The SCENE lies, first, near Oliver's House; afterwards, partly in the Usurper's Court, and partly in the Forest of Arden.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-An Orchard, near Oliver's House.
Enter ORLANDO and ADAM.

Oli. What, boy!

Orl. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this.

Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?

Orl. I am no villain: I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Bois; he was my father, and he is thrice a villain, that says such a father begot villains: Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat, till this other hand pulled out thy tongue for saying so; thou hast railed on thyself.

The courtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty Orl. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fash-brothers betwixt us: I have as much of my father ion bequeath'd me: By will, but a poor thousand in me, as you; albeit, I confess, your coming before crowns; and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, me is nearer to his reverence. on his blessing, to breed ine well: and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept: For call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth, that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hired: but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me, his countenance seems to take from me: he lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and as much as in him lies mines my gentility with my education. This is it Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude: I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it. Enter Oliver.

Adam. Yonder comes my master, your brother. Orl. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up.

Oli. Now, sir, what make you here?
Orl. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing.
Oli. What mar you then, sir?

Orl. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness.

Oli. Marry, sir, be better employ'd, and be naught awhile.

Ort, Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent, that I should come to such penury?

Oi. Know you where you are sir?
Orl. 0, so very well: here in your orchard.
Oli. Know you before whom, sir?

Orl. Ay, better than he I am before knows me.
I know you are my eldest brother; and, in the
gentie condition of blood, you should so know me:
What do you here?

Adam. Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord.

Oli. Let me go, I say.

Ort. I will not, till I please: you shall hear me. My father charged you in his will to give me good education: you have trained me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities: the spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentle man, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my for

tunes.

Oli. And what wilt thou do? beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in: I will not long be troubled with you: you shall have some part of your will; I pray you, leave me.

Orl. I will no further offend you than becomes me for my good.

Oi. Get you with him, you old dog
Adam. Is old dog my reward? most true, I have
lost my teeth in your service.-God be with my
old master! he would not have spoke such a word.
Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM.
Oli. Is it even so begin you to grow upon me?
I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thou
sand crowns neither. Hola, Dennis!

Enter DENNIS.
Den. Calls your worship?

Oi. Was not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me?

a Villain is used in a double sense; by Oliver, for worthless fellow and by Orlando, in a man of ban extraction.

to wander.

Oli. Can you tell, if Rosalind, the duke's daughter, be banished with her father?

Cha. O, no; for the duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have followed her exile. or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. Oli. Where will the old duke live?

Cha. They say he is already in the forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England: they say, many young gentlemen flock to him every day; and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world.

Oli. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the

new duke?

Cha. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand, that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against me to try a fall: To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without some broken limb, shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young. and tender; and, for your love, I would be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honor, if he come in: therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal; that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is a thing of his own search, and altogether against my will.

Oli. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt find I will most kindly requite. 1 had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means labored to dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee. Charles, he is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret and villanous contriver against me his natural brother; therefore use thy discretion; I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou do'st him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, 1 assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so vilianous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder.

Chu. I am heartily glad, I came hither to you; If he come to-morrow, I'll give him his payment: If ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more: And so, God keep your worship!

[Exit. Oli. Farewell, good Charles.-Now will I stir this gamester: I hope I shal see an end of him: for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd, and yet learned; full of noble device: of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised: but it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear a'l: nothing remains, but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. [Exil SCENE 11-A Lawn before the Duke's Palace. Enter ROSALIND and CELIA.

Cel. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry.
Ros. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am
Frolicksome fellow.
Of all ranks.

mistress of: and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you would teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure.

Čel. Herein, I see, thou lovest me not with the full weight that I love thee: if my ancle, thy ban ished father, had banished thy uncle, the Juke my father, so thou hadst been still with me. I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd as mine is to thee.

Ros. Well, I will forfeit the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours.

Cel. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in aflection; by mine honor, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster: therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. Ros. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports; let me see; What think you of falling in love?

Cel. Marry, I pr'ythee, do, to make sport withal: but love no man in good earnest; nor no further in Sport neither, than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honor come off again.

Ros. What shall be our sport then?

Cel. Let us sit and mock the good housewife, Fortune, from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally.

Ros. I would, we could do so; for her benefits are mightily misplaced: and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women.

Cel. 'Tis true: for those, that she makes fair, she scarce makes honest; and those, that she makes honest, she makes very ill-favor dly.

Ros. Nay, now thou goest from fortune's office to nature's: fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of nature.

Enter TOUCHSTONE.

Cel. No? When nature hath made a fair creature may she not by fortune fall into the fire-Though nature hath given us wit to flout at fortune, hath not fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument?

Ros. Indeed, there is fortune too hard for nature; when fortune makes nature's natural the cutter off of nature's wit.

Cel. Peradventure, this is not fortune's work neither, but nature's: who perceiving our natural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, hath sent this natural for our whetstone: for always the dul

ness of the fool is the whetstone of his wits.-How now, wit? whither wander you?

Touch. Mistress, you must come away to your father.

Cel. Where you made the messenger! Touch. No, by mine honor; but I was bid to come for you.

Ros. Where learned you that oath, fool? Touch. Of a certain knight, that swore by his honor they were good pancakes, and swore by his honor the mustard was naught: now, I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught, and the mustard was good; and yet was not the knight forsworn.

Cel. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge!

Ros. Ay, marry; now unmuzzle your wisdom. Touch. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave, Cel. By our beards, if we had them, thou art.

Touch. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were: but if you swear by that that is not, you are not forsworn: no more was this knight, swearing by his honor, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away, before ever he saw those pancakes or that mustard.

Cel. Prythee, who is't that thou mean'st?

Touch. One that old Frederick, your father, loves.
Cel. My father's love is enough to honor him.
Enough! speak no more of him: you'll be whipp'd
for taxation, one of these days.

wisely, what wise men do foolishly.
Touch. The more pity, that fools may not speak

Cel. By my troth, thou say 'st true: for since the little wit, that fools have, was silenced, the little foolery, that wise men have, makes a great show

Here comes Monsieur Le Beau.

Satire.

AS YOU LIKE IT.

Enter LE BEAU.

Ros. With his mouth full of news.

ACT L.

or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal embrace your own safety, and give over this attempt.

Cel. Which he will put on us, as pigeons feed enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to their young.

Ros. Then shall we be news-cramm'd.
Cel. All the better; we shall be the more mar-
ketable. Bonjour, Monsieur Le Beau: What's the
news?

Le Brau. Fair princess, you have lost much good

sport.

Cel. Sport?

Of what color?

Le Brau. What color, madam?
answer you?

Ros. As wit and fortune will.
Touch. Or as the destinies decree.

How shall I

the duke, that the wrest ing night not go forward. Ros. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to

to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. but Orl. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts; wherein I confess me much guilty, let your fair eyes, and gentle wishes, go with me to my trial: wherein if I be foiled, there is but one shamed that was never gracious: if killed, but one dead that is willing to be so: I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world

Cel. Well said; that was laid on with a trowel. no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the
Touch. Nay, if I keep not my rank,-
Ros. Thou losest thy old smell.

Le Beau. You amaze me, ladies; I would have
told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the
Bight of.

Ros. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling.
Le Beau. I will tell you the beginning, and if it
please your ladyships, you may see the end; for
the best is yet to do; and here, where you are,
they are coming to perform it.

Cel. Well,-the beginning, that is dead and
buried.

Le Beau. There comes an old man, and his three

Bons,

Cel. I could match this beginning with an old tale. Le Beau. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence;

Ros. With bills on their necks,-Be it known unto all men by these presents,

Le Beau. The eldest of the three wrestled with

Charles, the duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him: so he served the second, and so the third: Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them, that all the beholders take his part with weeping.

Ros. Alas!

Touch. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost?

Le Beau. Why, this that I speak of.

Touch. Thus men may grow wiser every day! it is the first time that I ever heard, breaking of ribs was sport for ladies.

Cel. Or I, I promise thee.

Ros. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking-Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? Le Beau. You must, if you stay here: for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it.

Cel. Yonder, sure, they are coming: Let us now stay and see it.

Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, Or-
LANDO, CHARLES, and Attendants.

Duke F. Come on; since the youth will not be
entreated, his own peril on his forwardness.
Ros. Is yonder the man?

Le Bean. Even he, madam.

Cel. Alas, he is too young: yet he looks successfully.

Duke F. How now, daughter, and cousin? are you crept hither to see the wrestling?

Ros. Ay, my liege! so please you give us leave. tell you, there is such odds in the men: In pity of Duke F. You will take little delight in it, I can the challenger's youth, I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated: Speak to him, ladies, see if you can move him.

Cel. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau.
Duke F. Do so: I'll not be by. [DUKE goes apart.
Le Beau. Monsieur the challenger, the princesses

call for

you.

Orl. I attend them, with all respect and duty. Ros. Young man, have you challenged Charles the wrestler!"

Orl. No, fair princess; he is the general challenger: I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth.

Cel. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years: You have seen cruel proot of this man's strength; if you saw yourself with your eyes

world I fill up a place which may be better supplied when I have made it empty.

Ros. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you.

Cel. And mine, to eke out hers.

Ros. Fare you well. Pray heaven, I be deceived in you!

Čel. Your heart's desires be with you.

Cha. Come where is this young gallant, that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth?

Orl. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working.

Duke F. You shall try but one fall.

entreat him to a second, that have so mightily perCha. No, I warrant your grace; you shall not suaded him from a first.

not have mocked me before: but come your ways.
Orl. You mean to mock me after; you should
fellow by the leg. [CHARLES and ORLANDO wrestle.
Ros. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man
Cel. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong
Ros. O excellent young man!

tell who should down. [CHARLES is throum. Shout.
Cel. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can
Duke F. No more, no more.
Orl. Yes, I beseech your grace; I am not yet
well breathed.

Duke F. How dost thou, Charles?

Le Beau. He cannot speak, my lord.
Duke F. Bear him away. [CHARLES is borne out
What is thy name, young man?

Orl. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir

Rowland de Bois.

Duke F. I would thou hadst been son to some
man else.

T'he world esteem'd thy father honorable,
But I did find him still mine enemy:
Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this
deed,

Hadst thou descended from another house.
But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth;
I would thou hadst told me of another father.

[Exeunt DUKE FRED., Train, and LE BEAU.
Cel. Were I my father, coz, would I do this?
Orl. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son,
His youngest son;-and would not change that
calling,

To be adopted heir to Frederick.

Ros. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul,
And all the world was of my father's mind:
Had I before known this young man his son,
I should have given him tears unto entreaties,
Ere he should thus have ventur'd.
Cel.

Gentle cousin,

If you do keep your promises in love,
My father's rough and envious disposition
Let us go thank him, and encourage him;
But justly, as you have exceeded promise,
Your mistress shall be happy.
Sticks me at heart.-Sir, you have well deserv'd:
Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune;
Ros.
That could give more, but that her hand lacks
Gentleman,
[Giving him a chain from her neck.
Shall we go, coz?

means.

Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up,
Cel.
Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block.
Orl. Can I not say, I thank you? My better parts
Ay:-Fare you well fair gentlemar

Ros. He calls us back: My pride fell with my
fortunes:

The object to dart at in martial exercises.

Cel. Why, cousin; why, Rosalind ;-Cupid have And thou wilt show more bright and seem more mercy!-Not a word?