Oliver.
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
poverty of her, the small acquaintance, my sudden wooing,
nor her sudden consenting; but say with me, I love
Aliena; say with her, that she loves me; consent with
both, that we may enjoy each other: it shall be to your
good; for my father's house, and all the revenue that
was old sir Rowland's, will I estate upon you, and here
live and die a shepherd.
Enter Rosalind.
Orl.
You have my consent. Let your wedding be
to-morrow: thither will I invite the duke, and all his
contented followers: Go you, and prepare Aliena; for,
look you, here comes my Rosalind.
Ros.
God save you, brother.
Oli.
And you, fair sister.
[Exit Oliver.
Ros.
O, my dear Orlando, how it grieves me to see
thee wear thy heart in a scarf.
Orl.
It is my arm.
Ros.
I thought, thy heart had been wounded with
the claws of a lion.
Orl.
Wounded it is, but with the eyes of a lady.
Ros.
Did your brother tell you how I counterfeited
to swoon, when he shew'd me your handkerchief?
Orl.
Ay, and greater wonders than that.
Ros.
O, I know where you are: Nay, 'tis true: there
was never any thing so sudden, but the fight of two
rams, and Cæsar's thrasonical brag of—I came, saw, and
-- 82 --
overcame: note For your brother and my sister no sooner met,
but they look'd; no sooner look'd, but they lov'd; no
sooner lov'd, but they sigh'd; no sooner sigh'd, but they
ask'd one another the reason; no sooner knew the reason,
but they sought the remedy: and in these degrees
have they made a pair of stairs to marriage, which they
will climb incontinent, or else be incontinent before
marriage: they are in the very wrath of love, and they
will together; clubs cannot part them.
Orl.
They shall be marry'd to-morrow; and I will
bid the duke to the nuptial. But, o, how bitter a thing
it is, to look into happiness through another man's eyes!
By so much the more shall I to-morrow be at the height
of heart-heaviness, by how much I shall think my brother
happy, in having what he wishes for.
Ros.
Why then, to-morrow I cannot serve your turn
for Rosalind?
Orl.
I can live no longer by thinking.
Ros.
I will weary you then no longer with idle talking.
Know of me then, (for now I speak to some purpose)
that I know you are a gentleman of good conceit:
I speak not this, that you should bear a good opinion of
my knowledge, insomuch, I say, I know you are; neither
do I labour for a greater esteem than may in some
little measure draw a belief from you, to do yourself
good, and not to grace me. Believe then, if you please,
that I can do strange things: I have, since I was three
year old, convers'd with a magician, most profound in
his art, and yet not damnable: If you do love Rosalind,
so near the heart as your gesture cries it out, note when your
brother marries Aliena, shall you marry her: I know into
what straights of fortune she is driven; and it is not
-- 83 --
impossible to me, if it appear not inconvenient to you,
to set her before your eyes to-morrow, human as she is,
and without any danger.
Orl.
Speak'st thou in sober meanings?
Ros.
By my life, I do;14Q0333 which I tender dearly, though
I say I am a magician: Therefore put you in your
best array, bid your friends; for if you will be marry'd
to-morrow, you shall; and to Rosalind, if you will. Look,
here comes a lover of mine, and a lover of hers.
Enter Silvius, and Phebe.
Phe.
Youth, you have done me much ungentleness,
To shew the letter that I writ to you.
Ros.
I care not, if I have: it is my study,
To seem despiteful and ungentle to you:
You are there follow'd by a faithful shepherd;
Look upon him, love him; he worships you.
Phe.
Good shepherd, tell this youth what 'tis to love.
Sil.
It is to be all made of sighs and tears;—
And so am I for Phebe:
Phe.
And I for Ganimed:
Orl.
And I for Rosalind:
Ros.
And I for no woman.
Sil.
It is to be all made of faith and service;—
And so am I for Phebe:
Phe.
And I for Ganimed:
Orl.
And I for Rosalind:
Ros.
And I for no woman.
Sil.
It is to be all made of fantasy,
All made of passion, and all made of wishes;
All adoration, duty, and observance, note
All humbleness, all patience, and impatience,
All purity, all trial, all observance;—
-- 84 --
And so am I for Phebe:
Phe.
And so am I for Ganimed:
Orl.
And so am I for Rosalind:
Ros.
And so am I for no woman.
Phe.
If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
[to Ros.
Sil.
If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
[to Phe.
Orl.
If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
Ros.
Who do you speak to, note why blame you me to love
you?
Orl.
To her, that is not here, nor doth not hear.
Ros.
Pray you, no more of this; 'tis like the howling
of Irish wolves against the moon.—I will help you,
[to Sil.] if I can:—I would love you, [to Phe.] if I
could.—To-morrow meet me all together note. I will marry
you, [to Phe.] if ever I marry woman, and I'll be marry'd
to-morrow:—I will satisfy you, [to Orl.] if ever I
satisfy'd man, and you shall be marry'd to-morrow:—I
will content you, [to Sil.] if what pleases you contents
you, and you shall be marry'd to-morrow.—As you [to
Orl.] love Rosalind, meet;—As you [to Sil.] love Phebe,
meet; And as I love no woman, I'll meet. So fare you
well; I have left you commands.
Sil.
I'll not fail, if I live.
Phe.
Nor I.
Orl.
Nor I.
[Exeunt.
Edward Capell [1767], Mr William Shakespeare his comedies, histories, and tragedies, set out by himself in quarto, or by the Players his Fellows in folio, and now faithfully republish'd from those Editions in ten Volumes octavo; with an introduction: Whereunto will be added, in some other Volumes, notes, critical and explanatory, and a Body of Various Readings entire (Printed by Dryden Leach, for J. and R. Tonson [etc.], London) [word count] [S10601].
