PERSONS REPRESENTED.

DUKE, living in exile.

FREDERICK, his usurping Brother.

AMIENS, Lords attending upon the exiled Duke

JAQUES,

LE BEAU, a Courtier attending upon Frederick
CHARLES, his Wrestler.

WILLIAM, a country Fellow, in love with Auurcy.
HYMEN.

ROSALIND, Daughter to the exiled Duke.

CELIA, Daughter to Frederick.

PHEBE, a Shepherdess.

AUDREY, a country Wench.

Lords, Pages, Foresters, and other Attendants.

SCENE, at first, near Oliver's House; afterwards, in the Usurper's Court, and in the Forest of Arden.

AS YOU LIKE IT.

ACT I.

SCENE I. An Orchard near OLIVER'S House.

Enter ORLANDO and ADAM.

Orl. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will, but poor a thousand crowns; and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his' blessing, to breed me well: and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth, that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd: but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dung-hills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so

1 That is, my father's. This use of the pronoun, without the word to which it refers, naturally carries the thoughts back to the preceding part of the conversation, which the Poet did not report, as if he but just then came where he could overhear it. Sir William Blackstone proposed to read,- -"He bequeathed me;" Warburton,—“ My father bequeathed me." No such change is necessary; on the whole, it is rather worse than useless.

H.

2

plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me, his countenance seems to take from me he lets me 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 servitude: I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it.

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

Enter OLIVER.

3

Oli. Now, sir! what make you here? 3

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

Orl. 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 employed, and be naught awhile."

Orl. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with

2 Mines is here used in the sense of undermines. So, in Raleigh's History of the World: "The enemy mined, and they countermined." Gentility means noble birth: what an honourable parentage has done for me, he strives to undo with base breeding.

H.

3 That is, what do you here? See The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act ii. sc. 1, note 15, and Act iv. sc. 2, note 5.

4" Be naught," says Mr. Nares," or go and be naught, was formerly a petty execration of common usage between anger and contempt, which has been supplanted by others that are worse, as be hanged, be cursed, &c.; awhile, or the while, was frequently added merely to round the phrase." So in The Story of King Darius, 1565: "Come away, and be naught a whyle." And in Swetnam, a comedy, 1620: "Get you both in, and be naught awhile." See, also, Measure for Measure, Ac v. sc. 1, note 28.

them? What prodigal portion have I spent, that I should come to such penury?

Oli. Know you where you are, sir?

Orl. O! sir, very well: here in your orchard.
Oli. Know you before whom, sir?

Orl. 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 so know me: The courtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the first-born; but the same 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 confess, your coming before me is nearer to his reverence.3

Oli. What, boy!

Orl. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this."

Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?

Orl. I am no villain: I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Bois; he was my father; and he is thrice a villain, that says such 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 saying so: thou hast rail'd on thyself.

Adam. [Advancing.] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord.

Oli. Let me go, I say.

Orl. I will not, till I please: you shall hear me My father charg'd you in his will to give me good

5 That is, nearer to him in the right of that reverence which was his due.

H.

6 Upon this passage Coleridge remarks: "There is a beauty here. The word boy naturally provokes and awakens in Orlando the sense of his manly powers; and with the retort of elder brother, he grasps him with firm hands, and makes him feel he is no boy."

H.

education you have train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities: The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore, allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament with that I will go buy my fortunes.

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

Orl. 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? Most true, I have 1ost my teeth in your service. - God be with my old master! he would not have spoke such a word. [Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM.

Oli. Is it even so? begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Hola, Dennis!

Enter DENNIS.

Den. Ca'ls 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 importunes access to you.

Oli. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS.]-"Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is.

Enter CHARLES.

Cha. Good morrow to your worship.

Oli. Good monsieur Charles! - what's the new news at the new court?