Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

When that I fay, the city-woman bears
The cost of Princes on unworthy shoulders ?
Who can come in, and fay, that I mean her;
When fuch a one as fhe, fuch is her neighbour?-
Or what is he of bafeft function,

That fays, his bravery is not on my coft;
Thinking, that I mean him; but therein futes
His folly to the metal of my fpeech?

There then; how then? what then? let me fee wherein
My tongue hath wrong'd him; if it do him right,
Then he hath wrong'd himfelf; if he be free,
Why, then my taxing, like a wild goose flies
Unclaim'd of any man. But who comes here?

Enter Orlando, with fword drawn.

Orla. Forbear, and eat no more.

Jaq. Why, I have eat none yet.

Orla. Nor fhalt not, 'till neceffity be ferv'd. faq. Of what kind should this cock come of? Duke Sen. Art thou thus bolden'd, man, by thy distress? Or else a rude defpifer of good manners, That in civility thou feem'ft fo empty ?

Orla. You touch'd my vein at first; the thorny point Of bare diftrefs hath ta'en from me the fhew Of fmooth civility; yet am I in-land bred, And know fome nurture: But forbear, I fay :. He dies, that touches any of this fruit,

'Till I and my affairs are answered.

Jaq. If you will not

Be anfwered with reafon, I must die.

Duke Sen. What would you have? your gentleness shall

More than your force move us to gentleness.

[ocr errors]

Orla. I almost die for food, and let me have it.

[force,

Duke Sen. Sit down and feed, and welcome to our table. Orla. Speak you fo gently? pardon me, I pray you ;.

I thought, that all things had been favage here;

And therefore put I on the countenance

Of ftern commandment. But whate'er you are,
That in this defert inacceffible,

Under the fhade of melancholy boughs,

Lofe

Lofe and neglect the creeping hours of time;
If ever you have look'd on better days;

If ever been where bells have knoll'd to church;
If ever fate at any good man's feast;
If ever from your eyelids wip'd a tear,
And know what 'tis to pity, and be pitied;
Let gentleness my ftrong enforcement be,
In the which hope I blush, and hide my sword.

Duke Sen. True is it, that we have seen better days;
And have with holy bell been knoll'd to church;
And fate at good men's feasts, and wip'd our eyes
Of drops, that facred pity hath engender'd:
And therefore fit you down in gentleness,
And take upon command what help we have,
That to your wanting may be miniftred.

Orla. Then but forbear your food a little while,
Whiles, like a doe, I go to find my fawn,
And give it food. There is an old poor man,
Who after me hath many a weary step
Limp'd in pure love; 'till he be firft fuffic'd,
Opprefs'd with two weak evils age.

I will not touch a bit.

Duke Sen. Go find him out,

and hunger,

And we will nothing wafte 'till you return.

Orla. I thank ye; and be blefs'd for your good com

fort!

[Exit.

Duke Sen. Thou feeft, we are not all alone unhappy: This wide and univerfal theatre

Prefents more woeful pageants, than the scene
Wherein we play in.

Jaq. All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players; ·
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts:
His acts being feven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms:

And then, the whining fchool-boy with his fatchel,
And fhining morning-face, creeping like fnail
Unwillingly to fchool. And then, the lover;
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad

Made

Made to his mistress' eye-brow. Then, a foldier;
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, fudden and quick in quarrel;
Seeking the bubble reputation

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 wife faws (13) and modern instances,
And fo he plays his part. The fixth age fhifts
Into the lean and flipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nofe, and pouch on fide;
His youthful hofe well fav'd, a world too wide
For his fhrunk fhank; 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 fecond childishness, and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, fans eyes, fans tafte, fans every thing.
Enter Orlando, with Adam.

Duke Sen. Welcome: Set down your venerable burden, And let him feed.

Orla. I thank you most for him.
Adam. So had you need,

I fcarce 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 mufick; and, good coufin, fing.

SON G.

Blow, blow, thou winter wind,

Thou art not fo unkind

As man's ingratitude;

Thy tooth is not so keen,

Becaufe thou art not feen,

Altho? thy breath be rude.

(13)

and modern inftances,] It is very obfervable that Shakeff are ufes modern exactly in the mar ner the Greeks ufed nano;; which i gnifie; fon:etimes in their writings novus, recens; and fometimes aljurdus.

Mr. Warburton

Heigh ho! fing, heigh ho! unto the green holly;
Moft friendship is feigning; moft loving mere folly:
Then heigh ho, the holly!

This life is moft jolly.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
That doft not bite fo nigh
As benefits forgot:

Tho' thou the waters warp,
Thy fting is not so sharp

As friend remembred not.

Heigh ho! fing, &a.

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 limn'd, and living in your face, Be truly welcome hither. I'm the Duke, That lov'd your father. The refidue of your fortune Go to my cave and tell me. Good old man, Thou art right welcome, as thy mafter is; Support him by the arm; give me your hand,. And let me all your fortunes understand.

[Exeunti

N

ACT III.

SCENE, the Palace.

Enter Duke, Lords, and Oliver.

DUKE.

WOT fee him fince? Sir, Sir, that canrot b::

But were I not the better part made mercy,
I fhould not feck an absent argument
Of my revenge, thou prefent: But look to it;
Find out thy brother, wherefoe'er he is;

Seek him with candle: Bring him dead or living,

Within this twelvemonth; or turn thou no more:
To feek a living in our territory.

Thy lands and all things that thou doft call thine,
Worth feizure, do we feize into our hands;

'Till thou canft 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. Well, push him out of doors; And let my officers of fuch a nature

Make an extent upon his house and lands:

Do this expediently, and turn him going.

SCENE changes to the Forest.

Enter Orlando.

[Exeunt

Orla. Ang there, my verfe, in witness of my love;

And thou thrice crowned Queen of night furvey, With thy chafte eye, from thy pale fphere above, Thy huntress' name that my full life doth fway. O Rofalind! thefe trees fhall be my books, And in their barks my thoughts I'll character; That every eye, which in this foreft looks, Shall fee thy virtue witness'd every where. Run, run, Orlando, carve, on every tree, The fair, the chafte, and unexpreffive the. Enter Corin and Clown.. Cor. And how like you this fhepherd's life, Mr. Touch flone?

[Exit.

Clo. Truly, fhepherd, in refpect of itfelf, it is a good life; but in refpect that it is a fhepherd's life, it is naught. In refpect that it is folitary, I like it very well; but in refpect that it is private, it is a very vile life. Now in refpect it is in the fields, it pleafeth me well; but in refpect 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. Haft any philofophy in thee, fhepherd?

Ger.

« ZurückWeiter »