Obrázky na stránke
PDF
ePub

Dramatis Perfonæ.

DUKE.

Frederick, brother to the Duke, and ufurper of his dukedom.
Amiens, Lords attending upon the Duke in his banishment.
}
Jaques,

Le Beu, a courtier, attending on Frederick.

Oliver, eldest fon to Sir Rowland de Boys, who had formerly been a fervant to the Duke.

Orlando, Younger brothers to Oliver.

πο

Adam, an old fervant of Sir Rowland de Boys, nous following the fortunes of Orlando.

Dennis, Jervant to Oliver.

Charles, a wrefiler, and fervant to the ufurping Duke Frederick.

Touchstone, a clown attending on Celia and Rosalind. Corin,

Sylvius,

epherds.

A clown in love with Audrey.

William, another clown, in love with Audrey.

Sir Oliver Mar-text, a country curate.

Rofalind, daughter to the Duke.

Celia, daughter to Frederick.
Phoebe, a fhepherdess.

Audrey, a country wench.

Lords belonging to the two Dukes; with pages, forefiers,

and other Attendants.

The SCENE lies, firft, near Oliver's houfe; and afterwards, partly in the Duke's Court; and partly in the Forest of Arden.

AS

AS YOU LIKE IT. (1)

A

A C T

I.

SCENE, Oliver's Orchard..

Enter Orlando and Adam.

ORLAND'O.

S I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeath'd me by will, but a poor thousand

crowns; and, as thou fay'ft, charged my brother on his bleffing to breed me well; and there begins my fadnefs. My brother Jaques he keeps at fchool, and report fpeaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me ruftically at home; or, (to fpeak more properly) ftays me here at home, unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth, that differs not from the ftalling of an ox? his horfes are bred better; for befides that they are fair with their

(1) As you l ke it.] Neither Mr. Langbaine nor Mr. Gildon acquaint us, to whom Shakespeare was indebted for any part of the fable of this play. But the characters of Oiver, Jaques, Orlando, and Adam, and the epifodes of the Wrefler and the banish'd 'Tram feem to me plainly to be borrow'd from CHAUCER's Legend of Gamelyn in the Cook's tale. Tho' this Legend be found in many of the old MSS. of that poet, it was never printed till the last edition of his works, prepar'd by Mr. Urrey, came out.

M 2

feeding,

feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hired but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Bendes this nothing that he fo plentifully gives me, the fomething, that nature gave me, his countenance feems 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 fpirit of my father, which, I think, is within me, begins to mutiny against this fervitude. I will no longer endure it, tho' yet I know no wife remedy how to avoid it.

Enter Oliver.

Adam. Yonder comes my mafter, your brother. Orla. Go apart, Adam, and thou fhalt hear how he will fhake me up.

Oli. Now, Sir, what make you here?

[ocr errors]

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

Orla. Marry, Sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idlenefs.

Oli. Marry, Sir, be better employ'd, and be naught awhile. (2)

Orla. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? what prodigal's portion have I spent, that I "Thould come to fuch penury?

'Oli. Know you where you are, Sir?

"Orla. O, Sir, very well; here in your orchard.

(2) be better employ'd, and be naught awhile.] i. e. be better employ'd in my opinion, in being, and doing, nothing. Your idleness, as you call it, may be an exercife, by which you may make a figure, and endear yourself to the world: and I had rather, you were a contemptible cypher. The poet feems to me to have that trite proverbial fentiment in his eye, quoted from Attilius by the younger Pliny and others;

Statius eft otiofum effe quam nihil agere.

But Oliver, in the perverfeness of his difpofition, would reverse the doctrine of the proverb.

Oli. Know you before whom, Sint

Orla. 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 fame tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. have as much of my father in me, as you; albeit, E confefs your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. Oli. What, boy!

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

Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?

Orla. I am no villain: I am the youngest fon of Sir Rowland de Boys; he was my father, and he is thrice a villain, that fays, fuch 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 faying fo; thou haft rail'd on thy felf.

Adam. Sweet maiters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord.

Oli. Let me go, I fay.

Orla. I will not, 'till I pleafe: you fhall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have train'd me up like a peafant; ob feuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities; the fpirit of my father grows ftrong in me, and I will no longer endure it: therefore allow me fuch exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by teftament; with that I will go buy my fortunes.

Oli. And what wilt thou do? beg, when that is fpent well, Sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you: you fhall have some part of your will. I pray you, leave me.

[ocr errors]

เบ 1-8

Orla. I will no further offend you, than becomes mo for my good.

Oli. Get you with him, you old dog.

Adam. Is old dog my reward? most true, I have loft

my teeth in

your fervice. God be with my old matter, he would not have spoke fuch a word.

10

[Exe. Orlando and Adam.. Ok. Is it even fo? begin you to grow upon me? I will phyfick your ranknefs, and yet give no thoufand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis!

4

Enter Dennis.

Den. Calls your worship?

Oli. Was not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to fpeak with me?

Den. So please you, he is here at the door, and importunes accefs to you,

- 'twill be a good way; and to

Oli. Call him in ;morrow the wrestling is.

Enter Charles.

Char. Good-morrow to your worship.:

Oli. Good Monfieur Charles, what's the new news at the new court?

Char. There's no news at the court, Sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banish'd by his younger brother the new Duke, and three or four loving Lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him; whofe lands and revenues enrich the new Duke, there fore he gives them good leave to wander.

Oli. Can you tell, if Rofalind, the Duke's daughter, be banish'd with her father?

Char. O, no; for the Duke's daughter her coufin fo loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that he would have followed her exile, or have died to ftay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two Ladies loved, as they do.

Qli. Where will the old Duke live?

Cha. They fay, he is already in the forefe of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England; they fay, many

young

« PredošláPokračovať »