not have been ready. In any case it seems not to have been printed at this time. "As You Like It" first appeared in print in the folio. of 1623 (see page 145) where it was published with the rest of the poet's plays by his two friends and fellow-actors, Heminge and Condell. It stands next to "The Merchant of Venice" and among the other charming comedies of the same period. The date of the writing of "As You Like It" is also uncertain. In September, 1598, Francis Meres published his "Palladis Tamia" or "Wit's Treasury," which contained a list of Shakespeare's plays. Among these "As You Like It" does not appear. On the other hand, the play contains a quotation from Marlowe's "Hero and Leander," which appeared in 1598. Shakespeare took this method of paying his tribute to his famous predecessor in the words: "Dead shepherd, now I find thy saw of might, (Act III, 5, 80.) On the whole, then, "As You Like It" seems to belong to the great group of plays which bring the merry comedies of Shakespeare to an end. Almost immediately the poet seems to fall into the dark, somber mood which produced the tragedies. In these comedies we find reconciliation of enemies and the reunion of parted friends. Disguise abounds, as does the light, gay touch, so that we may place "As You Like It" in the same period and make its date 1599. SOURCES OF MATERIAL USED BY SHAKESPEARE IN "AS YOU LIKE IT" The story which runs through "As You Like It" was first found in the "Tale of Gamelyn" by Coke, a long ballad-epic of incidents very like those of the play. It is, however, improbable that Shakespeare ever saw this poem. Upon this tale Lodge founded his novel, "Rosalynde, Euphues Golden Legacie," which Shakespeare chose as material for his play. He was wise enough to use anything that would appeal to his audiences and, moreover, there was much in the romance that he would like. The novel was very popular, as was shown by the fact that it was reprinted again and again between 1590 and 1640. It also dealt with a popular subject, for it was a pastoral romance, that is a story of courtiers, who, tired of the conventional life of the court, betook themselves to the country where they fell in love, wrote verse, and imagined themselves shepherds and shepherdesses. This sort of atmosphere prevailed in many of the writings of Elizabeth's time. Shakespeare, then, in using material so familiar to his audiences, seems to have departed from the sources less than in any other play. To us, who think nothing of seeing a popular novel dramatized or filmed, usually to its detriment, this will not seem strange, and yet Shakespeare did not dramatize this novel in the ordinary modern sense. We have only to read Lodge's romance with its unreal, flat characters, its long moralizing speeches, to realize that the playwright merely used the material he found there as a foundation upon which to build a vital structure which delights us at every point. In Lodge's novel Sir John of Bordeaux (Sir Rowland de. Boys of the play) at the time of his death bequeathed his estate to his three sons, Saladyne (Oliver), Fernandyne (Jaques de Boys), and Rosader (Orlando). To the last named, the youngest, was given the largest share, but Saladyne, the eldest, had managed to deprive his younger brothers of their patrimony by sending the second to school and by keeping Rosader at home employed as a servant. In the novel there is a long death-bed scene, but the playwright compresses all this material into Orlando's opening speech. After two or three years Rosader suddenly decided to endure this treatment no longer. As he was meditating upon his servile position, Saladyne appeared with some of his men and insulted Rosader, who turned upon him with such fury that Saladyne ordered his men to bind him. "This made Rosader halfe mad, that stepping to a great rake that stood in the garden, hee laide such loade uppon his brothers men that hee hurt some of them, and made the rest of them run away. Saladyne seeing Rosader so resolute, and with his resolution so valiant, thought his heeles his best safetie, and tooke him to a loaft adjoyning to the garden, whether Rosader pursued him hotly. Saladyne, afraide of his brothers furie, cried out to him thus: Rosader, be not so rash: I am thy brother and thine elder, and if I have done thee wrong ile make thee amendes. . "These wordes appeased the choller of Rosader, for he was of a milde and curteous nature, so that hee layde downe his weapons, and upon the faith of a gentleman assured his brother hee would offer him no prejudice: whereupon Saladyne came down, and after a little parley, they imbraced cache other and became friends. . . .” From this time, however, Saladyne plotted revenge. How much more interesting is the playwright's scene with the two brothers alone, Adam watching in the background, and then Oliver's immediate plan for revenge! Now Torismond, king of France (Duke Frederick), who had banished his brother Gerismond, the rightful king, had planned a great tournament for the amusement of his subjects whose discontent he feared. At his court was a champion wrestler, a Norman (Charles), who had been victorious over all comers, usually killing them by the mere weight of his body. Here was Saladyne's opportunity. After plotting with the Norman, whom he bribed to an oath that Rosader should not come out alive, he went to his brother. Rosader, already a vigorous wrestler, was desirous of honor and it was a simple matter for Saladyne to persuade him to the wrestling. The day of the tournament arrived and the court assembled. Torismond had ordered to be present his own daughter, Alinda (Celia), and his niece Rosalynde, the daughter of the banished king. When Rosader came to his turn with the Norman, who had already killed two opponents, he glanced up at the ladies and was transfixed by the beauty of Rosalynde. Aroused from his trance by a clap on his shoulder by the Norman and fired by a glance from Rosalynde, he fought bravely and well. "At last Rosader, calling to minde the beautie of his new mistresse, the fame of his fathers honours, and the disgrace that should fal to his house by his misfortune, rowsed himselfe and threw the Norman against the ground, falling uppon his chest with so willing a weight, that the Norman yielded nature her due, and Rosader the victorie." 130003B Rosader's victory pleased the king, who asked him his name and when he learned that he was the son of Sir John of Bordeaux, he embraced him and treated him with all honor. Rosalynde sent him a jewel, which he repaid by a sonnet so charming that Rosalynde upon reading it, blushed and began to think she had found her lover. After the tournament Rosader, with some youths who had made friends with him, returned to his home where his brother Saladyne was waiting for the news of Rosader's death. When he saw him coming crowned with the wreath of victory, he withdrew and barred the gate. This Rosader broke through and then feasted with his new-found friends. Later when they had departed, in his wrath at his brother, he would have been avenged, but an old servant, Adam Spencer by name, managed to reconcile the brothers. By this means Lodge delays the action which Shakespeare advances as rapidly as possible. Meantime just as Rosalynde had finished singing to the accompaniment of her lute a charming song inspired by her rapidly mounting love for Rosader, Torismond appeared. Without very good reason except because of her beauty, he banished her, and when his daughter, Alinda, entreated him to withdraw the decree, he exiled her. Whereupon they set out together, Rosalynde dressed as a page called Ganymede, and Alinda in peasant attire with the name of Aliena. Upon their arrival in the Forest of Arden they encountered two shepherds, Montanus (Silvius) and Corydon (Corin), the former very much in love with Phebe, a young shepherdess. The shepherds hospitably entertained them for the night, but |