Rof. Ay, go your ways, go your ways-I knew what you would prove, my friends told me as much, and I thought no lefs-that flattering tongue of yours won metis but one cast away, and fo come deathtwo o'th' clock is your hour! Orla. Ay, fweet Rofalind. Rof. By my troth, and in good earneft, and fo God mend me, and by all pretty oaths that are not dangerous, if you you break one jot of your promife, or come one minute behind your hour, I will think you the most pathetical break-promife, and the most hollow lover, and the most unworthy of her you call Rofalind, that may be chofen out of the grofs band of the unfaithful; therefore beware my cenfure, and keep your promife. Orla. With no lefs religion, than if thou wert indeed my Rofalind; fo adieu. Rof. Well, time is the old Juftice that examines all fuch offenders, and let time try. Adieu! [Exit Orla. Cel. You have fimply mifus'd our fex in your loveprate: we must have your doublet and hofe pluck'd over your head, and fhew the world what the bird hath done to her own neft. Rof. O coz, coz, coz, my pretty little coz, that thou didft know how many fathom deep I am in love; but it cannot be founded: my affection hath an unknown bottom, like the Bay of Portugal. Cel. Or rather, bottomlefs; that as faft as you pour affection in, it runs out. Rof. No, that fame wicked baftard of Venus, that was begot of thought, conceiv'd of spleen, and born of madness, that blind rafcally boy, that abufes every 9- I will think you the most PATHETICAL break promise, There is neither fenfe nor humour in this expreffion. We fhould certainly read, ATHEISTICAL break promife. His anfwer confirms it, that he would keep his promife with no less Religion, than WARBURTON. I do not fee but that pathetical may ftand, which feems to afford as much fenfe and as much hu mour as atheistical. one's one's eyes, because his own are out, let him be judge, how deep I am in love; I'll tell thee, Aliena, I cannot be out of the fight of Orlando ; I'll go find a shadow, and figh 'till he come. Cel. And I'll fleep. SCENE IV. Enter Jaques, Lords, and Forefters. Jaq. Which is he that kill'd the deer? [Exeunt. Jaq. Let's prefent him to the Duke, like a Roman Conqueror, and it would do well to fet the deer's horns upon his head, for a branch of Victory; have you no Song, Forefter, for this purpose ? For. Yes, Sir. Faq. Sing it; 'tis no matter how it be in tune, so it make noife enough. Mufick, Song. What fhall be have that kill'd the deer? His leather fkin and horns to wear; Then fing him bome no Scorn 3 take thou The reft fhall To wear the horn, the horn, the born: The born, the born, the lusty born, 3 In former Editions: Then fing him home, the reft Jhall bear this burden.] This is no admirable Inftance of the fagacity of our preceding Editors, to fay nothing worse. One fhould expect, when they were Poets, they would at least have bear this Bur den. [Exeunt, SCENE taken care of the Rhimes, and not foifted in what has nothing to answer it. Now, where is the Rhime to, the rest shall bear this Burthen? Or, to ask another Question, where is the Sense of it? Does the Poet mean, that He, that kill'd the Deer, shall Rof. How fay you now, is it not past two o'clock? I wonder much, Orlando is not here. Cel. I warrant you, with pure love and troubled brain, he hath ta'en his bow and arrows, and is gone forth to fleep look, who comes here. Enter Silvius. Sil. My errand is to you, fair youth, Which she did ufe as fhe was writing of it,. Pardon me, I am but as a guiltlefs meffenger. Rof. [reading.] Patience herself would startle at this letter, And play the fwaggerer-bear this, bear all Why writes the fo to me? Well, shepherd, well, be fung home, and the reft fhall This note I have given as a fpecimen of Mr. Theobala's jo. cularity, and of the eloquence with which he recommends his emendation. 4 The foregoing noify fcene was introduced only to fill up an interval, which is to reprefent two hours. This contraction of the time we might impute to poor Rofalind's impatience, but that a few minutes after we find Orlando fending his excufe. I do not fee that by any probable division of the acts this abfurdity can be obviated. : Sil. No, I proteft, I know not the contents; Phebe did write it. Rof. Come, come, you're a fool, And turn'd into th' extremity of love. I saw her hand, she has a leathern hand, A free-ftone-colour'd hand; I verily did think, This is a man's invention, and his hand. Rof. Why, 'tis a boifterous and a cruel ftile, Than in their countenance, Will you hear the let ter? Sil. So please you, for I never heard it yet; Yet heard too much of Phebe's cruelty. Rof. She Phebe's me-mark, how the tyrant writes. [Reads] Art thou God to fhepherd turn'd, That a maiden's heart hath burn'd, Can a woman rail thus? Rof. [Reads.] Why, thy Godhead laid apart, Did you ever hear fuch railing? Whiles the eye of man did woo me, * Meaning me a beast. Vengeance is used for a mischief. If the fcorn of your bright eyne He, that brings this love to thee, Sil. Call you this chiding? Rof. Do you pity him? no, he deferves no pity Wilt thou love fuch a woman-what, to make thee an inftrument, and play false strains upon thee? not to be endured!-Well, go your way to her; for I see love hath made thee a tame fnake, and fay this to her; "that if the love me, I charge her to love thee; "If she will not, I will never have her, unless thou "intreat for her." If you be a true lover, hence, and not a word, for here comes more company. [Exit Silvius. Oli. Good-morrow, fair ones: pray you, if you know Where, in the purlews of this forest, stands 5 Youth and Kind,] Kind is the old word for nature. Cel. |