AS YOU LIKE IT

DUKE, living in banishment.

FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions.

AMIENS,

JAQUES,

}

lords attending on the banished Duke.

LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick.
CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick.

SCENE: Oliver's house ; Duke Frederick's court; and the Forest of Arden.

As You Like It.

Act First.

Scene I.

Orchard of Oliver's house.

Enter Orlando and Adam.

Orl. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion: bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou sayest, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well: and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth, that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their 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

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his animals on his dunghills are as much bound
to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so
plentifully gives me, the something that nature
gave me his countenance seems to take from me:
he lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place 20
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 spirit of my
father, which I think is within me, begins to
mutiny against this servitude: I will no longer
endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy
how to avoid it.

Adam. Yonder comes my master, your brother.
Orl. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he
will shake me up.

Enter Oliver.

Oli. Now, sir! what make you here?

Orl. Nothing: I am not taught to make any

thing.

Oli. What mar you then, sir?

Orl. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which
God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours,

with idleness.

Oli. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be naught awhile.

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Orl. Shall I keep your hogs and eat husks with them? 40 What prodigal portion have I spent, that I should come to such penury?

Oli. Know you where you are, sir?

Orl. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard.
Oli. Know you before whom, sir?

Orl. Ay, better than him 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
same tradition takes not away my blood, were
there twenty brothers betwixt us: I have as much
of my father in me as you; albeit, I confess, your
coming before me is nearer to his reverence.

Oli. What, boy!

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

Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?

Orl. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir

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Rowland de Boys; he was my father, and he 60
is thrice a villain that says such a father begot
villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not
take this hand from thy throat till this other had
pulled out thy tongue for saying so thou hast