1 DUKE. Perfons Represented. Frederick, brother to the Duke, and ufurper. Le Beau, a courtier attending upon Frederick. Jaques, Orlando, younger brothers to Oliver. Adam, an old fervant of Sir Rowland de Boys. Corin, } Shepherds. William, in love with Audrey. Sir Oliver Mar-text, a country curate." Charles, wrestler to the ufurping Duke Frederick. Rofalind, daughter to the Duke. Celia, daughter to Frederick. Audrey, a country wench. Lords belonging to the two Dukes; with pages, forefters, and other attendants. The SCENE lies, first, near Oliver's boufe; and, afterwards, partly in the Duke's court; and partly in the foreft of Arden. The lift of the perfons being omitted in the old editions, was added by Mr. Rowe. JOHNSON. AS A S I remember, Adam, it was upon this fafhion bequeathed me. By will, but a poor thousand crowns'; and, as thou fay'ft, charged my brother on his bleffing to breed me well. And there begins my fadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at As you like it was certainly borrowed, if we believe Dr. Grey, and Mr. Upton, from the Coke's Tale of Gamelyn; which by the way was not printed 'till a century afterward: when in truth the old bard, who was no hunter of MSS. contented himself folely with Lodge's Rofalynd, or Euphues' Golden Legacye. 4to. 1590. FARMER. Shakespeare has followed the fable more exactly than is his general cuftom when he is indebted to fuch worthlefs originals; and has sketch'd fome of his principal characters, and borrowed a few expreffions from it. His imitations, &c. however, are too infignificant to merit transcription. STEEVENS. 2 As I remember, Adam, it was upon this FASHION bequeathed mo by will, but a poor thousand crowns, &c.] The grammar, as well as fenfe, fuffers cruelly by this reading. There are two nominatives to the verb bequeathed, and not fo much as one to the verb charged: and yet, to the nominative there wanted, [his bleffing] refers. So that the whole fentence is confufed and obfcure. A very fmall alteration in the reading and pointing fets all right. As I remem ber, at school, and report fpeaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me ruftically at home; or, to speak more properly, ftays me here at home, unkept;3 for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth, that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horfes are bred better; for, befides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders daily hired: but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Befides this Nothing that he fo plentifully gives me, the Something that nature gave me, his coun ber, Adam, it was upon this MY FATHER bequeathed me, &c. The grammar is now rectified, and the fenfe alfo ; which is this, Orlando and Adam were difcourfing together on the cause why the younger brother had but a thoufand crowns left him. They agree upon it; and Orlando opens the scene in this manner, Ás I remember, it was upon this, i. e. for the reafon we have been talking of, that my father left me but a thousand crowns; however, to make amends for this fcanty provifion, he charged my brother on his bleffing to breed me well. WARBURTON. There is, in my opinion, nothing but a point misplaced, and an omiffion of a word which every hearer can fupply, and which therefore an abrupt and eager dialogue naturally excludes. I read thus: As I remember, Adam, it was on this fashion bequeatbed me. By will but a poor thousand crowns; and, as thou Jayeft, charged my brother on bis bleffing to breed me well. What is there in this difficult or obfcure? The nominative my father is certainly left out, but fo left out that the auditor inferts it, in fpite of himself. JOHNSON. that 3 STAYS me here at home, unkept.] We should read srys, i. e. keeps me like a brute. The following words for call you keepingthat differs not from the falling of an ox, confirms this emendation. So Caliban fays, And here you STY me in this hard rock. WARBURTON, Sties is better than fays, and more likely to be Shakespeare's. JOHNSON. 4 His COUNTENANCE feems to take from me.] We fhould cer tainly read, his PISCOUNTENANCE. WARBURTON. There is no need of change, a countenance is either good or bad. JOHNSON, tenance tenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and, as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which, I think, is within me, begins to mutiny against this fervitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wife remedy how to avoid it. Enter Oliver. Adam. Yonder comes my mafter, your brother. Orla. Go apart, Adam, and thou fhalt hear how he will shake me up. Oli. Now, fir! what make you here? Orla. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing. Oli. What mar ye then, fir? Orla. Marry, fir, I am helping you to mar that which God made; a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. Oli. Marry, fir, be better employ'd, and be nought a while. s Orla. 5 Be better employ'd, and be nought a while.] Mr. Theobald has here a very critical note; which, though his modefty suffered him to withdraw it from his fecond edition, deferves to be perpetuated, i. e. (fays he) be better employed, in my opinion, in being and doing nothing. Your idleness, as you call it, may be an exercife by which you make a figure, and endear yourself to the world; and I had rather you were a contemptible cypher. The poet feems to me to Lave that trite proverbial fentiment in his eye, quoted from Attilius, by the younger Pliny and others; fatius eft otiofum effe quàm nihil agere. But Oliver, in the perverseness of bis difpofition, would reverse the doctrine of the proverb. Does the reader know what all this means? But 'tis no matter. I will affure him-be nought a while is only a north-country proverbial curie equivalent to, a mi chief on yu. So the old poet Skelton. Correct first thy felfe, walke and BE NOUGHT, Orla. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat hufks with them? What prodigal's portion have I spent, that I fhould come to fuch penury? Oli. Know you where you are, fir? Orla. O, fir, very well: here in your orchard. Oli. Know you before whom, fir? Orla. Ay, better than he, I am before, knows me. I know, you are my eldest brother; and, in the gentle condition of blood, you should fo know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the first-born; but the fame tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me, as you; albeit, I confess your coming before me is nearer to his But what the Oxford editor could not explain, he would amend, and reads, -and do aught a while, WARBURTON. If be nought a while has the fignification here given it, the reading may certainly stand; but till I learned its meaning from this note, I read, Be better employed, and be naught a while. In the fame fenfe as we fay, it is better to do mischief, than to do noth ng. JOHNSON. Notwithstanding Dr. Warburton's far-fetched explanation, I believe that the words be nought a while mean no more than this, Be content to be a cypher till I shall think fit to elevate you into confequence. STEEVENS. • Albeit, I confefs your coming before me is nearer to his REVERENCE.] This is fenfe indeed, and may be thus understood.The reverence due to my father is, in fome degree, derived to you, as the first-born-But I am perfuaded that Orlando did not here mean to compliment his brother, or condemn himself; fomething of both which there is in that fenfe. I rather think he intended a fatirical reflection on his brother, who by letting him feed with his binds, treated him as one not fo nearly related to old fir Rowland as himself was. I imagine therefore Shakespeare might write, albeit your coming before me is nearer bis REVENUE, i.e. though you are no nearer in blood, yet it must be owned, indeed, you are nearer in eftate. WARBURTON. |