It was a lover and his lass, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, In the fpring-time; the pretty fpring-time, And therefore take the prefent time, Between the acres of the rye, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, Thefe pretty country-folks would lie, The carrol they began that hour, With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, In the fpring-time, &c. Clo. Truly, young gentleman, though there was no great matter in the ditty, yet the note was very untimeable. 1 Page. You are deceiv'd, Sir, we kept time, we loft not our time. Clo. By my troth, yes; I count it but time loft to hear fuch a foolish fong. God b'w'y you, and God mend your voices. Come, Audrey. SCENE V. Changes to another part of the foreft. [Exeunt. Enter Duke fenior, Amiens, Jaques, Orlando, Oliver, and Celia. Duke fen. Doft thou believe, Orlando, that the boy Can do all this that he hath promised? Orla. I fometimes do believe, and fometimes do not; As thofe that fear their hap, and know their fear. Enter Rofalind, Sylvius, and Phebe. Rof. Patience once more, whiles our compact is urg'd: You fay, if I bring in your Rofalind, [To the Duke. You will bestow her on Orlando here? Duke fen. That would I, had I kingdoms to give with her. Ref. And you fay, you will have her when I bring her? [To Orlando. Orla. That would I, were I of all kingdoms king. Rof. You fay, you'll marry me, if I be willing. [To Phebe. Phe. That will I, fhould I die the hour after. Rof. But if you do refufe to marry me, You'll give yourself to this moft faithful shepherd. Phe. So is the bargain. Rof. You fay, that you'll have Phebe, if the will? [To Sylvius. Syl. Tho' to have her and death were both one thing. Rof. I've promis'd to make all this matter even. To make thefe doubts all even. [Exeunt Rof. and Celia, SCENE VI. Enter Clown and Audrey. Jaq. There is, fure, another flood toward, and thefe couples are coming to the ark. Here come a pair of unclean beasts *, 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 motly-minded gentleman, that I have fo often met in the foreft: 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 politic with my friend, smooth • with mine enemy; I have undone three tailors; I have had four quarrels, and like to have fought * one.' Faq. And how was that ta'en up? Clo. 'Faith, we met; and found, the quarrel was upon the feventh caufe. Jaq. How the feventh like this fellow. caufe? Duke fen. I like him very well. 1 -Good my Lord, Clo. God'ild you, Sir, I defire of you 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 man elfe will." Rich honefty dwells like a mifer, Sir, in a poor house; as your pearl in your foul oyfter. Duke fen. By my faith, he is very swift and fententious. Clo. According to the fool's bolt, Sir, and fuch dulcet diseases t. Jaq. But, for the feventh caufe; how did you find the quarrel on the seventh 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 faid his beard was not cut well, he 86 was in the mind it was. This is call'd the Retort courteous. If I fent him word again, it was not well 66 * Noah was ordered to take into the ark the clean beasts by fe vens, and the unclean by pairs † Meaning love, as what is apt to make folks fententious, 66 cut, he would fend me word, he cut it to please him"felf. This is call'd the Quip modeft. If again, it was not well cut, he difabled my judgment. This is call'd the Reply churlish. If again, it was not well "cut, 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 Coun"tercheck quarrelsome; and fo, the Lye circumftan"tial, and the Lye direct." Jaq. And how oft did you fay, his beard was not well cut? Clo. "I durft go no further than the Lye circumftan"tial; nor he durft not give me the Lye direct, and fo we meafur'd fwords and parted." 66 Jaq. Can you nominate in order now the degrees of the lye? Clo. "O Sir, we quarrel in print, by the book; as 66 you have books for good manners. 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 feventh, the Lye direct. "All these you may avoid, but the Lye direct; and you may avoid that too, with an If. I knew, when "feven juftices could not take up a quarrel; but when "the parties were met themselves, one of them thought "but of an If; as, If you faid fo, then I faid fo; "and they fhook hands, and fwore brothers. Your "If is the only peace-maker; much virtue in If.” Jaq. Is not this a rare fellow, my Lord? he's good at any thing, and yet a fool. Duke fen. He ufes his folly like a stalking-horse, and under the presentation of that he shoots his wit. Enter Hymen, Rofalind in woman's cloaths, and Celia. Still mufic. Hym. Then is there mirth in heav'n, When earthly things made even Good Duke, receive thy daughter, That thou might'ft join her hand with his, Rof. To you I give myself; for I am your's. [To the Duke. To you I give myself; for I am your's. [To Orlando. Duke fen. 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 fhape be true, Why, then, my love adieu! Rof. I'll have no father, if you be not he; Of these most strange events. If truth holds true contents. As the winter to foul weather: |
