curb, and the faulcon her bells, so man hath his desires; and as pigeons bill, so wedlock would be nibbling. Jaq. And will you, being a man of your breeding, be married under a bush, like a beggar? Get you to church, and have a good priest that can tell you what marriage is this fellow will but join you together as they join wainscot: then one of you will prove a shrunk pannel, and, like green timber, warp, warp. Touch. I am not in the mind but I were better to be married of him than of another: for he is not like to marry me well; and not being well married, it will be a good excuse for me hereafter to leave my wife. [Aside. Jaq. Go thou with me, and let me counsel thee. Touch. Come, sweet Audrey; We must be married, or we must live in bawdry. Not-O sweet Oliver, O brave Oliver, Leave me not behi'+ thee; But-Wind away, Begone I say, I will not to wedding wi'‡ thee. [Exeunt JAQUES, TOUCHSTONE, and AUDREY. Sir Oli. 'Tis no matter; ne'er a fantastical knave of them all shall flout me out of my calling. The same. SCENE IV. Before a Cottage. Enter ROSALIND and CELIA. Ros. Never talk to me, I will weep. [Exit. Cel. Do, I pr'ythee; but yet have the grace to consider, that tears do not become a man. +"behind thee." MALONE. "with thee." MALONE. Ros. But have I not cause to weep? Cel. As good cause as one would desire; therefore weep. Ros. His very hair is of the dissembling colour. Cel. Something browner than Judas's®: marry, his kisses are Judas's own children. Ros. I'faith, his hair is of a good colour.9 Cel. An excellent colour: your chesnut was ever the only colour. Ros. And his kissing is as full of sanctity as the touch of holy bread.1 Cel. He hath bought a pair of cast lips of Diana: a nun of winter's sisterhood kisses not more religiously; the very ice of chastity is in them. Ros. But why did he swear he would come this morning, and comes not? Cel. Nay, certainly, there is no truth in him. Cel. Yes: I think he is not a pick-purse, nor a horsestealer; but for his verity in love, I do think him as concave as a cover'd goblet2, or a worm-eaten nut. Ros. Not true in love? Cel. Yes, when he is in; but, I think he is not in. Ros. You have heard him swear downright, he was. Cel. Was is not is: besides, the oath of a lover is no stronger than the word of a tapster; they are both the Something browner than Judas's:] Judas was constantly represented in ancient painting or tapestry, with red hair and beard. 9 Tfaith, his hair is of a good colour.] There is much of nature in this petty perverseness of Rosalind: she finds fault in her lover, in hope to be contradicted, and when Celia in sportive malice too readily seconds her accusations, she contradicts herself rather than suffer her favourite to want a vindication. 1 as the touch of holy bread.] We should read beard, that is, as the kiss of an holy saint or hermit, called the kiss of charity. This makes the comparison just and decent; the other impious and absurd. WARBURTON. 2 — as concave as a cover'd goblet,] i. e. hollow. confirmers of false reckonings: He attends here in the forest on the duke your father. Ros. I met the duke yesterday, and had much question with him: he asked me of what parentage I was; I told him, of as good as he; so he laugh'd, and let me go. But what talk we of fathers, when there is such a man as Orlando? Cel. O, that's a brave man! he writes brave verses, speaks brave words, swears brave oaths, and breaks them bravely, quite traverse, athwart the heart of his lover5; as a puny tilter, that spurs his horse but on one side, breaks his staff like a noble goose: but all's brave, that youth mounts, and folly guides:- Who comes here? Enter CORIN. Cor. Mistress, and master, you have oft enquired Cel. Well, and what of him? Cor. If you will see a pageant truly play'd, Ros. O, come, let us remove; 3 4 - much question -] i. e. conversation. [Exeunt. quite traverse, athwart, &c.] An unexperienced lover is here compared to a puny tilter, to whom it was a disgrace to have his lance broken across, as it was a mark either of want of courage or address. This happened when the horse flew on one side, in the career: and hence arose the jocular proverbial phrase of spurring the horse only on one side. 5 of his lover;] i. e. of his mistress. SCENE V. Another Part of the Forest. Enter SILVIUS and PHEBE. Sil. Sweet Phebe, do not scorn me; do not, Phebe: you love me not; but say not so Say, that In bitterness: The common executioner, Whose heart the accustom'd sight of death makes hard, But first begs pardon; Will you sterner be Enter ROSALIND, CELIA, and CORIN, at a distance. Phe. I would not be thy executioner; I fly thee, for I would not injure thee. Thou tell'st me, there is murder in mine eye: 'Tis pretty, sure, and very probable": That eyes, that are the frail'st and softest things, Should be call'd tyrants, butchers, murderers! And, if mine eyes can wound, now let them kill thee; Lie not, to say mine eyes are murderers. Now show the wound mine eye hath made in thee; Thy palm some moment keeps: but now mine eyes, 6 'Tis pretty, sure, and very probable,] Sure for surely. 7 The cicatrice and capable impressure-] Cicatrice is here not very properly used; it is the scar of a wound. Capable may mean here-perceptible. eyes Nor, I am sure, there is no force in That can do hurt. Sil. O dear Phebe, If ever, (as that ever may be near,) You meet in some fresh cheek the power of fancy, That love's keen arrows make. Phe. But, till that time, Come not thou near me: and, when that time comes, As, till that time, I shall not pity thee. Ros. And why, I pray you? [Advancing.] Who might be your mother, That you insult, exult, and all at once, Over the wretched? What though you have more beauty, (As, by my faith, I see no more in you Than without candle may go dark to bed,) Why, what means this? Why do you look on me? Of nature's sale-work1: -Od's my little life! 8 power of fancy.] Fancy is here used for love. 9 Who might be your mother,] It is common for the poets to express cruelty by saying, of those who commit it, that they were born of rocks, or suckled by tigresses. JOHNSON. + mo beauty." MALONE. 1 Of nature's sale-work:] The allusion is to the practice of mechanicks, whose work bespoke is more elaborate than that which is made up for chance customers. |