Act II
Scene I
The Forest of Arden.
Enter Duke Senior, Amiens, and two or three Lords, like foresters. | |
Duke Senior |
Now, my co-mates and brothers in exile,
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Amiens |
Happy is your grace,
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Duke Senior |
Come, shall we go and kill us venison?
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First Lord |
Indeed, my lord,
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Duke Senior |
But what said Jaques?
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First Lord |
O, yes, into a thousand similes.
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Duke Senior | And did you leave him in this contemplation? |
Second Lord |
We did, my lord, weeping and commenting
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Duke Senior |
Show me the place:
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First Lord | I’ll bring you to him straight. Exeunt. |
Scene II
A room in the palace.
Enter Duke Frederick, with Lords. | |
Duke Frederick |
Can it be possible that no man saw them?
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First Lord |
I cannot hear of any that did see her.
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Second Lord |
My lord, the roynish clown, at whom so oft
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Duke Frederick |
Send to his brother; fetch that gallant hither;
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Scene III
Before Oliver’s house.
Enter Orlando and Adam, meeting. | |
Orlando | Who’s there? |
Adam |
What, my young master? O, my gentle master!
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Orlando | Why, what’s the matter? |
Adam |
O unhappy youth!
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Orlando | Why, whither, Adam, wouldst thou have me go? |
Adam | No matter whither, so you come not here. |
Orlando |
What, wouldst thou have me go and beg my food?
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Adam |
But do not so. I have five hundred crowns,
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Orlando |
O good old man, how well in thee appears
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Adam |
Master, go on, and I will follow thee,
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Scene IV
The Forest of Arden.
Enter Rosalind for Ganymede, Celia for Aliena, and Touchstone. | |
Rosalind | O Jupiter, how weary are my spirits! |
Touchstone | I care not for my spirits, if my legs were not weary. |
Rosalind | I could find in my heart to disgrace my man’s apparel and to cry like a woman; but I must comfort the weaker vessel, as doublet and hose ought to show itself courageous to petticoat: therefore courage, good Aliena! |
Celia | I pray you, bear with me; I cannot go no further. |
Touchstone | For my part, I had rather bear with you than bear you; yet I should bear no cross if I did bear you, for I think you have no money in your purse. |
Rosalind | Well, this is the forest of Arden. |
Touchstone | Ay, now am I in Arden; the more fool I; when I was at home, I was in a better place: but travellers must be content. |
Rosalind | Ay, be so, good Touchstone. |
Enter Corin and Silvius. | |
Look you, who comes here; a young man and an old in solemn talk. | |
Corin | That is the way to make her scorn you still. |
Silvius | O Corin, that thou knew’st how I do love her! |
Corin | I partly guess; for I have loved ere now. |
Silvius |
No, Corin, being old, thou canst not guess,
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Corin | Into a thousand that I have forgotten. |
Silvius |
O, thou didst then ne’er love so heartily!
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Rosalind |
Alas, poor shepherd! searching of thy wound,
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Touchstone |
And I mine. I remember, when I was in love I broke
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Rosalind | Thou speakest wiser than thou art ware of. |
Touchstone | Nay, I shall ne’er be ware of mine own wit till I break my shins against it. |
Rosalind |
Jove, Jove! this shepherd’s passion
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Touchstone | And mine; but it grows something stale with me. |
Celia |
I pray you, one of you question yond man
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Touchstone | Holla, you clown! |
Rosalind | Peace, fool: he’s not thy kinsman. |
Corin | Who calls? |
Touchstone | Your betters, sir. |
Corin | Else are they very wretched. |
Rosalind | Peace, I say. Good even to you, friend. |
Corin | And to you, gentle sir, and to you all. |
Rosalind |
I prithee, shepherd, if that love or gold
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Corin |
Fair sir, I pity her
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Rosalind | What is he that shall buy his flock and pasture? |
Corin |
That young swain that you saw here but erewhile,
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Rosalind |
I pray thee, if it stand with honesty,
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Celia |
And we will mend thy wages. I like this place.
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Corin |
Assuredly the thing is to be sold:
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Scene V
The Forest.
Enter Amiens, Jaques, and others. | |
Song. | |
Amiens |
Under the greenwood tree
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Jaques | More, more, I prithee, more. |
Amiens | It will make you melancholy, Monsieur Jaques. |
Jaques | I thank it. More, I prithee, more. I can suck melancholy out of a song, as a weasel sucks eggs. More, I prithee, more. |
Amiens | My voice is ragged: I know I cannot please you. |
Jaques | I do not desire you to please me; I do desire you to sing. Come, more; another stanzo: call you ’em stanzos? |
Amiens | What you will, Monsieur Jaques. |
Jaques | Nay, I care not for their names; they owe me nothing. Will you sing? |
Amiens | More at your request than to please myself. |
Jaques | 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. |
Amiens | 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. |
Jaques | 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. | |
Amiens |
Who doth ambition shun All together here.
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Jaques | I’ll give you a verse to this note that I made yesterday in despite of my invention. |
Amiens | And I’ll sing it. |
Jaques |
Thus it goes:—
If it do come to pass
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Amiens | What’s that “ducdame”? |
Jaques | ’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. |
Amiens | 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. |
Orlando | 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 of my labour. Well said! thou lookest cheerly, 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. |
Scene VII
The forest.
A table set out. Enter Duke Senior, Amiens, and Lords like outlaws. | |
Duke Senior |
I think he be transform’d into a beast;
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First Lord |
My lord, he is but even now gone hence:
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Duke Senior |
If he, compact of jars, grow musical,
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Enter Jaques. | |
First Lord | He saves my labour by his own approach. |
Duke Senior |
Why, how now, monsieur! what a life is this,
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Jaques |
A fool, a fool! I met a fool i’ the forest,
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Duke Senior | What fool is this? |
Jaques |
O worthy fool! One that hath been a courtier,
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Duke Senior | Thou shalt have one. |
Jaques |
It is my only suit;
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Duke Senior | Fie on thee! I can tell what thou wouldst do. |
Jaques | What, for a counter, would I do but good? |
Duke Senior |
Most mischievous foul sin, in chiding sin:
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Jaques |
Why, who cries out on pride,
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Enter Orlando, with his sword drawn. | |
Orlando | Forbear, and eat no more. |
Jaques | Why, I have eat none yet. |
Orlando | Nor shalt not, till necessity be served. |
Jaques | Of what kind should this cock come of? |
Duke Senior |
Art thou thus bolden’d, man, by thy distress,
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Orlando |
You touch’d my vein at first: the thorny point
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Jaques | An you will not be answered with reason, I must die. |
Duke Senior |
What would you have? Your gentleness shall force
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Orlando | I almost die for food; and let me have it. |
Duke Senior | Sit down and feed, and welcome to our table. |
Orlando |
Speak you so gently? Pardon me, I pray you:
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Duke Senior |
True is it that we have seen better days,
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Orlando |
Then but forbear your food a little while,
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Duke Senior |
Go find him out,
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Orlando | I thank ye; and be blest for your good comfort! Exit. |
Duke Senior |
Thou seest we are not all alone unhappy:
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Jaques |
All the world’s a stage,
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Reenter Orlando, with Adam. | |
Duke Senior |
Welcome. Set down your venerable burthen,
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Orlando | I thank you most for him. |
Adam |
So had you need:
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Duke Senior |
Welcome; fall to: I will not trouble you
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Song. | |
Amiens |
Blow, blow, thou winter wind.
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Duke Senior |
If that you were the good Sir Rowland’s son,
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