And therefore take the present time, Touch. Truly, young gentlemen, though there was no great 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, Audrey. [Exeunt. You yours, Orlando, to receive his daughter :- [Exeunt Ros, and Cel. 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;2 I have flattered a lady; I have been politic with my friend, smooth with mine 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. Jag. How seventh cause? Good my lord, like this fellow. Duke S. I like him very well. SCENE IV. Another part of the Forest. Enter country copulatives, to swear, and to forswear; ac Duke S. Dost thou believe, Orlando, that the boy cording as marriage binds, and blood breaks:-A Can do all this that he hath promised? Orl. I sometimes do believe, and sometimes do not; As those that fear they hope, and know they fear. Enter Rosalind, Silvius, and Phebe. Ros. Patience once more, whiles our compact is urg'd: You say, if I bring in your Rosalind, [To the Duke. (1) A married woman. poor virgin, sir, an ill-favoured thing, sir, but mine own; a poor humour of mine, sir, 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? Touch. Upon a lie seven times removed;-Bear (2) A stately solemn dance. 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 judgment: 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, 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? You and you no cross shall part: [To Orlando and Rosalind. You and you are heart in heart: [To Oliver and Celia. [To Touchstone and Audrey. As the winter to foul weather. Wedding is great Juno's crown; O blessed bond of board and bed! 'Tis Hymen peoples every town; High wedlock then be honoured: Honour, high honour and renown, To Hymen, god of every town! Duke S. O my dear niece, welcome thou art to me, 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 Even daughter, welcome in no less degree. churlish; the fourth, the reproof valiant; the fifth, Phe. I will not eat my word, now thou art mine; the countercheck quarrelsome; the sixth, the lie Thy faith my fancy to thee doth combine. two; Enter Jaques de Bois. [To Silvius. 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 seven justices could not take up a quarrel; but when the Jaq. de B. Let me have audience for a word or parties were met themselves, one of them thought but of an if, as, if you said so, then I said so; and I am the second son of old sir Rowland, they shook hands, and swore brothers. Your if, is the only peace-maker; 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 woman's clothes; and Celia. Still music. Hym. Then is there mirth in heaven, Good duke, receive thy daughter, Yea, brought her hither; That thou might'st join her hand with his, Ros. To you I give myself, for I am yours. [To Duke S. To you I give myself, for I am yours. [To Orl. Duke S. If there be truth in sight, you are my daughter. 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. Nor ne'er wed woman, if you be not she. [To Phebe. Hym. Peace, ho! I bar confusion : 'Tis I must make conclusion Of these most strange events: If truth holds true contents." (1) Seemly. (2) Unless truth fails of veracity. That bring these tidings to this fair assembly:- 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 as 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, And fall into our rustic revelry: Play, music;-and you brides and bridegrooms all, And thrown into neglect the pompous court? Jaq. To him will 1: 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 faitb doth merit: (S) Bind. You [To Oliver.] to your land, and love, and great not become me; my way is, to conjure you; and allies:I'll begin with the women. I charge you, O women, You [To Silvius.] to a long and well-deserved for the love you bear to men, like as much of bed: this play as please them: and so I charge you, O And you [To Touchstone.] to wrangling; for thy men, for the love you bear to weinen, (as I perceive loving voyage by your simpering, none of you hate them,) that Is but for two months victuall'd:-So to your plea-between you and the women, the play may please. If I were a woman, I would kiss as many of you EPILOGUE. Of this play the fable is wild and pleasing. I know not how the ladies will approve the facility with which both Rosalind and Celia give away Ros. It is not the fashion to see the lady the epi- their hearts. To Celia much may be forgiven, for logue: but it is no more unhandsome, than to see the heroism of her friendship. The character of the lord the prologue. If it be true, that good wine Jaques is natural and well preserved. The comic needs no bush, 'tis true, that a good play needs no dialogue is very sprightly, with less mixture of low epilogue: Yet to good wine they do use good buffoonery than in some other plays; and the graver bushes; and good plays prove the better by the part is elegant and harmonious. By hastening to help of good epilogues. What a case am I in then, the end of this work, Shakspeare suppressed the that am neither a good epilogue, nor cannot insi- dialogue between the usurper and the hermit, and nuate with you in the behalf of a good play? I am lost an opportunity of exhibiting a moral lesson, in not furnished' like a beggar, therefore to beg will which he might have found matter worthy of his highest powers. (1) Dressed. (2) That I liked. JOHNSON. |