Like a ripe sister: but the woman low, Cel. It is no boast, being ask'd, to say, we are. Ros. I am what must we understand by this? Cel. I pray you, tell it. Within an hour; and, pacing through the forest, Under an oak, whose boughs were moss'd with age, A wretched ragged man, o'ergrown with hair, Lay sleeping on his back: about his neck A green and gilded snake had wreath'd itself, Who with her head, nimble in threats, approach'd Seeing Orlando, it unlink'd itself, And with indented glides did slip away Into a bush under which bush's shade A lioness Lay couching, head on ground, with cat-like watch, To prey on nothing that doth seem as dead : This seen, Orlando did approach the man, And found it was his brother, his elder brother. Cel. O, I have heard him speak of that same brother; And he did render him the most unnatural That liv'd 'mongst men. Oli. And well he might so do, For well I know he was unnatural. Ros. But, to Orlando ;-Did he leave him there, Food to the fierce and hungry lioness? Oli. Twice did he turn his back, and purpos'd so, But kindness, nobler ever than revenge, And nature, stronger than his just occasion, Made him give battle to the lioness, Who quickly fell before him; in which hurtling Cel. Are you his brother? Ros. Was it you he rescued? Ros. But, for the bloody napkin ?— Oli. There stripp'd himself, and here upon his arm The lioness had torn some flesh away, Which all this while had bled; and now he fainted, Brief, I recover'd him; bound up his wound; And, after some small space, being strong at heart, To tell this story, that you might excuse His broken promise, and to give this napkin, I Cel. Why, how now, Ganymede ? sweet Ganymede ? [ROSALIND faints. Oli. Many will swoon when they do look on blood. I would, I were at home. Cel. We'll lead you thither : pray you, will you take him by the arm? Oli. Be of good cheer, youth :-You a man ?—You lack a man's heart. Ros.. I do so, I confess it. Ah, sir, a body would think this was well counterfeited: I pray you, tell your brother how well I counterfeited.-Heigh ho !— Cel. This was not counterfeit ; there is too great testimony in your complexion, that it was a passion of earnest. Ros. Counterfeit, I assure you. Oli. Well then, take a good heart, and counterfeit to be a man. Ros. So I do: but i' faith I should have been a woman by right. Cel. Come, you look paler and paler; pray you, draw homewards: -Good sir, go with us. Oli. That will I, for I must bear answer back How you excuse my brother, Rosalind. Ros. I shall devise something: But, I pray you, commend my counterfeiting to him.-Will you go? [Exeuni. ACT V. The Forest of Arden. ORLANDO, and OLIVEK Orl. Is't possible, that on so little acquaintance you should like her? that, but seeing, you should love her? and, loving, woo? and, wooing, she should grant ? and will you persever to enjoy her? Oli. Neither call the giddiness of it in question, the poverty of her, the small acquaintance, my sudden wooing, nor her sudden consenting; but say with me, I love Aliena; say, with her, that she loves me; consent with both, it shall be to your good; for my father's house, and all the revenue that was old sir Rowland's, will I estate upon you, and here live and die a shepherd. Enter ROSALIND. Orl. You have my consent. Let your wedding be to-morrow: thither will I invite the duke, and all his contented followers: Go you, and prepare Aliena for look you, here comes my Rosalind. Ros. Save you, brother. Oli. And you, fair sister. Ros. O, my dear Orlando, how it grieves me to see thee wear thy heart in a scarf. Orl. It is my arm. Ros. I thought thy heart had been wounded with the claws of a lion. Orl. Wounded it is, but with the eyes of a lady. Ros. Did your brother tell you how I counterfeited to swoon, when he show'd me your handkerchief? Orl. Ay, and greater wonders than that. Ros. O, I know where you are:-Nay, 'tis true: there was never any thing so sudden, but the fight of two rams, and Cæsar's thrasonical brag of-I came, saw, and overcame. For your brother and my sister no sooner met, but they looked; no sooner looked, but they loved; no sooner loved, but they sighed; no sooner sighed, but they asked one another the reason; no sooner knew the reason, but they sought the remedy and in these degrees have they made a pair of stairs to marriage; they are in the very wrath of love, and they will together; clubs cannot part them. Orl. They shall be married to-morrow; and I will bid the duke to the nuptial. But O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man's eyes! By so much the more shall I to-morrow be at the height of heart-heaviness, by how much I shall think my brother happy, in having what he wishes for. Ros. Why then, to-morrow I cannot serve your turn for Rosalind ? Orl. I can live no longer by thinking. Ros. I will weary you no longer then with idle talking. Know of me then, (for now I speak to some purpose,) that I know you are a gentleman of good conceit: I speak not this, that you should bear a good opinion of my knowledge, insomuch, I say, I know you are; neither do I labor for a greater esteem than may in some little measure draw a belief from you, to do yourself good, and not to grace me. Believe then, if you please, that I can do strange things: I have, since I was three years old, conversed with a magician, most profound in this art. If you do love Rosalind so near the heart as your gesture cries it out, when your brother marries Aliena, shall you marry her :-I know into what straits of fortune she is driven; and it is not impossible to me, if it appear not inconvenient to you, to set her before your eyes to-morrow, human as she is, and without any danger. Orl. Speakest thou in sober meanings? Ros. By my life, I do; which I tender dearly, though I say I am a magician: Therefore, put you in your best array, bid your friends: for if you will be married to-morrow, you shall; and to Rosalind, if you will. Enter SILVIUS, and PHEBE. Look, here comes a lover of mine, and a lover of hers. Ros. I care not, if I have: it is my study, Phe. Good shepherd, tell this youth what 'tis to love. And so am I for Phebe. Phe. And I for Ganymede Orl. And I for Rosalind. Ros. And I for no woman. Sil. It is to be all made of faith and service ; And so am I for Phebe. Phe. And I for Ganymede. Orl. And I for Rosalind. Ros. And I for no woman. Sil. It is to be all made of fantasy, All made of passion, and all made of wishes; All adoration, duty, and observance, All humbleness, all patience, and impatience, Phe. And so am I for Ganymede. Phe. If this be so, why blame you me to love you? Sil. If this be so, why blame you me to love you? [TO ROSAL.MD. [To PHEBE. Orl. If this be so, why blame you me to love you? Ros. Who do you speak to, why blame you me to love you? Ros. Pray you, no more of this; 'tis like the howling of Irish wolves against the moon.—I will help you, [to SILVIUS,] if I can :--I would love you, [to PHEBE,] if I could.-To-morrow meet me all together. I will marry you, [to PHEBE,] if ever I marry woman, and I'll be married to-morrow:-I will satisfy you, [to ORLANDO,] if ever I satisfied man, and you shall be married to morrow :—I will content you, [to SILVIUS,] if what pleases you contents you, and you shall be married to-morrow. As you [to ORLANDO] love Rosalind, meet; -as you [to SILVIUS] love Phebe, meet; And as I love no woman, I'll meet. So, fare you well; I have left you commands. Sil. I'll not fail, if I live. Enter DUKE Senior, AMIENS, Jaques, Orlando, OLIVER, and CELIA. Duke S. Dost thou believe, Orlando, that the boy Can do all this that he hath promised? Orl. I sometimes do believe, and sometimes do not; As those that fear they hope, and know they fear. Enter ROSALIND, SILVIUS, and Phebe. Ros. Patience once more, whiles our compact is urg'd:- [To the DUKE. Duke S. That would I, had I kingdoms to give with her. Orl. That would I, were I of all kingdoms king. Ros. You say, that you'll have Phebe, if she will ? [TO ORLANDO. [TO PHFBE. [TO SILVIUS. Sil. Though to have her and death were both one thing. To make these doubts all even. [Exeunt ROSALIND, and CEL.LA |