Duke F. Do so; I'll not be by. [Duke goes apart. Le Beau. Monsieur the challenger, the princesses call for you.

Orl. I attend them, with all respect and duty. Ros. Young man, have you challenged Charles the wrestlerб?

Orl. No, fair princess; he is the general challenger: I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth.

Cel. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years: You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength: if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety, and give over this attempt.

Ros. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the duke, that the wrestling might not go forward.

Orl. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts; wherein I confess me much guilty, to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial: wherein, if I be foiled, there is but one shamed that was never gracious; if killed, but one dead that is willing to be so; I shall do my. friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no

6 This wrestling match is minutely described in Lodge's novel. 7 Johnson thought we should read therein.' Mason proposed to read herein. Malone explains the passage thus: which, however, I confess I deserve to incur, for denying such fair ladies any request.' The expression is licentious, but these plays furnish many such.

8 Gracious was anciently used in the sense of the Italian gratiato, i. e. graced, favoured, countenanced; as well as for graceful, comely, well favoured, in which sense Shakspeare uses it in other places.--Vide Florio's Italian Dict. Ed. 1598, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act iii. Sc. 1, vol. i. p. 148, note 22.

injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty.

Ros. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you.

Cel. And mine, to eke out hers.

Ros. Fare you well. Pray heaven, I be deceived in you!

Cel. Your heart's desires be with you.

Cha. Come, where is this young gallant, that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth?

Orl. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working.

Duke F. You shall try but one fall.

Cha. No, I warrant your grace; you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first.

Orl. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mocked me before: but come your ways. Ros. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! Cel. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [CHA. and ORL. wrestle.

Ros. O excellent young man!
Cel. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I
who should down. [CHARLES is thrown.
Duke F. No more, no more.

can tell Shout.

Orl. Yes, I beseech your grace; I am not yet well breathed.

Duke F. How dost thou, Charles?

Le Beau. He cannot speak, my lord.

Duke F. Bear him away. [CHARLES is borne out.] What is thy name, young man?

Orl. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Bois.

Duke F. I would, thou hadst been son to some man else.

The world esteem'd thy father honourable,
But I did find him still mine enemy:

Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed,
Hadst thou descended from another house.
But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth;
I would, thou hadst told me of another father.

[Exeunt DUKE FRED. Train, and LE BEAU. Cel. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? Orl. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son9;-and would not change that calling 10,

To be adopted heir to Frederick.

Ros. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of my father's mind: Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties, Ere he should thus have ventur'd.

Cel.

Gentle cousin,

Let us go thank him, and encourage him:
My father's rough and envious disposition
Sticks me at heart.-Sir, you have well deserv'd:
If you do keep your promises in love

But justly, as you have exceeded all promise,
Your mistress shall be happy.

Ros.

Gentleman,

[Giving him a Chain from her neck. Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune 11; That could give more, but that her hand lacks

means.

Shall we go, coz?

9 The words than to be descended from any other house however high' must be understood.

10 Calling here means appellation, a very unusual if not unprecedented use of the word.

11 Out of suits appears here to signify out of favour, discarded by fortune. To suit with anciently signified to agree with.

Cel.

Ay:-Fare you well, fair gentleman.

Orl. Can I not say, I thank you? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up, Is but a quintain 12, a mere lifeless block.

Ros. He calls us back: my pride fell with my fortunes:

I'll ask him what he would:-Did you call, sir?have wrestled well, and overthrown

Sir,

you More than

Ros. Have with

Will you go, coz?

well.

you:-Fare you [Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA. Orl. What passion hangs these weights upon my

tongue?

I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference.

Re-enter LE BEAU.

O poor Orlando! thou art overthrown;

Or Charles, or something weaker, masters thee.
Le Beau. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you
To leave this place: Albeit you have deserv'd

12 His better parts, i. e. his spirits or senses. A quintain was a figure set up for tilters to run at in mock resemblance of a tournament. The first and simplest form was a tree or post with a shield or some object affixed to it: afterwards a cross bar was fixed to the top of the post turning upon a pivot, having a broad board at the one end, and a bag full of sand suspended at the other. Sometimes it was made in resemblance of a human figure holding in the one hand a shield and in the other a bag of sand. In the sport, if the figure was struck on the shield the quintain turned on its pivot and hit the assailant with the sand bag. The skill consisted in striking the quintain dexterously so as to avoid the blow. Figures of several kinds and ample descriptions are to be found in Mr. Douce's Illustrations of Shakspeare, and in the Variorum editions. The sport of the quintain is humorously described in Laneham's Letter from Killingworth Castle, which the notice of the admirable author of 'Kenilworth' has made every reader acquainted with.

High commendation, true applause, and love;
Yet such is now the duke's condition 13,
That he misconstrues all that you have done.
The duke is humorous; what he is, indeed,
More suits you to conceive, than me to speak of.
Orl. I thank you, sir: and, pray you, tell me this;
Which of the two was daughter of the duke.
That here was at the wrestling?

Le Beau. Neither his daughter, if we judge by

manners;

But yet, indeed, the smaller 14 is his daughter:
The other is daughter to the banish'd duke,
And here detain'd by her usurping uncle,
To keep his daughter company; whose loves
Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters.
But I can tell you, that of late this duke
Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece;
Grounded upon no other argument,

But that the people praise her for her virtues,
And pity her for her good father's sake;
And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady
Will suddenly break forth.-Sir, fare you well;
Hereafter, in a better world than this,

I shall desire more love and knowledge of you.
Orl. I rest much bounden to you: : fare you well!

[Exit LE BEAU.
Thus must I from the smoke into the smother;
From tyrant duke, unto a tyrant brother :-
But heavenly Rosalind!

[Exit.

13 i. e. demeanour, temper, disposition. Antonio in the Merchant of Venice is called by his friend 'the best condition'd man.' Humorous is capricious. See Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act iii. Sc. 1, p. 145, note 14.

14 The old copy reads taller, which is evidently wrong. Pope altered it to shorter. The present reading is Malone's.