plucked over your head, and show the world what the bird hath done to her own nest. 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. 8 Ros. No, that same wicked bastard of Venus, that was begot of thought, 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. 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. begot of thought,] i. e. of melancholy. SONG. 1. What shall he have, that kill'd the deer? 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, SCENE III.9 The Forest. Enter ROSALIND and CELIA." bear this burden. [Exeunt. Ros. How say you now? Is it not past two o'clock? And here much Orlando!1 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. Şil. My errand is to you, fair youth; My gentle Phebe bid me give you this: [Giving a letter. I know not the contents; but, as I guess, 9 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. 1 and here much Orlando!] Much! was frequently used to indicate disdain. this to her;-That if she love me, I charge her to love thee: if she will not, I will never have her, unless thou entreat for her.-If you be a true lover, hence, and not a word; for here comes more company. [Exit SILVIUS. Enter OLIVEer. Oli. Good-morrow, fair ones: Pray you, if know Where, in the purlieus of this forest," stands you Cel. West of this place, down in the neighbour bottom, The rank of osiers, by the murmuring stream, Oli. If that an eye may profit by a tongue, Cel. It is no boast, being ask'd, to say, we are. And to that youth, he calls his Rosalind, in our author's time, frequently used to express a poor contemptible fellow. 6 purlieus of this forest,] Purlieu, says Manwood's Treatise on the Forest Laws, c. xx. " Is a certaine territorie of ground adjoyning unto the forest, meared and bounded with unmoveable marks, meeres, and boundaries: which territories of ground was also forest, and, afterwards disaforested againe by the perambulations made for the severing of the new forest from the old.” napkin;] i. e. handkerchief. REED. Ros. I am: What must we understand by this? Oli. Some of my shame; if you will know of me What man I am, and how, and why, and where This handkerchief was stain'd. Cel. I pray you, tell it. Oli. When last the young Orlando parted from you, He left a promise to return again Within an hour; and, pacing through the forest, A wretched ragged man, o'ergrown with hair, A green and gilded snake had wreath'd itself, And with indented glides did slip away Lay couching, head on ground, with catlike watch, To prey on nothing that doth seem as dead: This seen, Orlando did approach the man, And found it was his brother, his elder brother. Cel. O, I have heard him speak of that same brother; And he did renders him the most unnatural That liv'd 'mongst men. And well he might so do, Oli. * And he did render him-] i. e. describe him. Ros. But, to Orlando;-Did he leave him there, Food to the suck'd and hungry lioness? Oli. Twice did he turn his back, and purpos'd so! But kindness, nobler ever than revenge, And nature, stronger than his just occasion, Who quickly fell before him; in which hurtling Cel. Are you his brother? Ros. Was it you he rescu'd? Cel. Was't you that did so oft contrive to kill him? Oli. 'Twas I; but 'tis not I: I do not shame To tell what I was, you since my conversion So sweetly tastes, being the thing I am. Oli. Which all this while had bled; and now he fainted, And cry'd, in fainting, upon Rosalind. Brief, I recover'd him; bound up his wound; And, after some small space, being strong at heart, He sent me hither, stranger as I am, To tell this story, that you might excuse His broken promise, and to give this napkin, 9 in which hurtling-] To hurtle is to move with impetuosity and tumult. |