Into a bufh; under which bufh's fhade A Lionefs, with udders all drawn dry, Lay couching head on ground, with cat-like watch To prey on nothing that doth feem as dead: And found it was his brother, his eldest brother. Cel. O, I have heard him fpeak of that fame brother, And he did render him the most unnatural That liv'd 'mongst men. Oli. And well he might fo do; For, well I know, he was unnatural. Rof. But, to Orlando- did he leave him there, Food to the fuck'd and hungry lioness? Oli. Twice did he turn his back, and purpos'd fo: But kindness, nobler ever than revenge, And nature stronger than his juft occafion, Who quickly fell before him; in which hurtling Cel. Are you his brother? Rof. 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 shame To tell you what I was, fince my converfion So sweetly tastes, being the thing I am. Oli. By, and by. When from the first to laft, betwixt us two, Tears our recountments had moft kindly bath'd, As how I came into that defert place; There ftripp'd himself, and here upon his arm The The lionefs had torn fome flesh away, Which all this while had bled; and now he fainted, Brief, I recover'd him; bound up his wound; To tell this story, that you might excuse Rofalind faints. Oli. Many will fwoon, when they do look on blood. Cel. There is more in it:-coufin-Ganymed*! Oli. Look, he recovers. Rof. Would, I were at home! Cel. We'll lead you thither. -I pray you, will you take him by the arm? Oh. Be of good cheer, youth-you a man? —you lack a man's heart. Rof. I do fo, I confefs it. Ah, Sir, 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 earnest. Rof. Counterfeit, I affure you. Oli. Well then, take a good heart, and counterfeit to be a man. Rof. So I do: but, i'faith, I should have been a woman by right. Cel. Come, you look paler and paler; pray you, draw homewards-good Sir, go with us. Oli. That will I; for I must bear answer back, • Coufin, Ganymed.] Celia in her fuft fright forgets Rofalind's character and difguife, and calls out Coufin, then recollects herself and lays Ganymed. How 1 How you excufe my brother, Rofalind. Ref. I fall devife fo.nething. But, I pray you, commend my counterfeiting to him.-Will you go? [Exeunt. ACT V. SCENE I. WE The FOREST. Enter Clown and Audrey. CLOWN. E fhall find a time, Audrey - patience, gentle Aud. Faith, the Priest was good enough, for all the old gentleman's faying. Clo. A most wicked Sir Oliver, Audrey; a most vile Mar-text-but Audrey, there is a youth here in the Foreft lays claim to you. Aud. Ay, I know who 'tis, he hath no interest in me in the world; here comes the man you mean. Enter William. Clo. It is meat and drink to me to fee a Clown. By my troth, we that have good wits, have much to anfwer for: we shall be flouting; we cannot hold. Will. Good ev'n, Audrey. Aud. God give ye good ev'n, William. Will. And good ev'n to you, Sir. Clo. Good ev'n, gentle friend-Cover thy head, cover thy head; nay, pr'ythee, be cover'd.-How old are you, friend? Will. Five and twenty, Sir. Clo. A ripe age: is thy name William? Will. William, Sir. Clo. 1 Cle. A fair name. Waft born i'th'forest here? Clo. Thank God-a good anfwer: art rich? Clo. So, fo, is good, very good, very excellent good; and yet it is not; it is but fo fo. Art thou wife? Will. Ay, Sir, I have a pretty wit. 6 Clo. Why, thou fay'st well: I do now remember a Saying; the fool doth think he is wife, but the wife man knows himself to be fool. The heathen philofopher, when he had a defire to eat á grape, would open This lips when he put it into his mouth; meaning thereby, that grapes were made to eat, and lips to open. You do love this maid? Will. I do, Sir. Clo. Give me your hand: art thou learned? 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, Sir? Clo, He, Sir, that must marry this woman; therefore you, Clown, abandon-which is in the vulgar, leave the fociety-which in the boorish, is company of this female-which in the common, is-woman; which together is, abandon the fociety of this female; or Clown, thou perifheft; or, to thy better understanding, dieft; or, to wit, I kill thee, make thee away, tranflate thy life into death, thy liberty in The heathen philofopher, when be defired to eat a grape, &c.] This was defigned as a fneer on the feveral triding and infignificant fayings and actions, recorded of the ancient philofophers, by the writers of their lives. WARBURTON. to to bondage'; I will deal in poifon with thee, or in bastinado, or in steel; 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. Aud. Do, good William. [Exit. Enter Corin. Cor. Our master and mistress seek you; come away, away. Clo. Trip, Audrey; trip, Audrey; I attend, I at[Exeunt. tend. SCENE II. Enter Orlando and Oliver. Orla. Is't poffible, that on fo little acquaintance you fhould like her? that, but feeing, you should love her? and loving, woo? and wooing, the fhould grant? and will you perfevere to enjoy her? Oli. Neither call the giddinefs of it in queftion, 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 the loves me; confent with both, that we may enjoy each other; it shall be to your good; for my father's houfe, and all the revenue that was old Sir Rowland's, will I eftate upon you, and here live and die a fhepherd. Enter Rofalind. Orla. You have my confent. Let your wedding be 'I will deal in poifon with thee, or in baftinado, or in fteel; I will bandy with thee in faction, &c.] |