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PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Duke, living in exile.

FREDERICK, Brother to the Duke, and Usurper of his Dominions.

AMIENS, Lords attending upon the Duke in his
JAQUES, S banishment.

LE BEAU, a Courtier attending upon Frederick.
CHARLES, his Wrestler.

OLIVER,

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CORIN,

SYLVIUS, S

Shepherds.

WILLIAM, a country Fellow, in love with Audrey.

A Person representing Hymen.

ROSALIND, Daughter to the banished Duke.

CELIA, Daughter to Frederick.

PHEBE, a Shepherdess.

AUDREY, a country Wench..

Lords belonging to the two Dukes; Pages, Foresters, and other Attendants.

The SCENE lies, first, near Oliver's House; afterwards, partly in the Usurper's Court, and partly in the Forest of Arden.

AS YOU LIKE IT.

ACT I.

SCENE I. An Orchard, near Oliver's House.

2

Enter ORLANDO and ADAM.

Orlando.

As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me1 by will: But a poor thousand crowns; and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well: and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept: For call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth, that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hired: but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth: for the which his animals on his dung-hills are as much bound to him as I. Besides

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Sir W. Blackstone proposed to read, 'He bequeathed, &c. Warburton proposed to read, My father bequeathed, &c.' I have followed the old copy, which is sufficiently intelligible.

2 The old orthography staies was an easy corruption of sties; which Warburton thought the true reading. So Caliban says: And here you sty me

In this hard rock.'

this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me, his countenance seems to take from me: he lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and, as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude: I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it.

Enter OLIVER.

Adam. Yonder comes my master, your brother. Orl. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up.

Oli. Now, sir! what make your here 3?

Orl. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing. Oli. What mar you then, sir?

Orl. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness.

Oli. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be naught awhile.

3 i. e. what do you here? See note in Love's Labour's Lost, Act iv. Sc. 3.

4 Be naught awhile. Warburton justly explained this phrase, which, he says, ' is only a north-country proverbial curse equivalent to a mischief on you.' This however did not satisfy Steevens and Malone, who have bewildered themselves and their readers about it. Mr. Gifford has shown, by very numerous quotations, that Warburton was right. See Jonson's Bartholomew Fair, vol. iv. p. 421: 'Be naught,' says Mr. Nares, or go and be naught, was formerly a petty execration of common usage between anger and contempt, which has been supplanted by others that are worse, as be hanged, be curst, &c.; awhile, or the while, was frequently added merely to round the phrase.' So in The Story of King Darius, 1565:

'Come away, and be naught a whyle.'

And in Swetnam, a comedy, 1620:

get you both in, and be naught awhile.'

Orl. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent, that I should come to such penury?

Oli. Know you where you are, sir?
Orl. O, sir, very
well: here in your
Oli. Know you before whom, sir?

orchard.

Orl. Ay, better than he5 I am before knows me. I know, you are my eldest brother; and, in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me: The courtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us: I have as much of my father in me, as you; albeit, I confess, your coming before me is nearer to his reverence 6.

Oli. What, boy!

Orl. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this.

Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain.

Orl. I am no villain7: I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Bois; he was my father; and he is thrice a villain, that says, such a father begot villains: Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat, till this other had pulled out thy tongue for saying so: thou hast railed on thyself. Adam. Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord.

Oli. Let me go, I say.

Orl. I will not, till I please: you shall hear me.

5 The first folio reads him, the second he more correctly. 6 Warburton proposed reading nearer his revenue,' which he explains though you are no nearer in blood, yet it must be owned that you are nearer in estate.' Henley thinks that the word reverence may refer to the courtesy of distinguishing the eldest son of a knight by the title of Esquire.

7 Villain is used in a double sense: by Oliver, for a worthless fellow; and by Orlando, for a man of base extraction.

My father charged you in his will to give me good education you have trained me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities: the spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it: therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament: with that I will go buy my fortunes.

Oli. And what wilt thou do? beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in: I will not long be troubled with you: you shall have some part of your will: I pray you, leave me.

Orl. I will no further offend you than becomes me for my good.

Oli. Get you with him, you old dog.

Adam. Is old dog my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service.God be with my old master! he would not have spoke such a word.

[Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM. Oli. Is it even so? begin you to grow upon me? I will physick your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Hola, Dennis!

Enter DENNIS.

Den. Calls your worship?

Oli. Was not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me?

Den. So please you, he is here at the door, and importunes access to you.

Oli. Call him in. [Exit Dennis.]-Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is.

Enter CHARLES.

Cha. Good morrow to your worship.

Oli. Good monsieur Charles!-what's the new news at the new court!

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