, in a love caufe. Troilus had his brains dafh'd out with a Grecian club; yet he did what he could to die before; and he is one of the patterns of love. Leander, he would have liv'd many a fair year, though Hero had turn'd nun, if it had not been for a hot midfummer night: for, good youth, he went but forth to wash him in the Hellefpont, and, being taken with the cramp, was drown'd; and the foolish 'chroniclers of that age found it was,-Hero of Seftos. But thefe are all lyes; men have died from time to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love.

Orla. I would not have my right Rofalind of this mind; for, I proteft, her frown might kill me.

Rof. By this hand, it will not kill a fly: But come, now I will be your Rofalind in a more coming-on disposition; and ask me what you wil', I will grant it.

Orla. Then love me, Rofalind.

Rof. Yes, faith will I, "fridays, and faturdays, and all. Orla. And wilt thou have me?

Rof. Ay, and twenty fuch.

Orla. What fay'st thou?

Rof. Are you not good?
Orla. I hope fo.

Rof. Why then, can one defire too much of a good thing?-Come, fifter, you fhall be the priest, and marry us. Give me your hand, Orlando :-What do you say, fifter ?

Rof. You must begin,

Will you Orlando,

Cel. Go to:-Will you,

Orlando, have to wife this

Rofalind?

Orla. I will.

Rof. Ay, but when?

Orla. Why now; as faft as fhe can marry us.

Rof. Then you must fay,-I take thee Rofalind for wife. Orla. I take thee, Rofalind, for wife.

Rof. I might ask you for your commiffion; but, I do take thee, Orlando, for my husband: There's a girl goes before the priest; and, certainly, a woman's thought runs before her actions.

Orla. So do all thoughts; they are wing'd.

Rof. Now tell me, how long would you have her, after you have poffefs'd her?

Orla. For ever, and a day.

Rof. Say a day, without the ever: No, no, Orlando ; men are April when they woo, December when they wed: maids are May when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives. I will be more jealous of thee than a Barbary cock-pigcon over his hen; more clamorous than a parrot against rain; more new-fangled than an ape; more giddy in my defires than a monkey; I will weep for nothing, like Diana in the fountain, and I will do that when you are difpos'd to be merry; I will laugh like a hyen, and that when thou art inclin'd to fleep.

W

Orla. But will my Rofalind do fo?

Rof. By my life, fhe will do as I do.

Orla. O, but she is wife.

Rof. Or elfe fhe could not have the wit to do this: the wifer, the waywarder: Make the doors upon a woman's

Diana]-the figure of.

* laugh like a byen, ]-the bark of the hyena is faid to refemble loud laughter. Y waywarder:]-frowarder.

wit, and it will out at the casement; fhut that, and 'twill out at the key-hole; ftop that, it will fly with the smoak out at the chimney.

Orla. A man that had a wife with fuch a wit, he might fay,-Wit, whither wilt?

Rof. Nay, you might keep that check for it, 'till you met your wife's wit going to your neighbour's bed.

Orla. And what wit could wit have to excufe that? Rof. Marry, to fay,-fhe came to feek you there. You shall never take her without her anfwer, unless you take her without her tongue. O that woman that cannot make her fault her husband's occafion, let her never nurfe her child herself, for fhe will breed it like a fool!

Orla. For thefe two hours, Rofalind, I will leave thee. Rof. Alas, dear love, I cannot lack thee two hours. Orla. I must attend the duke at dinner; by two o'clock I will be with thee again.

Rof. Ay, go your ways, go your ways;-I knew what you would prove; my friends told me as much, and I thought no less-that flattering tongue of yours won me:-'tis but one caft away, and fo,-come, death.Two o'the clock is your hour?

Orla. Ay, fweet Rofalind.

Rof. By my troth, and in good earneft, and fo God mend me, and by all pretty oaths that are not dangerous,

if

you break one jot of your promife, or come one minute behind your hour, I will think you the most pathetical break-promife, and the most hollow lover, and the most unworthy of her you call Rofalind, that may be chofen out of the grofs band of the unfaithful: therefore beware my cenfure, and keep your promise.

2 make her fault her husband's occafion,]-reprefent it as occafioned by him.

a

pathetical break-promise,]—the best counterfeit of a true paffion.