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as it may be, I will marry thee; and to that end I have been with Sir Oliver Martext, the vicar of the next village, who hath promised to meet me in this place of the forest, and to couple us. Jaq. [Aside.] I would fain see this meeting. Aud. Well, the gods give us joy!

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Touch. Amen. A man may, if he were of a fearful heart, stagger in this attempt; for here we have no temple but the wood, no assembly but horn-beasts. But what though? Courage! As horns are odious, they are necessary. It is said, 'many a man knows no end of his goods': 55 right; many a man has good horns, and knows no end of them. Well, that is the dowry of his wife; 'tis none of his own getting. Horns? Even so. Poor men alone? No, no; the noblest deer hath them as huge as the rascal. Is the 60 single man therefore blessed? No: as a walled town is more worthier than a village, so is the forehead of a married man more honourable than the bare brow of a bachelor; and by how much defence is better than no skill, by so much is a horn more precious than to want.

Enter Sir Oliver Martext.

Here comes Sir Oliver.-Sir Oliver Martext, 67 you are well met: will you dispatch us here under this tree, or shall we go with you to your chapel?

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Touch. I will not take her on gift of any

man.

Sir Oli. Truly, she must be given, or the marriage is not lawful.

Jaq. [Coming forward.] Proceed, proceed: I'll give her.

Touch. Good even, good Master What-yecall 't: how do you, sir? You are very well met: God 'ild you for your last company: I am very glad to see you: even a toy in hand here, sir: nay, pray be covered.

Jaq. Will you be married, motley?

Touch. As the ox hath his bow, sir, the horse his curb, and the falcon her bells, so man hath his desires; and as pigeons bill, so wedlock would be nibbling.

Jaq. And will you, being a man of your breeding, be married under a bush, like a beggar? Get you to church, and have a good priest that can tell you what marriage is: this fellow will but join you together as they join wainscot; then one of you will prove a shrunk panel, and like green timber, warp, warp.

Touch. [Aside.] I am not in the mind but I were better to be married of him than of another: for he is not like to marry me well, and not being well married, it will be a good excuse for me hereafter to leave my wife.

Jaq. Go thou with me, and let me counsel thee. Touch. Come, sweet Audrey:

We must be married, or we must live in bawdry.
Farewell, good Master Oliver: not

81 God 'ild: God reward

85 bow: yoke

103 bawdry: immorality

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95

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82 toy: trifling matter

but,

'O sweet Oliver!

O brave Oliver!

Leave me not behind thee:'

'Wind away,

Begone, I say,

I will not to wedding with thee.'

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[Exeunt Jaques, Touchstone, and Audrey.] Sir Oli. 'Tis no matter: ne'er a fantastical knave of them all shall flout me out of my call

ing.

[Exit.]

Scene Four

[Another Part of the Forest]

Enter Rosalind and Celia.

Ros. Never talk to me: I will weep.

Cel. Do, I prithee; but yet have the grace to consider that tears do not become a man.

Ros. But have I not cause to weep?

Cel. As good cause as one would desire; therefore weep.

Ros. His very hair is of the dissembling colour. Cel. Something browner than Judas's; marry, his kisses are Judas's own children.

Ros. I' faith, his hair is of a good colour. Cel. An excellent colour: your chestnut was ever the only colour.

Ros. And his kissing is as full of sanctity as the touch of holy bread.

Cel. He hath bought a pair of cast lips of

105 O sweet Oliver; cf. n.

7 dissembling: false; cf. n. 11 your chestnut; cf. n.

15 cast: cast off, possibly a quibble for 'chaste'

12

109 Wind away: go away 8 Judas's; cf. n.

Diana: a nun of winter's sisterhood kisses not more religiously; the very ice of chastity is in them. 17 Ros. But why did he swear he would come this morning, and comes not?

Cel. Nay, certainly, there is no truth in him.
Ros. Do you think so?

Cel. Yes: I think he is not a pick-purse nor a horse-stealer; but for his verity in love, I do think him as concave as a covered goblet or a worm-eaten nut.

Ros. Not true in love?

Cel. Yes, when he is in; but I think he is not in.

Ros. You have heard him swear downright he was.

Cel. 'Was' is not 'is': besides, the oath of a lover is no stronger than the word of a tapster; they are both the confirmers of false reckonings. He attends here in the forest on the duke your father.

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Ros. I met the duke yesterday and had much question with him. He asked me of what parentage I was; I told him, of as good as he; so he laughed, and let me go. But what talk we of fathers, when there is such a man as Orlando? 40

Cel. O, that's a brave man! he writes brave verses, speaks brave words, swears brave oaths, and breaks them bravely, quite traverse, athwart the heart of his lover; as a puisny tilter, that spurs his horse but on one side, breaks his staff like a noble goose. But all's brave that youth mounts and folly guides. Who comes here?

Enter Corin.

16 winter's sisterhood; cf. n. 41 brave: fine

43 traverse: across; cf. n.

24 concave: hollow

44 puisny: paltry

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Cor. Mistress and master, you have oft inquir'd

After the shepherd that complain'd of love,

Who you saw sitting by me on the turf,
Praising the proud disdainful shepherdess
That was his mistress.

Cel.

Well, and what of him?

Cor. If you will see a pageant truly play'd,
Between the pale complexion of true love
And the red glow of scorn and proud disdain,
Go hence a little, and I shall conduct you,
If you will mark it.

Ros.
O! come, let us remove:
The sight of lovers feedeth those in love.
Bring us to this sight, and you shall say
I'll prove a busy actor in their play.

Scene Five

[Another Part of the Forest]

Enter Silvius and Phebe.

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Exeunt.

Sil. Sweet Phebe, do not scorn me; do not, Phebe: Say that you love me not, but say not so

In bitterness. The common executioner,

Whose heart the accustom'd sight of death makes

hard,

Falls not the axe upon the humbled neck

But first begs pardon: will you sterner be

Than he that dies and lives by bloody drops?

Enter Rosalind, Celia, and Corin [behind].

Phe. I would not be thy executioner: I fly thee, for I would not injure thee.

5 Falls: lets fall

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8

7 dies and lives; cf. n.

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