AS YOU LIKE IT. tament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. Act I. Oli. And what wilt thou do? beg, when that is him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee, and have by underhand means laboured to dissuade spent? Well, sir, get you in: I will not long beCharles,-it is the stubbornest young fellow of troubled with you: you shall have some part of your will: I pray you, leave me. Orl. I will no further offend you than becomes me for my good. France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of contriver against me his natural brother; thereevery man's good parts, a secret and villanous Oli. Get you with him, you old dog. fore use thy discretion; I had as lief thou didst Adam. Is old dog my reward? Most true, I look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, break his neck as his finger: And thou wert best have lost my teeth in your service.-God be with or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he my old master, he would not have spoke such a will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by word. [Exeunt Orlando and Adam.some treacherous device, and never leave thee till Oli. Is it even so? begin you to grow upon me? he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thou-other: for, I assure thee, and almost with tears I sand crowns neither.-Holla, Dennis! Enter Dennis. Den. Calls your worship? Oli. Was not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me? Den. So please you, he is here at the door, and importunes access to you. Oli. Call him in. [Exit Dennis.]-Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is. Enter Charles. Cha. Good morrow to your worship. Oli. Good monsieur Charles! what's the new news at the new court? Cha. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news: that is, the old duke is banished by his younger brother the new duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. Oli. Can you tell, if Rosalind, the duke's daughter,|| be banished with her father? Cha. O, no; for the duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles 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. Öli. Where will the old duke live? Cha. They say, he is already in the forest 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 carelessly, as they did in the golden world. Oh. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new duke? Cha. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand, that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall: To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit: and he that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young, and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come in: therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal; that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into; in that it is a thing of his own search, and altogether against my will Oli. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, (1) A ready assent. (2) Frolicksome fellow. speak it, there is not one so young and so villanous If he come to-morrow, I'll give him his payment: [Exit. Oli. Farewell, good Charles.-Now will I stir this gamester:2 I hope, I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd, enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in and yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprized: but it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all: nothing remains, but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. [Exit. SCENE II-A lawn before the Duke's palace. Enter Rosalind and Celia. merry. mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? full weight that I love thee: if my uncle, thy banCel. Herein, I see, thou lovest me not with the ished father, had banished thy uncle, the duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; so would'st thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee. Ros. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours. nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies, Cel. You know, my father hath no child but I, 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 monster: therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. sports: let me see; What think you of falling in Ros. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise love? but love no man in good earnest; nor no further in Cel. Marry, I pr'ythee, do, to make sport withal : sport neither, than with safety of a pure blush thou may'st in honour come off again. Ros. What shall be our sport then? Cel. Let us sit and mock the good housewife, forth be bestowed equally. Fortune, from her wheel, that her gifts may hence (3) Of all ranks. Ros. I would, we could do so; 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 she makes fair, she scarce makes honest; and those, that she makes honest, she makes very ill-favour'dly. Ros. 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. 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 sent in this fool to cut off the argument? Ros. Indeed, there is fortune too hard for nature; 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 reason of such goddesses, hath sent this natural for our whetstone : for always the dullness of the fool is the whetstone of his wits.-How now, wit? whither wander you? Touch. Mistress, you must come away to your father. Ros. As wit and fortune will. Ros. Thou losest thy old smell. Le Beau. You amaze me, ladies: I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. Ros. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling. Le Beau. I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your ladyships, you may see 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 sons, Cel. I could match this beginning with an old tale. Le Beau. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence; Ros. With bills on their necks,-Be it known unto all men by these presents. Le Beau. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him: so he served the second, and so the third: Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful Touch. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to dole over them, that all the beholders take his part come for you. Cel. Were you made the messenger? Ros. Where learned you that oath, fool? Touch. Of a certain knight, that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore 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 forsworn. Cel. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge? Ros. Ay, marry; now unmuzzle your wisdom. Touch. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. Cel. By our beards, if we had them, thou art. Touch. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were: but if you swear by that that is not, you are not forsworn: no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away, before ever he saw those pancakes or that mustard. Cel. Pr'ythee, who is't that thou mean'st? Touch. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. Cel. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough! speak no more of him: you'll be whipp'd for taxation, one of these days. Touch. The more pity, that fools may not speak wisely, what wise men do foolishly. Cel. By my troth, thou say'st true: for since the little wit, that fools have, was silenced, the little foolery, that wise men have, makes a great show. Here comes monsieur Le Beau. Enter Le Beau. Ros. With his mouth full of news. with weeping. Ros. Álas! Touch. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? Le Beau. Why, this that I speak of. Touch. Thus men may grow wiser every day! it is the first time that ever I heard, breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. Cel. Or I, I promise thee. Ros. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking?-Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? Le Beau. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. Cel. Yonder, sure, they are coming: Let us now stay and see it. Flourish. Enter Duke Frederick, Lords, Orlando, Charles, and attendants. Duke F. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness, Ros. Is yonder the man? Le Beau. Even he, madam. Cel. Alas, he is too young: yet he looks successfully. Duke F. How now, daughter, and cousin? are you crept hither to see the wrestling? Ros. Ay, my liege? so please you give us leave. Duke F. You will take little delight in it, I can you, there is such odds in the men: In pity of the challenger's youth, I would fain dissuade him, tell Cel. Which he will put on us, as pigeons feed but he will not be entreated: Speak to him, ladies their young. Ros. Then shall we be news-cramm'd. Cel. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, monsieur Le Beau: What's the news? Le Beau. Fair princess, you have lost much good sport. Cel. Of what colour? see if you can move him. Cel. Call him hither, good monsieur Le Beau. Duke F. Do so; I'll not be by. [Duke goes apart. Le Beau. Monsieur the challenger, the princesses call for you. Orl. I attend them, with all respect and duty; Ros. Young man, have you challenged Charles the wrestler? Orl. 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 spirits are too bold for your years: You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength: if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety, and give over this attempt. Ros. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprized: we will make it our suit to the duke, that the wrestling might not go forward. Orl. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts; wherein I confess me much guilty, to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes, and gentle wishes, go with me to my trial: wherein if I be foiled, there is but one shamed that was never gracious; if killed, but one dead that is willing to be so: I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. Ros. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you. Cel. And mine, to eke out hers. Ros. Fare you well. Pray heaven, I be deceived in you! Cel. Your heart's desires be with you! Cha. Come, where is this young gallant, that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? Orl. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working. Duke F. You shall try but one fall. Cha. No, I warrant-your grace; you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. Orl. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mocked me before: but come your ways. Ros. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! Cel. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [Charles and Orlando wrestle. Ros. O excellent young man! Cel. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [Charles is thrown. Shout. Duke F. No more, no more. Orl. Yes, I beseech your grace; I am not yet well breathed. Duke F. How dost thou, Charles? Le Beau. He cannot speak, my lord. Duke F. Bear him away. [Charles is borne out.] What is thy name young man? Orl. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of sir Rowland de Bois. Duke F. I would, thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable, I should have given him tears unto entreaties, Let us go thank him, and encourage him: [Giving him a chain from her neck. Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune;2 That could give more, but that her hand lacks Shall we go, coz? means. Cel. Ay-Fare you well, fair gentleman. Orl. Can I not say, I thank you? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up, Is but a quintain,3 a mere lifeless block. Ros. He calls us back: My pride fell with my fortunes: I'll ask him what he would :-Did you call, sir?- Cel. I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando! thou art overthrown; Le Beau. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you Orl. I thank you, sir: and, pray you, tell me this; Which of the two was daughter of the duke That here was at the wrestling? Le Beau. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the shorter is his daughter: Thou should'st have better pleas'd me with this Will suddenly break forth.-Sir, fare you well; deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. To be adopted heir to Frederick. Ros. My father lov'd sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind: Had I before known this young man his son, (1) Appellation. (2) Turned out of her service. (3) The object to dart at in martial exercises. Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. [Exit. SCENE III-A room in the palace. Enter Celia and Rosalind. Cel. Why, cousin; why, Rosalind ;-Cupid have mercy!-Not a word? Ros. Not one to throw at a dog. (4) Temper, disposition. AS YOU LIKE IT. away upon curs, throw some of them at me; come, Ros. Then there were two cousins laid up; Cel. But all this for your father? Ros. No, some of it for my child's father: O, how full of briers is this working-day world! Cel. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. Ros. I could shake them off my coat; these burs are in my heart. Cel. Hem them away. Ros. I would try; if I could cry hem, and have him. Cel. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. Ros. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. Cel. O, a good wish upon you! you will try in time, in despite of a fall.-But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest: Is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old sir Rowland's youngest son? Ros. The duke my father lov'd his father dearly. Cel. Doth it therefore ensue, that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase, I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. Ros. No, 'faith, hate him not, for my sake. Enter Duke Frederick, with lords. And get you from our court. Ros. Duke F Me, uncle? You, cousin; Within these ten days if that thou be'st found I do beseech your grace, Ros. Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; Duke F. 209 Cel. I did not then entreat to have her stay, Duke F. She is too subtle for thee; and her Her very silence, and her patience, When she is gone: then open not thy lips; I cannot live out of her company. Duke F. You are a fool-You, niece, provide If you out-stay the time, upon mine honour, [Exeunt Duke Frederick and lords. Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. Cel. O my poor Rosalind! whither wilt thou go? charge thee, be not thou more griev'd than I am. Ros. I have more cause. I Pr'ythee, be cheerful: know'st thou not, the duke Therefore devise with me, how we may fly. Cel. I'll put myself in poor and mean attire, If their purgation did consist in words, Ros. So was I, when your highness took his So was I, when your highness banish'd him; Or, if we did derive it from our friends, To think my poverty is treacherous. Cel. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. Cel. What shall I call thee, when thou art a Ros. I'll have no worse a name than Jove's own And therefore look you call me, Ganymede. Duke F. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake, No longer Celia, but Aliena. Cel. Something that hath a reference to my state; Else had she with her father rang'd along. (2) Compassion. (1) Inveterately. Ros. But, cousin, what if we assay'd to steal (4) Cutlass. (5) Swaggering. exíle, Hath not old custom made this life more sweet grace, That can translate the stubbornness of fortune Duke S. Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me, the poor dappled fools,Being native burghers of this desert city,Should, in their own confines, with forked heads! Have their round haunches gor'd. 1 Lord. Indeed, my lord, The melancholy Jaques grieves at that; And, in that kind, swears you do more usurp Than doth your brother that hath banish'd you. To-day, my lord of Amiens, and myself, Did steal behind him, as he lay along Under an oak, whose antique root peeps out Upon the brook that brawls along this wood: To the which place a poor sequester'd stag, That from the hunters' aim had ta'en a hurt, Did come to languish; and, indeed, my lord, The wretched animal heav'd forth such groans, That their discharge did stretch his leathern coat Almost to bursting; and the big round tears Cours'd one another down his innocent nose In piteous chase: and thus the hairy fool, Much marked of the melancholy Jaques, Stood on the extremest verge of the swift brook, Augmenting it with tears. Duke S. But what said Jaques? Did he not moralize this spectacle? 1 Lord. O, yes, into a thousand similes. First, for his weeping in the needless stream; Poor deer, quoth he, thou mak'st a testament As worldlings do, giving thy sum of more To that which had too much: Then, being alone, Left and abandon'd of his velvet friends; (1) Barbed arrows. (2) Encounter. (3) Scurvy. (4) Sink into dejection. (5) Memorial. 'Tis right, quoth he; this misery doth part 2 Lord. We did, my lord, weeping and commenting Upon the sobbing deer. Duke S. Show me the place; 2 Lord. I'll bring you to him straight. [Exeunt. SCENE II-A room in the palace. Enter Duke Frederick, Lords, and attendants. Duke F. Can it be possible, that no man saw It cannot be some villains of my court 1 Lord. I cannot hear of any that did see her. The ladies, her attendants of her chamber, Saw her a-bed; and, in the morning early, They found the bed untreasur'd of their mistress. 2 Lord. My lord, the roynish3 clown, at whom so oft Your grace was wont to laugh, is also missing. Duke F. Send to his brother; fetch that gallant If he be absent, bring his brother to me, I'll make him find him: do this suddenly: And let not search and inquisition quail4 To bring again these foolish runaways. [Exeunt. |SCENE III.—Before Oliver's house. Enter Orlando and Adam, meeting. Orl. Who's there? Adam. What! my young master?-0, my gentle master, O, my sweet master, O you memory5 Orl. Why, what's the matter? (6) Inconsiderate. |