Page images
PDF
EPUB

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 tremble, and depart.

Aud. Do, good William.
Will. Rest you merry, sir.

[Exit WILLIAM.

[Exeunt.

Touch. Trip, Audrey; trip, Audrey.

SCENE II.

A Lawn, before a Cottage in the Forest.
Enter Oliver, and Orlando.

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 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.

Orl. You have my consent. Let your wedding be to-morrow: thither will I invite the duke, and all his contented followers.

Enter Rosalind.

Go you, and prepare Aliena: for, look you, here comes my Rosalind.

Ros. Heaven save you, brother.

Oli. And you, fair sister.

[Exit Oliver.

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

[ocr errors]

Orl. It is my arm.

Ros. I thought, thy heart had been wounded with

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

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

Orl. Ay, and greater wonders than that.

Ros. O, I know where you are:—Nay, 't is 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 look'd; no sooner look'd, but they loved; no sooner lov'd, but they sigh'd; no sooner sigh'd, but they ask'd 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; 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,) 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 impossible to me, if it appear not inconvenient to you, to set her before your eyes, human as she is, and without any danger.

Orl. Speak'st thou in sober meanings?

Ros. By my life, I do; which I tender dearly, 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.—Look, here comes a lover of mine, and a lover of hers.

Enter Phebe, and Silvius.

Phe. Youth, you have done me much ungentle

ness,

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 't is to

love.

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

Phe. And I for Ganymede.

Oil. And I for Rosalind.

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.

Orl. And I for Rosalind.

Ros. And I for no woman -Pray you, no more of this; 't is 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.—Anon meet me all together.—I will marry you, [To Phebe] if ever I marry woman, and I'll be married to-morrow: -I will content you, [To Silvius] if what pleases you contents you, and you shall be married to-morrow-I will satisfy you, [To Orlando] if ever I satisfied man, and you shall be married to-morrow.As you love. Rosalind, meet 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.

Phe. Nor. I.

Orl, Nor I.

SCENE III.

Another Part of the Forest.

Enter Duke senior, Orlando, Oliver, Celia, Jaques, Silvius, and Phebe.

Duke S. Dost thou believe, Orlando, that the boy 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.

Ros. Patience once more, whiles our compáct is

urg'd:

You say, if I bring in your Rosalind,

[To the Duke You will bestow her on Orlando here? 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. Orl. 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, You'll give yourself to this most faithful shepherd? Phe. 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 daugh

ter ;—

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..

[Touchstone and Audrey without.]

Touch. Come along, 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 call'd 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 flatter'd a lady; I have been politick 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.

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

Duke S. I like him very well.

« PreviousContinue »