Welcome to PhiloLogic  
   home |  the ARTFL project |  download |  documentation |  sample databases |   
Charles Gildon [1709–1710], The works of Mr. William Shakespear; in six [seven] volumes. Adorn'd with Cuts. Revis'd and Corrected, with an Account of the Life and Writings of the Author. By N. Rowe ([Vol. 7] Printed for E. Curll... and E. Sanger [etc.], London) [word count] [S11401].
To look up a word in a dictionary, select the word with your mouse and press 'd' on your keyboard.

Previous section

Next section

SCENE III. Oliver's House. Enter Orlando and Adam.

Orla.
Who's there?

Adam.
What my young Master, oh my gentle Master,
Oh my sweet Master, O you Memory
Of old Sir Rowland? Why, what make you here?
Why are you virtuous? Why do People love you?
And wherefore are you gentle, strong, and valiant?
Why would you be so fond to overcome
The bonny Priser of the humorous Duke?
Your Praise is come too swiftly Home before you.
Know you not, Master, to some kind of Men
Their Graces serve them but as Enemies;

-- 615 --


No more do yours; your Virtues, gentle Master
Are sanctified and holy Traitors to you:
Oh what a World is this, when what is comely
Envenoms him that bears it!

Orla.
Why, what's the matter?

Adam.
O unhappy Youth,
Come not within these Doors; within this Roof
The Enemy of all your Graces lives:
Your Brother—no, no Brother, yet the Son,
Yet not the Son, I will not call him Son,
Of him I was about to call his Father,
Hath heard your Praises, and this Night he means
To burn the Lodging where you use to lye,
And you within it; if he fail of that
He will have other Means to cut you off;
I overheard him, and his Practices:
This is no Place, this House is but a Butchery;
Abhor it, fear it, do not enter it.

Orla.
Why, whither Adam wouldst thou have me go?

Adam.
No matter whither, so you come not here.

Orla.
What, wouldst thou have me go and beg my Food,
Or with a base and boistrous Sword enforce
A thievish living on the common Road?
This I must do, or know not what to do:
Yet this I will not do, do how I can;
I rather will subject me to the Malice
Of a diverted Blood, and bloody Brother.

Adam.
But do not so, I have five hundred Crowns,
The thrifty Hire I sav'd under your Father,
Which I did store to be my foster Nurse,
When Service should in my old Limbs lye lame,
And unregarded Age in Corners thrown;
Take that, and he that doth the Ravens feed,
Yea providently caters for the Sparrow,
Be Comfort to my Age; here is the Gold,
All this I give you, let me be your Servant,
Tho' I look old, yet I am strong and lusty,
For in my Youth I never did apply
Hot and rebellious Liquors in my Blood,
Nor did I with unbashful Forehead woo
The Means of Weakness and Debility;

-- 616 --


Therefore my Age is as a lusty Winter,
Frosty, but kindly; let me go with you,
I'll do the Service of a younger Man
In all your Business and Necessities.

Orla.
Oh good old Man, how well in thee appears
The constant Service of the antick World;
When Service sweat for Duty, not for Need!
Thou art not for the Fashion of these times,
Where none will sweat, but for Promotion,
And having that, do choak their Service up,
Even with the having; it is not so with thee;
But poor old Man, thou prun'st a rotten Tree,
That cannot so much as a Blossom yield,
In lieu of all thy Pains and Husbandry;
But come thy ways, we'll go along together,
And e'er we have thy youthful Wages spent,
We'll light upon some setled low Content.

Adam.
Master go on, and I will follow thee
To the last Gasp with Truth and Loyalty.
From seventeen Years 'till now almost fourscore
Here lived I, but now live here no more.
At seventeen Years many their Fortunes seek,
But at fourscore, it is too late a Week;
Yet Fortune cannot recompence me better
Than to die well, and not my Master's Debter.
[Exeunt.
Previous section

Next section


Charles Gildon [1709–1710], The works of Mr. William Shakespear; in six [seven] volumes. Adorn'd with Cuts. Revis'd and Corrected, with an Account of the Life and Writings of the Author. By N. Rowe ([Vol. 7] Printed for E. Curll... and E. Sanger [etc.], London) [word count] [S11401].
Powered by PhiloLogic