!

Clo. But what is the Sport, Monfieur, that the ladies have loft?

Le Beu. Why this, that I speak of.

Clo. Thus men may grow wiser every day! It is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was

sport for ladies.

Cel. Or I, I promise thee.

Rof. But is there any else longs to see this broken musick in his fides? is there yet another doats upon rib-breaking? Shall we fee this wrestling, Coufin?

Le Beu. You must if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it.

Cel. Yonder, fure, they are coming. Let us now stay and fee it.

Flourish. Enter Duke Frederick, Lords, Orlando,

Charles, and Attendants.

Duke. Come on. Since the Youth will not be entreated, his own peril en his forwardness.

Rof. Is yonder the man?

is there any elfe longs to

SEE this broken music in his fides ?]
A stupid error in the copies. They
are talking here of some who had
their ribs broke in wrestling: and
the pleasantry of Rosalind's re-
partee must confift in the allusion
she makes to composing in musick.
It neceffarily follows therefore,
that the poet wrote SET this
broken musick in bis fides.

WARBURTON.

If any change were necessary I should write, feel this broken mufick, for fee. But fee is the colloquial term for perception or experiment. So we say every

12

day, fee if the water be hot; I will see which is the best time; she has tried, and fees that the cannot lift it. In this sense fee may be here used. The fufferer can, with no propriety, be faid to fet the musick; neither is the allusion to the act of tuning an inftrument, or pricking a tune, one of which must be meant by Setting musick. Rosalind hints at a whimsical fimilitude between the series of ribs gradually shortening, and some musicalinstruments, and therefore calls broken ribs, broken musick.

Le Beu

Cel. Alas, he is too young; yet he looks fuccefffully.

Duke. How now, Daughter and Coufin; are you crept hither to fee the wrestling?

Rof. Ay, my liege, so please you give us leave.

Duke. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the * men: in pity of the challenger's youth, I would feign dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies, see if you can move him.

Cel. Call him hither, good Monfieur Le Beu.

Duke. Do fo, I'll not be by.

[Duke goes apart.

Le Beu. Monfieur the Challenger, the Princesses

call for you.

Orla. I attend them with all respect and duty.

Rof. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the

wrestler?

L

Orla. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger: I come but in, as others do, to try with him the_strength of my youth.

- Cel. Young Gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength. If you faw yourself with your own eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprize. We pray you, for your own fake, to embrace your own fafety, and give over this attempt.

Rof. Do, young Sir; your reputation shall not therefore be mifprised. We will make it our fuit to the Duke, that the wrestling might not go forward.

Orla. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confefs me much guilty, to deny fo fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial, wherein if I be foil'd, there is but one asham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be fo. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty.

Rof. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you.

Cel. And mine to eke out hers.

Rof. Fare you well. Pray heav'n, I be deceiv'd in you.

Cel. Your heart's defire be with you!

Cha. Come, where is this young Gallant, that is so defirous to lie with his mother earth?

Orla. Ready, Sir. But his Will hath in it a more modest working.

Duke. You shall try but one Fall.

Cha. No-I warrant your Grace; you shall not entreat him to a second, that have fo mightily perfuaded him from a first.

Orla. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mocked me before; but come your ways. Rof. Now Hercules be thy speed, young man! Cel. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong

fellow by the leg!

Rof. O excellent young man!

[they wrestle.

I beseech you, puniso me not,

confess myself much guilty to deny

&c. I should wish to read, I fo fair and excellent ladies any

beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts. Therein I

VOL. II.

C

thing.

Cel. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down.

Duke. No more, no more.

[Shout.

[Charles is thrown.

Orla. Yes, I beseech your Grace. I am not yet

well breathed.

Duke. How dost thou, Charles?

Le Beu. He cannot speak, my Lord.

Duke. Bear him away. - What is thy name, young

man?

Orla. Orlando, my liege, the youngest fon of Sir Rowland de Boys.

Duke. I would, thou hadst been son to fome man

elfe!

The world esteem'd thy Father honourable,

But I did find him still mine enemy:

Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed,

Hadst thou defcended from another House.

But fare thee well, thou art a gallant youth;

-I would thou hadst told me of another father.

:

[Exit Duke, with his train.

SCENE VII.

Manent Celia, Rofalind, Orlando.

Cel. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? Orla. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's fon, His youngest fon, and would not change that calling To be adopted heir to Frederick.

Rof. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his foul, And all the world was of my father's mind: Had I before known this young man his fon, I should have giv'n him tears unto entreaties, Ere he should thus have ventur'd.

Let us go thank him and encourage him;
My father's rough and envious difpofition

Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd:

1

:

!

If you do keep your promises in love,
But juftly as you have exceeded all promife,
Your mistress shall be happy.

Rof. Gentleman,

1

Wear this for me; one out of fuits with fortune 3,
That could give more, but that her hand lacks means.
-Shall we go, coz? [Giving him a Chain from her Neck.
Cel. Ay-Fare you well, fair gentleman.

Orla. Can I not say, I thank you? - my better.

parts.

Are all thrown down; and that, which here stands up,
Is but a quintaine, a meer lifeless block.

Rof. He calls us back-my pride fell with my for

tunes.

I'll ask him what he would.-Did you call, Sir? -
Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown

More than your enemies.

Cel. Will you go, coz?

L

Rof. Have with you-Fare you well.

[Exeunt Rosalind and Celia.

Orla. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue?

I cannot speak to her; yet she urg'd conference.

8

15

- one out of fuits with fortune,] This seems an allusion to cards, where he that has no more cards to play of any particular fort is out of fuit.

• Is but a quintaine, a meer lifeless block.] A Quintaine was a Poft or Butt set up for several kinds of martial exercises, against which they threw their darts and exercised their arms. The allufion is beautiful, I am, says Orlando, only a quintaine, a lifeless block on which love only exercises his arms in jest; the great disparity of condition between Rosalind and

f

me, not suffering me to hope that love will ever make a fcrious matter of it. The famous satirift Regnier, who lived about the time of our author, uses the fame metaphor, on the same subject, tho' the thought be different.

C2

Enter