And hath been tutor'd in the rudiments
Of many defperate ftudies by his uncle,
Whom he reports to be a great magician,
Obfcured in the circle of this forest.

Enter Clown and Audrey.

Jaq. There is, fure, another flood toward, and thefe couples are coming to the ark. Here come a pair of very ftrange beafts, which in all tongues are call'd fools. Clo. Salutation, and greeting, to you all.

Jaq. Good my Lord, bid him welcome. This is the motley-minded gentleman, that I have so often met in the forest: he hath been a courtier, he swears.

Clo. If any man doubt that, let him put me to my purgation; I have trod a meafure, I have flatter'd a Lady, I have been politick with my friend, fmooth with mine enemy, I have undone three taylors, I have had four quarrels, and like to have fought one.

Jaq. And how was that ta'en up?

Clo. 'Faith, we met; and found, the quarrel was upon the feventh caufe.

Jaq. How the feventh caufe? good my Lord, like this fellow,

Duke Sen. I like him very well.

1

Clo. God'ild you, Sir, I defire you of the like: I prefs in here, Sir, amongst the reft of the country copulatives, to fwear, and to forfwear, according as marriage binds, and blood breaks: a poor virgin, Sir, an ill-favour'd thing, Sir, but mine own, a poor humour of mine, Sir, to take that that no one elfe will. Rich honefty dwells like a mifer, Sir, in a poor house, as your pearl in your foul oyfter.

Duke Sen. By my faith, he is very fwift and fententious. Clo. According to the fool's bolt, Sir, and fuch dulcet diseases.

Jaq. But, for the feventh caufe; how did you find the quarrel on the feventh cause ?

Clo. Upon a lye feven times removed; (bear your body more feeming, Audrey) as thus, Sir; I did dislike the cut of a certain courtier's beard; he fent me word, if

I faid his beard was not cut well, he was in the mind it was. This is call'd the retort courteous. If I fent him word again, it was not well cut, he would fend me word, he cut it to please himself. This is call'd the quip modeft. If again, it was not well cut, he disabled my judgment. This is call'd the reply churlish. If again, it was not well cat, he would anfwer, I fpake not true. This is call'd the reproof valiant. If again, it was not well cut, he would fay, I lye. This is call'd the countercheck quarrelfome; and fo the lye circumftantial, and the lye direct.

Jag And how oft did you fay, his beard was not well cut? Clo. I durft go no further than the lye circumftantial ; nor he durft not give me the lye direct, and fo we meafur'd fwords and parted.

Jaq. Can you nominate in order now the degrees of the lye?

Clo. O Sir, we quarrel in print, by the book; as you have books for good manners. (27) I will name you the degrees. The first, the retort courteous; the fecond, the quip modeft; the third, the reply churlish; the fourth, the reproof valiant; the fifth, the countercheck quarrelfome; the fixth, the lye with circumftance; the seventh, the lye direct. All these you may avoid, but the lye direct; and you may avoid that too, with an if. I knew, when seven juttices could not take up a quarrel; but when the parties were met themselves, one of them

(27) O, Sir, we quarrel in print; by the book; as you have books for good manners.) The post throughout this fcene has with great humour and addrefs rallied the mode, fo prevailing in his time, of formal duelling. Nor could he treat it with a happier contempt, than by making his clown fo knowing in all its forms and preliminaries. It was in Queen Elizabeth's reign, that pushing with the rapier, or fmall fword, was first practis'd in England. And the boisterous gallants fell into the fashion with fo much zeal, that they did not content themselves with practising at the sword in the schools; but they ftudied the theory of the art, the grounding of quarrels, and the process of giving and receiving challenges, from Lewis de Caranza's treatise of fencing, Vicentio Saviola's practice of the rapier and dagger, and Giacomo Di Graffi's Art of Defence; with many other instructions upon the feveral branches of the fcience.

thought

thought but of an if; as, if you faid fo, then I faid foș and they shook hands, and fwore brothers. Your if is the only peace-maker; much virtue in if.

Faq. Is not this a rare fellow, my Lord? he's good at any thing, and yet a fool.

Duke Sen. He ufes his folly like a ftalking horfe, and under the presentation of that he shoots his wit.

Enter Hymen, Rofalind in woman's cloaths, and Celia.
Still Mufick.

Hym. Then is there mirth in heav'n,
When earthly things made even
Atone together.

Good Duke receive thy daughter,
Hymen from heaven brought her,
Yea, brought her hither.

That thou might'ft join her hand with his,
Whofe heart within his bofom is.

Rof. To you I give myfelf; for I am yours.

[To the Duke. To you I give myfelf; for I am yours. [To Orlando. Duke Sen If there be truth in fight, you are my daughter.. Orla. If there be truth in fight you are my Rosalind.. Phe. If fight and shape be true,

Why, then my love adieu!

Ref. I'll have no father, if you be not he;
I'll have no husband, if you be not he;
Nor ne'er wed woman, if you be not the.

Hym. Peace, hoa; I bar confufion : 'Tis I must make conclufion

Of these most strange events:
Here's eight that must take hands,
To join in Hymen's bands,

If truth holds true contents.
You and you no cross fhall part;
You and you are heart in heart;
You to his love muft accord,
Or have a woman to your Lord.

You and you are fure together,
As the winter to foul weather:
Whiles a wedlock hymn we fing,
Feed yourselves with queftioning:
That reason wonder may diminish,

How thus we met, and these things finish.

SONG,

Wedding is great Juno's crown,

O bleffed bond of board and bed!
'Tis Hymen peoples every town,
High wedlock then be honoured:
Honour, high honour and renown
To Hymen, God of every town!

Duke Sen. O my dear niece, welcome thou art to me, Even daughter-welcome, in no lefs degree.

Phe. I will not eat my word, now thou art mine; Thy faith my fancy to thee doth combine.

Enter Jaques de Boys.

Faq. de B. Let me have audience for a word or two :
I am the fecond fon of old Sir Rowland,
That bring thefe tidings to this fair affembly.
Duke Frederick hearing, how that every day
Men of great worth reforted to this foreft.
Addrefs' a mighty power, which were on foot
In his own conduct purposely to take
His brother here, and put him to the fword:
And to the skirts of this wild wood he came,
Where meeting with an old religious man,
After fome queftion with him, was converted
Both from his enterprize, and from the world;
His crown bequeathing to his banish'd brother,
And all their lands reftor'd to them again,
That were with him exil'd. This to be true,
I do engage my life.

Duke Sen. Welcome, young man:
Thou offer'ft fairly to thy brother's wedding;
To one, his lands with-held; and to the other,.

A