CEL. You have simply misus'd our sex in your love-prate: we must have your doublet and hose plucked over your head, and show the world what the bird hath done to her own nest.2 Ros. O coz, coz, coz, my pretty little coz, that thou didst know how many fathom deep I am in love! But it cannot be sounded; my affection hath an unknown bottom, like the bay of Portugal. CEL. Or rather, bottomless; that as fast as you pour affection in, it runs out. Ros. No, that same wicked bastard of Venus, that was begot of thought,3 conceived of spleen, and born of madness; that blind rascally boy, that abuses every one's eyes, because his own are out, let him be judge, how deep I am in love :-I'll tell thee, Aliena, I cannot be out of the sight of Orlando: I'll go find a shadow, and sigh till he come.* CEL. And I'll sleep. [Exeunt. 2 to her own nest.] So, in Lodge's Rosalynde: And "I pray you (quoth Aliena) if your own robes were off, what mettal are you made of, that you are so satyricall against women? Is it not a foule bird defiles her owne nest?" STEEVENS. Cæsar: 66 begot of thought,] i. e. of melancholy. So, in Julius take thought, and die for Cæsar." Steevens. • — I'll go find a shadow, and sigh till he come.] So, in Macbeth: "Let us seek out some desolate shade, and there SCENE II. Another Part of the Forest. Enter JAQUES and Lords, in the habit of Foresters. JAQ. Which is he that killed the deer? 1 LORD. Sir, it was I. JAQ. Let's present him to the duke, like a Roman conqueror; and it would do well to set the deer's horns upon his head, for a branch of victory-Have you no song, forester, for this purpose? 2 LORD. Yes, sir. JAQ. Sing it; 'tis no matter how it be in tune, so it make noise enough. SONG. 1. What shall he have, that kill'd the deer? His leather skin, and horns to wear.] Shakspeare seems to have formed this song on a hint afforded by the novel which furnished him with the plot of his play. "What news, Forrester? Hast thou wounded some deere, and lost him in the fall? Care not, man, for so small a losse; thy fees was but the skinne, the shoulders, and the horns." Lodge's Rosalynde, or Euphues's Golden Legacie, 1592. For this quotation the reader is indebted to Mr. Malone. So likewise in an ancient MS. entitled The Boke of Hunting, that is cleped Mayster of Game: "And as of fees, it is to 1. Then sing him home: Take thou no scorn, to wear the horn; The rest shall 1. Thy father's father wore it; All. The horn, the horn, the lusty horn, bear this burden. [Exeunt. wite that what man that smyte a dere atte his tree with a dethes stroke, and he be recouered by sonne going doune, he shall haue the skyn," &c. STEEVENS. • Take thou no scorn, to wear the horn;] In King John in two parts, 1591, a play which our author had, without doubt, attentively read, we find these lines: "But let the foolish Frenchman take no scorn, "If Philip front him with an English horn." MALONE. Thus also, in the old comedy of Grim the Collier of Croydon, (date unknown.) 66 Unless your great infernal majesty "Do solemnly proclaim, no devil shall scorn To take scorn is a phrase that occurs again in K. Henry VI. P. I. Act IV. sc. iv: "And take foul scorn, to fawn on him by sending." STEEVENS. SCENE III.' The Forest. Enter ROSALIND and CELIA. Ros. How say you now? Is it not past two o'clock? and here much Orlando! 7 The foregoing noisy scene was introduced only to fill up an interval, which is to represent two hours. This contraction of the time we might impute to poor Rosalind's impatience, but that a few minutes after we find Orlando sending his excuse. I do not see that by any probable division of the Acts this absurdity can be obviated. JOHNSON. 8 and here much Orlando!] Thus the old copy. Some of the modern editors read, but without the least authority: I wonder much, Orlando is not here. STEEVENS. The word much should be explained. It is an expression of latitude, and taken in various senses. Here's much Orlandoi. e. Here is no Orlando, or we may look for him. We have still this use of it, as when we say, speaking of a person who we suspect will not keep his appointment, "Ay, you will be sure to see him there much!" WHALLEY. So the vulgar yet say, "I shall get much by that no doubt," meaning that they shall get nothing. MALONE. Here much Orlando! is spoken ironically on Rosalind perceiving that Orlando had failed in his engagement. HOLT WHITE. Much, in our author's time, was an expression denoting admiration. So, in King Henry IV. P. II. Act II. sc. iv: "What, with two points on your shoulder? much!" Again, in The Taming of a Shrew: "'Tis much!-Servant, leave me and her alone." MALONE. Much! was more frequently used to indicate disdain. See notes on the first of the two passages quoted by Mr. Malone. STEEVENS. CEL. I warrant you, with pure love, and troubled brain, he hath ta'en his bow and arrows, and is gone forth to sleep: Look, who comes here. Enter SILVIUS. fair youth; SIL. My errand is to you, this: [Giving a letter. I know not the contents; but, as I guess, By the stern brow, and waspish action Which she did use as she was writing of it, It bears an angry tenour: pardon me, I am but as a guiltless messenger. Ros. Patience herself would startle at this letter, And play the swaggerer;' bear this, bear all: She says, I am not fair; that I lack manners; She calls me proud; and, that she could not love me Were man as rare as phoenix; Od's my will! Why writes she so to me?-Well, shepherd, well, SIL. No, I protest, I know not the contents; Phebe did write it. Ros. Come, come, you are a fool, And turn'd into the extremity of love. I saw her hand: she has a leathern hand, 9 — bid me —] The old copy redundantly reads-did bid STEEVENS. me. 1 Patience herself would startle at this letter, And play the swaggerer ;] So, in Measure for Measure: "This would make mercy swear, and play the tyrant.” STEEVENS. |