Like a ripe sister: the woman low Cel. It is no boast, being ask'd, to say we are. Ros. I am what must we understand by this? Cel. I pray you, tell it. Oli. When last the young Orlando parted from you He left a promise to return again Within an hour, and pacing through the forest, Chewing the food of sweet and bitter fancy, Lo, what befel! he threw his eye aside, And mark what object did present itself: Under an oak, whose boughs were moss'd with age A wretched ragged man, o'ergrown with hair, A green and gilded snake had wreathed itself, A lioness, with udders all drawn dry, Lay couching, head on ground, with catlike watch, To prey on nothing that doth seem as dead : This seen, Orlando did approach the man And found it was his brother, his elder brother. 100 110 Cel. O, I have heard him speak of that same brother; 120 And he did render him the most unnatural That lived amongst men. Oli. And well he might so do, For well I know he was unnatural. Ros. But, to Orlando : did he leave him there, Food to the suck'd and hungry lioness? Oli. Twice did he turn his back and purposed so; But kindness, nobler ever than revenge, And nature, stronger than his just occasion, Who quickly fell before him : in which hurtling Cel. Are you his brother? Ros. Was 't you he rescued? Cel. Was 't you that did so oft contrive to kill him? To tell you what I was, since my conversion So sweetly tastes, being the thing I am. Ros. But, for the bloody napkin ? By and by. When from the first to last betwixt us two There stripp'd himself, and here upon his arm Which all this while had bled; and now he fainted And cried, in fainting, upon Rosalind. 130 140 Brief, I recover'd him, bound up his wound; And, after some small space, being strong at heart, 150 To tell this story, that you might excuse His broken promise, and to give this napkin Dyed in his blood unto the shepherd youth [Rosalind swoons. Cel. Why, how now, Ganymede ! sweet Ganymede ! Oli. Look, he recovers. Ros. I would I were at home. Cel. We'll lead you thither. 160 I pray you, will you take him by the arm? Oli. Be of good cheer, youth: you a man! you lack a man's heart. Ros. I do so, I confess it. Ah, sirrah, 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 testimony in your complexion that it was a passion of earnest. Ros. Counterfeit, I assure you. Oli. Well then, take a good heart and counterfeit to be a 171 man. Ros. 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 How you excuse my brother, Rosalind. Ros. I shall devise something: but, I pray you, commend my counterfeiting to him. Will you go? [Exeunt. ACT V. SCENE I. The forest. Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY. Touch. We shall find a time, Audrey; patience, gentle Audrey. Aud. Faith, the priest was good enough, for all the old gentleman's saying. Touch. A most wicked Sir Oliver, Audrey, a most vile Martext. But, Audrey, there is a youth here in the forest 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. 9 Touch. It is meat and drink to me to see a clown: by my troth, we that have good wits have much to answer for; we shall be flouting; we cannot hold. Enter WILLIAM. Will. Good even, Audrey. Aud. God ye good even, William. Will. And good even to you, sir. Touch. Good even, gentle friend. thy head; nay, prithee, be covered. friend? Will. Five and twenty, sir. Cover thy head, cover Touch. A ripe age. Is thy name William ? Will. William, sir. Touch. A fair name. 20 Wast born i' the forest here? Will. Ay, sir, I thank God. Touch. 'Thank God ;' a good answer. Art rich? Will. Faith, sir, so so. Touch. 'So so' is good, very good, very excellent good; and yet it is not; it is but so so. Art thou wise? Will. Ay, sir, I have a pretty wit. Touch. Why, thou sayest well. I do now remember a saying, 'The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.' The heathen philosopher, when he had a desire to eat a grape, would open his 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. Touch. Give me your hand. Art thou learned? 34 Will. No, sir. Touch. Then learn this of me to have, is to have; for it is a figure in rhetoric that drink, being poured out of a cup into a glass, by filling the one doth empty the other; for all your writers do consent that ipse is he: now, you are not ipse, for I am he. Will. Which he, sir? 42 Touch. He, sir, that must marry this woman. Therefore, you clown, abandon,-which is in the vulgar leave, the society, which in the boorish is company,-of this female,— which in the common is woman; which together is, abandon the society of this female, or, clown, thou perishest; or, to thy better understanding, diest; or, to wit, I kill thee, make thee away, translate thy life into death, thy liberty into bondage: I will deal in poison with thee, or in bastinado, or in steel; I will bandy with thee in faction; I will o'er-run thee with policy; I will kill thee a hundred and fifty ways: therefore tremble, and depart. Aud. Do, good William. Will. God rest you merry, sir. Enter CORIN. 54 [Exit. Cor. Our master and mistress seek you; come, away, away! Touch. Trip, Audrey ! trip, Audrey! I attend, I attend. SCENE II. The forest. Enter ORLANDO and OLIVER. [Exeunt. Orl. Is 't possible that on so little acquaintance you should like her? that but seeing you should love her? and loving woo? and, wooing, she should grant? and will you persever to enjoy her? Oli. Neither call the giddiness of it in question, the |