SCENE III. Enter ORLANDO and Before OLIVER's House. ADAM, meeting. Orla. Who's there? Ada. What! my young master?-O, my gentle master, O, my sweet master, O you memory Of old sir Rowland! why, what make you here? No more do yours; your virtues, gentle master, O, what a world is this, when what is comely Orla. Why, what's the matter? Come not within these doors; within this roof Your brother-(no, no brother; yet the son— Of him I was about to call his father,)— Hath heard your praises; and this night he means And you within it: if he fail of that, He will have other means to cut you off: 1 This is no place, this house is but a butchery; Orla. Why, whither, Adam, wouldst thou have me go? Or, with a base and boisterous sword, enforce A thievish living on the common road? I rather will subject me to the malice food? We [1] Place here signifies a seat, a mansion, a residence. So, in the first Book of Samuel: "Saul set him up a place, and is gone down to Gilgal." still use the word in compound with another, as St. James's place, &c. STE. Plas, in the Welch language, signifies a mansion-house. MALONE. Of a diverted blood, and bloody brother.2 Adam. But do not so: I have five hundred crowns, Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood; Orla. O good old man; how well in thee appears Adam. Master, go on; and I will follow thee, [Exe. [2] Blood turned out of the course of nature. JOHNS.To divert a water-course, that is, to change its course, was a common legal phrase, and an object of litigation in Westminster Hall, in our author's time, as it is at present. REED. [3] See Saint Luke, xii. 6, and 24. DOUCE. SCENE IV. The Forest of Arden. Enter ROSALIND in boy's clothes, CELIA drcst like a shepherdess, and ToUCHSTONE. Ros. O Jupiter! how weary are my spirits! Touch. I care not for my spirits, if my legs were not weary. Ros. I could find in my heart to disgrace my man's apparel, and to cry like awoman: but I must comfort the weaker vessel, as doublet and hose ought to show itself courageous to petticoat: therefore, courage, good Aliena. Cel. I pray you, bear with me; I cannot go no further. Touch. For my part, I had rather bear with you, than bear you yet I should bear no cross, if I did bear you; for, I think, you have no money in your purse. Ros. Well, this is the forest of Arden. Touch. Ay, now I am in Arden: the more fool I : when I was at home, I was in a better place; but travellers must be content. Ros. Ay, be it so, good Touchstone :-Look you, who comes here; a young man, and an old, in solemn talk. Enter CORIN and SILVIUS. Cor. That is the way to make her scorn you still. Sil. O Corin, that thou knew'st how I do love her! Cor. I partly guess; for I have lov'd ere now. Sil. No, Corin, being old, thou canst not guess; Though in thy youth thou wast as true a lover As ever sigh'd upon a midnight pillow: But if thy love were ever like to mine, (As sure I think did never man love so,) How many actions most ridiculous Hast thou been drawn to by thy fantasy? Cor. Into a thousand that I have forgotten. Sil. O, thou didst then ne'er love so heartily: If thou remember'st not the slightest folly That ever love did make thee run into, Thou hast not lov'd: Or if thou hast not sat as I do now, Wearying thy hearer in my mistress' praise, Thou hast not lov'd: Or if thou hast not broke from company [4] A cross was a piece of money stamped with a cross. On this our au thor is perpetually quibbling. STEEVENS. Abruptly, as my passion now makes me, Touch. And I mine: I remember, when I was in love, I broke my sword upon a stone, and bid him take that for coming anight to Jane Smile: and I remember the kissing of her batlet, and the cow's dugs that her pretty chop'd hands had milk'd: and I remember the wooing of a peascod in stead of her; from whom I took two cods, 6 and, giving them her again, said with weeping tears, Wear these for my sake. We, that are true lovers, run into strange capers; but as all is mortal in nature, so is all nature in love mortal in folly. Ros. Thou speak'st wiser than thou art 'ware of. Touch. Nay, I shall ne'er be 'ware of mine own wit, till I break my shins against it. Ros. Jove! Jove! this shepherd's passion Is much upon my fashion. Touch. And mine; but it grows something stale with me. Cel. I pray you, one of you question yond man, If he for gold will give us any food; I faint almost to death. Touch. Hola; you, clown! Ros, Peace, fool; he's not thy kinsman. Cor. Who calls? Touch. Your betters, sir. Cor. Else are they very wretched. Ros. Peace, I say : Good even to you, friend. Cor. And to you, gentle sir, and to you all. [5] Batlet, the instrument with which washers beat coarse clothes. JOH. 6] For cods it would be more like sense to read peas, which having the shape of pearls, resembled the common presents of lovers. JOHNSON. In a schedule of jewels in the 15th Vol. of Rymer's Federa, we find, "Item, two peascoddes of gold with 17 pearles." FARMER. The peascod certainly means the whole of the pea as it hangs upon the stalk. It was formerly used as an ornament in dress, and was represented with the shell open exhibiting the peas. The passage cited from Rymer, by Dr. Farmer, shows that the peas were sometimes made of pearls, and rather overturns Dr. Johnson's conjecture, who probably imagined that Touchstone took the cods from the peascods, and not from his mistress. DOUCE. [7] A ridiculous expression from a sonnet in Lodge's Rosalynd, the novel on which this comedy is founded. STEEVENS. Bring us where we may rest ourselves, and feed: Cor. Fair sir, I pity her, And wish for her sake, more than for mine own, And do not sheer the fleeces that I graze ; Besides, his cote, his flocks, and bounds of feed, Ros. What is he that shall buy his flock and pasture? Cor. Thatyoung swain that you saw here but ere while, That little cares for buying any thing.. Ros. I pray thee, if it stand with honesty, Buy thou the cottage, pasture, and the flock, Cel. And we will mend thy wages: I like this place, SCENE V. [Exeunt. The same. Enter AMIENS, JAQUES, and others. SONG. Ami. Under the greenwood tree, 11 Who loves to lie with me, And tune his merry note Unto the sweet bird's throat, Come hither, come hither, come hither; Here shall he see No enemy, But winter and rough weather. VOL. II. |