took two cods, and, giving her them again, said with weeping tears, "Wear these for my sake." We, that are true lovers, run into strange capers; but as all is mortal in nature, so is all nature in love mortal in folly. Ros. Thou speakest wiser than thou art 'ware of. Touch. Nay, I shall ne'er be 'ware of mine own wit, Till I break my shins against it. Ros. Jove, Jove! this shepherd's passion Is much upon my fashion. Touch. And mine; but it grows something stale with me. Cel. I pray you, one of you question yond' man, If he for gold will give us any food: I faint almost to death. Touch. Holla, you clown! Ros. Cor. Who calls? Peace, fool: he's not thy kinsman. Touch. Your betters, sir. Cor. Else are they very wretched. Ros. Good even to you, friend1. Peace, I say. Cor. And to you, gentle sir; and to you all. Cor. 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, My master is of churlish disposition, By doing deeds of hospitality. to You, friend.] First folio, your second folio, "you." 5 And little RECKS-] i. e. little cares. Besides, his cote, his flocks, and bounds of feed, 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, Cel. And we will mend thy wages. I like this place, SCENE V. Another part of the Forest. Enter AMIENS, JAQUES, and Others. SONG. Ami. Under the greenwood tree, Who loves to lie with me, And turn his merry note 6 Unto the sweet bird's throat, Come hither, come hither, come hither: Here shall he see no enemy, But winter and rough weather. [Exeunt. 6 And TURN his merry note] Malone and some other modern editors vary from the old copies, by reading tune instead of "turn," which was the language of the period. Pope first made the alteration. Jaq. More, more! I pr'ythee, more. Ami. It will make you melancholy, monsieur Jaques. Jaq. I thank it. More! I pr'ythee, more. I can suck melancholy out of a song, as a weasel sucks eggs. More! I pr'ythee, 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 stanza. Call you 'em stanzas? 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 reques, than to please myself. 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 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. Seeking the food he eats, And pleas'd with what he gets, Come hither, come hither, come hither: Here shall he see, &c. 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. Jaq. Thus it goes:— If it do come to pass, Here shall he see, gross fools as he, 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. Ami. And I'll go seek the duke: his banquet is prepared. [Exeunt severally. SCENE VI. The Same. Enter ORLANDO and ADAM. Adam. Dear master, I can go no farther: 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 7 Ducdame,] Sir Thomas Hanmer altered "Ducdame " to Duc ad me, which is probably right; but duc ad me being harsh, when sung to the same notes as its translation "Come hither," it was corrupted to duc-da-me, a trisyllable which ran more easily. Farmer observes, that " if duc ad me were right, Amiens would not have asked its meaning." Why not? if Amiens be supposed not to understand Latin. When Jaques declares it to be "a Greek invocation," he seems to intend to jeer Amiens upon his ignorance. 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 of my labour. Well said! thou look'st cheerily; and I'll be with thee quickly.-Yet thou liest in the bleak air: come, I will bear thee to some shelter, and thou shalt not die for lack of a dinner, if there live any thing in this desert. Cheerly, good Adam. [Exeunt. A Table set out. SCENE VII. The Same3. Enter DUKE, Senior, AMIENS, Lords, and others. Duke S. I think he be transform'd into a beast, For I can no where find him like a man. 1 Lord. My lord, he is but even now gone hence: Here was he merry, hearing of a song. Duke S. If he, compact of jars, grow musical, We shall have shortly discord in the spheres.Go, seek him: tell him, I would speak with him. Enter JAQUES. 1 Lord. He saves my labour by his own approach. Duke S. Why, how now, monsieur! what a life is this, That your poor friends must woo your company! What, you look merrily. Jaq. A fool, a fool! -I met a fool i' the forest, A motley fool; (a miserable world!) As I do live by food, I met a fool, Who laid him down and bask'd him in the sun, 8 Well SAID!] In authors of the time, "Well said" was often used for "Well done." The Same.] i. e. The same part of the forest, where Amiens had sung to Jaques, and where Amiens had said, "the duke will drink under this tree." |