Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

Whiles you chid me, I do love;
How then might your prayers move?
He, that brings this love to thee,
Little knows this love in me:
And by him seal up thy mind;
Whether that thy youth and kind*
Will the faithful offer take
Of me, and all that I can make;
Or else by him my love deny,
And then I'll study how to die.
Sil. Call you this chiding?
Cel. Alas, poor shepherd!

Ros. Do not pity him? no, he deserves no pity.-Wilt thou love such a woman?-What, to make thee an instrument, and play false strains upon thee! not to be endured!-Well, go your way to her, (for I see, love hath made thee a tame snake,) and say this to her:-That if she love me, I charge her to love thee: if she will not, I will never have her, unless thou entreat for her.-If you be a true lover, hence, and not a word; for here comes more company. [Exit SILVIUS.

Enter OLIVER.
Oli. Good-morrow, fair ones: Pray you, if
you know

Where, in the purlieust of this forest, stands
A sheep-cote, fenc'd about with olive-trees?
Cel. West of this place, down in the neigh-
bour bottom,

The rank of osiers by the murmuring stream,
Left on your right hand, brings you to the
place:

But at this hour the house doth keep itself,
There's none within.

Oli. If that an eye may profit by a tongue,
Then I should know you by description;
Such garments, and such years: The boy is fair,
Of female favour, and bestows himself
Like a ripe sister: but the woman low,
And browner than her brother. Are not you
The owner of the house I did inquire for?

Cel. It is no boast, being ask'd, to say, we are.
Oli. Oriando doth commend him to you both;
And to that youth, he calls his Rosalind,
He sends this bloody napkin ; Are you he?
Ros. I am: What must we understand by

this?

[blocks in formation]

Cel. I pray you, tell it.

Oli. When last the young Orlando parted
from you,

He left a promise to return again
Within an hour; and, pacing through the forest,
Chewing the food of sweet and bitter fancy,
Lo, what befel! he threw his eye aside,
And, mark, what object did present itself!
Under an oak, whose boughs were moss'd with
And high top bald with dry antiquity, [age,
A wretched ragged man, o'ergrown with hair,
Lay sleeping on his back: about his neck
A green and gilded snake had wreath'd itself,
Who with her head, nimble in threats, ap-
proach'd

The opening of his mouth; but suddenly
Seeing Orlando, it unlink'd itself,
And with indented glides did slip away
Into a bush: under which bush's shade
A lioness, with udders all drawn dry,
Lay couching, head on ground, with catlike
watch,
['tis
When that the sleeping man should stir; for

• Nature, + Environs of a forest. 1 Handkerchief

523

The royal disposition of that beast,
To prey on nothing that doth seem as dead
This seen, Orlando did approach the man,
And found it was his brother, his elder brother
Cel. O, I have heard him speak of that same
brother;

And he did render him the most unnatural
That liv'd 'mongst men.

Oli. And well he might so do,
For well I know he was unnatural.

Ros. But, to Orlando;-Did he leave him
there,

Food to the suck'd and hungry lioness?
Oli. Twice did he turn his back, and pur-
pos'd so:

But kindness, nobler ever than revenge,
And nature, stronger than his just occasion,
Made him give battle to the lioness,
Who quickly fell before him; in which hurt-
From miserable slumber I awak'd. [ling+
Cel. Are you his brother?
Ros. Was it you he rescu'd?

Cel. Was't you that did so oft contrive to kill
him?

Oli. 'Twas I; but 'tis not I: I do not shame
To tell you what I was, since my conversion
So sweetly tastes, being the thing I am.
Ros. But, for the bloody napkin?-

When from the first to last, betwixt us two.
Oli. By, and by.
Tears our recountments had most kindly bath'd,
As, how I came into that desert place;-
In brief, he led me to the gentle duke,
Who gave me fresh array, and entertainment,
Committing me unto my brother's love;
Who led me instantly unto his cave,
There stripp'd himself, and here upon his arm
The lioness had torn some flesh away,

Which all this while had bled; and now he faint-
And cry'd, in fainting, upon Rosalind. [ed,
Brief, I recover'd him; bound up his wound;
And, after some small space, being strong at
He sent me hither, stranger as I am, [heart,
To tell this story, that you might excuse
His broken promise, and to give this napkin,
Dy'd in this blood, unto the shepherd youth
That he in sport doth call his Rosalind.
Cel. Why, how now, Ganymede? sweet
Ganymede? [ROSALIND faints.
Oli. Many will swoon when they do look on
blood

Cel. There is more in it:-Cousin-Gany-
mede

Oli. Look, he recovers.

Ros. I would, I were at home.
Cel. We'll lead you thither:-

I pray you, will you take him by the arm?
Oli. Be of good cheer, youth:-You a
You lack a man's heart.
[man ?--

Ros. I do so, I confess it. Ah, Sir, a body would think this was well counterfeited: I pray you, tell your brother how well I counterfeited.-Heigh ho!

Oli. This was not counterfeit; there is too great testimony in your complexion, that it was a passion of carnest.

Ros. Counterfeit, I assure you.

Oli. Well then, take a good heart, and counterfeit to be a man.

Ros. So I do: but, i'faith I should have been a woman by right.

Cel. Come, you look paler and paler; pray you, draw homewards :-Good Sir, go with us.

Oli. That will I, for I must bear answer How you excuse my brother, Rosalind. [back + Scutie.

* Describe

[blocks in formation]

Touch. It is meat and drink to me to see a clown: By my troth, we that have good wits, have much to answer for; we shall be flouting; we cannot hold.

Will. Good even, Audrey.

Aud. God ye good even, William. Will. And good even to you, Sir. Touch. Good even, gentle friend: Cover thy head, cover thy head; nay, pr'ythee, be covered. How old are you, friend?

Will. Five and twenty, Sir.

Touch. A ripe age: Is thy name, William?
Will. William, Sir.

Touch. A fair name: Wast born i'the forest here?

Will. Ay, Sir, I thank God.

Enter CORIN.

Cor. Our master and mistress seek you come, away, away.

Touch. Trip, Audrey, trip, Audrey;—I attend, I attend. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.-The same.

Enter ORLANDO and OLIver.

Orl. Is't possible, that on so little acquaintance you should like her? that, but seeing, you should love her? and, loving, woo? and, wooing, she should grant? and will you persévere to enjoy her?

Oli. Neither call the giddiness of it in question, the poverty of her, the small acquaintance, my sudden wooing, nor her sudden consenting; but say with me, I love Aliena; say with her, that she loves me; consent with both, that we may enjoy each other: it shall be to your good; for my father's house, and all the revenue that was old Sir Rowland's, will I estate upon you, and here live and die a shepherd.

Enter ROSALIND.

Orl. You have my consent. Let your wedding be to-morrow: thither will I invite the duke, and all his contented followers: Go you, and prepare Aliena; for, look you, here comes my Rosalind.

Ros. God save you, brother.

Oli. And you, fair sister.

Ros. O, my dear Orlando, how it grieves me to see thee wear thy heart in a scarf. Orl. It is my arm.

Ros. I thought, thy heart had been wounded

Touch. Thank God;-a good answer: Art with the claws of a lion. rich?

Will. 'Faith, Sir, so, so.

Touch. So, so, is good, very good, very excellent good:-and yet it is not; it is but so so. Art thou wise?

Will. Ay, Sir, I have a pretty wit.

Touch. Why, thou say'st well. I do now remember a saying; The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool. The heathen philosopher, when he had a desire to eat a grape, would open his lips when he put it into his mouth; meaning thereby, that grapes were made to eat, and lips to open. You do love this maid?

Will. I do, Sir.

Touch. Give me your hand: Art thou learned?
Will. No, Sir.

Touch. Then learn this of me; To have, is to have: For it is a figure in rhetoric, that drink, being poured out of a cup into a glass, by filling the one doth empty the other: For all your writers do consent, that ipse is he; now you are not ipse, for I am he.

Will. Which he, Sir?

Touch. He, Sir, that must marry this woman: Therefore, you clown, abandon,-which is in the vulgar, leave,-the society,-which in the boorish is, company,-of this female,-which in the common is, woman, which together is, abandon the society of this female; or, clown, thou perishest; or, to thy better understanding, diest; to wit, I kill thee, make thee away, translate thy life into death, thy liberty into bondage: I will deal in poison with thee, or in bastinado, or in steel; I will bandy with thee in faction; I will o'er-run thee with policy; I will kill thee a hundred and fifty ways; therefore tremnie, and depart.

Aud. Do, good William.
Will. God rest you merry, Sir.

Orl. Wounded it is, but with the eyes of a lady.

Ros. Did your brother tell you how I counterfeited to swoon, when he showed me your handkerchief?

Orl. Ay, and greater wonders than that.

Ros. O, I know where you are:-Nay, 'tis true: there was never any thing so sudden, but the fight of two rams, and Cæsar's thrasonical brag of-I came, saw, and overcame: For your brother and my sister no sooner met, but they looked; no sooner looked, but they loved; no sooner loved, but they sighed; no sooner sighed, but they asked one another the reason; no sooner knew the reason, but they sought the remedy: and in these degrees have they made a pair of stairs to marriage, which they will climb incontinent, or else be incontinent before marriage: they are in the very wrath of love, and they will together; clubs cannot part them.

Orl. They shall be married to-morrow; and I will bid the duke to the nuptial. But, O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man's eyes! By so much the more shall I to-morrow be at the height of heart-heaviness, by how much I shall think my brother happy, in having what he wishes for.

Ros. Why then, to-morrow I cannot serve your turn for Rosalind?

Orl. I can live no longer by thinking. Ros. I will weary you no longer then with idle talking. Know of me then, (for now I speak to some purpose,) that I know you are a gentleman of good conceit: I speak not this, that you should bear a good opinion of my knowledge, insomuch, I say, I know you are; neither do I labour for a greater esteem than [Exit, may in some little measure draw a belief t

Sil. I'll not fail, if I live.
Phe. Nor I.
Orl. Nor I.

SCENE III.-The same.

you, to do yourself good, and not to grace me.
Believe then, if you please, that I can do
strange things: I have, since I was three years
old, conversed with a magician, most profound
in this art, and yet not damnable. If you do
love Rosalind so near the heart as your gesture
cries it out, when your brother marries Aliena,
shall you marry her: I know into what straits
of fortune she is driven; and it is not impossi-rey; to-morrow will we be married.
ble to me, if it appear not inconvenient to you,
to set her before your eyes to-morrow, human
as she is, and without any danger.

Orl. Speakest thou in sober meanings?
Ros. By my life, I do; which I tender dear-
ly, though I say I am a magician: Therefore,
put you in your best array, bid your friends:
for if you will be married to-morrow, you shall;
and to Rosalind, if you will.

Enter SILVIUS and PHEBe.

Look, here comes a lover of mine, and a lover

of hers.

Phe. Youth, you have done me much ungentleness,

To show the letter that I writ to you.

Ros. I care not, if I have: it is my study,
To seem despiteful and ungentle to you:
You are there follow'd by a faithful shepherd;
Look upon him, love him; he worships you.
Phe. Good shepherd, tell this youth what
'tis to love.

Sil. It is to be all made of sighs and tears;-
And so am I for Phebe.

Phe. And I for Ganymede.
Orl. And I for Rosalind.
Ros. And I for no woman.

Sil. It is to be all made of faith and ser

And so am I for Phebe.

Phe. And I for Ganymede.

Orl. And I for Rosalind.

[ocr errors]

Ros. And I for no woman.

Sil. It is to be all made of fantasy,

[vice ;

All made of passion, and all made of wishes;
All adoration, duty, and observance,

All humbleness, all patience, and impatience,
All purity, all trial, all observance ;-
And so am I for Phebe.

Phe. And so am I for Ganymede.
Orl. And so am I for Rosalind.
Ros. And so am I for no woman.

Phe. If this be so, why blame you me to love
you?
[To ROSALIND.
Sil. If this be so, why blame you me to love
[TO PHEBE.
Orl. If this be so, why blame you me to love
you?

you?

Ros. Who do you speak to, why blame you me to love you?

Ürl. To her, that is not here, nor doth not hear.

Ros. Pray you, no more of this; 'tis like the howling of Irish wolves against the moon.-I will help you, [To SILVIUS] if I can :-I would love you, [To PHEBE] if I could.-To-morrow meet me all together.-I will marry you, [To PHEBE] if ever I marry woman, and I'll be married to-morrow :-I will satisfy you, [To ORLANDO] if ever I satisfied man, and you shall be married to-morrow:-I will content you, [To SILVIUS] if what pleases you contents you, and you shall be married to-morrow.-As you, [To ORLANDO] love Rosalind, meet;—as you, To SILVIUS] love Phebe, meet; And as I love no woman, I'll meet.-So fare you well; I have left you commands.

[ocr errors]

Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY.
Touch. To-morrow is the joyful day, Aud-

hope it is no dishonest desire, to desire to be a
Aud. I do desire it with all my heart: and I
woman of the world." Here comes two of the
banished duke's pages.

Enter two PAGES.

1 Page. Well met, honest gentleman. Touch. By my troth, well met: Come, sit, sit, and a song.

2 Page. We are for you: sit i'the middle. hawking, or spitting, or saying we are hoarse; 1 Page. Shall we clap into't roundly, without which are the only prologues to a bad voice?

2 Page. I'faith, i'faith; and both in a tune, like two gipsies on a horse.

[blocks in formation]

IV.

And therefore take the present time,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino;
For love is crowned with the prime
In spring time, &c.

Touch. Truly, young gentlemen, though there was no greater matter in the ditty, yet the note was very untunable.

1 Page. You are deceived, Sir; we kept time, we lost not our time.

Touch. By my troth, yes; I count it but time
lost to hear such a foolish song. God be with
you; and God mend your voices! Come, Aud-
rey.
[Exeunt
SCENE IV.-Another part of the Forest
Enter DUKE, senior, AMIENS, JAQUES, Orlan
DO, OLIVER, and CELIA.

Can do all this that he hath promised?
Duke S. Dost thou believe, Orlando, that the
[boy
Orl. I sometimes do believe, and sometimes
do not;

As

[fear.

those that fear they hope, and know they Enter ROSALIND, SILVIUS, and PHEBE. Ros. Patience once more, whiles our comYou say, if I bring in your Rosalind, páct is urg'd:-

[To the DUKE. You will bestow her on Orlando here? * A married woman

P

Duke S. That would I, had I kingdoms to give with her.

Ros. And you say, you will have her, when I bring her? [To ORLANDO. Or!. That would I, were I of all kingdoms king.

Ros. You say, you'll marry me, if I be willing? [To PHEBE. Phe. That will I, should I die the hour after. Ros. But, if you do refuse to marry me, [herd? You'll give yourself to this most faithful shepPhe. So is the bargain.

Ros. You say, that you'll have Phebe, if she will? [To SILVIUS. Sil. Though to have her and death were both one thing.

Ros. I have promis'd to make all this matter

even.

Keep you your word, O duke, to give your

daughter;

You yours, Orlando, to receive his daughter:-
Keep your word, Phebe, that you'll marry me;
Or else, refusing me, to wed this shepherd:-
Keep your word, Silvius, that you'll marry her,
If she refuse me:-and from hence I go,
To make these doubts all even.

[Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA. Duke S. I do remember in this shepherd-boy Some lively touches of my daughter's favour. Orl. My lord, the first time that I ever saw him,

Methought he was a brother to your daughter:
But, my good lord, this boy is forest-born;
And hath been tutor'd in the rudiments
Of many desperate studies by his uncle,
Whom he reports to be a great magician,
Obscured in the circle of this forest.

Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY. Jaq. There is, sure, another flood toward, and these couples are coming to the ark! Here comes a pair of very strange beasts, which in all tongues are called fools.

Touch. Salutation and greeting to you all! Jaq. Good my lord, bid him welcome; This is the motley-minded gentleman, that I have so often met in the forest: he hath been a courtier, he swears.

Touch. If any man doubt that, let him put me to my purgation. I have trod a measure I have flattered a lady; I have been politic with my friend, smooth with my enemy; I have undone three tailors; I have had four quarrels, and like to have fought one.

Jaq. And how was that ta'en up?

Touch. 'Faith, we met, and found the quarrel was upon the seventh cause.

Jaq. How seventh cause?-Good my lord, like this fellow.

Duke S. I like him very well.

Touch. God'ild you, Sir; I desire you of the like. I press in here, Sir, amongst the rest of the country copulatives, to swear, and to forScar; according as marriage binds, and blood breaks-A poor virgin, Sir, an ill-favoured thing, Sir, but mine own; a poor humour of wine, to take that that no man else will: Rich honesty dwells like a miser, Sir, in a poor-house; as your pearl, in your foul oyster.

Duke S. By my faith, he is very swift and sententious.

Touch. According to the fool's bolt, Sir, and such dulcet diseases.

Jaq. But, for the seventh cause; how did you find the quarrel on the seventh cause?

A stately solemn dance.

Touch. Upon a lie seven times removed;-Bear your body more seeming, Audrey :-as thus, Sir. I did dislike the cut of a certain Courtier's beard; he sent me word, if I said his beard was not cut well, he was in the mind it was: This is called the Retort courteous. If I sent him word again, it was not well cut, he Would send me word, he cut it to please himself: This is called the Quip modest. If again, it was not well cut, he disabled my judgement: This is called the Reply churlish. If again, it was not well cut, he would answer, I spake not true: This is called the Reproof valiant. If again, it was not well cut, he would say, I lie: This is called the Countercheck quarrelsome: and so to the Lie circumstantial, and the Lie direct. Jaq. And how oft did you say, his beard was not well cut?

Touch. I durst go no further than the Lie circumstantial, nor he durst not give me the Lie direct; and so we measured swords, and parted. Jaq. Can you nominate in order now the degrees of the lie?

Touch. O Sir, we quarrel in print, by the book; as you have books for good manners: I will name you the degrees. The first, the Retort courteous; the second, the Quip modest; the third, the Reply churlish; the fourth, the Reproof valiant; the fifth, the Countercheck quarrelsome; the sixth, the Lie with circumstance; the seventh, the Lie direct. All these you may avoid, but the lie direct; and you may avoid that too, with an If. I knew when se ven justices could not take up a quarrel; but when the parties were met themselves, one of them thought but of an If, as, If you said so, then I said so; and they shook hands, and swore brothers. Your If is the only peacemaker; much virtue in If.

Jaq. Is not this a rare fellow, my lord? he's as good at any thing, and yet a fool.

Duke S. He uses his folly like a stalking horse, and under the presentation of that, he shoots his wit.

Enter HYMEN, leading ROSALIND in womar's

clothes; and CELIA.
Still Music.

Hym. Then is there mirth in heaven,
When earthly things made even
Atone together.

Good duke, receive thy daughter,
Hymen from heaven brought her,

Yea, brought her hither ;

That thou might'st join her hand with his,
Whose heart within her bosom is.

Ros. To you I give myself, for I am yours.

[TO DUKE S. [To ORLANDO. Duke S. If there be truth in sight, you are my daughter.

To you I give myself, for I am yours.

Orl. If there be truth in sight, you are my Rosalind.

Phe. If sight and shape be true, Why then, my love adieu!

Ros. I'll have no father, if you be not he:

[TO DUKE S.

I'll have no husband, if you be not he :

[TO ORLANDO.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

to me;

Even daughter, welcome in no less degree. Phe. I will not eat my word, now thou art mine;

Thy faith my fancy to thee doth combine.+ [TO SILVIUS.

Enter JAQUES DE BOIS.
Jaq. de B. Let me have audience for a word
or two;

I am the second son of old Sir Rowland,
That bring these tidings to this fair assembly:-
Duke Frederick, hearing how that every day
Men of great worth resorted to this forest,
Address'd a mighty power! which were on foot,
In his own conduct, purposely to take
His brother here, and put him to the sword:
And to the skirts of this wild wood he came;
Where, meeting with an old religious man,
After some question with him, was converted
Both from his enterprise, and from the world:
His crown bequeathing to his banish'd brother,
And all their lands restor'd to them again
That were with him exil'd: This to be true,
I do engage my life.

Duke S. Welcome, young man ;
Thou offer'st fairly to thy brothers' wedding:
To one, his lands withheld; and to the other,
A land itself at large, a potent dukedom.
First, in this forest, let us do those ends
That here were well begun, and well begot:
And after, every of this happy number,
That have endur'd shrewd days and nights
with us,

Shall share the good of our returned fortune,
According to the measure of their states.
Meantime, forget this new-fall'n dignity,

[blocks in formation]

And fall into our rustic revelry:Play, music;-and you brides and bridegrooms all,

[fall. With measure heap'd in joy, to the measures Jaq. Sir, by your patience; If I heard you

rightly,

The duke hath put on a religious life,
And thrown into neglect the pompous court?
Jaq. de B. He hath.

Jaq. To him will I; out of these convertites There is much matter to be heard and learn'd.— You to your former honour I bequeath;

[TO DUKE S. Your patience, and your virtue well deserves it:

You [To ORLANDO] to a love, that your true faith doth merit :

You [To OLIVER] to your land, and love, and great allies:

You [To SILVIUS] to a long and well deserved bed;

And you [To TOUCHSTONE] to wrangling; for thy loving voyage

Is but for two months victual'd:-So to your pleasures;

I am for other than for dancing measures.
Duke S. Stay, Jaques, stay.

Jaq. To see no pastime, I:-what you would have

I'll stay to know at your abandon'd cave.

[Exit. Duke S. Proceed, proceed: we will begin these rites,

And we do trust they'll end in true delights.

EPILOGUE.

[A dance.

Ros. It is not the fashion to see the lady the to see the lord the prologue. If it be true, that epilogue: but it is no more unhandsome, than good wine needs no bush, 'tis true, that a good play needs no epilogue: Yet to good wine they do use good bushes; and good plays prove the better by the help of good epilogues. What a epilogue, nor cannot insinuate with you in the case am I in then, that am neither a good behalf of a good play? I am not furnished like a beggar, therefore to beg will not become me: my way is, to conjure you; and I'll begin with the women. I charge you, O women, for the love you bear to men, to like as much of this play as please them: and so I charge you, O men, for the love you bear to women, (as I perceive by your simpering, none of you hate them,) that between you and the women, the play may please. If I were a woman, I would me, complexions that liked me, and breaths kiss as many of you as had beards that pleased that I defied not: and, I am sure, as many as have good beards, or good faces, or sweet breaths, will, for my kind offer, when I make curt'sy, bid me farewell. [Exeunt

[blocks in formation]
« PředchozíPokračovat »