Who led me instantly unto his cave,

There stripp'd himself, and here upon his arm

The lioness had torn some flesh away,

Which all this while had bled; and now he fainted

And cried, in fainting, upon Rosalind.

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Brief, I recover'd him, bound up his wound;

And, after some small space, being strong at heart,
He sent me hither, stranger as I am,

To tell this story, that you might excuse
His broken promise, and to give this napkin,
Dyed in his blood, unto the shepherd youth
That he in sport doth call his Rosalind.

[Rosalind swoons.

Cel. 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.

I

We'll lead you thither.

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

160

pray you, tell your

brother how well I counter

feited. Heigh-ho!

Oli. This was not counterfeit: there is too great 170 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.

you go?

180

Will

[Exeunt.

Act Fifth.

Scene I

The forest.

Enter Touchstone and Audrey.

Touch. We shall find a time, Audrey; patience, gentle Audrey.

Aud. Faith, the priest was good enough, for all the old gentleman's saying.

Touch. A most wicked Sir Oliver, Audrey, a most
vile Martext. But, Audrey, there is a youth
here in the forest lays claim to you.

Aud. Ay, I know who 'tis: he hath no interest in
me in the world: here comes the man
you mean.
Touch. It is meat and drink to me to see a clown:
by my troth, we that have good wits have
much to answer for; we shall be flouting; we
cannot hold.

Enter William.

Will. Good even, Audrey.

Aud. God ye good even, William.

ΙΟ

Will. And good even to you, sir.

Cover thy head,

cover thy head; nay, prithee, be covered.

Touch. Good even, gentle friend.

Will. Five and twenty, sir.

How old are you, friend?

Touch. A ripe age. Is thy name William?

20

Will. William, sir.

Touch. A fair name.

Wast born i' the forest

here?

Will. Ay, sir, I thank God.

Touch. Thank God;' a good answer. Art rich?

Will. Faith, sir, so so.

Touch. So so' is good, very good, very excellent good; and yet it is not; it is but so so.

thou wise?

Will. Ay, sir, I have a pretty wit.

Art 30

Touch. Why, thou sayest well. I do now remember a saying, "The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.' The heathen philosopher, when he had a desire to eat a grape, would open his lips when he put it into his mouth; meaning thereby that grapes were made to eat and lips to open. You do love this maid?

Will. I do, sir.

40

Touch. Give me your hand. Art thou learned?
Will. No, sir.

Touch. Then learn this of me: to have, is to have;

for it is a figure in rhetoric that drink, being
poured out of a cup into a glass, by filling the
one doth empty the other; for all your writers
do consent that ipse is he: now, you are not
ipse, for I am he.

50

Will. Which he, sir? Touch. He, sir, that must marry this woman. Therefore, you clown, abandon,—which is in the vulgar leave, the society,-which in the boorish is company,-of this female,-which in the common is woman; which together is, abandon the society of this female, or, clown, thou perishest; or, to thy better understanding, diest; or, to wit, I kill thee, make thee away, translate thy life into death, thy liberty into bondage: I will deal in poison with thee, or in bastinado, or in steel; 60 I will bandy with thee in faction; I will o'er-run thee with policy; I will kill thee a hundred and fifty ways: therefore tremble, and depart.

Aud. Do, good William.

Will. God rest you merry,