Did you ever hear such railing? 'Whiles the eye of man did woo me, Meaning me a beast. 'If the scorn of your bright eyne Sil. Call you this chiding? Cel. Alas, poor shepherd! Ros. Do you pity him? no, he deserves no pity. Wilt thou love such a woman? What, to 68 make thee an instrument and play false strains upon thee! not to be endured! Well, go your way to her, for I see love hath made thee a tame snake, and say this to her: that if she love me, 72 I charge her to love thee: if she will not, I will never have her, unless thou entreat for her. If you be a true lover, hence, and not a word, for here comes more company. Exit Silvius. 49 vengeance: mischief, harm 54 aspect; cf. n. 51 eyne: archaic plural of 'eye' 59 seal... mind: express thy mind 60 thy youth and kind: i.e., thy youthful nature 69 instrument strains: i.e., use thee for her own purposes and at the same time deceive thee 72 snake: a term of contempt for a wretched fellow Enter Oliver. Oli. Good morrow, know, fair ones. Pray you if you Where in the purlieus of this forest stands A sheepcote fenc'd about with olive-trees. 77 Cel. West of this place, down in the neighbour bottom: The rank of osiers by the murmuring stream Left on your right hand brings you to the place. Oli. If that an eye may profit by a tongue, Such garments, and such years: "The boy is fair, Like a ripe sister: the woman low, And browner than her brother.' Are not you The owner of the house I did inquire for? Cel. It is no boast, being ask'd, to say, we are. And to that youth he calls his Rosalind Ros. I am: what must we understand by this? Cel. I pray you, tell it. 80 84 88 223 92 Oli. When last the young Orlando parted from you He left a promise to return again 77 Pray: I pray 78 purlieus: tracts of land on the border of a forest 80 neighbour bottom: neighboring valley 81 rank of osiers: row of willow trees 88 favour: features bestows himself: carries himself 89 ripe: grown up low: i.e., in stature 95 napkin: handkerchief 100 96 ! Within an hour; and, pacing through the forest, 104 Under an old oak, whose boughs were moss'd with age, And high top bald with dry antiquity, A wretched ragged man, o'ergrown with hair, A green and gilded snake had wreath'd itself, And with indented glides did slip away Lay couching, head on ground, with catlike watch, To prey on nothing that doth seem as dead: And found it was his brother, his elder brother. 108 112 116 120 Cel. O! I have heard him speak of that same brother; And he did render him the most unnatural That liv'd 'mongst men. Oli. And well he might so do, For well I know he was unnatural. Ros. But, to Orlando: did he leave him there, Food to the suck'd and hungry lioness? Oli. Twice did he turn his back and purpos'd so; 104 threw aside: directed his eye to one side 110 gilded: i.e., of a golden color 114 indented glides: i.e., gliding in a zigzag line 124 128 113 unlink'd: uncoiled 124 render: describe But kindness, nobler ever than revenge, And nature, stronger than his just occasion, Who quickly fell before him: in which hurtling Cel. Are you his brother? 132 Was it you he rescu'd? Cel. Was 't you that did so oft contrive to kill him? Oli. 'Twas I; but 'tis not I. I do not shame To tell you what I was, since my conversion So sweetly tastes, being the thing I am. Ros. But, for the bloody napkin? Oli. 136 By and by. 140 When from the first to last, betwixt us two, Tears our recountments had most kindly bath'd, 144 There stripp'd himself; and here, upon his arm 148 Which all this while had bled; and now he fainted, And cried, in fainting, upon Rosalind. Brief, I recover'd him, bound up his wound; To tell this story, that you might excuse 130 kindness: tenderness 152 156 131 just occasion: provocation 136 contrive: plot 152 recover'd: brought back to consciousness Cel. [Rosalind swoons.] Why, how now, Ganymede! sweet Ganymede! Oli. Many will swoon when they do look on blood. Cel. There is more in it. Cousin! Ganymede! Oli. Look, he recovers. Ros. I would I were at home. Cel. 160 164 We'll lead you thither. I pray you, will you take him by the arm? Oli. Be of good cheer, youth. You a man! You lack a man's heart. Ros. I do so, I confess it. Ah, sirrah! a body would think this was well counterfeited. I pray you, tell your brother how well I counterfeited. Heigh-ho! -170 Oli. This was not counterfeit: there is too great testimony in your complexion that it was a passion of earnest. Ros. Counterfeit, I assure you. Oli. Well then, take a good heart and counterfeit to be a man. Ros. So I do; but, i' faith, I should have been a woman by right. Cel. Come; you look paler and paler: pray you, draw homewards. Good sir, go with us. Oli. That will I, for I must bear answer back How you excuse my brother, Rosalind. Ros. I shall devise something. But, I pray you, commend my counterfeiting to him. Will you go? 173 passion of earnest: real indisposition 173 180 Exeunt. |