which God made; a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness.

Oli. Marry, Sir, be better employ'd, and be nought a while (4).

Orla. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat hufks with them? what Prodigal's portion have I fpent, that I fhould come to fuch penury

your

Orchard.

Oli. Know you where you are, Sir? Orla. O, Sir, very well; here in Oli. Know you before whom, Sir? 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 I have as much of my father in me, as you; albeit, I confefs your coming before me is nearer to his reverence (5).

us.

Oli.

(4) Be better employ'd and be nought a while.] Mr. Theobald has bee a very critical note; which though his modeity suffered him to withdraw it from his fecond edition, deferves to be perpetuated, . 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 may make a figure, and endear yourself to the world: and I had rather you avere a contemptible cypher. The pot seems to me to have that trite proverbial fentiment in his eye, quoted from Attilius, by the younger Phry and 'bers; fatius eft otiofum effe quàm nihil agere. Oliver in the perverseness of his 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 zubile is only a north country proverbial curse equivalent to, a mifchief on you. So the old Poet Skelton.

Correct first thy felfe, walke and BE NOUGHT,

Deeme what thu lift, thou kncaveft not my thought.

But.

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 de netbing.

(5) Albeit, I confess your coming before me is nearer to his reve

RENCE.]

Oli. What, boy!

[menacing with bis band. Orla. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young

in this.

[collaring him. Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?

Orla. I am no villain (6): I am the youngest fön of Sir Rowland de Boys; he was my father, and he is thrice a villain, that fays, fuch a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat, 'till this other had pulled out thy tongue for faying fo; thou haft rail'd on thyself.

Adam. Sweet mafters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord..

Oli. Let me go, I fay.

Orla. I will not 'till I pleafe. You fhall hear me..

My father charged you in his Will to give me good education; you have train'd me up like a peafant, obfcuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The Spirit of my father grows ftrong in ne, and I will no longer endure it: therefore allow me fuch exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes.

Oli. And what wilt thou do? beg, when that is fpent? -Well, Sir, get you in I will not long be troubled with you: you fhall have fome part of your will. I pray you, leave me.

Orla. I will no further offend you, than becomes me for my good.

Oli. Get you with him, you old dog.

RENCE.] 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 fatiricalTM reflection on his brother, who by letting him feed with his hinds treated him as one not fo nearly related to old Sir Robert as himself was. I imagine therefore Shakespear might write,albeit your coming before me is nearer to his REVENUE, i. e. though you are no nearer in blood, yet it must be owned, indeed you are nearer in eftate. WARBURTON..

(6) I am no villain.] The word villain-is ufed by the elder brother, in its prefent meaning, for a wicked or bloody man; by Orlando, in its original fignification, for a fellow of bafe extraction. Adam

Adam. Is old dog my reward? moft true, I have loft my teeth in your service. God be with my old mafter, he would not have spoke fuch a word.

[Exe. Orlando and Adam.

Den. Calls your worship?

Oli. Was not Charles, the Duke's Wrestler, here to speak with me?

Den. So please you, he is here at the door, and importunes accefs to you.

Oli. Call him in-[Exit Dennis.] 'Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is.

Enter Charles.

Cha. Good morrow to your Worship.

Oli. Good monfieur Charles, what's the new news at the new Court?

Cha. There's no news at the Court, Sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banish'd by his younger brother the new Duke, and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him; whofe lands and revenues enrich the new Duke, therefore he gives them good leave to wander.

Oli. Can you tell, if Rofalind, the old Duke's daughter (7), be banish'd with her father?

Cha. O, no; for the new Duke's daughter her cou-fin fo loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that he would have followed her exile, or have died to ftay behind her. She is at the Court, and no lefs beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do.

(7) The old Duke's daughter,] The words old and new, which feem neceffary to the perfpicuity of the dialogue, are inferted from Sir T. Hanmer's Edition..

Qli

Oli. Where will the old Duke live?

Cha. They say he is already in the foreft of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. They fay, many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet-the time carelefly, as they did in the golden world.

Oli. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke?

Cha. Marry, do I, Sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, Sir, fecretly to underftand, that your younger brother Orlando hath a difpofition to come in difguis'd against me to try a Fall. To-morrow, Sir, I wreftle for my credit; and he, that escapes me without fome broken limb, fhall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender, and for your love I would be loth to foil him; as I must for mine own honour, if he come in. Therefore out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal; that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook fuch difgrace well as he shall run into; in that it is a thing of his own fearch, and altogether against my. will.

Oli. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou fhalt find, I will moft kindly requite. I had my-felf notice of my brother's purpofe herein, and have by under-hand means laboured to diffuade him from it; but he is refolute. I tell thee Charles, he is the ftubborneft young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a fe-cret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother. Therefore ufe thy difcretion; I had as lief thou didft break his neck, as his finger. And thou wert beft look to't; for if thou doft him any flight difgrace, or if. he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will prac+ tife against thee by poifon; entrap thee by fome treacherous device; and never leave thee, 'till he hath ta'en thy life by fome indirect means or other; for I affure thee, (and almoft with tears I fpeak it) there is not one fo young and fo villainous this day living. Ifpeak but brotherly of him; but thould I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder.

Cha

Cha. I am heartily glad, I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow, I'll give him his payment; if ever he go alone again, I'll never wreftle for prize more. And fo, God keep your Worship.

[Exit. Oli. Farewel, good Charles. Now will I ftir this gamefter; I hope, I fhall fee an end of him; for my foul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than him. Yet he's gentle; never fchool'd, and yet learned; full of noble device; of all Sorts enchantingly be-loved; and, indeed, fo much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people who beft know him, that I am altogether mifprifed. But it fhall not be fo long-this wreftler fhall clear all. Nothing remains, but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go. [Exit.

about.

Gel.

SCENE IV.

Changes to an Open Walk, before the Duke's Palace.

I

Enter Rofalind and Celia.

Pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry. Rof. Dear Celia, I fhow more mirth than I am. mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? Unlefs you could teach me to forget a banish'd father, you muft not learn me how to remember any extraordinary. pleasure.

Cel. Herein, I fee, thou lov'ft me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the Duke my father, fo thou hadst been ftill with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; fo wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were fo righteously temper'd, as mine is to thee.

Rof. Well, I will forget the condition of my eftate, to rejoice in yours.

Cel. You know, my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies, thou fhalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection; by mine Honour, I will-and when I break

that