Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own fake, to embrace your own safety, and give over this attempt.

Rof. Do, young fir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our fuit to the duke, that the wrestling might not go forward.

Orla. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts: herein I confefs me much guilty, to deny fo fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes, and gentle wishes, go with me to my trial: wherein if I be foil'd, there is but one fham'd that was never gracious: if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be fo: I fhall 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.

Rof. The little ftrength 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 in you! Cel. Your heart's defires be with you!

Cha. Come, where is this young gallant, that is so defirous to lie with his mother earth?

Orla. Ready, fir; but his will hath in it a more modest working.

Duke. You fhall try but one fall.

Cha. No, I warrant your grace; you shall not entreat him to a fecond, that have fo mightily perfuaded him from a first.

Orla. You mean to mock me after; you fhould not have mocked me before: but come your ways.

be mifprifed:]-fuffer any impeachment.

* If you mean.

Rof.

Rof. Now, Hercules be thy fpeed, young man! Cel. I would I were invifible, to catch the ftrong fellow by the leg! [They wrestle.

Ref. O excellent young man!

Cel. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [Shout.

Duke. No more, no more.

[Charles is thrown. Orla. Yes, I beseech your grace; I am not yet well breathed.

Duke. How doft thou, Charles?

Le Beau. He cannot speak, my lord.

Duke. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? Orla. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of fir Rowland de Boys.

Duke. I would, thou hadst been son to some man else. The world esteem'd thy father honourable,

But I did find him ftill mine enemy:

Thou shouldft have better pleas'd me with this deed,
Hadft thou defcended from another house.
But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth;
I would, thou hadst told me of another father.

[Exit Duke, with his train.

Manent Celia, Rofalind, Orlando.

Cel. Were I my father, coz, would I do this?
Orla. I am more proud to be fir Rowland's fon,

His youngest fon;-and would not change that calling,.
To be adopted heir to Frederick.

Rof. My father lov'd fir Rowland as his foul,
And all the world was of my father's mind:
Had I before known this young man his fon,
I should have given him tears unto entreaties,
Ere he should thus have ventur'd.

Cel. Gentle cousin,

Let

Let us go thank him, and encourage him :
My father's rough and envious difpofition
Sticks me at heart.-Sir, you have well deferv'd:
If you do keep your promises in love
But juftly, as you have exceeded all promife,
Your mistress shall be happy.
Rof. Gentleman,

Wear this for me; one
That could give more,
Shall we go, coz?

b

[Giving him a chain from her neck. out of fuits with fortune; but that her hand lacks means.

Cel. Ay-Fare you well, fair gentleman.

Orla. Can I not fay, I thank you? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up, Is but a quintaine, a mere lifeless block..

Rof. He calls us back: My pride fell with my fortunes: I'll ask him what he would :-Did you call, fir?— Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies."

Cel. Will you go, coz?

Rof. Have with you :-Fare you well.

[Exeunt Rofalind and Celia. Orla. What paffion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet fhe urg'd conference.

Enter Le Beau.

O poor Orlando! thou art overthrown;
Or Charles, or fomething weaker, mafters thee.

Le Beau. Good fir, I do in friendship counsel you
To leave this place: Albeit you have deserv'd
High commendation, true applause, and love;

out of fuits-out of her favour, difmifs'd her service.

C

a quintaine,]-a butt, or mark for military exercises; the ftake of

a trophy, which remains, when ftript of all its garniture.

Yet

Yet fuch is now the duke's "condition,
That he mifconftrues all that you have done.
The duke is humourous: what he is, indeed,
More fuits you to conceive, than me to speak of.
Orla. I thank you, fir: 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 :
The other is daughter to the banish'd duke,
And here detain'd by her ufurping uncle,
To keep his daughter company; whofe loves
Are dearer than the natural bond of fifters.
But I can tell you, that of late this duke
Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece;
Grounded upon no other argument,

But that the people praise her for her virtues,
And pity her for her good father's sake;
And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady
Will fuddenly break forth.-Sir, fare you well;
Hereafter, in a better world than this,
I shall defire more love and knowledge of you.
Orla. I reft much bounden to you: fare you
Thus muft I from the smoke into the fmother;
From tyrant duke, unto a tyrant brother :-
But heavenly Rosalind!

SCENE III.

An Apartment in the Palace.

Enter Celia, and Rofalind.

Cel. Why, coufin; why, Rofalind;-Cupid have -Not a word?

condition,]-difpofition.

[Exit.

well!

[Exit.

mercy!

e humourous;]-humourfome, peevish.

Rof.

Rof. Not one to throw at a dog.

Cel. No, thy words are too precious to be caft away upon curs, throw fome of them at me; come, lame me with reafons.

Rof. Then there were two cousins laid up; when the one fhould be lam'd with reasons, and the other mad without any.

Cel. But is all this for your father?

f

Rof. No, fome of it is for my child's father: Oh, how full of briars is this working-day world!

Cel. They are but burs, coufin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them.

Rof. I could shake them off my coat; these burs are in my heart.

Cel. Hem them away.

Rof. I would try; if I could cry, hem, and have him. Cel. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. Rof. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself.

Gel. O, a good wish upon you! you will try in time, in defpight of a fall.fall. But, turning thefe jefts out of fervice, let us talk in good earnett: Is it poffible on fuch a fudden you should fall into fo ftrong a liking with old fir Rowland's youngest son?

[ocr errors]

Rof. The duke my father lov'd his father dearly.

Cel. Doth it therefore enfue, that you should love his fon dearly? By this kind of chase, I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando.

k

f

my child's father :]-future husband-father's child.

a good with upon you !]-Heavens bless you.

dearly?]-to your heart.

kind of chafe,]-method of argument. k dearly;]-mortally.

Rof.

« PředchozíPokračovat »