You are a thousand times a properer man, Than she a woman: 'Tis such fools as you, Phe. Sweet youth, I pray you chide a year toge- I had rather hear you chide, than this man woo. Ros. He's fallen in love with her foulness, and she'll fall in love with my anger: If it be so, as fast as she answers thee with frowning looks, I'll sauce her with bitter words. Why look you so upon me? Phe. For no ill will I bear you. Ros. I pray you, do not fall in love with me, For I am falser than vows made in wine: Besides, I like you not: If you will know my house, Will you go, sister?- Shepherd, ply her hard: - [Exeunt ROSALIND, CELIA, and CORIN. 2 Foul is most foul, being foul to be a scoffer.] The sense is The ugly seem most ugly, when, though ugly, they are scoffers. 3 though all the world could see, None could be so abus'd in sight as he.] Though all mankind could look on you, none could be so deceived as to think you beau→ tiful but he. JOHNSON. Phe. Dead shepherd! now I find thy saw of might; Who ever lov'd, that lov'd not at first sight? Sil. Sweet Phebe, Phe. Ha! what say'st thou, Silvius? Sil. Sweet Phebe, pity me. Phe. Why, I am sorry for thee, gentle Silvius. Sil. Wherever sorrow is, relief would be; If you do sorrow at my grief in love, By giving love, your sorrow and my grief Phe. Thou hast my love; Is not that neighbourly? Phe. Why, that were covetousness. Silvius, the time was, that I hated thee; And yet it is not, that I bear thee love : But since that thou canst talk of love so well, And I in such a poverty of grace, That I shall think it a most plenteous crop To glean the broken ears after the man That the main harvest reaps: loose now and then A scatter'd smile, and that I'll live upon. Phe. Know'st thou the youth that spoke to me ere while? Sil. Not very well, but I have met him oft; And he hath bought the cottage, and the bounds, 4 Dead shepherd! now I find thy saw of might; Who ever lov'd, that lov'd not at first sight ?] The second of these lines is from Marlowe's Hero and Leander, 1637. 5 That the old carlot-] i. e. peasant, from cart or churl; probably a word of Shakspeare's coinage. Phe. Think not I love him, though I ask for him; 'Tis but a peevish boy: — yet he talks well; — But what care I for words? yet words do well, But, sure, he's proud; and yet his pride becomes him : Than that mix'd in his cheek; 'twas just the difference I love him not, nor hate him not; and yet For what had he to do to chide at me? He said, mine eyes were black, and my hair black; I marvel, why I answer'd not again: But that's all one; omittance is no quittance. And thou shalt bear it; Wilt thou, Silvius? I'll write it straight; The matter's in my head, and in my heart: I will be bitter with him, and passing short: [Exeunt. 6 a peevish boy:] Peevish, in ancient language, signifies weak, silly. "He is not very tall." MALOne. Jaq. I pr'ythee, pretty youth, let me be better acquainted with thee. Ros. They say you are a melancholy fellow. Jaq. I am so; I do love it better than laughing. Ros. Those, that are in extremity of either, are abominable fellows; and betray themselves to every modern censure, worse than drunkards. Jaq. Why, 'tis good to be sad and say nothing. Jaq. I have neither the scholar's melancholy, which is emulation; nor the musician's, which is fantastical; nor the courtier's, which is proud; nor the soldier's, which is ambitious; nor the lawyer's, which is politick; nor the lady's, which is nice7; nor the lover's, which is all these but it is a melancholy of mine own, compounded of many simples, extracted from many objects: and, indeed, the sundry contemplation of my travels, in which my often rumination wraps me, is a most humorous sadness.+ Ros. A traveller! By my faith, you have great reason to be sad: I fear, you have sold your own lands, to see other men's; then, to have seen much, and to have nothing, is to have rich eyes and poor hands. Jaq. Yes, I have gained my experience. 7 which is nice;] i. e. silly, trifling. † Malone reads, "travels; which by often rumination wraps me, in a most humorous sadness." Enter ORLANDO. Ros. And your experience makes you sad: I had rather have a fool to make me merry, than experience to make me sad; and to travel for it too. Orl. Good day, and happiness, dear Rosalind! Jaq. Nay then, God be wi' you, an you talk in blank verse. [Exit. Ros. Farewell, monsieur traveller: Look, you lisp, and wear strange suits; disable all the benefits of your own country; be out of love with your nativity, and almost chide God for making you that countenance you are; or I will scarce think you have swam in a gondola. Why, how now, Orlando! where have you been all this while? You a lover? An you serve me such another trick, never come in my sight more. Orl. My fair Rosalind, I come within an hour of my promise. Ros. Break an hour's promise in love? He that will divide a minute into a thousand parts, and break but a part of the thousandth part of a minute in the affairs of love, it may be said of him, that Cupid hath clap'd him o'the shoulder, but I warrant him heartwhole. Orl. Pardon me, dear Rosalind. Ros. Nay, an you be so tardy, come no more in my sight; I had as lief be woo'd of a snail. Orl. Of a snail? Ros. Ay; of a snail; for though he comes slowly, he carries his house on his head; a better jointure, I think, than you can make a woman: Besides, he brings his destiny with him. 9 swam in a gondola.] That is, been at Venice, the seat at that time of all licentiousness, where the young English gentlemen wasted their fortunes, debased their morals, and sometimes lost their religion. |