The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [636]
ROSALIND.
It may well be call'd Jove's tree, when it drops forth such fruit.
CELIA.
Give me audience, good madam.
ROSALIND.
Proceed.
CELIA.
There lay he, stretch'd along like a wounded knight.
ROSALIND.
Though it be pity to see such a sight, it well becomes the ground.
CELIA.
Cry 'Holla' to thy tongue, I prithee; it curvets
unseasonably. He was furnish'd like a hunter.
ROSALIND.
O, ominous! he comes to kill my heart.
CELIA.
I would sing my song without a burden; thou bring'st me out of tune.
ROSALIND.
Do you not know I am a woman? When I think, I must speak.
Sweet, say on.
CELIA.
You bring me out. Soft! comes he not here?
Enter ORLANDO and JAQUES
ROSALIND.
'Tis he; slink by, and note him.
JAQUES.
I thank you for your company; but, good faith, I had as
lief have been myself alone.
ORLANDO.
And so had I; but yet, for fashion sake, I thank you too for your society.
JAQUES.
God buy you; let's meet as little as we can.
ORLANDO.
I do desire we may be better strangers.
JAQUES.
I pray you mar no more trees with writing love songs in their barks.
ORLANDO.
I pray you mar no more of my verses with reading them
ill-favouredly.
JAQUES.
Rosalind is your love's name?
ORLANDO.
Yes, just.
JAQUES.
I do not like her name.
ORLANDO.
There was no thought of pleasing you when she was christen'd.
JAQUES.
What stature is she of?
ORLANDO.
Just as high as my heart.
JAQUES.
You are full of pretty answers. Have you not been
acquainted with goldsmiths' wives, and conn'd them out of rings?
ORLANDO.
Not so; but I answer you right painted cloth, from whence
you have studied your questions.
JAQUES.
You have a nimble wit; I think 'twas made of Atalanta's heels. Will you sit down with me? and we two will rail against our mistress the world, and all our misery.
ORLANDO.
I will chide no breather in the world but myself, against whom I know most faults.
JAQUES.
The worst fault you have is to be in love.
ORLANDO.
'Tis a fault I will not change for your best virtue. I am weary of you.
JAQUES.
By my troth, I was seeking for a fool when I found you.
ORLANDO.
He is drown'd in the brook; look but in, and you shall see him.
JAQUES.
There I shall see mine own figure.
ORLANDO.
Which I take to be either a fool or a cipher.
JAQUES.
I'll tarry no longer with you; farewell, good Signior Love.
ORLANDO.
I am glad of your departure; adieu, good Monsieur Melancholy.
Exit JAQUES
ROSALIND.
[Aside to CELIA] I will speak to him like a saucy lackey,
and under that habit play the knave with him.- Do you hear,
forester?
ORLANDO.
Very well; what would you?
ROSALIND.
I pray you, what is't o'clock?
ORLANDO.
You should ask me what time o' day; there's no clock in the forest.
ROSALIND.
Then there is no true lover in the forest, else sighing every minute and groaning every hour would detect the lazy foot of Time as well as a clock.
ORLANDO.
And why not the swift foot of Time? Had not that been as proper?
ROSALIND.
By no means, sir. Time travels in divers paces with divers persons. I'll tell you who Time ambles withal, who Time trots withal, who Time gallops withal, and who he stands still withal.
ORLANDO.
I prithee, who doth he trot withal?
ROSALIND.
Marry, he trots hard with a young maid between the contract of her marriage and the day it is solemniz'd; if the interim be but a se'nnight, Time's pace is so hard that it seems the length of seven year.
ORLANDO.
Who ambles Time withal?
ROSALIND.
With a priest that lacks Latin and a rich man that hath not the gout; for the one sleeps easily because he cannot study, and the other lives merrily because he feels no pain; the one lacking the burden of lean and wasteful learning, the other knowing no burden of heavy tedious penury. These Time ambles withal.
ORLANDO.
Who doth he gallop withal?
ROSALIND.
With a thief to the gallows; for though he