And to that youth, he calls his Rosalind,
He sends this bloody napkin. Are you he?

Ros. I am; what mult we understand by this ?

Oli. Some of my shame, if you will know of me What man i am, and how, and why, and where This handkerchief was ftain'd.

Cel. I pray you, tell it. Oli. When last the young Orlando parted from you, He left a promise to return again Within an hour; and pacing through the forest, Chewing the food of sweet and bitter fancy, Lo, what befel! he threw his

eye

aside,
And mark what object did present itself.
Under an oak, whose boughs were moss’d with age,
And high top bald with dry antiquity;
A wretchedi ragged man, o'er-grown with hair,
Lay fleeping on his back; about his neck
A green and gilded snake had wreath'd itself,
Who with her head, nimble in threats, approach'd
The opening of his mouth, but suddenly
Seeing Orlando, it unlink'd itself,
And with indented glides did slip away
Into a bush, under which bush's Made
A lioness, with udders all drawn dry,
Lay couching head on ground, with cat-like watch
When that the slecping man should stir; for 'tis
The royal disposition of that beast
To prey on nothing that doth feem as dead:
This seen, Orlando did approach the man,
And found it was his brother, his elder brother.

Cel. O, I have heard him speak of that fame brother,
And he did render him the most unnatural
That liv'd 'mongst men.

Oli. And well he might so do; For, well I know, he was unpatural.

Ros. But to Orlando ; did he leave him there Food to the fuck'd and hungry lioness?

Oli. Twice did he turn his back, and purpos'd fo : But kindness, nobler ever than revenge, And nature stronger than his juft occafion,

Made

his arm

Made him give battel to the lioness,
Who quickly fell before him ; in which hurtling
From miserable flumber I awak'd.

Cel. Are you his brother?
Rof. Was't you he rescu'd ?
Cel. Was't you that did fo oft contrive to kill him?

Oli. 'Twas 1; but 'tis not I; I do not shame
To tell you what I was, fince my conversion
So sweetly taftes, being the thing I am.

Rof. But for the bloody napkin?

Oli. By and by.
When from the first to last, betwixt us two,
Tears our recountments had most kindly bathid,
As how I came into that desart place;
In brief, he led me to the gentle Duke,
Who gave me fresh array and entertainment,
Committing me unto my brother's love;
Who led me instantly unto his cave,
There strip'd himself, and here upon
The lioness had torn some flesh away,
Which all this while had bled; and now he fainted,
And cry'd in fainting upon Rosalind.
Brief, Í recover'd him; bound up his wound;
And, after some small space, being strong at heart,
He fent me hither, ftranger as I am,
To icl iuis ftory, that you might excuse
His broken promise ; and to give this napkin,
Dy'd in his blood, unto the shepherd youth,
That he in sport doth call his Rojalind.
Cel. Why, how now Ganymed, sweet Ganymed?

[Rof. faints.
Oli. Many will swoon, when they do look on blood.
Cel. There is more in it: coulin Ganymed!
Oli. Look, he recovers.
Rof. Would I were at home!

Cel. We'll lead you thither.
I pray you, will you take him by the arm?
Oli. Be of good cheer, youth; you a man? you

laek a man's heart. Rof. I do fo, I confess it. Ah, Sir, a body would

think, this was well counterfeited. I pray you, tell your brother how well I counterfeited : Heigh-ho!

Oli. This was not counterfeit, there is too great testia mony in your complection, that it was a paflion of earneft.

ROS. Counterfeit, I assure you,

Oli. Well then, take a good heart, and counterfeit to be a man.

Ros. So I do: But, i' faith, I should have been a wcman by right.

Cel. Come, you look paler and paler; pray you draw homewards; good Sir, go with us.

Oli. That will l; for I must bear answer back, How you excuse my brother, Rosalind.

Roj. I shall devise something ; but, I pray you, commend my counterfeiting to him: Will you go? [Exeunt.

W Audrey

CLOWN.
E shall find a time, Audrey; patience, gentle

Aud. Faith, the priest was good enough, for all the old gentleman's saying:

Clo. A most wicked Sir Oliver, Audrey; a moft vile Mar-text ! but, Audrey, there is a youth here in the forest lays claim to you.

Aud. Ay, I know who 'tis, he hath no interest in me in the world; here comes the man you mean,

Enter William. Clo. It is meat and drink to me to see a clown; by my troth, wè, that have good wits, have much to answer for: We thall be flouting; we cannot hold.

WiH. Good ev'n, Audrey.
Aud. God ye good ev'n, William.
Will

. And good ev'n to you, Sir. Clo. Good ev'n, gentle friend. Cover thy head, cover thy head; nay, pr’ythee, be coverd. How old are you, friend! Will, Five and twenty, Sir.

lo. A ripe age: Is thy name William?
Will. William, Sir.
Clo. A fair name. Waft born i'th' forest here?
Will. Ay, Sir, I thank God.
Clo. Thank God: A good answer : Art rich ?
Will. 'Faith, Sir, so, so.

Clo. So so, is good, very good, very excellent good; and yet it is not; it is but so, fo. Art thou wise?

Will. Ay, Sir, I have a pretty wit.

Clo. Wliy, thou say'it well: I do now remember a saying; the fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool. (25) The heathen philosopher, when he had a defire to eat a grape, would open his lips when he put it into his mouth; meaning thereby, that grapes were made to eat, and lips to open. You do love this maid?

Will. I do, Sir.
Clo. Give me your hand: Art thou learned?
Will. No, Sir.

Clo. Then learn this of me; to have, is to have. For it is a figure in rhetorick, that drink being poured out of a cup into a glass, by filling the one doth empty the other. For all your writers do consent, that ipje is he: Now you are not ipse; for I am le.

Will. Which he, Sir?
Clo. He, Sir, that must

marry

this

woman; therefore

(25) The heat ben philofopber, when he had a design to eat a grape.] This is certainly design'd as a sneer on the several trilling, inhgnitio cant, actions and sayings, recorded in the lives of the Philojopbers as things of great moment. We need only reflect upon what we meet with in Diogenes Laertius, to be of this opinion: Especially, when we observe that it is introduced by one of their wise sayings that precedes it.

Mri Warburtox,

you,

you, clown, abandon, which is in the vulgar, leave the
fociety, which in the boorish, is company, of this female;
which in the common, is woman; which together is,
abandon the society of this female; or clown, thou' pe-
rilheit; or, to thy better understanding, dieft; or, to
wit, I kill thee, make thee away, translate thy life into
death, thy 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. God rest you merry, Sir,

[Exit.
Enter Corin.
Cor. Our master and mistress seek you; come away,
away.
Clo. Trip, Audrey; trip, Audrey; I attend, I attend. [Exe.

Enter Orlando and Oliver. Orla. Is't possible, chat on so little acquaintance you Thould like her? that, but seeing, you mould love her? and loving, woo? and wooing, she should grant ? and will you persevere 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; fay 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.

Enter Rosalind. Orla. You have my consent. Let your wedding be to-morrow; thither will I invite the Duke, and all his contented followers: Go you, and prepare Aliena; for, look

you, here comes my Rosalind. 9.

Raf. God save you, brother. 3: Dis. And you, fair fifter.

Rof.