Page images
PDF
EPUB

es

Even in the cannon's mouth. And then, the justice
In fair round belly, with good capon lin'd,
With eyes fevere, and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances,

And fo he plays his part. The fixth age shifts
Into the lean and flipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose, and pouch on fide;
His youthful hose well fav'd, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes,
And whistles in his found. Last Scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful History,
Is second childishness, and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, fans eyes, sans taste, sans every thing.

[blocks in formation]

el,

en

And let him feed.

Orla. I thank you most for him.

Adam. So had you need,

I scarce can speak to thank you for myself.
Duke Sen. Welcome, fall to: I will not trouble you,

As yet to question you about your fortunes.
Give us fome music; and, good cousin, fing.

SONG.

Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not fo unkind

As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not fo keen,
Because thou art not sheen,

Altho' thy breath be rude.

Heigh ho! fing, heigh ho! unto the green holly;
Most friendship is feigning; most loving mere folly :

Then heigh ho, the holly!

This life is most jolly.

[blocks in formation]

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
That dost not bite jo nigh
As benefits forgot:
Tho' thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp

As friend remembred not.

Heigh ho! fing, &c.

Duke Sen. If that you were the good Sir Rowland's

Son,

As you have whisper'd faithfully you were,
And as mine eye doth his effigies witness,
Most truly limm'd, and living in your face,
Be truly welcome hither. I'm the Duke,
That lov'd your Father. The residue of your fortune
Go to my cave and tell me. Good old Man,
Thou art right welcome, as thy master is;
Support him by the arm; give me your hand,

And let me all your fortunes understand.

[Exeunt.

ACT III. SCENE I.

N

The PALACE.

Enter Duke, Lords, and Oliver.

DUKE.

OT see him fince? Sir, Sir, that cannot be:
But were I not the better part made mercy,

I should not feek an abfent argument
Of my revenge, thou present: but look to it;
Find out thy brother, wheresoe'er he is;
Seek him with candle: bring him dead or living,
Within this twelve-month; or turn thou no more
To feek a living in our territory.

Thy lands and all things that thou doft call thine,

Worth

Worth seizure, do we seize into our hands;
'Till thou canst quit thee by thy brother's mouth,
Of what we think against thee.

Oli. Oh, that your Highness knew my heart in this:

I never lov'd my brother in my life.

Duke. More villain thou.

of doors;

Well, push him out

And let my officers of such a nature

Make an Extent upon his house and lands:

Do this expediently, and turn him going. [Exeunt.

ne

Orla.

t.

[blocks in formation]

ANG there, my verse, in witness of my

H
love;
And thou thrice-crowned Queen of Night survey,
With thy chafte eye, from thy pale sphere above,
Thy huntress' name that my full life doth sway.
O Rosalind! these trees shall be my books,
And in their barks my thoughts I'll character;
That every eye, which in this Forest looks,
Shall fee thy virtue witness'd every where.

Run, run, Orlando, carve, on every tree,
The fair, the chaste, and unexpressive She.

Cor. A

SCENE III.

Enter Corin and Clown.

[Exit.

ND how like you this shepherd's life, Mr.
Touchstone?

Clo. Truly, shepherd, in respect of itself, it is a good life; but in respect that it is a shepherd's life, it is naught. In respect that it is folitary, I like it very well; but in respect that it is private, it is a

C6

very

very vile life. Now in respect it is in the fields, it pleaseth me well; but in respect it is not in the Court, it is tedious. As it is a spare life, look you, it fits my humour well; but as there is no more plenty in it, it goes much against my ftomach. Hast any philosophy in thee, shepherd ?

Cor. No more, but that I know, the more one fickens, the worse at ease he is and that he, that wants money, means, and content, is without three good friends. That the property of rain is to wet, and fire to burn: that good pafture makes fat sheep; and that a great cause of the night, is lack of the Sun: and that * he that hath learned no wit by nature nor art, may complain of gross breeding, or comes of a very dull kindred.

Clo. Such a one is a natural philosopher. Wast

ever in Court, shepherd?

Cor. No, truly.

Clo. Then thou art damn'd.

Cor. Nay, I hope

Clo. Truly, thou art damn'd, like an ill-roafted

egg, all on one fide.

Cor. For not being at Court? your reafon.

Clo. Why, if thou never wast at Court, thou never faw'st good manners; if thou never faw'st good manners, then thy manners must be wicked; and wickedness is fin, and fin is damnation: thou art in a parlous state, shepherd.

Cor. Not a whit, Touchstone: those, that are good manners at the Court, are as ridiculous in the Country, as the behaviour of the Country is most mockable at the Court. You told me, you salute not at the Court, but you kiss your hands; that courtesy would be uncleanly, if Courtiers were shepherds.

* He that hath learned no wit by nature or art, may complain of good breeding, or comes of a very dull kindred.] Common Sense requires us to read,

may complain of gross breeding.

Clo.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Clo. Instance, briefly; come, instance. Cor. Why, we are still handling our ewes; and their fels, you know, are greasy.

Clo. Why, do not your Courtiers hands sweat? and is not the grease of a mutton as wholsome as the sweat of a man? shallow, shallow; -a better instance, I fay: come.

Cor. Besides, our hands are hard.

Clo. Your lips will feel them the fooner. Shallow again:-a more founder instance, come.

Cor. And they are often tarr'd over with the furgery of our sheep; and would you have us kiss tarr? the Courtier's hands are perfumed with civet.

Clo. Most shallow man! thou worms-meat, in respect of a good piece of flesh, indeed! learn of the wife and perpend; civet is of a baser birth than tarr; the very uncleanly flux of a cat. Mend the instance, shepherd.

Cor. You have too courtly a wit for me; I'll reft. Clo. Wilt thou rest damn'd? God help thee, shallow man; God make incision in thee, thou art raw.

Cor. Sir, I am a true labourer, I earn that I eat; get that I wear; owe no man hate, envy no man's happiness; glad of other men's good, content with my harm; and the greatest of my pride is, to see my ewes graze, and my lambs fuck.

Clo. That is another simple sin in you, to bring the ewes and the rams together; and to offer to get yourliving by the copulation of cattle; to be a bawd to a bell-weather; and to betray a she-lamb of a twelve-month to a crooked-pated old cuckoldly ram, out of all reasonable match. If thou be'st not damn'd for this, the devil himself will have no shepherds; I cannot fee else how thou should'st scape.

Cor. Here comes young Mr. Ganimed, my new mistress's brother.

SCENE

« PreviousContinue »