Act IV
Scene I. The forest.
Enter Rosalind, Celia and Jaques.
Jaq. I prithee, pretty youth, let me be better ac-
quainted with thee.
Ros. They say you are a melancholy fellow.
Jaq. I am so; I do love it better than laughing.
5Ros. Those that are in extremity of either are
abominable fellows and betray themselves to every
modern censure worse than drunkards.
7modern censure Common criticism.Jaq. Why, 'tis good to be sad and say nothing.
Ros. Why then, 'tis good to be a post.
10Jaq. I have neither the scholar's melancholy, which
is emulation; nor the musician's, which is fantastical;
11emulation Jealous rivalry.fantastical Because it expresses the fancies of lovers.nor the courtier's, which is proud; nor the soldier's,
which is ambitious; nor the lawyer's, which is politic;
13politic Assumed for some purpose.nor the lady's, which is nice; nor the lover's, which is all
14nice Has to do with trifles.15these: but it is a melancholy of mine own, compounded
of many simples, extracted from many objects, and in-
16simples The juices of herbs used in medicines were spoken of as simples because each plant yielded only a single kind.deed the sundry contemplation of my travels, in which
17sundry contemplation Thinking now of this journey, now of that.my often rumination wraps me in a most humorous
18often rumination Frequent meditation.humorous Moody.sadness.
20Ros. A traveller! By my faith, you have great reason
to be sad: I fear you have sold your own lands to see
other men's; then, to have seen much and to have
nothing, is to have rich eyes and poor hands.
Jaq. Yes, I have gained my experience.
25Ros. And your experience makes you sad: I had
rather have a fool to make me merry than experience to
make me sad; and to travel for it too!
Enter Orlando.
Orl. Good day and happiness, dear Rosalind!
Jaq. Nay, then God be wi' you, an you talk in
29God be wi' you Good bye.30blank verse. [Exit.
Ros. Farewell, Monsieur Traveller: look you lisp
31look See that, take care that.and wear strange suits, disable all the benefits of your
32disable all the benefits Make little of the good qualities.own country, be out of love with your nativity and
33nativity The rank of life in which you were born.almost chide God for making you that countenance you
34countenance Appearance.35are, or I will scarce think you have swam in a gondola.
35swam Sailed.Why, how now, Orlando! where have you been all this
while? You a lover! An you serve me such another
trick, never come in my sight more.
Orl. My fair Rosalind, I come within an hour of my
40promise.
Ros. Break an hour's promise in love! He that will
divide a minute into a thousand parts and break but
a part of the thousandth part of a minute in the affairs
of love, it may be said of him that Cupid hath clapped
44–5People may say that he is in love, but I'll guarantee that he is not.clapped him on the shoulder This may mean either as a friend, or as a constable who arrests a man.45him o' the shoulder, but I'll warrant him heart-whole.
Orl. Pardon me, dear Rosalind.
Ros. Nay, an you be so tardy, come no more in my
sight: I had as lief be wooed of a snail.
48had as lief Would as willingly.Orl. Of a snail?
50Ros. Ay, of a snail; for though he comes slowly,
he carries his house on his head; a better jointure,
51jointure Marriage settlement; the property which a husband settles on his wife at marriage to belong to her in case of his death.I think, than you make a woman. Am I your
Rosalind?
Cel. It pleases him to call you so; but he hath a
55Rosalind of a better leer than you.
55leer Look, expression of face.Ros. Come, woo me, woo me, for now I am in a
holiday humour and like enough to consent. What
would you say to me now, an I were your very very
Rosalind?
60Orl. I would kiss before I spoke.
Ros. Nay, you were better speak first, and when
you were gravelled for lack of matter, you might take
62gravelled Stuck.occasion to kiss. Very good orators, when they are out,
63out Out of something to say; do not know what to say next.they will spit; and for lovers lacking—God warn us!—
64God warn us God defend us from ever being in that predicament.65matter, the cleanliest shift is to kiss.
65the cleanliest shift The best way out of the difficulty.Orl. How if the kiss be denied?
Ros. Then she puts you to entreaty, and there begins
new matter.
Orl. Who could be out, being before his beloved
70mistress?
Ros. Marry, that should you, if I were your mistress.
Orl. What, of my suit?
72suit A pun on the two meanings of the word.Ros. Not out of your apparel, and yet out of your
suit. Am not I your Rosalind?
75Orl. I take some joy to say you are, because I would
be talking of her.
Ros. Well in her person I say I will not have you.
77in her person Acting in her behalf.Orl. Then in mine own person I die.
Ros. No, faith, die by attorney. The poor world is
79by attorney By proxy. Let someone else die in your place.80almost six thousand years old, and in all this time there
was not any man died in his own person; videlicet, in a
81videlicet Namely, viz.love-cause. Troilus had his brains dashed out with a
82Troilus Troilus was one of the sons of Priam, King of Troy. He fell in love with a Grecian maiden, named Cressida, who had been taken prisoner by the Trojans; but she proved unfaithful to him. He was killed by the Greeks during the siege.Grecian club; yet he did what he could to die before,
and he is one of the patterns of love. Leander, he would
84patterns of love Models for lovers to follow.Leander Leander, a youth of Abydos was in love with a maiden named Hero, who lived at Sestos, on the opposite side of the Hellespont. Guided by a torch which she placed in her tower, he swam the Hellespont every night to see her; but one dark night when the torch was extinguished by a storm, he was drowned, and his body was washed up at the foot of the tower. Overcome with grief, Hero threw herself into the sea and perished.85have lived many a fair year, though Hero had turned
nun, if it had not been for a hot midsummer night; for,
good youth, he went but forth to wash him in the
Hellespont and being taken with the cramp was
drowned; and the foolish chroniclers of that age found
90it was 'Hero of Sestos.' But these are all lies: men
have died from time to time and worms have eaten
them, but not for love.
Orl. I would not have my right Rosalind of this
mind, for I protest, her frown might kill me.
95Ros. By this hand, it will not kill a fly. But come,
now I will be your Rosalind in a more coming-on dis-
96coming-on Favourable, encouraging.position, and ask me what you will, I will grant it.
Orl. Then love me, Rosalind.
Ros. Yes, faith, will I, Fridays and Saturdays and all.
100Orl. And wilt thou have me?
Ros. Ay, and twenty such.
Orl. What sayest thou?
Ros. Are you not good?
Orl. I hope so.
105Ros. Why then, can one desire too much of a good
thing? Come, sister, you shall be the priest and marry
us. Give me your hand, Orlando. What do you say,
sister?
Orl. Pray thee, marry us.
110Cel. I cannot say the words.
Ros. You must begin, 'Will you, Orlando—'
Cel. Go to. Will you, Orlando, have to wife this
Rosalind?
Orl. I will.
115Ros. Ay, but when?
Orl. Why now; as fast as she can marry us.
Ros. Then you must say 'I take thee, Rosalind,
for wife.'
Orl. I take thee, Rosalind, for wife.
120Ros. I might ask you for your commission; but I do
120commission License.take thee, Orlando, for my husband: there's a girl goes
121–2goes before the priest Doesn't wait for the priest to tell her what to say.before the priest; and certainly a woman's thought runs
before her actions.
Orl. So do all thoughts; they are winged.
125Ros. Now tell me how long you would have her
after you have possessed her.
Orl. For ever and a day.
Ros. Say 'a day,' without the 'ever.' No, no,
Orlando; men are April when they woo, December when
130they wed: maids are May when they are maids, but the
sky changes when they are wives. I will be more
jealous of thee than a Barbary cock-pigeon over his hen,
132Barbary A general name for the north of Africa, including Morocco, Fez, Algeria, Tunis and Tripoli.more clamorous than a parrot against rain, more new-
133–4new-fangled Wanting new things.fangled than an ape, more giddy in my desires than
135a monkey: I will weep for nothing, like Diana in the
135–6Diana in the fountain Statues representing one or other of the Greek goddesses, with water spouting from the mouth or the eyes, were frequent ornaments of fountains.fountain, and I will do that when you are disposed to be
merry; I will laugh like a hyen, and that when thou art
137hyen Hyena.inclined to sleep.
Orl. But will my Rosalind do so?
140Ros. By my life, she will do as I do.
Orl. O, but she is wise.
Ros. Or else she could not have the wit to do this:
the wiser, the waywarder: make the doors upon a
143the waywarder The more wilful.make the doors Close the doors; make them fast.woman's wit and it will out at the casement; shut that
145and 'twill out at the key-hole; stop that, 'twill fly with
the smoke out at the chimney.
Orl. For these two hours, Rosalind, I will leave thee.
Ros. Alas! dear love, I cannot lack thee two hours.
Orl. I must attend the duke at dinner: by two
150o'clock I will be with thee again.
Ros. Ay, go your ways, go your ways; I knew what
you would prove: my friends told me as much, and I
thought no less: that flattering tongue of yours won
me: 'tis but one cast away, and so, come, death! Two
154cast away Forsaken.155o'clock is your hour?
Orl. Ay, sweet Rosalind.
Ros. By my troth, and in good earnest, and so God
157–8God mend me God help me; God give me better fortune.mend me, and by all pretty oaths that are not dangerous,
not dangerous Not profane.if you break one jot of your promise or come one minute
160behind your hour, I will think you the most pathetical
160pathetical Here used in a ludicrous sense, meaning, to be pitied, miserable.break-promise and the most hollow lover and the most
unworthy of her you call Rosalind that may be chosen
out of the gross band of the unfaithful: therefore be-
ware my censure and keep your promise.
165Orl. With no less religion than if thou wert indeed
165religion Seriousness.my Rosalind: so adieu.
Ros. Well, Time is the old justice that examines all
167justice Judge.such offenders, and let Time try: adieu. [Exit Orlando.
Cel. Your have simply misused our sex in your love-
169misused Abused.170prate: we must have your doublet and hose plucked
over your head, and show the world what the bird hath
171–2A reference to the proverb, "It's an ill bird that fouls its own nest."done to her own nest.
Ros. O coz, coz, coz, my pretty little coz, that thou
didst know how many fathom deep I am in love! But
175it cannot be sounded: my affection hath an unknown
175sounded Measured.bottom, like the bay of Portugal.
176the bay of Portugal There is no distinct "bay" of Portugal. The name was formerly applied to the waters off the coast between Oporto and Cintra. The water in this "bay" is so deep that in Shakespeare's time it was impossible to sound it.Cel. Or rather, bottomless, that as fast as you pour
affection in, it runs out.
Ros. No, that same blind rascally boy that abuses
179boy Cupid.abuses Deceives.180every one's eyes because his own are out, let him be
180his own are out "Love is blind."judge how deep I am in love. I'll tell thee, Aliena, I
cannot be out of the sight of Orlando: I'll go find a
shadow and sigh till he come.
183shadow Shady place.Cel. And I'll sleep. [Exeunt.
Scene II. The forest.
Enter Jaques, Lords, and Foresters.
Jaq. Which is he that killed the deer?
A Lord. Sir, it was I.
Jaq. Let's present him to the duke, like a Roman
3–5See Act II., Scene I. Jaques is sarcastic.conqueror; and it would do well to set the deer's horns
5upon his head, for a branch of victory. Have you no
song, forester, for this purpose?
For. Yes, sir.
Jaq. Sing it: 'tis no matter how it be in tune, so it
8It does not matter how little tune there is to it (so) if it makes noise enough.make noise enough.
Song.
10For. "What shall he have that kill'd the deer?
His leather skin and horns to wear.
Then sing him home; [The rest shall bear this burden.
12sing him home Conduct him home with songs.bear this burthen Join in this chorus.Take thou no scorn to wear the horn;
13There is a coarse reference here to the old fancy that a man whose wife was unfaithful to him wore horns on his forehead.It was a crest ere thou wast born:
15Thy father's father wore it,
And thy father bore it:
The horn, the horn, the lusty horn
Is not a thing to laugh to scorn." [Exeunt.
Scene III. The forest.
Enter Rosalind and Celia.
Ros. How say you now? Is it not past two o'clock?
1How say you? What do you say?and here much Orlando!
2much Orlando Ironical for "no sign of Orlando."Cel. I warrant you, with pure love and troubled
brain, he hath ta'en his bow and arrows and is gone
5forth to sleep. Look, who comes here.
Enter Silvius.
Sil. My errand is to you, fair youth;
My gentle Phebe bid me give you this:
I know not the contents; but, as I guess
By the stern brow and waspish action
10Which she did use as she was writing of it,
It bears an angry tenour: pardon me;
11It bears an angry tenour The contents are of an angry nature.I am but as a guiltless messenger.
Ros. Patience herself would startle at this letter
13–4This letter would rouse even the most patient person and make him bluster.And play the swaggerer; bear this, bear all:
15She says I am not fair, that I lack manners;
She calls me proud, and that she could not love me,
Were man as rare as phoenix. 'Od's my will!
17as rare as phoenix The phoenix is a fabulous bird resembling the eagle in size. According to the legend it came from Arabia to Egypt every 500 years. Here it built itself a funeral pile upon which it was consumed, but from the flames there arose a new phoenix to take the place of the old.'Od's my will See note on Act III., Scene V., l. 44.Her love is not the hare that I do hunt:
Why writes she so to me? Well, shepherd, well,
20This is a letter of your own device.
Sil. No, I protest, I know not the contents:
Phebe did write it.
Ros. Come, come, you are a fool
And turn'd into the extremity of love.
23turn'd into Brought to.I saw her hand; she has a leathern hand,
25A freestone-colour'd hand: I verily did think
25freestone-colour'd Of the colour of bath-brick.That her old gloves were on, but 'twas her hands:
She has a huswife's hand; but that's no matter:
27huswife's hand The hand of a housewife, hardened with rough work.I say she never did invent this letter:
This is a man's invention and his hand.
30Sil. Sure, it is hers.
Ros. Why, 'tis a boisterous and a cruel style,
A style for challengers; why, she defies me,
Like Turk to Christian: women's gentle brain
Could not drop forth such giant-rude invention,
34giant-rude Exceedingly rude, monstrously rude.35Such Ethiope words, blacker in their effect
35Ethiope Black as an Ethiopian, or negro.35–6blacker in their effect than in their countenance Being written in ink they are black in their appearance (countenance), but they are blacker still in the effect which they produce on the reader.Than in their countenance. Will you hear the letter?
Sil. So please you, for I never heard it yet;
37So please you If you please.Yet heard too much of Phebe's cruelty.
Ros. She Phebes me: mark how the tyrant writes.
39Phebes me She writes to me as only a person as cruel as Phebe could write.40[Reads] "Art thou god to shepherd turn'd,
That a maiden's heart hath burn'd?"
Can a woman rail thus?
Sil. Call you this railing?
Ros. [Reads]
45Why, thy godhead laid apart,
44thy godhead laid apart Thy godhead being set aside; the nominative absolute construction.Warr'st thou with a woman's heart?
Did you ever hear such railing?
Whiles the eye of man did woo me,
That could do no vengeance to me.
48vengeance Harm, injury.50Meaning me a beast.
49Meaning me a beast Since the eye of man could do her no harm, she must mean that I am a beast.If the scorn of your bright eyne
50eyne Eyes.Have power to raise such love in mine,
Alack, in me what strange effect
Would they work in mild aspect!
55Whiles you chid me, I did love;
How then might your prayers move!
He that brings this love to thee
Little knows this love in me:
And by him seal up thy mind;
58by him seal up thy mind Send back an answer by him, sealed up so that he will not read it.60Whether that thy youth and kind
59youth and kind Youth and other qualities.Will the faithful offer take
Of me and all that I can make:
61make Do.O else by him my love deny,
And then I'll study how to die."
65Sil. Call you this chiding?
Cel. Alas, poor shepherd!
Ros. Do you pity him? no, he deserves no pity.
Wilt thou love such a woman? What, to make thee an
instrument and play false strains upon thee! not to be
68instrument In the double sense of "tool," and "musical instrument."70endured! Well, go your way to her, for I see love hath
made thee a tame snake, and say this to her: that if she
love me, I charge her to love thee; if she will not, I will
never have her unless thou entreat for her. If you be a
true lover, hence, and not a word: for here comes more
75company. [Exit Silvius.
Enter Oliver.
Orl. Good morrow, fair ones: pray you, if you know,
Where in the purlieus of this forest stands
76purlieus Borders, outskirts.A sheep-cote fenced about with olive trees?
Cel. West of this place, down in the neighbour
79neighbour bottom Neighbouring lowlands, or valley.80bottom:
The rank of osiers by the murmuring stream
80rank Row.Left on your right hand brings you to the place.
81Left on your right hand If you leave them on your right hand.But at this hour the house doth keep itself;
There's none within.
84If what I have been told about you may help my eye to judge.85Oli. If that an eye may profit by a tongue,
Then should I know you by description;
Such garments and such years: 'The boy is fair,
Of female favour, and bestows himself
87favour Appearance.87–8bestows himself like a ripe sister Acts like a grown-up sister.Like a ripe sister: the woman low
90And browner than her brother.' Are not you
The owner of the house I did enquire for?
Cel. It is no boast, being ask'd, to say we are.
Oli. Orlando doth commend him to you both,
92commend him Send greetings.And to that youth he calls his Rosalind
95He sends this bloody napkin. Are you he?
94napkin Handkerchief.Ros. I am: what must we understand by this?
Oli. Some of my shame; if you will know of me
What man I am, and how, and why, and where
This handkercher was stain'd.
Cel. I pray you, tell it.
100Oli. When last the young Orlando parted from you
He left a promise to return again
Within an hour, and pacing through the forest,
102Meditating on love (fancy), which is both bitter and sweet.Chewing the food of sweet and bitter fancy,
Lo, what befell! he threw his eye aside,
105And mark what object did present itself:
Under an oak, whose boughs were moss'd with age
And high top bald with dry antiquity,
106dry antiquity Old age which had made it dry.A wretched ragged man, o'ergrown with hair,
Lay sleeping on his back: about his neck
110A green and gilded snake had wreathed itself,
Who with her head nimble in threats approach'd
110nimble in threats With darting threatening movements.The opening of his mouth; but suddenly,
Seeing Orlando, it unlinked itself,
And with indented glides did slip away
113indented glides With a sinuous gliding movement.115Into a bush: under which bush's shade
A lioness, with udders all drawn dry,
115with udders all drawn dry See l. 127.Lay couching, head on ground, with catlike watch,
When that the sleeping man should stir; for 'tis
The royal disposition of that beast
118royal Because the lion was regarded as the king of beasts.120To 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
123render Report.125That lived amongst 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 suck'd and hungry lioness?
Oli. Twice did he turn his back and purposed so;
130But kindness, nobler ever than revenge,
And nature, stronger than his just occasion,
130just occasion The just cause he had for revenge.Made him give battle to the lioness,
Who quickly fell before him: in which hurtling
132hurtling Noise of combat, tumult.From miserable slumber I awaked.
135Cel. Are you his brother?
Ros. Was't you he rescued?
Cel. Was't you that did so oft contrive to kill him?
136–8I am not ashamed to tell you what I was, since I am now a different being, and my change of heart (conversion) has made me so much happier.Oli. 'Twas I; but 'tis not I: I do not shame
To tell you what I was, since my conversion
So sweetly tastes, being the thing I am.
139–40When each of us had told the story of his adventures from first to last amid tears of affection.140Ros. But, for the bloody napkin?
139for How about?Oli. By and by.
When from the first to last betwixt us two
Tears our recountments had most kindly bathed,
As how I came into that desert place:—
142As As, for instance.In brief, he led me to the gentle duke,
143In brief To make a long story short.145Who gave me fresh array and entertainment,
144entertainment Good care.Committing me unto my brother's love;
Who led me instantly unto his cave,
There stripp'd himself, and here upon his arm
The lioness had torn some flesh away,
150Which all this while had bled; and now he fainted
And cried, in fainting, upon Rosalind.
Brief, I recover'd him, bound up his wound;
And, after some small space, being strong at heart,
He sent me hither, stranger as I am,
155To tell this story, that you might excuse
His broken promise, and to give this napkin
Dyed in his blood unto the shepherd youth
That he in sport doth call his Rosalind. [Rosalind swoons.
Cel. Why, how now, Ganymede! sweet Ganymede!
160Oli. Many will swoon when they do look on blood.
Cel. There is more in it. Cousin Ganymede!
Oli. Look, he recovers.
Ros. I would I were at home.
Cel. We'll lead you thither.
I pray you, will you take him by the arm?
165Oli. Be of good cheer, youth: you a man! you lack
a man's heart.
Ros. I do so, I confess it. Ah, sirrah, a body would
166a body Anyone.think this was well counterfeited! I pray you, tell your
brother how well I counterfeited. Heigh-ho!
170Oli. 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
175be 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.
180Oli. That will I, for I must bear answer back
How you excuse my brother, Rosalind.
180How you excuse That is, whether you excuse him or not.Ros. I shall devise something: but, I pray you,
181devise something Think of some message to send to him.commend my counterfeiting to him. Will you go?
[Exeunt.