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 sayest 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. Trip, Audrey; trip, Audrey.—I attend, I attend. [Exeunt. SCENE II-Another part of the Forest. 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 perséver to possess 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 Touch. Give me your hand. Art thou learned? loves me; consent with both, that we may possess 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; or, to wit,3 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'errun 3. To wit. That is to say;' 'be it known.' "To wit" is part of the verb from the German wissen, to know. See Note 112, Act ii., "Merchant of Venice." 4. Bastinado. A cudgelling, a beating. Italian, bastone, a stick; bastonado, or more correctly, bastonata, a beating with a stick. 5 I will bandy with thee in faction. Touchstone's grand way of saying, 'I will meet thee in squabble;' "bandy" being to toss to and fro, to interchange words or blows; and one meaning of "faction" being tumult, discord, dissension, or quarrel 6. Ist possible, &c. This question of Orlando's is one of those Dramatic Art expedients used so ingeniously by Shakespeare. Here it serves the purpose of evoking an explanation of the suddenness of the mutual liking between Oliver and each other: it shall be to your good; for my father's house, and all the revenue that was old Sir Roland's, will I estate? upon you, and here live and die a shepherd. 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. Celia; which else might strike the audience, or readers, as being unnaturally abrupt. 7. Estate. Settle, confer, bestow. See Note 14, Act i., "Midsummer Night's Dream." 8. Fair sister. The commentators say they "know not why Oliver should call Rosalind 'sister.'" He has a double reason for doing so he calls her "sister" because she is the girlishlooking brother of the woman he hopes to marry, and because she is the youth whom his own brother courts under the name of a woman. It should be remembered, that in the very first scene where they meet, Oliver thus addresses her:-"I must bear answer back how you excuse my brother, Rosalind." He at once acknowledges the assumed character, humours its assumption by giving her the name she is supposed to assume, and now follows up this playful make-believe by giving her the title and relationship she has a claim to, as the feigned Rosalind. 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. Oh, I know where you are :-nay, 'tis true: there was never anything 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 10 have they made a pair of stairs to marriage, which they will climb incontinent:" they are in the very wrath of love, and they will together; clubs cannot part them.12 Orl. They shall be married to-morrow; and I will bid the duke to the nuptial. But, oh, 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, then, no longer 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 should you bear a good opinion of my knowledge, insomuch 1 say I know you are; neither do I labour for a greater esteem than may in some little measure draw a belief from 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 his art, and yet not condemnable. Ir 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 impossible to me, if it appear not inconvenient to you, to set her before your 12. Clubs cannot part them. There was a custom, in Shakespeare's time, of calling out "Clubs, clubs!" when a street brawl occurred, to part the combatants; and it was also the cry wherewith the London apprentices rallied, or whereby they were called forth. 13 Bid. Invite. See Note 60, Act ii., "Merchant of Venice." A little farther on, Rosalind says, "Bid your friends." 14 Conceit. Here used for understanding, intelligence, conceptive faculty, power to conceive ideas. 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. Ros. And I for no woman. Sil. It is to be all made of faith and service; And so am I for Phebe. Phe. And I for Ganymede. And I for no woman. Sil. It is to be all made of fantasy, Phe. And so am I for Ganymede. Sil. [To PHEBE.] If this be so, why blame you me to love you? 15. Human as she is. The real Rosalind herself, and not a phantom like her; such as the "Snowy Lady" created by witchcraft to resemble Florimell, in canto viii., book 3, of Spenser's "Faery Queene." 16. Without any danger. That is, without any of the dangers attending sorcery and the performance of incantations. 17. Tender. Hold, prize, value, esteem. 18. Though I say I am a magician. Rosalind means that, though she owns she is a magician, she values her life; which (according to the usage in Shakespeare's time) would be endangered by an avowal of dealing in magic, or practising the black art. 19. Obedience. Here, by a mistake of the printer, in the Folio the word "observance" is repeated. Malone made the correction. Orl. If this be so, why blame you me to love you? Ros. Whom do you speak to,20—“ Why blame you me to love you?" Orl. 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.-[To SILVIUS.] I will help you, if I can :-[To PHEBE.] I would love you, if I could.-To-morrow meet me all together.—[To Phebe.] I will marry you, if ever I marry woman, and I'll be married to-morrow :— [To ORLANDO.] I will satisfy you, if ever I satisfied man, and you shall be married to-morrow :— [To SILVIUS.] I will content you, if what pleases you contents you, and you shall be married to-morrow. [To ORLANDO.] As you love Rosalind, meet-[To SILVIUS.] As you love Phebe, meet: and as I love no woman, I'll meet.-So, fare you well: I have left you commands. Sil. I'll not fail, if I live. 20 Whom do you speak to. The Folio misprints this 'Why do you speak too?' Rowe made the correction. 21. Irish wolves. The last portion of Great Britain wherein the ancient British wolf was to be found was Ireland; and this passage in Shakespeare corresponds with the known fact in natural history. We have evidence that in 1680 Sir Ewen Cameron was the killer of the last wolf in Scotland; and until as late as 1710 wolves existed in Ireland, since about that time the last presentment for killing them in the county of Cork was made. 22. A woman of the world. A phrase then in use for 'a married woman.' See Note 45, Act ii., "Much Ado." 23. The only pretty ring time. The only pretty time for putting on the wedding-ring;' in other, and more familiar words, 'for getting married.' 'Rang' is misprinted in the Folio for "ring" which the discovery of a MS. copy of the original ancient ballad shows to be the right word. 24. Untuneable. This (on account of the page's reply) has been altered by some editors to 'untimeable.' But "untune | hawking, or spitting, or saying we are hoarse, which are the only prologues to a bad voice? Sec. Page. I'faith, i'faith; and both in a tune, like two gipsies on a horse. SONG. It was a lover and his lass, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, That o'er the green corn-field did pass In the spring time, the only pretty ring time, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, This carol they began that hour, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, How that a life was but a flower In the spring time, &c. able" was sometimes used in Shakespeare's day for 'out of time,' as well as for out of tune;' and it is probable that pert Master Touchstone wished to insinuate both defects in the pages' singing; while the first page defends himself and his fellow-chorister from the more pardonable musical error of the two. This may be the better comprehended, if it be imagined (as we always do when we read this amusing little scene-so pointed a satire as it is upon the affectations of musical amateurs. both performers and listeners) that Touchstone, with the air of a connoisseur, beats time to the music while the song is proceeding; which accounts for the page's words in answer to the action that preceded the word "untuneable," and gave it the meaning then often attached to the term. Be it observed that the second page's words immediately before the song-"both in a tune, like two gipsies on a horse "-tend to show that "in a tuke was sometimes used for 'in time;' as the simile of two fellows jogging along on the same horse implies measure, rhythm, uniform pace. Orl. I sometimes do believe, and sometimes do not; As those that fear they hope, and know they fear.25 Enter ROSALIND, SILVIUS, and PHEBE. Ros. Patience once more, whiles our compact is urged : [To the DUKE.] You say, if I bring in your Rosalind, You will bestow her on Orlando here? Duke S. That would I, had I kingdoms to give with her. Ros. [To ORLANDO.] And you say, you will have her, when I bring her? Orl. That would I, were I of all kingdoms king, Ros. [To PHEBE.] You say, you'll marry me, if I be willing? Phe. That will I, should I die the hour after. Ros. But if you do refuse to marry me, You'll give yourself to this most faithful shepherd? Phe. So is the bargain, But, my good lord, this boy is forest-born, 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. Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY. 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 mine enemy; I have undone three tailors; I have had four quarrels, and like to have Ros. [To SILVIUS.] You say, that you'll have fought one. Phebe, if she will? Sil. Though to have her and death were both one thing. Ros, I have promis'd to make all this mater even, Keep you your word, oh, duke, to give your daughter; You yours, Orlando, to receive his daughter :Keep you your word, Phebe, that you'll marry me, Or else, refusing me, to wed this shepherd;— [Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA. 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.30 I press in here, sir, amongst the rest of the country copulatives, to swear and to forswear; according as marriage binds and blood breaks:-a 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.31 Duke S. By my faith, he is very swift 32 and sententious. Touch. According to the fool's bolt, sir, and such dulcet diseases.33 25. Those that fear they hope, and know they fear. This line has been suspected of corruption, and has been variously altered. But it seems to us wonderful that the commentators have not only failed to perceive its meaning, but have failed to see how completely it is in Shakespeare's manner; condensed in style, with epigrammatic point and force. To us it appears to express succinctly-and as clearly as succinctly-Those who dread that they may be hoping without foundation, knowing that they really fear.' 26. Favour. Aspect, appearance, look, countenance. 27. I have trod a measure. To 'tread a measure' was the term used for taking part in a slow, stately dance described in Note 6, Act ii, "Much Ado." 28. How was that talen up? How was that made up?' To "take up a quarrel" was an idiom of similar signification with the present one, 'to make up a quarrel;' to settle it, to accommodate the difference between the disputants. 29 God 'ild you. See Note 91, Act iii. 30. I desire you of the like. A phrase of the time, signifying 'I wish you a similar good wish to the one you wish me;' 'I return your compliment.' The same form of construction occurs in the sentence discussed in Note 22, Act iii., "Midsummer Night's Dream." 31. As your pearl in your foul oyster. Instance of "your" used to express an instanced generality. See Note 96, Act iii. 32. He is very swift. He is very quick-witted;' ready with his jests prompt with his jokes Shakespeare elsewhere applies this epithet "swift" to wit. See Note 13, Act iii., Much Ado." 33. According to the fool's bolt, sir, and such dulcet diseases. In the first part of this speech of Touchstone's, he alludes to the old proverb-"A fool's bolt is soon shot." By "such dulcet diseases" we take it that he means to say, in his whimsical style, 'similar sweet disagreeables ;' implying that the wit-arrow of the fool-jester amuses the bystanders, while it makes those who are its object smart. Shakespeare elsewhere uses the word |