DUKE F. How now, daughter and cousin? are you crept hither to see the wrestling? Ros. Ay, my liege? so please you give us leave. DUKE F. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man." In pity of the challenger's youth, I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated: Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. CEL. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. [Duke goes apart. LE BEAU. Monsieur the challenger, the princess calls for you. ORL. I attend them, with all respect and duty. Ros. Young man, have you challenged Charles the wrestler ?(12) 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. с 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 odds in the man] This should seem to be, the challenger is so little of a match. The modern editors read men. I attend them] Those of the princess's party, or the prin cesses. If you saw yourself with your eyes, &c.] If you did not abandon the use of your senses, if not blinded and presumptuous, you would, as Dr. Johnson says, use your own eyes to see, or your own judgment to know yourself; the fear of your adventure would counsel you. C therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the duke, that the wrestling might not go forward. b 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 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! a your hard thoughts, wherein I confess, &c.] Admitting, as I do, that I incur much guilt by the very act of denying, &c. b was never gracious] Acceptable. "Goring was no more gracious to Prince Rupert than Wilmot had been." Clarendon. B. VIII. CEL. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [CHARLES and ORLANDO wrestle. Ros. O excellent young man! CEL. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, tell who should down. I can [CHARLES is thrown. Shout. DUKE F. No more, no more. 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, Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, Hadst thou descended from another house. [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 son;-and would not change that calling, 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, ⚫ calling] Appellation, or name. I should have given him tears unto entreaties, CEL. Gentle cousin, But justly, as you have exceeded all promise, Ros. Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck. Wear this for me; one out of suits with for tune,(13) That could give more-but that her hand lacks means.b Shall we go, coz? CEL. Ay:-Fare you well, fair gentleman. ORL. Can I not say, I thank you? My better parts C Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up, Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block.(14) Ros. He calls us back: My pride fell with my fortunes: I'll ask him what he would:-Did you call, sir?— Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. • But justly, as you have exceeded, &c.] Only, or in that degree, in which you have, &c. The fo. of 1632 reads "all in promise." That could give more-but that her hand lacks means] Who feels disposed to give more, were her ability greater. e better parts] Macbeth says, "For it has cow'd my better part of man." V. 6. i. e. his spirit. We may therefore conclude, that by these terms spirit and sense were meant here. Ros. Have with you :-Fare you go, coz? you well. [Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA. ORL. What passion hangs these weights upon ny tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. Re-enter LE BEAU. O poor Orlando! thou art overthrown; you To leave this place: Albeit you have deserv'd That he misconstrues all that you have done. ORL. I thank you, sir: and, pray you, tell me this; Which of the two was daughter of the duke LE BEAU. Neither his daughter, if we judge by But manners; yet, indeed, the shorter (15) is his daughter: condition] State and temper. See Two G. of V. Launce. III. 1. humorous] Capricious. "Wraps me in a most humorous sadness." III. 1. Jaques. |