Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

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 fervitude. I will no longer endure it, tho' yet I know no wife remedy how to avoid it.

Enter Oliver.

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

Oli. Now, Sir, what make you here?

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

Orla. 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 employ'd, and be nought a while.

Orla. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? what Prodigal's portion have I spent, that I fhould come to fuch penury?

Oli. Know you where you are, Sir?

Orla. O, Sir, very well; here in your Orchard.
Oli. Know you before whom, Sir?

Orla. Ay, better than he, I am before, knows me. I know, you are my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you should fo know me; the courtefie of nations allows you my better, in that you are the first born; but the fame 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 confefs your coming before me is nearer to his reve

rence.

Oli. What, boy!

Orla. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young

in this.

Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain ?

Orla. I am no villain: I am the youngest fon of

AS YOU LIKE IT.

267

Sir Rowland de Boys; he was my father, and he is thrice a villain, that fays, fuch a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat, 'till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for faying fo; thou haft rail'd on thy felf.

Adam. Sweet mafters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord.

Oli. Let me go, I fay.

Orla. I will not, 'till I please: you fhall hear me. My father charg'd you in his Will to give me good education: you have train'd me up like a peafant, obfcuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities ; the Spirit of my father grows ftrong in me, and I will no longer endure it: therefore allow me fuch exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the me the poor allottery my father left me by teftament; with that I will go buy my fortunes.

Oli. And what wilt thou do? beg, when that is fpent? 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.

Orla. 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? moft true, I have loft my teeth in your fervice. God be with my old mafter, he would not have spoke such a word.

[Exe. Orlando and Adam. Oli Is it even fo? begin you to grow upon me? I will phyfick your ranknefs, and yet give no thoufand crowns neither. Holla, 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 im

portunes access to you.

Oli. Call him in;

morrow the wrestling is.

[blocks in formation]

Enter Charles.

Cha. Good morrow to your Worship.

Oli. Good Monfieur Charles, what's the new news at the new Court?

Char. There's no news at the Court, Sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banish'd by his younger brother the new Duke, and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him; whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke, therefore he gives them good leave to wander.

Oli. Can you tell, if Rofalind, the Duke's daughter, be banish'd with her father?

Cha. O, no; for the Duke's daughter her coufin so loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that the would have followed her exile, or have died to ftay behind her. She is at the Court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved, as they do.

Oli. Where will the old Duke live?

Cha. They fay, he is already in the forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England; they fay, many young gentlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time carelefly, as they did in the golden world.

Oli. What, you wreftle to morrow before the new Duke ?

Cha. Marry, do I, Sir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, Sir, fecretly to underftand, that your younger brother Orlando hath a difpofition to come in difguis'd against me to try a Fall; to morrow, Sir, I wreftle for my credit; and he, that efcapes me without fome broken limb, fhall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender, and for your love I would be loth to foil him; as I muft for mine own honour, if he come in; therefore out of my love to you, I came hitner to acquaint you withal; that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brock fuch difgrace well as he fhall run into;

in that it is a thing of his own fearch, and altogether against my will.

Oli. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou fhalt find, I will moft kindly requite. I had my felf notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by under-hand means laboured to diffuade him from it; but he is refolute. I tell thee, Charles, he is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a fecret and villanous contriver against me his natural brother; therefore ufe thy discretion; I had as lief thou didst break his neck, as his finger. And thou wert beft look to't; for if thou doft him any flight difgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practife against thee by poifon; entrap thee by fome treacherous device; and never leave thee, 'till he hath ta'en thy life by fome indirect means or other; for I affure thee, (and almost with tears I fpeak it) there is not one fo young and fo villanous this day living. I fpeak but brotherly of him; but

thee

he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder.

Cha. I am heartily glad, I came hither to you: if he come to morrow, I'll give him his payment; if ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more; and fo, God keep your Worship. [Exit.

Oli. Farewel, good Charles. Now will I ftir this gamefter: I hope, I fhall fee an end of him; for my foul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never fchool'd, and yet learned ; full of noble device, of all Sorts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, fo much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people who beft know him, that I am altogether mifprifed. But it fhall not be fo, long; this wrestler fhall clear all; nothing remains, but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. [Exit.

[blocks in formation]

SCENE changes to an Open Walk, before the Duke's Palace.

Enter Rofalind and Celia.

Cel. Rof. Dear Celia, I fhow more mirth than I

Pray thee, Rofalind, fweet my coz, be merry.

am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier ? unlefs you could teach me to forget a banish'd father, you muft not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure.

Cel. Herein, I fee, thou lov'ft me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle the Duke, my father, fo thou hadft been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; fo would'ft thou, if the truth of thy love to me were fo righteously temper'd, as mine is to thee.

Par W11, I will forge the Wnuition of my estate, to rejoice in yours,

Cel. You know, my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies, thou fhalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affec tion; by mine Honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monfter: therefore, my fweet Rafe, my dear Rofe, be merry.

Rof. From henceforth I will, coz, and devife Sports: let me fee, what think you of falling in love?

Cel. Marry, I pr'ythee, do, to make fport withal; but love no man in good earneft, nor no further in fport neither, than with fafety of a pure blush thou may'it in honour come off again.

Rof. What fhall be our Sport then?

Cel. Let us fit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be beftowed equally.

Rof. I would, we could do fo; for her benefits are mightily mifplaced, and the bountiful blind woman doth !most mistake in her gifts to women.

Cel

« ZurückWeiter »