Shall seize one half his goods; the other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state;
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the duke only, 'gainst all other voice.
In which predicament, I say, thou stand'st;
For it appears by manifest proceeding,
That indirectly and directly too,

Thou hast contrived against the very life
Of the defendant; and thou hast incurr'd

The danger formerly by me rehearsed.

Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the duke.

Duke. That thou shalt see the difference of our spirits,
I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it;

For half thy wealth it is Antonio's;
The other half comes to the general state,
Which humbleness may drive unto a fine.

Por. Ay, for the state, not for Antonio.
Shy. Nay, take my life and all; pardon not that;

You take my house when you do take the prop
That doth sustain my house; you take my life
When you do take the means whereby I live.
Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio?
Ant. So please my lord the duke and all the court,
To quit the fine for one half of his goods

I am content; so he will let me have

The other half in use, to render it,

Upon his death, unto the gentleman

That lately stole his daughter;

285

290

295

.300

305

Two things provided more, that, for this favour, 310
He presently become a Christian;

283. Privy coffer.-Privy chest; treasury.

286. Predicament.-A difficult position.

293. Our spirits.-Our natures, our dispositions; the one guided by Christianity, the other ruled by the old thirst for revenge.

297. A fine.-A payment of money instead of the wholesale confiscation he was liable to.

305. To quit the fine.-To give up my share.

The other, that he do record a gift,
Here in the court, of all he dies possess'd
Unto his son Lorenzo, and his daughter.
Duke. He shall do this, or else I do recant
The pardon that I late pronounced here.

315

III.

AS YOU LIKE IT.

ACT i. SCENE 3.-BANISHMENT OF CELIA.

[Celia and Rosalind are cousins; Rosalind the daughter of a duke who has been banished from his dominions by his younger brother, and Celia the daughter of this younger brother, who has taken upon himself the title and powers of the elder brother whom he has banished. Throughout the play, the old duke is called Duke Senior; the younger being Duke Frederick. Although the fathers of Celia and Rosalind are estranged from one another, these ladies are firm friends, and Rosalind lives with her cousin Celia at Duke Frederick's palace, until he determines to banish his niece too. When he does this, Celia resolves to leave her father's house, and go with her cousin into banishment. This command of the duke, and resolution of Celia, are narrated in the following scene.]

SCENE: A room in the palace.

Duke F. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste
And get you from our court.

Ros.

Duke F.

Ros.

Me, uncle?

You, cousin.

Within these ten days if that thou be'st found
So near our public court as twenty miles,

Thou diest for it.

I do beseech your grace,

Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me;

5

312. A deed of gift.-A formal writing, drawn up according to law, making over property to another.

314. His son Lorenzo.-This is strictly "son-in-law;" Lorenzo is the Christian husband of Shylock's daughter, referred to in note 230. 315. Recant.-Call back.

4. Cousin.-Rosalind was really the duke's niece; but in Shakespeare's time nephews and nieces were often called "cousins."

If with myself I hold intelligence

Or have acquaintance with mine own desires,
If that I do not dream, or be not frantic,-
As I do trust I am not--then, dear uncle,
Never so much as in a thought unborn
Did I offend your highness.

Duke F. Thus do all traitors:

If their purgation did consist in words,
They are as innocent as grace itself:

Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not.
Ros. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor:
Tell me whereon the likelihood depends.

Duke F. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough.
Ros.

Cel.

So was I when your highness took his dukedom;
So was I when your highness banish'd him;
Treason is not inherited, my lord;

Or, if we did derive it from our friends,
What's that to me? my father was no traitor:
Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much
To think my poverty is treacherous.
Dear sovereign, hear me speak.

Duke F. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake,
Else had she with her father rang'd along.

10. If with myself I hold intelligence.-This line is explained by that which follows; it may be rendered "If I know myself, or am sensible of my own wishes."

12. Frantic.-Mad, not capable of understanding.

16. Traitors.-Those who seek the downfall of their rulers.

17. Purgation.-Justification; the act of clearing one's self from some

accusation.

21. Likelihood.-The whole line may be construed "Tell me why you think me likely to prove a traitor."

25. Inherited.--Carried down from parents to children.

28. Good my liege.-Similar to my lord; subjects owe allegiance (that is, obedience) to their sovereign; the term is derived from the days when what is called the "Feudal system " was general, and refers to the duty which vassals owed to their lords.

31. We stay'd her.-We allowed her to remain.

32. Rang'd along.-Wandered about as a banished person.

Cel.

I did not then entreat to have her stay;

It was your pleasure, and your own remorse;

I was too young that time to value her;

35

But now I know her; if she be a traitor,
Why so am I; we still have slept together,
Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together,
And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans,
Still we went coupl'd and inseparable.

Duke F. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness,
Her very silence and her patience

Speak to the people, and they pity her.

Thou art a fool; she robs thee of thy name;

40

Cel.

And thou wilt show more bright and seem more

virtuous

When she is gone. Then open not thy lips;
Firm and irrevocable is my doom

Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd.
Pronounce that sentence then on me, my liege;
I cannot live out of her company.

Duke F. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself;
If you outstay the time, upon mine honour,
And in the greatness of my word, you die.

Cel.

45

50

[Exit DUKE FREDERICK. O my poor Rosalind, whither wilt thou go?

34. Remorse.-A sense of guilt; the sting of conscience. 38. Rose at an instant.-That is, at the same instant. 39. Juno's swans.--Before the spread of Christianity, the religion of the ancient Greeks and Romans consisted in the belief in a large number of gods and goddesses. The numerous stories about these false gods, their wars, their marriages, their miraculous deeds, &c., are now called "mythology," the Gr. word mythos, meaning a fable, an untrue story. In this ancient mythology Juno was the wife of the god Jupiter; her chariot was drawn by two swans exactly alike.

40. Inseparable.-Firmly joined together.

41. Subtle.-Cunning; crafty.

43. Speak to the people.-Cause the people to notice her unhappiness. 47. Irrevocable.-Not to be revoked or called back.

47. Doom.-In this place the word means sentence.

Ros.

Cel.

Ros.

Cel.

Ros.

Cel.

Ros.

Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. .55
I charge thee, be not thou more grieved than I am.
I have more cause.

Thou hast not, cousin;

Prithee, be cheerful; know'st thou not, the duke
Hath banish'd me, his daughter?

That he hath not.

No, hath not? Rosalind lacks then the love
Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one;
Shall we be sunder'd? shall we part, sweet girl?
No; let my father seek another heir.
Therefore devise with me how we may fly,
Whither to go, and what to bear with us;
And do not seek to take your change upon you,
To bear your griefs yourself and leave me out;
For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale,
Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee.
Why, whither shall we go?

To seek my uncle in the forest of Arden.
Alas! what danger will it be to us,

60

65

70

Maids as we are, to travel forth so far!

75

Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold.

Cel.

I'll put myself in poor and mean attire,

And with a kind of umber smirch my face;
The like do you; so shall we pass along
And never stir assailants.

59. Prithee.-A shortened form of the phrase, "I pray thee." 62. Lacks.-Wants; is without; doth not possess.

64. Sunder'd.-Parted.

66. Devise.-Plan; scheme.

80

70. Now at our sorrows pale.-It must be imagined that the sky was clouded at the time, and Celia says the heavens had grown "pale" in consequence of the misfortunes of these cousins.

73. Forest of Arden.-A French name spelt in English form. The forest of Ardennes is meant; it is in France, on the borders of Belgium.

78. Umber.-A brown paint.

78. Smirch.-Smear.

80. Assailants.-Enemies; people who would assail or interrupt them.