Act Fifth. Scene I. The forest. Enter Touchstone and Audrey. Touch. We shall find a time, Audrey; patience, gentle Audrey. Aud. Faith, the priest was good enough, for all the old gentleman's saying. Touch. A most wicked Sir Oliver, Audrey, a most vile Martext. But, Audrey, there is a youth here in the forest lays claim to you. Aud. Ay, I know who 'tis: he hath no interest in me in the world: here comes the man you mean. Touch. 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. Enter William. Will. Good even, Audrey. Aud. God ye good even, William. ΙΟ Will. And good even to you, sir. Cover thy head, Touch. Good even, gentle friend. cover thy head; nay, prithee, be covered. 20 Will. Five and twenty, sir. Touch. A ripe age. Is thy name William ? Will. William, sir. Touch. A fair name. Wast born i' the forest here? Will. Ay, sir, I thank God. Touch. Thank God;' a good answer. Art rich? Touch. So so' is good, very good, very excellent good; and yet it is not; it is but so so. Art 30 thou wise? Will. Ay, sir, I have a pretty wit. Touch. Why, thou sayest 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? Will. I do, sir. 40 Touch. Give me your hand. Art thou learned? Touch. Then learn this of me: to have, is to have; for it is a figure in rhetoric that drink, being Will. Which he, sir? 50 Touch. 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; 60 I will bandy with thee in faction; I will o'er-run thee with policy; I will kill thee a hundred and fifty ways therefore tremble, and depart. Aud. Do, good William. sir. [Exit. Enter Corin. Cor. Our master and mistress seeks you; come, away, away! Touch. Trip, Audrey! trip, Audrey! I attend, I attend. Scene II. [Exeunt. The forest. Enter Orlando and Oliver. Orl. 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? Oli. 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. 10 Orl. You have my consent. Let your wedding be to-morrow: thither will I invite the Duke and all's contented followers. Go you and pre pare Aliena; for look you, here comes my Ros. O, my dear Orlando, how it grieves me to see thee wear thy heart in a scarf! Orl. It is my arm. Ros. I thought thy heart had been wounded with the claws of a lion. Orl. Wounded it is, but with the eyes of a lady. Ros. Did your brother tell you how I counterfeited to swoon when he showed me your handkercher ? Orl. Ay, and greater wonders than that. Ros. O, I know where you are: nay, 'tis true: there was never any thing so sudden but the fight of two rams, and Cæsar's thrasonical brag of 'I came, saw, and overcame:' for your brother and my sister no sooner met but they looked; no sooner looked but they loved; no sooner ΣΤΟ 30 |