The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [646]
OLIVER.
Well then, take a good heart and counterfeit to be a man.
ROSALIND.
So I do; but, i' faith, I should have been a woman by right.
CELIA.
Come, you look paler and paler; pray you draw homewards.
Good sir, go with us.
OLIVER.
That will I, for I must bear answer back
How you excuse my brother, Rosalind.
ROSALIND.
I shall devise something; but, I pray you, commend my
counterfeiting to him. Will you go? Exeunt
ACT V. SCENE I.
The forest
Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY
TOUCHSTONE.
We shall find a time, Audrey; patience, gentle Audrey.
AUDREY.
Faith, the priest was good enough, for all the old gentleman's saying.
TOUCHSTONE.
A most wicked Sir Oliver, Audrey, a most vile Martext.
But, Audrey, there is a youth here in the forest lays claim to you.
AUDREY.
Ay, I know who 'tis; he hath no interest in me in the
world; here comes the man you mean.
Enter WILLIAM
TOUCHSTONE.
It is meat and drink to me to see a clown. By my troth, we that have good wits have much to answer for: we shall be flouting; we cannot hold.
WILLIAM.
Good ev'n, Audrey.
AUDREY.
God ye good ev'n, William.
WILLIAM.
And good ev'n to you, sir.
TOUCHSTONE.
Good ev'n, gentle friend. Cover thy head, cover thy head; nay, prithee be cover'd. How old are you, friend?
WILLIAM.
Five and twenty, sir.
TOUCHSTONE.
A ripe age. Is thy name William?
WILLIAM.
William, sir.
TOUCHSTONE.
A fair name. Wast born i' th' forest here?
WILLIAM.
Ay, sir, I thank God.
TOUCHSTONE.
'Thank God.' A good answer.
Art rich?
WILLIAM.
Faith, sir, so so.
TOUCHSTONE.
'So so' is good, very good, very excellent good; and yet it is not; it is but so so. Art thou wise?
WILLIAM.
Ay, sir, I have a pretty wit.
TOUCHSTONE.
Why, thou say'st well. I do now remember a saying:
'The
fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be
a fool.' The heathen philosopher, when he had a desire to eat a
grape, would open his lips when he put it into his mouth; meaning
thereby that grapes were made to eat and lips to open. You do love this maid?
WILLIAM.
I do, sir.
TOUCHSTONE.
Give me your hand. Art thou learned?
WILLIAM.
No, sir.
TOUCHSTONE.
Then learn this of me: to have is to have; for it is a figure in rhetoric that drink, being pour'd out of cup into a glass, by filling the one doth empty the other; for all your writers do consent that ipse is he; now, you are not ipse, for I am he.
WILLIAM.
Which he, sir?
TOUCHSTONE.
He, sir, that must marry this woman. Therefore, you clown, abandon- which is in the vulgar leave- the society-which in the boorish is company- of this female- which in the common is woman- which together is: abandon the society of this female; or, clown, thou perishest; or, to thy better understanding, diest; or, to wit, I kill thee, make thee away, translate thy life into death, thy liberty into bondage. I will deal in poison with thee, or in bastinado, or in steel; I will bandy with thee in faction; will o'er-run thee with policy; I will kill thee a hundred and fifty ways; therefore tremble and depart.
AUDREY.
Do, good William.
WILLIAM.
God rest you merry, sir. Exit
Enter CORIN
CORIN.
Our master and mistress seeks you; come away, away.
TOUCHSTONE.
Trip, Audrey, trip, Audrey. I attend, I attend.
Exeunt
SCENE II.
The forest
Enter ORLANDO and OLIVER
ORLANDO.
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?
OLIVER.
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 that we may enjoy each other. 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.
ORLANDO.
You have my consent. Let your wedding be to-morrow.