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had rather have a fool to make me merry, than experience to make me fad; and to travel for it

too.

Orla. What, of my fuit ?

Ref. Not out of your apparel, and yet out of your fuit. Am not I your Rofalind?

Orla. 1 take fome joy to fay you are, because I would be talking of her.

Rof. Well, in her perfon, I fay-I will not have

Orla. Good day, and happiness, dear Rofalind! faq. Nay then, God be wi' you, an you taik in blank verfe. [Exit. Rof. Farewel, monfieur traveller: Look, you you. lifp, and wear itrange fuits; difable all the benefits of your own country; be out of love with your nativity, and almost chide God for making you that countenance you are; or I will fcarce think you have fwam in a gondola1.—Why, how now, Orlando! where have you been all this while brains dash'd out with a Grecian club; yet he did You a lover?--An you ferve me fuch another trick, never come in my fight more.

Orla. My fair Rofalind, I come within an hour of my promife.

Ola. Then, in mine own perfon, I die. Ref. No, faith, die by attorney. The poor world is almoft fix thousand years old, and in all this time there was not any man died in his own person, videlicet, in a love caufe. Troilus had his

what he could to die before; and he is one of the patterns of love. Leander, he would have liv'd many a fair year, though Hero had turn'd nun, if it had not been for a hot midfummer night: for, Rof. Break an hour's promise in love? He that good youth, he went but forth to wash him in the will divide a minute into a thousand parts, and Hellefpout, and, being taken with the cramp, break but a part of the thoufandth part of a mi- was drowned; and the foolish chroniclers of that nute in the affairs of love, it may be faid of him, age found it was,-Hero of Seftos. But these are that Cupid hath clapt him o' the thoulder, but I all lyes; men have died from time to time, and warrant him heart-whole. worms have eaten them, but not for love. Orla. I would not have my right Rofalind of this

Orla. Pardon me, dear Rofalind.

Rof. Nay, an you be so tardy, come no more in mind; for, I proteft, her frown might kill me. my fight; I had as lief be woo'd of a fnail.

Orla. Of a fail?

Ref. By this hand, it will not kill a fly: But come, now I will be your Rofalind in a more Rof. Ay, of a fnail; for though he comes flow-coming-on difpofition; and afk me what you will, ly, he carries his houfe on his head; a better jointure, I think, than you can make a woman: Befides, he brings his deftiny with him.

Orla. What's that?

Rof. Why, horns; which fuch as you are fain to be beholden to your wives for: but he comes armed in his fortune, and prevents the flander of his wife.

Orla. Virtue is no horn-maker; and my Rofalind is virtuous.

Ref. And I am your Rofalind.

Cel. It pleafes him to call you fo; but he hath a Rofalind of a better leer 2 than you.

Rof. Come, woo me, woo me; for now I am in a holiday humour, and like enough to confent : -What would you fay to me now, an I were your very very Rofalind?

Orla. I would kifs, before I spoke.

and

Ref. Nay, you were better fpeak firft; when you were gravell'd for lack of matter, you might take occafion to kifs. Very good orators, when they are our, they will fpit; and for lovers, lacking (God warn us!) matter, the cleanlieft thift is to kifs.

Orla. How if the kifs be denied?

Ref. Then the puts you to entreaty, and there begins new matter.

I will grant it.

Oria. Then love me, Rofalind.

Rof. Yes, faith will I, Fridays, and Saturdays, and all.

Orla. And wilt thou have me?

Ref. Ay, and twenty fuch.
Orla. What fay'ft thou?
Rof. Are you not good?
Orla. I hope fo.

Rof. Why then, can one defire too much of a good thing - -Come, fifter, you fhall be the piett, and marry us.--- -Give me your hand, Orlando :-What do you fay, fitter ?

Orla. Pray thee, marry us.
Cel. I cannot fay the words.

Ref. You must begin," Will you, Orlando,"Cel. Go to :-Will you, Orlando, have to wife this Rotalind?

Orla. I will.

Ref. Ay, but when?

Orl. Why now; as fast as fhe can marry us. Rof. Then you must fay," I take thee, Rofaline, for wife."

Orla. I take thee, Rofalind, for wife.

Ref. I might afk you for your commiffion; but

I do take thee, Orlando, for my husband: There's

a girl goes before the prieft; and, certainly, a wo

Orla. Who could be out, being before his be-man's thought runs before her actions. loved mistress ?

Rof. Marry, that should you, if I were your

Oila. So do all thoughts; they are wing'd. Ref. Now tell me, how long would you have miftrefs; or I fhould think my honefty ranker her, after you have poffefs'd her? than my wit.

1 Orla. For ever, and a day.

I That is, been at Venice, which was much vifited by the young English gentlemen of thole times, and was then, what Paris is now-the feat of all licentioufhefs. 2 i. c. of a better feature, complexion, or colour, than you.

Rof.

Raf. Say a day, without the ever: No, no, Or-pluck'd over your head, and fhew the world what lando; men are April when they woo, December the bird hath done to her own nest. when they wed: maids are May when they are Rof. O coz, coz, coz, my pretty little coz, that maids, but the sky changes when they are wives.-thou didst know how many fathom deep I am in I will be more jealous of thee than a Barbary cock-love! But it cannot be founded; my affect on pigeon over his hen; more clamorous than a par-hath an unknown bottom, like the bay of Portugal. rot against rain; more new-fangled than an ape; Cel. Or rather, bottomlefs; that as fast as you more giddy in my defires than a monkey; I will pour affection in, it runs out. weep for nothing, like Diana in the fountain, and I will do that when you are difpos'd to be merry; I will laugh like a hyen, and that when thou art inclin'd to fleep.

Orla. But will my Rofalind do fo?
Rof. By my life, the will do as I do.
Orla. O, but he is wife.

Rof. Or elfe the could not have the wit to do this: the wifer, the waywarder : Make the doors upon a woman's wit, and it will out at the cafement; fhut that, and 'twill out at the key-hole; ftop that, it will fly with the fmoak out at the chimney.

Orla. A man that had a wife with fuch a wit, he might fay,-"Wit, whither wilt ?"

Rof. No, that fame wicked baftard of Venus, that was begot of thought, conceiv'd of fpleen, and born of madness; that blind rafcally boy, that abufes every one's eyes, be a fe his own are out, let him be judge, how deep I am in love:-I'll tell thee, Aliena, I cannot be out of fight of Orlando: I'll go find a fhadow, and figh till he coine. Cel. And I'll fleep.

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[Exeunt.

Jaq. Let's prefent him to the duke like a Roman conqueror; and it would do well to fet the Rof. Nay, you might keep that check for it, 'till deer's horns upon his head, for a branch of victory :you met your wife's wit going to your neighbour's—Have you no fong, forester, for this purpose ? bed.

Orla. And what wit could wit have to excufe that?

Rof. Marry, to fay,-fhe came to feek you there. Yo thall never take her without her anfwer, unless you take her without her tongue. O, that woman that cannot make her fault her hufband's occafion 2, let her never nurse her child herfelf, for the will breed it like a fool!

Orla. For thefe two hours, Rofalind, I will leave thee.

Rof. Alas, dear love, I cannot lack thee two hours. Orla. I must attend the duke at dinner; by two o'clock I will be with thee again.

Rof. Ay, go your ways, go your ways ;-I knew what you would prove; my friends told me as much, and I thought no leís :-that flattering tongue of yours won me :-'tis but one caft away, and fo,come, death.-Two o'the clock is your hour?

Orla. Ay, fweet Rofalind.

Rof. By my troth, and in good earnest, and fo God mend me, and by all pretty oaths that are not dangerous, if you break one jot of your promife, or come one minute behind your hour, I will think you the most pathetical break-promife, and the moft hollow lover, and the most unworthy of her you call Rofalind, that may be chofen out of the grofs band of the unfaithful: therefore beware my cenfure, and keep your promise.

Orla. With no less religion, than if thou wert indeed my Rofalind: So, adieu.

Rof. Well, time is the old juftice that examines all fuch offenders, and let time try: Adieu!

[Exit Orlando. Cel. You have fimply mifus'd our fex in your love-prate: we must have your doublet and hofe

For. Yes, fir.

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i. e. bar the doors. 2 That is, reprefent her fault as occafioned by her husband.

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Her love is not the hare that I do hunt :
Why writes the fo to me?-Well, thepherd, well,
This is a letter of your own device.

Sil. No, I proteft, I know not the contents;
Phebe did write it.

Rof. Come, come, you are a fool,

And turn'd into the extremity of love.

1 faw her hand: the has a leathern hand,

A freeftone-coloured hand; I verily did think
That her old gloves were on, but 'twas her hands;
She has a hufwife's hand: but that's no matter:
I fay, the never did invent this letter;
This is a man's invention, and his hand.

Sil. Sure, it is hers.

Rof. Why, 'tis a boisterous and a cruel stile,
A ftile for challengers; why, the defies me,
Like Turk to Chriftian: woman's gentle brain
Could not drop forth fuch giant-rude invention,
Such Ethiop words, blacker in their effect [letter?
Than in their countenance :-Will you hear the
Sil. So please you, for I never heard it yet;
Yet heard too much of Phebe's cruelty.

Rof. She Phebe's me: Mark how the tyrant writes.

[Reads.]" Art thou god to fhepherd turn'd,

"That a maiden's heart hath burn'd ?"

Can a woman rail thus ?

Sil. Call you this railing?
Ref. [Reads.]"Why, thy godhead laid apart,
"War'it thou with a woman's heart ?"
Did you ever hear fuch railing?-

Whiles the eye of man did woo me,
"That could do no vengeance to me."--
Meaning me a beast.-

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"If the fcorn of your bright eyne
"Have power to raife fuch love in mine,
"Alack, in me what ftrange effect
"Would they work in mild afpect?
"Whiles you chid me, I did love;
"How then might your prayers move?
"He, that brings this love to thee,
"Little knows this love in me:
"And by him feal up thy mind;
"Whether that thy youth and kind 2
"Will the faithful offer take
"Of me, and all that I can make;
"Or elfe by him my love deny,
"And then I'll study how to die."

Sil. Call you this chiding?

Cel. Alas, poor thepherd!

Rof. Do you pity him? no, he deferves no

Enter Oliver.

Oli. Good-morrow, fair ones: Pray you, if you Where in the purlieus of this foreft, ftands [know A fheep-cote, fenc'd about with olive-trees?

Cel. Weft of this place, down in the neighbour
bottom,

The rank of ofiers, by the murmuring ftream,
Left on your right hand, brings you to the place:
But at this hour the houfe doth keep itself,
There's none within.

Oli. If that an eye may profit by a tongue,
Then fhould I know you by defcription;
Such garments, and fuch years: "The boy is fair,
"Of female favour, and beftows himielf
"Like a ripe fifter: but the woman low,
"And browner than her brother." Are not you
The owner of the house I did enquire for?

Cel. It is no boaft, being afk'd, to fay, we are.
Oli. Orlando doth commend him to you both;
And to that youth, he calls his Rofalind,
He fends this bloody napkin 3; Are you he?

Raf. I am: What must we understand by this?
Oli. Some of my fhame; if you will know of me
What man I am, and how, and why, and where
This handkerchief was ftain'd.

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Oli. When laft the young Orlando parted from
He left a promife 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 afide,
And, mark, what object did present itself!
Under an oak, whole boughs were mofs'd with age,
And high top bald with dry antiquity,

A wretched ragged man, o'er-grown with hair,.
Lay fleeping on his back: about his neck
A green and gilded fnake had wreath'd itfelf,
Who with her head, nimble in threats, approach'd
The opening of his mouth; but fuddenly
Seeing Orlando, it unlink'd itfelf,
And with indented glides did flip away.
Into a bufh: under which bush's fhade
A lioness, with udders all drawn dry,

Lay couching, head on ground, with cat-like watch,
When that the fleeping man fhould ftir; for 'tis
The royal difpofition of that beaft,

To prey on nothing that doth feem as dead:
This feen, Orlando did approach the man,
And found it was his brother, his elder brother.
Cel. O, I have heard him fpeak of that fame
brother,

And he did render him the most unnatural

Oli. And well he might fo do,
For well I know he was unnatural.

pity. Wilt thou love fuch a woman ?--What, to!
make thee an inftrument, and play falfe firains That liv'd 'mongst men.
upon thee not to be endured!-Well, go your
way to her, (for 1 fee love hath made thee a tame
fnake) and fay this to her;" That if the love
"me, I charge her to love thee: if the will not, I
"will never have her, unless thou intreat for her."
If you be a true lover, hence, and not a word; for

Here comes more company.

[Exit Silvius.

Ref. But, to Orlando ;--Did he leave him there,
Food to the fuck'd and hungry lionefs?

Oli. Twice did he turn his back, and purpos'd fo:
But kindness, nobler ever than revenge,
And nature, ftronger than his juft occasion,
Made him give battle to the lionels,

1 i. e. mischief. 2 Kind (as has been more than once obfeived) is the old word for nature. handkerchief.

3 i. e.

Who

Who quickly fell before him: in which hurtling I
From miferable flumber I awak'd.

Cel. Are you his brother?
Raf. Was it you he refcu'd?

Cel. Was't you that did so oft contrive to kill him?
Oli. 'Twas I; but 'tis not I: I do not fhame
To tell you what I was, fince my converfion
So fweetly taftes, being the thing I am.

Rof. But, for the bloody napkin ?—
Oli. By and by.

When from the first to laft, betwixt us two,
Tears our recountments had most kindly bath'd,
As how I came into that defert 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 inftantly unto his cave,
There ftripp'd himself, and here upon his arm
The lioneis had torn fome flesh away,

Which all this while had bled; and now he fainted,
And cry'd, in fainting, upon Rofalind.

Brief, I recover'd him; bound up his wound;
And, after fome fmall space, being ftrong at heart,
He lent me hither, ftranger as I am,

To tell this ftory, that you might excufe
His broken promife, and to give this napkin,
Dy'd in his blood, unto the shepherd youth
That he in fport doth call his Rofalind.

Cel. Why, how now, Ganymed? fweet Gany-
med?

[Rofalind faints.

Oli. Many will fwoon when they do look on
blood.

Cel. There is more in it :-Coufin-Ganymed I
Oli. Look, he recovers.

Ref. I 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 lack a man's heart.

Rof. I do fo, I confefs it. Ah, fir, 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 teftimony in your complexion, that it was a paffion of earneft.

Rof. Counterfeit, I affure you.

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

Raf. So I do: but, i'faith, I fhould have been a woman by right.

Cel. Come, you look paler and paler; pray you, draw homewards :-Good fir, go with us.

Oli. That will I, for I must bear answer back How you excufe my brother, Rofalind.

Rof. I thall devife fomething: But, I pray you, commend my counterfeiting to him:-Will you go?

[Exeunt.

SCENE

The Foreft.

ACT V.

Γ.

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Clo. Good even, gentle friend: Cover thy head, cover thy head; nay, pr'ythee, be cover'd. How old are you, friend?

Will. Five and twenty, fir.

Clo. A ripe age; Is thy name William ?
Will. William, fir.

Clo. A fair name: Waft born i'the forest here?
Will. Ay, fir, 1 thank God.

Clo. Thank God;-a good answer: Art rich?
Will. 'Faith, fir, fo fo.

Clo. So fo; 'Tis good, very good, very excellent good :—and yet it is not; it is but fo fo. Art thou wife?

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

Clo. Why thou fay 'ft well. I do now remember faying; "The fool doth think he is wife, but the

Cle. It is meat and drink to me to fee a clown ;| By my troth, we that have good wits, have much a to answer for; we fhall be flouting; we cannot" wife man knows himself to be a fool." The

hold.

Will. Good even, Audrey.

Aud. God ye good even, William.

Will. And good even to you, fir.

heathen philofopher, when he had a defire to eat a grape, would open his lips when he put it into his mouth 2; meaning thereby, that grapes were made to eat, and lips to open. You do love this maid?

To hurtle is to move with impetuofity and tumhult. 2 This was defigned as a fneer on the feveral trifling and infignificant fayings and actions, recorded in the ancient philofophers, by the writers of their lives, as appears from its being introduced by one of their wife fayings.

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Will. I do, fir.

Clo. Give me your hand: Art thou learned?
Will. No, fir.

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 glafs, by filling the one doth empty the other: For all your writers do confent, that ipfe is he; now you are not ipfe, "for I am he.

Will. Which he, fir?

Rof. Did your brother tell you how I counterfeited to fwoon, when he fhewed me your handkerchief?

Orla. Ay, and greater wonders than that.

Rof. O, I know where you are:-Nay, 'tis true: there was never any thing fo fudden, but the fight of two rams, and Cæfar's thrafonical brag of-I came, faw, and overcame: For your brother and my fifter no fooner met, but they look'd; no fooner look'd, but they lov'd; no fooner lov'd, Clo. He, fir, that must marry this woman: but they figh'd; no fooner figh'd, but they afk'd Therefore, you, clown, abandon,-which is in the one another the reafon; no fooner knew the reavulgar, leave, the fociety,-which in the boorifh fon, but they fought the remedy: and in these deis, company,-of this female,-which in the com-grees have they made a pair of stairs to marriage, mon is,-woman,-which together is, abandon the which they will climb incontinent, or else be infociety of this female; or, clown, thou perifheft; continent before marriage: they are in the very or, to thy better understanding, dieft; or, to wit, wrath of love, and they will together; clubs canI kill thee, make thee away, tranflate thy life into not part them. death, thy liberty into bondage: I will deal in poifon with thee, or in baftinado, or in fteel; I will bandy with thee in faction; I will over-run thee with policy; I will kill thee a hundred and fifty ways; therefore, tremble, and depart.

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Clo. Trip, Audrey, trip, Audrey; I attend, I attend. [Exeunt.

SCENE

II.

Enter Orlando, and Oliver.

Orla. They fhall be married to-morrow; and I will bid the duke to the nuptial. But, O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man's eyes! By fo much the more shall I to-morrow be at the height of heart-heavinefs, by how much I fhall think my brother happy, in having what he wishes for.

Rof. Why then, to-morrow 1 cannot serve your turn for Rofalind?

Orla. I can live no longer by thinking.

Ref. I will weary you then no longer with idle talking. Know of me then, (for now speak to fome purpofe) that I know you are a gentleman of good conceit: I fpeak not this, that you should bear a good opinion of my knowledge, infomuch, Orla. Is 't poffible, that on fo little acquaintance I fay, I know you are; neither do I labour for a you fhould like her that, but feeing, you greater efteem than may in fome little measure fhould love her? and, loving, woo and, wooing, draw a belief from you, to do yourself good, and she should grant? And will you perfever to en-not to grace me. Believe then, if you pleafe, that joy her?

I can do ftrange things: I have, fince I was three years old, convers'd with a magician, most profound in his art, and yet not damnable. If you do love Rofalind fo near the heart as your gefture cries it out, when your brother marries Aliena, you fhall marry her: I know into what ftraights of fortune fhe is driven; and it is not impoffible to

Oli. Neither call the giddiness of it in question, the poverty of her, the fmall acquaintance, my fudden wooing, nor her fudden confenting; but fay with me, I love Aliena; fay with her, that she loves me; confent with both, that we may enjoy each other: it fhall be to your good; for my father's houfe, and all the revenue that was old firme, if it appear not inconvenient to you, to fet her Rowland's, will I eftate upon you, and here live and die a fhepherd.

Enter Refalind.

Orla. You have my confent. 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 Rofalind.

Rof. God fave you, brother.

Ol. And you, fair fifter.

before your eyes to-morrow, human as she is, and without any danger.

Orla. Speak it thou in fober meanings?

Rof. By my life, I do; which I tender dearly, though I fay I am a magician: Therefore, put you on your best array, bid your friends; for if you will be married to-morrow, you fhall; and to Rofalind, if you will.

Enter Silvius, and Phebe. Look, here comes a lover of mine, and a lover of [neís,

Ref. Oh, my dear Orlando, how it grieves me to hers. fee thee wear thy heart in a fcarf!

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Phe. Youth, you have done me much ungentleTo fhew the letter that 1 writ to you.

Rof. I care not, if I have: it is my study, To feem defpightful and ungentle to you:

Orla. Wounded it is, but with the eyes of a You are there follow'd by a faithful shepherd ; Look upon him, love him; he worships you.

lady.

3 This alludes to the way of parting dogs when fighting,

Pho

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