Act II
Scene I. The Forest of Arden.
Enter Duke senior, Amiens, and two or three Lords, like foresters.
Duke S. Now, my co-mates and brothers in exile,
Hath not old custom made this life more sweet
Than that of painted pomp? Are not these woods
3painted pomp With a showy exterior.More free from peril than the envious court?
4envious Spiteful.5Here feel we but the penalty of Adam,
5As a matter of fact the penalty imposed upon Adam was the necessity to labour. "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." But being cast out of the Garden of Eden, he was exposed to the changes of season, and the dramatist speaks of this as the "penalty." Some editors have changed "but" to "not," but this change involves changes in punctuation.The seasons' difference, as the icy fang
And churlish chiding of the winter's wind,
Which, when it bites and blows upon my body,
Even till I shrink with cold, I smile and say
10'This is no flattery: these are counsellors
That feelingly persuade me what I am.'
11feelingly By appealing to my senses or feelings.persuade me what I am Show me what I really am, not what flatterers say I am.Sweet are the uses of adversity,
Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,
13–4In Shakespeare's time the toad was commonly believed to be venomous, and, strangely enough, it was thought that the grayish stone, known as the toadstone, was obtained from the head of a species of toad found in Italy. Possibly the clearness of the toad's eye had something to do with the belief that he "wears yet a precious jewel in his head."Wears yet a precious jewel in his head;
15And this our life exempt from public haunt
15exempt from public haunt Not troubled by the presence of other people.Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones and good in everything.
I would not change it.
Ami. Happy is your grace,
That can translate the stubbornness of fortune
19–20Who can thus see so much good in your ill-fortune. Note the metaphor in translate and style.20Into so quiet and so sweet a style.
Duke S. Come, shall we go and kill us venison?
And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools,
22it irks me It grieves me.dappled Spotted.fools Innocent creatures.Being native burghers of this desert city,
Should in their own confines with forked heads
24confines Limits, territory.forked heads Arrows.25Have their round haunches gored.
First Lord. Indeed, my lord,
The melancholy Jaques grieves at that,
26Jaques Pronounced as two syllables in Shakespeare. Scan the line.And, in that kind, swears you do more usurp
27in that kind In his melancholy way.Than doth your brother that hath banish'd you.
To-day my lord of Amiens and myself
30Did steal behind him as he lay along
30lay along Stretched out.Under an oak, whose antique root peeps out
31antique Ancient.Upon the brook that brawls along this wood:
To the which place a poor sequester'd stag,
33sequester'd Separated from its companions.That from the hunter's aim had ta'en a hurt,
35Did come to languish; and, indeed, my lord,
The wretched animal heaved forth such groans
That their discharge did stretch his leathern coat
Almost to bursting, and the big round tears
Coursed one another down his innocent nose
40In piteous chase; and thus the hairy fool,
Much marked of the melancholy Jaques,
41of By.Stood on the extremest verge of the swift brook,
Augmenting it with tears.
Duke S. But what said Jaques?
Did he not moralize this spectacle?
44moralize Draw a moral from.45First Lord. O, yes, into a thousand similes.
First, for his weeping into the needless stream;
46for With regard to.the needless stream The stream that didn't need his tears.'Poor deer,' quoth he, 'thou makest a testament
47testament Will.As worldlings do, giving thy sum of more
To that which had too much': then, being there alone,
49being there With regard to his being there.50Left and abandon'd of his velvet friends,
50velvet Sleek, smooth-coated.''Tis right,' quoth he; 'thus misery doth part
51–2part the flux of company Separate one from the crowd (stream) of his companions.The flux of company': anon a careless herd,
Full of the pasture, jumps along by him
And never stays to greet him; 'Ay,' quoth Jaques,
55'Sweep on, you fat and greasy citizens;
'Tis just the fashion: wherefore do you look
Upon that poor and broken bankrupt there?'
57bankrupt Here, ruined deer.Thus most invectively he pierceth through
58invectively With bitter comment.pierceth through Probes, analyses.The body of the country, city, court,
59body The whole organism.60Yea, and of this our life, swearing that we
Are mere usurpers, tyrants and what's worse,
61what's worse Even worse than tyrants.To fright the animals and to kill them up
62up Used here to intensify the word kill.In their assign'd and native dwelling-place.
63assign'd Set apart by nature.Duke S. And did you leave him in this contem-
65plation?
Sec. Lord. We did, my lord, weeping and commenting
Upon the sobbing deer.
Duke S. Show me the place:
I love to cope him in these sullen fits,
68cope him Encounter him.For then he's full of matter.
69matter Good sense.First Lord. I'll bring you to him straight. [Exeunt.
Scene II. A room in the palace.
Enter Duke Frederick, with Lords.
Duke F. Can it be possible that no man saw them?
It cannot be: some villains of my court
Are of consent and sufferance in this.
3Have approved and have not objected to their running away.First Lord. I cannot hear of any that did see her.
5The ladies, her attendants of her chamber,
Saw her a-bed, and in the morning early
They found the bed untreasured of their mistress.
Sec. Lord. My lord, the roynish clown, at whom so oft
8roynish Rascally; literally, scabby.Your grace was wont to laugh, is also missing.
10Hisperia, the princess' gentlewoman,
Confesses that she secretly o'erhard
Your daughter and her cousin much commend
The parts and graces of the wrestler
That did but lately foil the sinewy Charles;
15And she believes, wherever they are gone,
That youth is surely in their company.
Duke F. Send to his brother; fetch that gallant
hither;
If he be absent, bring his brother to me;
20I'll make him find him: do this suddenly,
20suddenly At once.And let not search and inquisition quail
21inquisition Inquiry.quail Slacken.To bring again these foolish runaways. [Exeunt.
22To bring again To bring back.Scene III. Before Oliver's house.
Enter Orlando and Adam, meeting.
Orl. Who's there?
Adam. What, my young master! O my gentle
master!
O my sweet master! O you memory
3memory So like old Sir Rowland in appearance that you call him to your memory.5Of old Sir Rowland! why what make you here?
Why are you virtuous? why do people love you?
And wherefore are you gentle, strong and valiant?
Why would you be so fond to overcome
8fond Foolish.The bonny priser of the humorous duke?
9priser Prize-fighter.humours Full of changing moods.10Your praise is come too swifty home before you.
Know you not, master, to some kind of men
Their graces serve them but as enemies?
No more do yours: your virtues, gentle master,
13no more do yours Your virtues do not serve you any better.Are sanctified and holy traitors to you.
14Although outwardly your virtues appear sacred, in reality they betray you.15O, what a world is this, when what is comely
Envenoms him that bears it!
16Envenoms Poisons.Orl. Why, what's the matter?
Adam. O unhappy youth!
Come not within these doors; within this roof
The enemy of all your graces lives
20Your brother—no, no brother; yet the son—
Yet not the son, I will not call him son
Of him I was about to call his father—
Hath heard your praises, and this night he means
To burn the lodging where you use to lie
24use Are accustomed.25And you within it: if he fail of that,
He will have other means to cut you off:
I overheard him and his practices.
27practices Designs.This is no place; this house is but a butchery:
28butchery Place of butchery.Abhor it, fear it, do not enter it.
30Orl. Why, whither, Adam, wouldst thou have me go?
Adam. No matter whither, so you come not here.
Orl. What, wouldst thou have me go and beg my
food?
Or with a base and boisterous sword enforce
35A thievish living on the common road?
This I must do, or know not what to do:
Yet this I will not do, do how I can;
I rather will subject me to the malice
Of a diverted blood and bloody brother.
39a diverted blood Brotherly feeling that has been turned out of its natural course.40Adam. But do not so. I have five hundred crowns,
The thrifty hire I saved under your father,
41thrifty hire Wages that I saved by my thrift.Which I did store to be my foster-nurse
When service should in my old limbs lie lame
43When because of age I should be unfit for service.And unregarded age in corners thrown:
44When I should be disregarded and thrown aside because of my age.45Take that, and He that doth the ravens feed,
Yea, providently caters for the sparrow,
Be comfort to my age! Here is the gold;
All this I give you. Let me be your servant:
Though I look old, yet I am strong and lusty;
50For in my youth I never did apply
Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood,
51rebellious liquors Liquors that injure the blood.Nor did not with unbashful forehead woo
52unbashful forehead Shameless face.The means of weakness and debility;
Therefore my age is as a lusty winter,
55Frosty, but kindly: let me go with you;
I'll do the service of a younger man
In all your business and necessities.
Orl. O good old man, how well in thee appears
The constant service of the antique world,
59constant Faithful.antique Ancient.60When service sweat for duty, not for meed!
60When servants worked for the sake of duty, not for the sake of reward.Thou art not for the fashion of these times,
61for In keeping with.Where none will sweat but for promotion,
And having that, do choke their service up
63–4Having gained promotion they slacken in their service because they now have the promotion they wanted.Even with the having: it is not so with thee.
65But poor old man, thou prunest a rotten tree,
That cannot so much as a blossom yield
In lieu of all thy pains and husbandry.
67in lieu of In return for.husbandry The care you have taken with it.But come thy ways; we'll go along together,
And ere we have thy youthful wages spent,
70We'll light upon some settled low content.
70We'll find some place where we can live humbly and contentedly.Adam. Master, go on, and I will follow thee,
To the last gasp, with truth and loyalty.
From seventeen years till now almost fourscore
Here lived I, but now live here no more.
75At seventeen years many their fortunes seek;
But at fourscore it is too late a week:
76too late a week A proverbial phrase.Yet fortune cannot recompense me better
Than to die well, and not my master's debtor. [Exeunt.
Scene IV. The Forest of Arden.
Enter Rosalind for Ganymede, Celia for Aliena, and Touchstone.
Ros. O Jupiter, how weary are my spirits!
Touch. I care not for my spirits, if my legs were not
weary.
Ros. I could find in my heart to disgrace my man's
4could find in my heart Am inclined to.5apparel and to cry like a woman; but I must comfort
the weaker vessel, as doublet and hose ought to show
6the weaker vessel The woman. See I Peter, iii, 7.doublet and hose Coat and breeches. The doublet was so called because it was lined, and hence "double."itself courageous to petticoat: therefore courage, good
Aliena!
Cel. I pray you, bear with me; I cannot go no further.
10Touch. For my part, I had rather bear with you than
bear you; yet I should bear no cross if I did bear you,
11bear no cross One side of the silver coins of Elizabeth's reign was marked with a cross.for I think you have no money in your purse.
Ros. Well, this is the forest of Arden.
Touch. Ay, now am I in Arden; the more fool I;
15when I was at home, I was in a better place: but
travellers must be content.
Ros. Ay, be so, good Touchstone.
Look you, who comes here; a young man and an old
in solemn talk.
Enter Corin and Silvius.
20Cor. That is the way to make her scorn you still.
Sil. O Corin, that thou knew'st how I do love her!
Cor. I partly guess; for I have loved ere now.
Sil. No, Corin, being old, thou canst not guess,
Though in thy youth thou wast as true a lover
25As ever sigh'd upon a midnight pillow:
But if thy love were ever like to mine—
As sure I think did never man love so—
26As sure I think And with regard to this I certainly think.How many actions most ridiculous
Hast thou been drawn to by thy fantasy?
28fantasy Fancy, in the sense of "love."30Cor. Into a thousand that I have forgotten.
Sil. O, thou didst then ne'er love so heartily!
If thou remember'st not the slightest folly
That ever love did make thee run into,
Thou has not loved:
35Or if thou hast not sat as I do now,
Wearying thy hearer in thy mistress' praise,
Thou hast not loved:
Or if thou hast not broke from company
Abruptly, as my passion now makes me,
40Thou hast not loved.
O Phebe, Phebe, Phebe!
Ros. Alas, poor shepherd! searching of thy wound,
41searching of thy wound In considering your misfortune.I have by hard adventure found mine own.
42by hard adventure By ill fortune.Touch. And I mine. I remember, when I was in love
I broke my sword upon a stone and bid him take that
44him The stone which in the dark he imagines to be a rival.45for coming a-night to Jane Smile; and I remember the
kissing of her batlet and the cow's dugs that her pretty
46batlet A small bat, or stick, used in beating clothes while washing them.chopt hands had milked; and I remember the wooing of
47chopt Chapped.a peascod instead of her, from whom I took two cods
48peascod Pea-pod. According to the belief of country lovers, when a pea-pod was snatched from the vine and the peas remained in it, the lover was likely to be successful in his suit.cods Peas.and, giving her them again, said with weeping tears
50'Wear these for my sake.' We that are true lovers run
into strange capers: but as all is mortal in nature, so is
51–2Just as everything in nature is certain to die (mortal), so every creature that is in love is extremely (mortally) foolish. There is, of course, no point in the comparison.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
54wit Cleverness.55till 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
57something Somewhat.me.
60Cel. 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. Peace, fool: he's not thy kinsman.
Cor. Who calls?
Touch. Your betters, sir.
Cor. Else are they very wretched.
65Ros. Peace, I say. Good even to you, friend.
Cor. And to you, gentle sir, and to you all.
Ros. I prithee, shepherd, if that love or gold
Can in this desert place buy entertainment,
67entertainment Refreshment.Bring us where we may rest ourselves and feed:
70Here's a young maid with travel much oppress'd
And faints for succour.
70faints for succour Faints for want of help.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
75And do not shear the fleeces that I graze:
74fleeces Sheep.My master is of churlish disposition
And little recks to find the way to heaven
76recks Cares.By doing deeds of hospitality:
Besides, his cote, his flocks and bounds of feed
78cote Cottage.bounds of feed Pastures.80Are now on sale, and at our sheepcote now,
By reason of his absence, there is nothing
That you will feed on; but what is, come see,
And in my voice most welcome shall you be.
Ros. What is he that shall buy his flock and pasture?
83What is he What sort of person is he.shall buy Intends to buy.85Cor. That young swain that you saw here but
erewhile,
That little cares for buying anything.
Ros. I pray thee, if it stands with honesty,
87if it stands with honesty If it is consistent with honest dealing. If it is not acting dishonestly towards Silvius.Buy thou the cottage, pasture and the flock,
89Thou shalt have money to pay for it from us.90And thou shalt have to pay for it of us.
Cel. And we will mend thy wages. I like this
90mend Improve, increase.place, And willingly could waste my time in it.
91waste Pass, spend.Cor. Assuredly the thing is to be sold:
Go with me: if you like upon report
93upon report Upon hearing further details.95The soil, the profit and this kind of life,
I will your very faithful feeder be
95feeder Of your sheep.And buy it with your gold right suddenly. [Exeunt.
96right suddenly Immediately.Scene V. The Forest.
Enter Amiens, Jaques, and others.
Song.
Ami. "Under the greenwood tree
Who loves to lie with me,
And tune his merry note
Unto the sweet bird's throat,
5Come hither, come hither, come hither:
5Come Let him come.Here shall he see
No enemy
But winter and rough weather."
Jaq. More, more, I prithee, more.
10Ami. It will make you melancholy, Monsieur Jaques.
Jaq. I thank it. More, I prithee, more. I can suck
melancholy out of a song, as a weasel sucks eggs. More,
I prithee, more.
Ami. My voice is ragged: I know I cannot please
14ragged Rough.15you.
Jaq. I do not desire you to please me; I do desire
you to sing. Come, more; another stanzo: call you 'em
17stanza Stanza. In Shakespeare's time stanza was a new word, recently introduced from the Italian.stanzos?
Ami. What you will, Monsieur Jaques.
20Jaq. Nay, I care not for their names; they owe me
20–1they owe me nothing They are not as important as the names of people who owe me money.nothing. Will you sing?
Ami. More at your request 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
24that they call That which they call.25of two dog-apes, and when a man thanks me heartily,
25dog-apes Dog-faced apes, baboons.methinks I have given him a penny and he renders me
26methinks It seems to 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;
29cover the while Lay the cloth while I am singing.30the 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
33disputable Fond of argument.matters as he, but I give heaven thanks and make no
35boast of them. Come, warble, come.
Song.
"Who doth ambition shun [All together here.
And loves to live i' the sun,
37i' the sun In the sunshine, in the open air.Seeking the food he eats
And pleased with what he gets,
40Come hither, come hither, come hither:
Here shall he see
No enemy
But winter and rough weather."
Jaq. I'll give you a verse to this note that I made
45yesterday in despite of my invention.
45in despite of my invention In spite of my lack of imagination.Ami. And I'll sing it.
Jaq. Thus it goes:—
"If it do come to pass
That any man turn ass,
50Leaving his wealth and ease,
A stubborn will to please,
Ducdame, ducdame, ducdame:
51Ducdame A meaningless word which Jaques uses to fill up a line.Here shall he see
Gross fools as he,
55An if he will come to me."
54An if An means "if," and it is used here merely to intensify the word if.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 firstborn of Egypt.
58the firstborn of Egypt Probably a proverbial expression meaning "all high-born persons."60Ami. 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.
Orl. Why, how now, Adam! no greater heart in
5thee? Live a little; comfort a little; cheer thyself a
little. If this uncouth forest yield any thing savage, I
6uncouth Literally, unknown; hence, rough, rude.savage Wild.will either be food for it or bring it for food to thee.
Thy conceit is nearer death than thy powers. For my
8You fancy yourself nearer death than you really are.sake be comfortable; hold death awhile at the arm's end:
9be comfortable Take comfort.10I 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
15bear 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 S. I think he be transform'd into a beast:
For I can no where find him like a man.
First Lord. My lord, he is but even now gone hence:
Here was he merry, hearing of a song.
5Duke S. If he, compact of jars, grow musical,
5compact of jars Made up of discords.We shall have shortly discord in the spheres.
6A reference to the old belief in the music of the spheres.Go seek him: tell him I would speak with him.
Enter Jaques.
First Lord. He saves my labour by his own approach.
Duke S. Why, how now, monsieur! what a life is
10this,
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!
14motley Wearing a motley dress. The professional jester was distinguished from other servants by his parti-coloured dress.a miserable world! Jaques never loses an opportunity to make cynical remarks about the world in which he lives. He means here that it is a miserable world that needs to have its follies probed by a fool.15As I do live by food, I met a fool;
Who laid him down and bask'd him in the sun,
And rail'd on Lady Fortune in good terms,
In good set terms and yet a motley fool,
18in good set terms Roundly, without sparing her.'Good morrow, fool,' quoth I, 'No, sir,' quoth he,
20'Call me not fool till heaven hath sent me fortune':
20"Fortune favours fools," but she hasn't favoured me.And then he drew a dial from his poke,
21dial A small portable sun-dial.poke Pouch, pocket.And, looking on it with lack-lustre eye,
22lack-lustre Dull; hence, apparently serious.Says very wisely, 'It is ten o'clock:
Thus we may see,' quoth he, 'how the world wags:
25'Tis but an hour ago since it was nine,
And after one more 'twill be eleven;
And so, from hour to hour, we ripe and ripe,
27ripe Ripen.And then, from hour to hour, we rot and rot;
And thereby hangs a tale.' When I did hear
29thereby hangs a tale There is a story connected with this. Touchstone, while pretending to be very serious, is making fun of people who moralize in this commonplace way.30The motley fool thus moral on the time,
30moral Moralize.My lungs began to crow like chanticleer,
31chanticleer The cock, the bird that "sings clear."That fools should be so deep-contemplative,
And I did laugh sans intermission
33sans intermission Without stopping.An hour by his dial. O noble fool!
34by his dial This is a way of saying that Touchstone's dial was no good.35A worthy fool! Motley's the only wear.
35Motley's the only wear Who would not be a fool, and wear a motley dress?Duke S. What fool is this?
Jaq. O worthy fool! One that hath been a courtier,
And says, if ladies be but young and fair,
They have the gift to know it: and in his brain,
40Which is as dry as the remainder biscuit
40dry A person who was slow in learning, but who had a retentive memory, was said to have a "dry" brain.After a voyage, he hath strange places cramm'd
With observation, the which he vents
42the which The article the was frequently used before which, in Elizabethan English, to give greater definiteness to the pronoun.vents Utters.In mangled forms. O that I were a fool!
43in mangled forms In disjointed phrases.I am ambitious for a motley coat.
45Duke S. Thou shalt have one.
45suit Petition, or dress. A play on the two meanings of the word.Jaq. It is my only suit;
Provided that you weed your better judgments
46–8Provided you get rid of any ideas that may have grown up in your minds that I am not a fool.Of all opinion that grows rank in them
That I am wise. I must have liberty
48–50I must, besides, be free to make fun of whomsoever I wish.Withal, as large a charter as the wind,
50To blow on whom I please; for so fools have;
And they that are most galled with my folly,
51They that feel my sarcasm most keenly.They most must laugh. And why, sir, must they so?
The 'why' is plain as way to parish church:
He that a fool doth very wisely hit
54–6Jaques means to say that the man who is hurt by the fool's sarcasm must not show it. Line 56 has only four feet, and some editors think that "Not to," or "But to" should be supplied. Taking the lines as they stand, without supplying anything, the meaning is, "He that is hit by the fool's sarcasm pretends that he has not felt it (Doth seem senseless) by laughing loudly (very foolishly). If "But to" is supplied, the meaning is that he acts (Doth) very foolishly merely to (But to) seem insensible of the jest. If "Not to" is supplied the meaning is that it is foolish of him not to seem insensible of the jest. These different interpretations are possible owing to the fact that "Doth" may be used in different senses, as an auxiliary and as a principal verb.55Doth very foolishly, although he smart,
[Not to] seem senseless of the bob: if not,
56bob A blow; here, a jest or jibe.The wise man's folly is anatomized
57anatomized Analysed.Even by the squandering glances of the fool.
58squandering glances Random hits.Invest me in my motley; give me leave
60To speak my mind, and I will through and through
Cleanse the foul body of the infected world,
If they will patiently receive my medicine.
Duke S. Fie on thee! I can tell what thou wouldst do.
Jaq. What, for a counter, would I do but good?
64a counter A round piece of metal used in counting, and worth nothing in itself.65Duke S. Most mischievous foul sin, in chiding sin:
For thou thyself hast been a libertine,
66libertine One who lives a debauched life.As sensual as the brutish sting itself;
67the brutish sting The animal passions.And all the embossed sores and headed evils,
68embossed Swollen, raised.headed Having come to a head, as in the case of a boil or other sore.That thou with license of free foot hast caught,
69with license of free foot Indulging without restraint in all forms of evil.70Wouldst thou disgorge into the general world.
70the general world The public.Jaq. Why, who cries out on pride,
71Jaques misses the point of the Duke's criticism. The Duke has said that Jaques would make society more corrupt. Jaques does not answer this, but goes on to argue that no one has a right to be offended at what he says.on pride Against pride.That can therein tax any private party?
72tax Accuse.Doth it not flow as hugely as the sea,
Till that the wearer's very means do ebb?
74Till, in the effort to keep up appearances, one becomes poor.the wearer The wearer of fine clothes.75What woman in the city do I name,
When that I say the city-woman bears
The cost of princes on unworthy shoulders?
77The cost of princes Clothes which only the rich can afford to wear.Who can come in and say that I mean her,
When such a one as she such is her neighbour?
80Or what is he of basest function
80what Who; used contemptuously.of basest function Of the meanest occupation.That says his bravery is not of my cost,
81his bravery is not at my cost I don't have to pay for his fine clothes.Thinking that I mean him, but therein suits
82therein By retorting.82–3suits his folly to the mettle of my speech Shows that the point of my speech applies to his foolish actions.His folly to the mettle of my speech?
There then; how then? what then? Let me see wherein
84There you have my answer. What have you to say to it?85My tongue hath wrong'd him: if it do him right,
Then he hath wrong'd himself; if he be free,
86hath wrong'd himself Because he is guilty of the faults of which I complain.Why then my taxing like a wild-goose flies,
87–8No one needs to take my criticism to himself.Unclaim'd of any man. But who comes here?
Enter Orlando, with his sword drawn.
Orl. Forbear, and eat no more.
Jaq. Why, I have eat none yet.
90Orl. Nor shalt not, till necessity be served.
Jaq. Of what kind should this cock come of?
91To what class of people can this impudent fellow belong?Duke S. Art thou thus bolden'd, man, by thy distress,
Or else a rude despiser of good manners,
That in civility thou seem'st so empty?
94civility Good manners.95Orl. You touch'd my vein at first: the thorny point
95at first When you spoke of my distress.Of bare distress hath ta'en from me the show
Of smooth civility: yet am I inland bred
97inland bred Brought up in an inland town.And know some nurture. But forbear, I say:
98nurture Good breeding.He dies that touches any of this fruit
100Till I and my affairs are answered.
Jaq. An you will not be answered with reason, I
must die.
Duke S. What would you have? Your gentleness
shall force
105More than your force move us to gentleness.
Orl. I almost die for food; and let me have it.
Duke S. Sit down and feed, and welcome to our
table.
Orl. Speak you so gently? Pardon me, I pray you:
110I thought that all things had been savage here;
110savage Wild, rude.And therefore put I on the countenance
Of stern commandment. But whate'er you are
That in this desert inaccessible,
Under the shade of melancholy boughs,
115Lose and neglect the creeping hours of time;
If ever you have look'd on better days,
If ever been where bells have knoll'd to church,
117knoll'd Knell'd, summoned by a bell.If ever sat at any good man's feast,
If ever from your eyelids wiped a tear
120And know what 'tis to pity and be pitied,
Let gentleness my strong enforcement be:
121enforcement Compulsion, power by which my wishes are enforced.In the which hope I blush, and hide my sword.
122blush For my incivility.Duke S. True is it that we have seen better days,
And have with holy bell been knoll'd to church,
125And sat at good men's feasts and wiped our eyes
Of drops that sacred pity hath engender'd:
And therefore sit you down in gentleness
And take upon command what help we have
128upon command According to your commands.That to your wanting may be minister'd.
130Orl. Then but forbear your food a little while,
Whiles, like a doe, I go to find my fawn
And give it food. There is an old poor man,
Who after me hath many a weary step
Limp'd in pure love: till he be first sufficed,
135Oppress'd with two weak evils, age and hunger,
135weak evils Evils which produce weakness.I will not touch a bit.
Duke S. Go find him out,
And we will nothing waste till you return.
137waste Use.Orl. I thank ye; and be blest for your good comfort!
[Exit.
Duke S. Thou seest we are not all alone unhappy:
140This wide and universal theatre
Presents more woeful pageants than the scene
141pageants Shows.Wherein we play in.
140the world The theatre where all men play their parts.Jaq. All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
143merely players Nothing but actors.They have their exits and their entrances;
145And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
147Mewling Whimpering.And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
150Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
151Sighing like furnace Sounding like the bellows of a furnace.Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
152Made in praise of his mistress' eyebrow.Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
153strange New-fangled.pard Panther or leopard.Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
154sudden Hasty, impulsive.155Seeking the bubble reputation
155the bubble reputation Lasting no longer than a bubble.Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
157capon Here, roast chicken.With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
158of formal cut Cut in such a way as to be in keeping with his dignity as judge.Full of wise saws and modern instances;
159saws Sayings, maxims.modern instances Commonplace illustrations.160And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
160pantaloon A foolish old man. In the Italian comedies of Shakespeare's time one of the stock characters was Pantalone, a miserly foolish old dotard. The word pantaloon is a corruption of "Pantalone."With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
165Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
166his Its.That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
168mere oblivion Complete forgetfulness.Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
Re-enter Orlando, with Adam.
170Duke S. Welcome. Set down your venerable burden,
And let him feed.
Orl. I thank you most for him.
Adam. So had you need:
I scarce can speak to thank you for myself.
Duke S. Welcome; fall to: I will not trouble you
As yet, to question you about your fortunes.
175Give us some music; and, good cousin, sing.
Song.
Ami. "Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
180Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.
181Because thou art not seen. We have to endure only the feeling of the wind. To see the cause of our misery would add to it.Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then, heigh-ho, the holly!
185This life is most jolly.
Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
That dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
190warp This may mean either that the wind ruffles the surface of the water, or that it changes the water to a rough sheet of ice.190Thy sting is not so sharp
As friend remember'd not."
Heigh-ho! sing, &c.
192As the sting of being forgotten by one's friends.Duke S. If that you were the good Sir Rowland's
son,
195As you have whisper'd faithfully you were,
And as mine eye doth his effigies witness
Most truly limn'd and living in your face,
Be truly welcome hither: I am the duke
That loved your father: the residue of your fortune,
200Go to my cave and tell me. Good old man,
Thou art right welcome as thy master is.
Support him by the arm. Give me your hand,
And let me all your fortunes understand. [Exeunt.