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 shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle, never schooled 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 all: nothing remains but that Ikindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. SCENE II.-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 mistress of, and would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. 7 Cel. Herein I see thou lovest me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle, the duke 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 tempered as mine is to thee. 15 Ros. Well, I will forget 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 affection; by mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster. Therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. 25 Ros. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? 28 Cel. Marry, I prithee, 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 honour come off Cel. Prithee, who is 't that thou meanest? Touch. One that old Frederick, your father, loves. Cel. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough! speak no more of him; you'll be whipped for taxation one of these days. 92 Cel. Well said: that was laid on with a trowel. Le Beau. You amaze me, ladies: I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. 118 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. 123 Cel. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. Le Beau. There comes an old man and his three sons, 127 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.' 133 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! 141 Touch. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? 144 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. 18. Cel. Young gentleman, your spirits are to bold for your years. You have seen cruel proo of this man's strength: if you saw yourself with your eyes or knew yourself with your judgment the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for you own sake, to embrace your own safety and giv over this attempt. Ros. Do, young sir: your reputation shall no therefore be misprised. We will make it ou suit to the duke that the wrestling might not g forward. 19 Orl. I beseech you, punish me not with you Le Beau. Why, this that I speak of. hard thoughts, wherein I confess me muc Touch. Thus men may grow wiser every day: guilty, to deny so fair and excellent ladies any 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. 236 Duke F. Bear him away. What is thy name, [CHARLES is borne out. Orl. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. young man? 240 Duke F. I would thou hadst been son to some man else: The world esteem'd thy father honourable, Hadat thou descended from another house. son, 249 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: 253 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, 256 Let us go thank him and encourage him: My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd: If you do keep your promises in love But justly, as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy. Gentleman, 260 Ros. [Giving him a chain from her neck. Wear this for me, one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks 264 means. 301 But that the people praise her for her virtues, SCENE III.-A Room in the Palace. Enter CELIA and ROSALIND. Cel. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! have mercy! Not a word? Ros. Or have acquaintance with mine own desires, 3 Ros. Not one to throw at a dog. Cel. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. Ros. Then there were two cousins laid up; when the one should be lamed with reasons and the other mad without any. Cel. But is all this for your father? Ros. No, some of it is for my child's father: O, how full of briers is this working-day world! 9 Cel. They are but burrs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery: if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. 16 Ros. I could shake them off my coat: these burrs are in my heart. Cel. Hem them away. Ros. I would try, if I could cry 'hem,' and have him. 21 Cel. Come, come; wrestle with thy affections. Ros. O they take the part of a better wrestler than myself! 24 Cel. O, a good wish upon you! you will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest: is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? Ros. The duke my father loved his father dearly. 32 Cel. Doth it therefore ensue that you should 52 Thus do all traitors: Cel. Dear sovereign, hear me speak. Duke F. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake; Else had she with her father rang'd along. Cel. I did not then entreat to have her stay: It was your pleasure and your own remorse. 73 I was too young that time to value her; But now I know her: if she be a traitor, Why so am I; we still have slept together, 7 Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable. Duke F You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself: If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, 92 [Exeunt DUKE FREDERICK and Lords. Cel. O my poor Rosalind! whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. Thou hast not, cousin; 96 Prithee, be cheerful; know'st thou not, the duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter? Ros. Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one: Shall we be sunder'd? shall we part, sweet girl? No: let my father seek another heir. 112 Cel. To seek my uncle in the forest of Arden. Ros. Alas, what danger will it be to us, Maids as we are, to travel forth so far! Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold. Cel. I'll put myself in poor and mean attire, And with a kind of umber smirch my face; The hike do you: so shall we pass along And never stir assailants. 116 Cel. What shall I call thee when thou art a man? Ros. I'll have no worse a name than Jove's own page, And therefore look you call me Ganymede. 128 But what will you be call'd? Cel. Something that hath a reference to my state: No longer Celia, but Aliena. Ros. But, cousin, what if we assay'd to steal The clownish fool out of your father's court? 133 Would he not be a comfort to our travel? Cel. He'll go along o'er the wide world with me; Leave me alone to woo him. Let's away, ACT II. 136 140 [Exeunt. SCENE I.-The Forest of Arden. Enter DUKE Senior, AMIENS, and other Lords, like Foresters. Duke S. Now, my co-mates and brothers in exile, Hath not old custom made this life more sweet Than that of painted pomp? Are not these woods 12 More free from peril than the envious court? 4 16 20 Duke S. Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me, the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this desert city, Should in their own confines with forked heads Have their round haunches gor'd. First Lord. Indeed, my lord, 25 The melancholy Jaques grieves at that; |