Ros. I prithee, shepherd, if that love or gold

Cor.

Can in this desert place buy entertainment,
Bring us where we may rest ourselves and feed:
Here's a young maid with travel much oppress'd
And faints for succour.

Fair sir, I pity her

And wish, for her sake more than for mine own,
My fortunes were more able to relieve her;

But I am shepherd to another man

And do not shear the fleeces that I graze :
My master is of churlish disposition

And little recks to find the way to heaven
By doing deeds of hospitality:

Besides, his cote, his flocks and bounds of feed
Are now on sale, and at our sheepcote now,
By reason of his absence, there is nothing
That you
will feed on; but what is, come see,

And in my voice most welcome shall you be.

Ros. What is he that shall buy his flock and pasture?

Cor. That young swain that you saw here but erewhile, That little cares for buying any thing.

Ros. I pray thee, if it stand with honesty,

Buy thou the cottage, pasture and the flock,
And thou shalt have to pay for it of us.

Cel. And we will mend thy wages. I like this place,

80

90

And willingly could waste my time in it.
Cor. Assuredly the thing is to be sold:

Go with me: if you like upon report
The soil, the profit and this kind of life,
I will your very faithful feeder be

99

And buy it with your gold right suddenly. [Exeunt.

Here shall he see

No enemy

But winter and rough weather.

Jaq. More, more, I prithee, more.

Ami. It will make you melancholy, Monsieur 10

Jaques.

Jaq. I thank it. More, I prithee, more. I can suck melancholy out of a song, as a weasel sucks eggs. More, I prithee, more.

Ami. My voice is ragged: I know I cannot please

you.

Jaq. I do not desire you to please me; I do desire you to sing. Come, more; another stanzo: call you 'em stanzos?

Ami. What you will, Monsieur Jaques.

Jaq. Nay, I care not for their names; they owe me nothing. Will you sing?

Ami. More at your request than to please myself.

20

Jaq. Well then, if ever I thank any man, I'll thank you; but that they call compliment is like the encounter of two dog-apes, and when a man thanks me heartily, methinks I have given him a penny and he renders me the beggarly thanks. Come, sing; and you that will not, hold your 30 tongues.

Ami. Well, I'll end the song. Sirs, cover the
while; the Duke will drink under this tree. He
hath been all this day to look you.

Jaq. And I have been all this day to avoid him.
He is too disputable for my company: I think

of as many matters as he; but I give heaven
thanks, and make no boast of them.

Come,

warble, come.

SONG.

Who doth ambition shun, [All together here. 40

And loves to live i' the sun,

Seeking the food he eats,

And pleased with what he gets,
Come hither, come hither, come hither:
Here shall he see

No enemy

But winter and rough weather.

Jaq. I'll give you a verse to this note, that I made

yesterday in despite of my invention.

Ami. And I'll sing it.

50

Jaq. Thus it

If it do come to pass

That any man turn ass,
Leaving his wealth and ease
A stubborn will to please,
Ducdame, ducdame, ducdame:
Here shall he see

Gross fools as he,

And if he will come to me.

Ami. What's that 'ducdame'?

Jaq. 'Tis a Greek invocation, to call fools into a circle. I'll go sleep, if I can; if I cannot, I'll rail against all the first-born of Egypt.

60

Ami. And I'll go seek the Duke: his banquet is prepared. [Exeunt severally.

Scene VI.

The forest.

Enter Orlando and Adam.

Adam. Dear master, I can go no further; O, I die

for food!

Here lie I down, and measure out

my grave. Farewell, kind master.

Orl. Why, how now, Adam! no greater heart in

thee? Live a little; comfort a little; cheer
thyself a little. If this uncouth forest yield any
thing savage, I will either be food for it or bring
it for food to thee. Thy conceit is nearer death
than thy powers. For my sake be comfortable;
hold death awhile at the arm's end: I will here
be with thee presently; and if I bring thee not
something to eat, I will give thee leave to die :
but if thou diest before I come, thou art a mocker

IO