In spring time, &c. Touch. Truly, young gentlemen, though there was no greater matter in the ditty, yet the note was very untuneable. 1 Page. You are deceived, sir; we kept time, we lost not our time. Touch. By my troth, yes; I count it but time lost to hear such a foolish song. God be with you, and God mend your voices! Come, Audrey. [exeunt. SCENE IV. ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST. Enter Duke Senior, Amiens, Jaques, Orlando, Duke S. Dost thou believe, Orlando, that the not; As those that fear they hope, and know they fear. Ros. Patience once more, whiles our compact You say, if I bring in your Rosalind, [to the Duke. Duke S. That would I, had I kingdoms to Ros. And you say you will have her, when I bring her? [to Orlando. Orl. That would I, were I of all kingdoms king. Ros. You say, you'll marry me, if I be willing? [to Phebe. Phe. That will I, should I die the hour after. Ros. But, if you do refuse to marry me, You'll give yourself to this most faithful shepherd? Phe. So is the bargain. will? Ros. You say, that you'll have Phebe, if she [to Silvius. Sil. Though to have her and death were both one thing. even. Ros. I have promis'd to make all this matter daughter;Keep you your word, O duke, to give your You yours, Orlando, to receive his daughter:Keep your word, Phebe, that you will marry me; Or else, refusing me, to wed this shepherd: Keep your word, Silvius, that you'll marry her, If she refuse me: and from hence go, To make these doubts all even. [exeunt Rosalind and Celia. Duke S. I do remember in this shepherd-boy Some lively touches of my daughter's favour. Orl. My lord, the first time that I ever saw him, Methought he was a brother to your daughter: But, my good lord, this boy is forest-born; And hath been tutor'd in the rudiments Of many desperate studies by his uncle Whom he reports to be a great magician, Obscured in the circle of this forest. Enter Touchstone and Audrey. Jaq. There is, sure, another flood toward, and these couples are coming to the ark! Here comes a pair of very strange beasts, which in all tongues are called fools. Touch. Salutation and greeting to you all! ? is the motley-minded gentleman, that I have so often met in the forest: he hath been a courtier, he swears. Touch. If any man doubt that, let him put me to my purgation. I have trod a measure: I have flattered 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. Jaq. And how was that ta'en up? Touch. 'Faith, we met, and found the quarrel was upon the seventh cause. Jaq. How seventh cause?-Good my lord, like this fellow? Duke S. I like him very well. Touch. God 'ild you, sir; I desire you of the like. I press in here, sir, amongst the rest of according as marriage binds, and blood breaks.— the country copulatives, to swear and to forswear; mine own; a poor humour of mine, sir, to take A poor virgin, sir, an ill-favour'd thing, sir, but like a miser, sir, in a poor house; as your pearl, that, that no man else will. Rich honesty dwells in your foul oister. [sententious. Duke S. By my faith, he is very swift and Touch. According to the fool's bolt, sir, and such dulcet diseases. Jaq. But, for the seventh cause; how did you find the quarrel on the seventh cause? Touch. Upon a lie seven times reinoved.-Bear your body more seeming, Audrey: as thus, sir. I did dislike the cut of a certain courtier's beard; he sent me word, if I said his beard was not cut well, he was in the mind it was: this is called the retort courteous. If I sent him word again, it was not well cut, he would send me word, he cut it to please himself; this is called the quip modest. If again, it was not well cut, he disabled my judgement: this is called the reply churlish. If again, it was not well cut, he would answer, I spake not true: this is called the reproof valiant. again, it was not well cut, he would say, I lie: This is called the countercheck quarrelsome; and so to the lie circumstantial, and the lie direct. If Jaq. And how oft did you say, his beard was not well cut? Touch. I durst go no further than the lie circumstantial, nor he durst not give me the lie direct; and so we measured swords and parted. Jaq. Can you nominate in order now the degrees of the lie? Touch. O, sir, we quarrel in print, by the book; as you have books for good manners: I will name you the degrees. The first, the retort courteous; the second, the quip modest; the third, the reply churlish; the fourth, the reproof valiant; the fifth, the countercheck quarrelsome; the sixth, the lie with circumstance; the seventh, the lie direct. All these you may avoid, but the lie direct; and you may avoid that too, with an if. I knew when seven justices could not take up a quarrel; but when the parties were met themselves, one of them thought but of an if; as, if you said so, then I said so; and they shook hands, and swore brothers. Your if is the only peace-maker; much virtue in if. Jaq. Is not this a rare fellow, my lord? he's 1-4 Duke S. He uses his folly like a stalking-horse, | His crown bequeathing to his banished brother; And all their lands restor❜d to them again, End, under presentation of that, he shoots his wit. This to be true, Enter Hymen, leading Rosalind in woman's clothes; That were with him exil'd. and Celia. Still music. Hymn. Then is there mirth in heaven, Good duke, receive thy daughter, Yea, brought her hither; That thou might'st join her hand with his, Ros. To you I give myself, for I am your's. [to Duke. To you I give myself, for I am your's. [to Orlando. Duke S. If there be truth iu sight, you are my daughter. [Rosalind. Orl. If there be truth in sight, you are my Phe. If sight and shape be true, Why then-my love adieu. Ros. I'll have no father, if you be not he: [to Duke S. I'll have no husband, if you be not he: [to Orlando. Nor ne'er wed woman, if you be not she. [to Phebe. Hym. Peace, ho! I bar confusion: Of these most strange events: If truth holds true contents. [to Orlando and Rosalind. [to Touchstone and Audrey. [to Silvius. Enter Jaques De Bois. I am the second son of old Sir Rowland, His brother here, and put him to the sword: I do engage my life. Duke S. Welcome, young man ; Thou offer'st fairly to thy brother's wedding: To one, his lands withheld; and to the other, A land itself at large, a potent dukedom. First, in this forest, let us do those ends That here were well begun and well begot: And after, every of this happy number, That have endur'd shrewd days and nights with us, Shall share the good of our returned fortune, According to the measure of their states. Meantime, forget this new-fall'n dignity, And fall into our rustic revelry.— Play, music;-and you, brides and bridegrooms With measure heap'd in joy, to the measures fall. Jaq. Sir, by your patience. If I heard you The duke hath put on a religious life, [rightly, And thrown into neglect the pompous court! Jaq. de B. He hath. [all, Jaq. To him will I out of these convertites There is much matter to be heard and learn'd.You to your former honour I bequeath; [to Duke S. Your patience and your virtue, well deserves it:— You, to a love that your true faith doth merit :[to Orlando. You to your land, and love, and great allies: [to Oliver. You to a long and well-deserved bed:-[to Silvius. And you to wrangling; for thy loving voyage [to Touchstone. Is but for two months victuall'd. So to your pleaI am for other than for dancing measures. [sures; Duke S. Stay, Jaques, stay. [have Jaq. To see no pastime, I :—what you would I'll stay to know at your abandon'd cave. [exit. Duke S. Proceed, proceed: we will begin these rites, Andwe do trust they'll end in true delights. [a dance. EPILOGUE. Ros. It is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue: but it is no more unhandsome, than to see the lord the prologue. If it be true, that good wine needs no bush, 'tis true that a good play needs no epilogue: yet to good wine they do use good bushes; and good plays prove the better by the help of good epilogues. What a case am I in then, that am neither a good epilogue, nor cannot insinuate with you in the behalf of a good play? I am not furnished like a beggar, therefore to beg will not become me: my way is to conjure you; and I charge you, O I'll begin with the women. women, for the love you bear to men, to like as much of this play as please them; and so I charge you, O men, for the love you bear to women (as I perceive, by your simpering, none of you hate them), that between you and the women the play may please. If I were a woman, I would kiss as many of you as had beards that pleased me, complexions that liked me, and breaths that I defied not; and, I am sure, as many as have good beards, or good faces, or sweet breaths, will, for my kind offer, when I make curt'sy, bid me farewell. [excunt SCENE I. A ROOM OF STATE IN LEAR'S PALACE. Glo. It did always seem to us; but now, in the Kent. Is not this your son, my lord? Glo. His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge: I have so often blushed to acknowledge him, that now I am brazed to it. Kent. I cannot conceive you. Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could: whereupon she grew round-wombed; and had, indeed, sir, a son for her cradle, ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a fault? Glo. I shall, my liege. [ex. Glos. and Edmund. [vided, purpose. And you, our no less loving son of Albany, Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the Interest of territory, cares of state), Glo. But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: though this knave came somewhat saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair; there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged. Do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund? Edm. No, my lord. Which of you, shall we say, doth love us most? Gon. Sir, I [ter, Do love you more than words can wield the mat- Glo. My lord of Kent: remember him here- A love, that makes breath poor, and speech unafter as my honourable friend. Edm. My services to your lordship. [trumpets sound within. Beyond all manner of so much I love you. [able; Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this line With shadowy forests and with champains rich'd, And prize me at her worth. In my true heart Which the most precious square of sense possesses; Cor. Then poor Cordelia! [aside. And yet not so; since, I am sure, my love's Lear. To thee, and thine, hereditary ever, Cor. Nothing. [again. Cor. Ay, good my lord. Lear. So young, and so untender? Lear. Let it be so. Thy truth then be thy From whom we do exist, and cease to be; Kent. Good my liege, Lear. Peace Kent! Come not between the dragon and his wrath; I lov'd her most, and thought to set my rest On her kind nursery.-Hence, and avoid my sight! [to Cordelia. So be my grave my peace, as here I give Call Burgundy.-Cornwall, and Albany, Kent. Let it fall rather, though the fork invade The region of my heart: be Kent unmannerly, When Lear is mad. What would'st thou do, old [speak, man? Think'st thou, that duty shall have dread to When power to flattery bows? To plainness honour's bound, When majesty stoops to folly. Reverse thy doom: And, in thy best consideration, check [ment This hideous rashness: answer my life my judg Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least; Nor are those empty-hearted, whose low sound Reverbs no hollowness. Lear. Kent, on thy life, no more. Kent. My life I ever held but as a pawn To wage against thine enemies; nor fear to lose it, Thy safety being the motive. Lear. Out of my sight! pride To come betwixt our sentence and our power Kent. Fare thee well, king: since thus thou Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here.— Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble Lear. My lord of Burgundy, [lord. We first address towards you, who with this king Hath rivall'd for our daughter. What, in the least, Will you require in present dower with her, Or cease your quest of love? Bur. Most royal majesty, I crave no more than hath your highness offer'd, Since that respects of fortune are his love, Lear. Right noble Burgundy, When she was dear to us, we did hold her so; Bur. I kno v no answer. Lear. Sir, Will you, with those infirmities she owes, [oath, Bur. Pardon me, royal sir; Election makes not up on such conditions. Lear. Then leave her, sir; for by the power that made me, 1 tell you all her wealth.-For you, great king, [to France. I would not from your love make such a stray, To match you where I hate; therefore beseech you To avert your liking a more worthier way, Than on a wretch, whom nature is asham'd Almost to acknowledge hers. France. This is most strange! That she, that even but now was your best object, [intend, Cor. I yet beseech your majesty, (If for I want that glib and oily art, To speak and purpose not; since what I well I'll do't before I speak,) that you make known It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness, No unchaste action, or dishonour'd step, That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour: But even for want of that, for which I am richer; A still-soliciting eye, and such a tongue That I am glad I have not, though, not to have it, Hath lost me in your liking. Lear. Better thou I shall not be his wife. [being poor, France. Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair France: Lear. Thou hast her, France: let her be thine; for we Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see Gon. Prescribe not us our duties. Be, to content your lord; who hath receiv'd you France. Come, my fair Cordelia [exeunt France and Cordelia. Gon. Sister, it is not a little I have to say, of what most nearly appertains to us both. I think, our father will bence to-night. Reg. That's most certain, and with you; next month with us. Gon. You see how full of changes his age is; ei |