SCENE IV.
Another part of the forest.
Enter Duke Senior, Amiens, Jaques, Orlando, Oliver, and Celia.
Duke Sen.
Dost thou believe, Orlando, that the boy
Can do all this that he hath promised?
Orla.
I sometimes do believe, and sometimes do not;
As those that fear they hope, and know they fear1 note
.
-- 377 --
Enter Rosalind, Silvius, and Phebe.
Ros.
Patience once more, whiles our compact is urg'd;—
You say, if I bring in your Rosalind,
[To the Duke.
You will bestow her on Orlando here?
Duke Sen.
That would I, had I kingdoms to give with her.
Ros.
And you say, you will have her, when I bring her?
[To Orlando.
Orla.
That would I, were I of all kingdoms king.
Ros.
You say, you'll marry me, if I be willing?
[To Phebe.
Phe.
That will I, should I die the hour after.
Ros.
But, if you do refuse to marry me,
You'll give yourself to this most faithful shepherd?
Phe.
So is the bargain.
Ros.
You say, that you'll have Phebe, if she will?
[To Silvius.
Sil.
Though to have her and death were both one thing.
Ros.
I have promis'd to make all this matter even.
Keep you your word, O duke, to give your daughter;—
You yours, Orlando, to receive his daughter:—
Keep your word, Phebe, that you'll marry me;
Or else, refusing me, to wed this shepherd:—
Keep your word, Silvius, that you'll marry her,
If she refuse me:—and from hence I go,
To make these doubts all even.
[Exeunt Rosalind, and Celia.
Duke Sen.
I do remember in this shepherd-boy
Some lively touches of my daughter's favour.
Orla.
My lord, the first time that I ever saw him,
-- 378 --
Methought, he was a brother to your daughter:
But, my good lord, this boy is forest-born;
And hath been tutor'd in the rudiments
Of many desperate studies by his uncle,
Whom he reports to be a great magician,
Obscured in the cirle of this forest.
Enter Clown, and Audrey.
Jaq.
There is, sure, another flood toward, and
these couples are coming to the ark! 2 note
Here comes
a pair of very strange beasts, which in all tongues
are call'd fools.
Clo.
Salutation and greeting to you all!
Jaq.
Good my lord, bid him welcome: This
is the motley-minded gentleman, that I have so often
met in the forest: he hath been a courtier, he
swears.
Clo.
If any man doubt that, let him put me to my
purgation. I have trod a measure; I have flatter'd
a lady; I have been politick with my friend, smooth
with mine enemy; I have undone three taylors; I
have had four quarrels, and like to have fought one.
Jaq.
And how was that ta'en up?
Clo.
'Faith, we met, and found the quarrel was
upon the seventh cause3 note.
Jaq.
How seventh cause?—Good my lord, like
this fellow.
Duke Sen.
I like him very well.
-- 379 --
Clo.
God'ild you, sir4 note
; I desire you of the like5 note
. I
press in here, sir, amongst the rest of the country
copulatives, to swear, and to forswear; according as
marriage binds, and blood breaks6 note
:—A poor virgin,
sir, an ill-favour'd thing, sir, but mine own; a poor
humour of mine, sir, to take that that no man else
will: Rich honesty dwells like a miser, sir, in a poor
house; as your pearl, in your foul oyster.
Duke Sen.
By my faith, he is very swift and sententious.
-- 380 --
Clo.
According to the fool's bolt, sir, and such
dulcet diseases7 note
.
Jaq.
But, for the seventh cause; how did you find
the quarrel on the seventh cause?
Clo.
Upon a lye seven times removed;—Bear your
body more seeming, Audrey:—as thus, sir. I did dislike
the cut of a certain courtier's beard8 note
; he sent me
word, if I said his beard was not cut well, he was in
the mind it was: This is called the Retort courteous.
If I sent him word again, it was not well cut, he
would send me word, he cut it to please himself: This
is call'd the Quip modest. If again, it was not well cut,
he disabled my judgment: This is call'd the Reply
churlish. If again, it was not well cut, he would answer,
I spake not true. This is call'd the Reproof valiant.
If again, it was not well cut, he would say,
I lye. This is called the Countercheck quarrelsome;
and so to the Lye circumstantial, and the Lye direct.
Jaq.
And how oft did you say, his beard was not
well cut?
Clo.
I durst go no further than the Lye circumstantial,
nor he durst not give me the Lye direct; and so we
measur'd swords, and parted.
-- 381 --
Jaq.
Can you nominate in order now the degrees
of the lye?
Clo.
9 noteO sir, we quarrel in print, by the book; as
you have books for good manners1 note: I will name you
the degrees. The first, the Retort courteous; the
second, the Quip modest; the third, the Reply churlish;
the fourth, the Reproof valiant; the fifth, the
-- 382 --
Countercheck quarrelsome; the sixth, the Lye with
circumstance; the seventh, the Lye direct. All these
you may avoid, but the Lye direct; and you may
avoid that too, with an If. I knew when seven justices
could not take up a quarrel; but when the parties
were met themselves, one of them thought but
of an If, as, If you said so, then I said so; and they
shook hands, and swore brothers. Your If is the
only peace-maker; much virtue in If.
Jaq.
Is not this a rare fellow, my lord? he's good
at any thing, and yet a fool.
Duke Sen.
He uses his folly like a stalking-horse2 note,
and under the presentation of that he shoots his wit.
3 noteEnter Hymen, Rosalind in woman's cloaths, and Celia.
Still Musick.
Hym.
Then is there mirth in heaven,
When earthly things made even
Atone together.
Good duke, receive thy daughter,
Hymen from heaven brought her,
Yea, brought her hither;
That thou might'st join her hand with his,
Whose heart within his bosom is.
Ros.
To you I give myself, for I am yours.
[To the Duke.
To you I give myself, for I am yours.
[To Orlando.
Duke Sen.
If there be truth in sight, you are my daughter.
-- 383 --
Orla.
If there be truth in sight4 note, you are my Rosalind.
Phe.
If sight and shape be true,
Why then,—my love adieu!
Ros.
I'll have no father, if you be not he:—
[To the Duke.
I'll have no husband, if you be not he:—
[To Orlando.
Nor ne'er wed woman, if you be not she.
[To Phebe.
Hym.
Peace, ho! I bar confusion:
'Tis I must make conclusion
Of these most strange events:
Here's eight that must take hands,
To join in Hymen's bands,
If truth holds true contents5 note.
You and you no cross shall part;
[To Orlando and Rosalind.
You and you are heart in heart:
[To Oliver and Celia.
You to his love must accord,
Or have a woman to your lord:—
[To Phebe.
You and you are sure together,
As the winter to foul weather.
[To the Clown and Audrey.
Whiles a wedlock-hymn we sing,
Feed yourselves with questioning;
That reason wonder may diminish,
How thus we met, and these things finish.
-- 384 --
SONG.
Wedding is great Juno's crown6 note
;
O blessed bond of board and bed!
'Tis Hymen peoples every town;
High wedlock then be honoured:
Honour, high honour and renown,
To Hymen, god of every town!
Duke Sen.
O my dear niece, welcome thou art to me;
Even daughter, welcome in no less degree.
Phe.
I will not eat my word, now thou art mine;
Thy faith my fancy to thee doth combine.
Enter Jaques de Boys.
Jaq. de B.
Let me have audience for a word, or two.—
I am the second son of old sir Rowland,
That bring these tidings to this fair assembly:—
Duke Frederick7 note, hearing how that every day
Men of great worth resorted to this forest,
Address'd a mighty power; which were on foot,
In his own conduct, purposely to take
His brother here, and put him to the sword:
-- 385 --
And to the skirts of this wild wood he came;
Where, meeting with an old religious man,
After some question with him, was converted
Both from his enterprize, and from the world:
His crown bequeathing to his banish'd brother,
And all their lands restor'd to them again
That were with him exil'd: This to be true,
I do engage my life.
Duke Sen.
Welcome, young man;
Thou offer'st fairly to thy brother's wedding:
To one, his lands with-held; and to the other,
A land itself at large, a potent dukedom.
First, in this forest, let us do those ends
That here were well begun, and well begot:
And after, every of this happy number,
That have endur'd shrewd days and nights with us,
Shall share the good of our returned fortune,
According to the measure of their states.
Meantime, forget this new-fall'n dignity,
And fall into our rustick revelry:—
Play, musick;—and you brides and bridegrooms all,
With measure heap'd in joy, to the measures fall.
Jaq.
Sir, by your patience:—If I heard you rightly,
The duke hath put on a religious life,
And thrown into neglect the pompous court?
Jaq. de B.
He hath.
Jaq.
To him will I: out of these convertites
There is much matter to be heard and learn'd.—
You to your former honour I bequeath;
[To the Duke.
Your patience, and your virtue, well deserves it:—
You to a love, that your true faith doth merit:—
To Orlando.
You to your land, and love, and great allies:—
[To Oliver.
You to a long and well deserved bed;—
[To Silvius.
And you to wrangling; for thy loving voyage
[To the Clown.
-- 386 --
Is but for two months victual'd:—So to your pleasures;
I am for other than for dancing measures.
Duke Sen.
Stay, Jaques, stay.
Jaq.
8 note
To see no pastime, I:—what you would have
I'll stay to know at your abandon'd cave.
[Exit.
Duke Sen.
Proceed, proceed: we will begin these rites,
As we do trust they'll end, in true delights.
EPILOGUE.
Ros.
It is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue:
but it is no more unhandsome, than to see the
lord the prologue. If it be true, that good wine needs
no bush9 note
, 'tis true, that a good play needs no epilogue:
Yet to good wine they do use good bushes; and good
-- 387 --
plays prove the better by the help of good epilogues.
What a case am I in then1 note, that am neither a good
epilogue, nor can insinuate with you in the behalf
of a good play? I am not furnish'd like a beggar2 note,
therefore to beg will not become me: my way is, to
conjure you; and I'll begin with the women. I charge
you, O women3 note
, for the love you bear to men, to
like as much of this play as pleases them; and I
charge you, O men, for the love you bear to women,
(as I perceive by your simpering, none of you hate
them) that between you and the women, the play
may please. If I were a woman4 note, I would kiss as
many of you as had beards that pleas'd me, complexions
that lik'd me, and breaths that I defy'd not:
-- 388 --
and, I am sure, as many as have good beards, or
good faces, or sweet breaths, will, for my kind offer,
when I make curt'sy, bid me farewel.
[Exeunt omnes9.
