Wears yet a precious jewel in his head:
And this our life, exempt from publick haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in ftones, and good in every thing.
Ami. I would not change it; happy is your grace That can tranflate the ftubbornnefs of fortune Into fo quiet and so sweet a style.
Duke Sen. Come, fhall we go and kill us venison ? And yet it irks me, the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this defert city,
Should, in their own confines, with forked heads Have their round haunches gor'd,
1 Lord. Indeed, my lord,.
The melancholy Jaques grieves at that, And, in that kind, fwears you do more ufurp Than doth your brother that hath banish'd you: To-day my lord of Amiens, and myself,
Did fteal behind him, as he lay along
Under an oak, whose antique root peeps out Upon the brook that brawls along this wood; To the which place a poor fequefter'd stag, That from the hunter's aim had ta'en a hurt, Did come to languish; and, indeed, my lord, The wretched animal heav'd forth fuch groans, That their discharge did stretch his leathern coat Almost to bursting; and the big round tears Cours'd one another down his innocent nofe In piteous chase; and thus the hairy fool, Much marked of the melancholy Jaques, Stood on th' extremeft verge of the swift brook, Augmenting it with tears.
Duke Sen. But what faid Jaques ? Did he not moralize this fpectacle?
1 Lord. O, yes, into a thousand fimilies. First, for his weeping in the needless stream; Poor deer, quoth he, thou mak'ft a teftament
As worldlings do, giving thy fum of more To that which had too much. Then, being alone, Left and abandon'd of his velvet friends; 'Tis right, quoth he; thus mifery doth part The flux of company: anon, a careless herd, Full of the pasture, jumps along by him, And never stays to greet him: ay, quoth Jaques, Sweep on, you fat and greafy citizens, 'Tis juft the fashion; wherefore do you look Upon that poor and broken bankrupt there? Thus most invectively he pierced through The body of the country, city, court, Yea, and of this our life; fwearing, that we Are mere ufurpers, tyrants, and what's worfe, To fright the animals, and to kill them up In their affign'd and native dwelling place.
Duke Sen. And did you leave him in this contemplation? 2 Lord. We did, my lord, weeping and commenting Upon the fobbing deer.
Duke Sen. Show me the place;
I love to cope him in these fullen fits,
For then he's full of matter.
2 Lord. I'll bring you to him ftraight.
SCENE II,
The Palace again.
Enter Duke Frederick, with Lords.
AN it be poffible, that no man faw them? It cannot be; fome villains of my court Are of confent and fufferance in this.
1 Lord. I cannot hear of any that did fee her. The ladies, her attendants of her chamber, Saw her a-bed; and, in the morning early, They found the bed untreafur'd of their mistress.
2 Lord. My lord, the roynish clown, at whom so oft Your grace was wont to laugh, is also miffing: Hifperia, the princefs' gentlewoman, Confeffes that the fecretly o'er-heard.
Your daughter and her coufin much commend The parts and graces of the wrestler
That did but lately foil the finewy Charles And she believes, wherever they are gone, That youth is furely in their company.
Duke. Send to his brother, fetch that gallant hither If he be abfent, bring his brother to me,
I'll make him find him: do this fuddenly; And let not fearch and inquifition quail To bring again these foolish runaways.
Adam. What! my young mafter? o my gentle
O my fweet mafter, o you memory
Of old fir Rowland! why, what make you here?
Why are you virtuous? why do people love you? And wherefore are you gentle, ftrong, and valiant ? Why would you be fo fond to overcome
The bonny prifer of the humorous duke? Your praise is come too swiftly home before you. Know you not, master, to fome kind of men Their graces ferve them but as enemies?
No more do yours; your virtues, gentle mafter, Are fanctified and holy traitors to you.
O, what a world is this, when what is comely Envenoms him that bears it!
Orla. Why, what's the matter?
Adam. O unhappy youth,
Come not within thefe doors; within this roof The enemy of all your graces lives:
Your brother-(no; no brother, yet the fon, Yet not the fon, I will not call him fon
Of him I was about to call his father)
Hath heard your praises; and this night he means To burn the lodging where you use to lie, And you within it: if he fail of that, He will have other means to cut you off: I over-heard him and his practifes.
This is no place, this house is but a butchery; Abhor it, fear it, do not enter it.
Orla. Why, whither, Adam, would'st thou have me go? Adam. No matter whither, so you come not here.
Orla. What, would'st thou have me go and beg my food, Or with a base and boisterous fword enforce
A thievish living on the common road ?
This I must do, or know not what to do:
Yet this I will not do, do how I can;
I rather will fubject me to the malice
Of a diverted blood, and bloody brother.
Adam. But do not fo; I have five hundred crowns,
The thrifty hire I fav'd under your father,
Which I did ftore to be my fofter-nurse
When service should in my old limbs be lame,
And unregarded age in corners thrown ;
Take that; and he that doth the ravens feed, Yea, providently caters for the sparrow, Be comfort to my age! here is the gold, All this I give you; let me be your fervant; Though I look old, yet I am strong and lufty; For in my youth I never did apply Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood, Nor did I with unbafhful forehead woo
The means of weakness and debility; Therefore, my age is as a lufty winter, Frofty, but kindly; let me go with you, I'll do the fervice of a younger man In all your business and neceffities.
Orla. O good old man, how well in thee The constant service of the antique world; When service sweat for duty, not for meed! Thou art not for the fashion of these times, Where none will fweat but for promotion; And, having that, do choke their service up Even with the having; it is not so with thee: But, poor old man, thou prun'ft a rotten tree, That cannot fo much as a bloffom yield, In lieu of all thy pains and husbandry : But come thy ways, we'll go along together; And ere we have thy youthful wages fpent, We'll light upon fome fettled low content. Adam. Mafter, go on, and I will follow thee, To the last gasp, with truth and loyalty. From seventeen years till now almost fourscore Here lived I, but now live here no more. At seventeen years many their fortunes seek, But at fourfcore, it is too late a week ; Yet fortune cannot recompence me better Than to die well, and not my master's debtor.
Enter Rofalind in boy's cloths for Ganimed, Celia dress'd like a Shepherdefs for Aliena, and Clown.
Jupiter! how weary are my spirits!
Clo. I care not for my fpirits, if my legs were not weary.
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