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But that the people praise her for her virtues,
And pity her for her good father's sake;
And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady
Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well:
Hereafter, in a better world than this,

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I shall desire more love and knowledge of you.
Orl. I rest much bounden to you: fare you well.
[Exit Le Beau.]
Thus must I from the smoke into the smother;
From tyrant duke unto a tyrant brother.
But heavenly Rosalind!

Scene Three

[A Room in the Palace]

Enter Celia and Rosalind.

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Exit.

Cel. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind!

Cupid

have mercy! Not a word?

Ros. Not one to throw at a dog.

3

Cel. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons.

Ros. Then there were two cousins laid up; when the one should be lamed with reasons and the other mad without any.

Cel. But is all this for your father?

Ros. No, some of it is for my child's father: O, how full of briers is this working-day world! Cel. They are but burrs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery: if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them.

301 better world: i.e., in a better age, or state of affairs
303 bounden: obliged
304 smoke

16

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smother; cf. n.

Ros. I could shake them off my coat: these burrs are in my heart.

Cel. Hem them away.

Ros. I would try, if I could cry 'hem,' and have him.

Cel. Come, come; wrestle with thy affections. Ros. O! they take the part of a better wrestler than myself!

Cel. O, a good wish upon you! you will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest: is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son?

Ros. The duke my father loved his father dearly.

Cel. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase, I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando.

Ros. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake. Cel. Why should I not? doth he not deserve well?

Enter Duke [Frederick,] with Lords.

Ros. Let me love him for that; and do you love him, because I do. Look, here comes the duke.

Cel. With his eyes full of anger.

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24

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Duke F. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest

haste,

19 Hem: clear away with a cough

26 in despite of: notwithstanding

missing

36 dearly: deeply

38 Why .

...

44

20 'hem'.. him; cf. n. turning. out of service: dis34 chase: pursuit of an argument not; cf. n. deserve well; cf. n.

44 safest haste: i.e., with haste conducive to your best safety

And get you from our court.

Ros.

Duke F.

Me, uncle?

You, cousin:

Within these ten days if that thou be'st found
So near our public court as twenty miles,

Thou diest for it.

Ros.

I do beseech your Grace,

Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me.
If with myself I hold intelligence,

Or have acquaintance with mine own desires,
If that I do not dream or be not frantic,—
As I do trust I am not, then, dear uncle,
Never so much as in a thought unborn
Did I offend your highness.

Duke F.

Thus do all traitors:

If their purgation did consist in words,
They are as innocent as grace itself:

Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not.

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Ros. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor: Tell me whereon the likelihood depends.

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Duke F. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough.

Ros. So was I when your highness took his dukedom;

So was I when your highness banish'd him.
Treason is not inherited, my lord;

Or, if we did derive it from our friends,
What's that to me? my father was no traitor:
Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much
To think my poverty is treacherous.

Cel. Dear sovereign, hear me speak.

Duke F. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake;

50 intelligence: communication

56 purgation: clearing from the accusation of guilt

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57 grace: God himself 60 likelihood: ground of probable inference 70 stay'd: i.e., allowed her to stay

Else had she with her father rang'd along.

Cel. I did not then entreat to have her stay:
It was your pleasure and your own remorse.

I was too young that time to value her;
But now I know her: if she be a traitor,

Why so am I; we still have slept together,
Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together;
And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans,
Still we went coupled and inseparable.

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Duke F. She is too subtle for thee; and her smooth

ness,

Her very silence and her patience,

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Speak to the people, and they pity her.

Thou art a fool: she robs thee of thy name;

And thou wilt show more bright and seem

more

virtuous

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When she is gone. Then open not thy lips:

Firm and irrevocable is my doom

Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd. Cel. Pronounce that sentence then, on me, my liege:

I cannot live out of her company.

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Duke F. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself:

If you outstay the time, upon mine honour,
And in the greatness of my word, you die.

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Exit Duke [with Lords]. Cel. O my poor Rosalind! whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee, be not thou more griev'd than I am. Ros. I have more cause.

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Cel.

Thou hast not, cousin;

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Prithee, be cheerful; know'st thou not, the duke
Hath banish'd me, his daughter?

Ros.

That he hath not.

Cel. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks then the love
Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one:
Shall we be sunder'd? shall we part, sweet girl?
No: let my father seek another heir.
Therefore devise with me how we may fly,
Whither to go, and what to bear with us:
And do not seek to take your change upon you,
To bear your griefs yourself and leave me out;
For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale,
Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee.
Ros. Why, whither shall we go?

Cel. To seek my uncle in the forest of Arden.
Ros. Alas, what danger will it be to us,
Maids as we are, to travel forth so far!
Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold.

Cel. I'll put myself in poor and mean attire,
And with a kind of umber smirch my face;
The like do you: so shall we pass along
And never stir assailants.

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Were it not better,

Ros.
Because that I am more than common tall,
That I did suit me all points like a man?

A gallant curtle-axe upon my thigh,

A boar-spear in my hand; and, in my heart
Lie there what hidden woman's fear there will,
We'll have a swashing and a martial outside,
As many other mannish cowards have
That do outface it with their semblances.

105 change: i.e., of fortunes

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115 umber: brown pigment

119 suit: clothe, dress all points: in all respects
120 curtle-axe: broad cutting sword
125 outface it: brazen it out

123 swashing: blustering

semblances: appearance

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