Duke. Frederick, brother to the Duke, and ufurper. Le Beau, a courtier attending upon Frederick. } Orlando, younger brothers to Oliver. Adam, an old fervant of Sir Rowland de Boys, Corin, } Shepherds. William, in love with Audrey. Sir Oliver Mar-text, a vicar. Charles, wrestler to the ufurping Duke Frederick. Rofalind, daughter to the Duke. Celia, daughter to Frederick. Phebe, a fhepherdess. Audrey, a country wench. A perfon reprefenting Hymen. Lords belonging to the two Dukes; with pages, forefters, and other attendants. The SCENE lies, firft, near Oliver's houfe; and, afterwards, partly in the Duke's court; and partly in the foreft of Arden. The lift of the perfons being omitted in the old editions, was added by Mr. Rowe. JOHNSON. AS ACT I. SCENE I Oliver's Orchard. Enter Orlando and Adam. Orlando. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me: By will, but a poor thoufand crowns; and, as thou fay'ft, charged my bro 2 As you like it was certainly borrowed, if we believe Dr. Grey and Mr. Upton, from the Coke's Tale of Gamelyn; which by the way was not printed 'till a century afterward: when in truth the old bard, who was no hunter of MS. contented himself folely with Lodge's Rofalynd, or, Euphues' Golden Legacyc. 4to. 1590. FARMER. Shakspeare has followed Lodge's novel more exactly than is his general custom when he is indebted to fuch worthless originals; and has sketch'd fome of his principal characters, and borrowed a few expreffions from it. His imitations, &c. however, are in general too infignificant to merit tranfcription. It fhould be obferved that the characters of Jaques, the Clown, and Audrey, are entirely of the poet's own formation. Although I have never met with any edition of this comedy before the year 1623, it is evident, that fuch a publication was at leaft defigned. At the beginning of the fecond volume of the entries at Stationers' Hall, are placed two leaves of irregular prohibitions, notes, &c. Among thefe are the following: "As You Like It, a book. The dates fcattered over these pages are from 1596 to 1615. 3 As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will, but a poor thousand crowns, &c.] The grammar, as well as fenfe, fuffers cruelly by this reading. There are two nominatives ther, on his bleffing, to breed me well and there begins my fadnefs. My brother Jaques he keeps at fchool, and report fpeaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me ruftically at home, or, to fpeak more properly, stays me here at home, unkept+; For call you that keeping for a gentleman of my The to the verb bequeathed, and not fo much as one to the verb charged: and yet, to the nominative there wanted, [his bleffing] refers. So that the whole fentence is confufed and obfcure. A very finall alteration in the reading and pointing fets all right. As I remem ber, Adam, it was upon this my father bequeathed me, &c. grammar is now rectified, and the fenfe alfo; which is this, Orlando and Adam were difcourfing together on the cause why the younger brother had but a thoufand crowns left him. They agree upon it; and Orlando opens the fcene in this manner, As I remember, it was upon this, i. e. for the reafon we have been talking of, that my father left me but a thousand crowns; however, to make amends for this feanty provifion, he charged my brother on his bleffing to breed me well. WARBURTON. There is, in my opinion, nothing but a point misplaced, and an omiffion of a word which every hearer can fupply, and which therefore an abrupt and eager dialogue naturally excludes. I read thus: As I remember, Adam, it was on this fashion bequeathed me. By will but a poor thousand crowns; and, as thou fayeft, charged my brother on his bleffing, to breed me well. What is there in this difficult or obfcure? The nominative my father is certainly left out, but fo left out that the auditor inferts it, in fpite of himself. JOHNSON. -It was on this fashion bequeathed me, as Dr. Johnfon reads, is but aukward English. I would read: As I remember, Adam, it was on this fashion.-He bequeathed me by will, &c. Orlando and Adam enter abruptly in the midst of a converfation on this topick; and Orlando is correcting fome mifapprehenfion of the other. As I remember (fays he) it was thus. He left me a thoufand crowns; and, as thou fayeft, charged my brother, &c. BLACKSTONE. 4 Stays me bere at home, unkept;] We fhould read flys, i. e. keeps me like a brute. The following words for call you that keeping that differs not from the falling of an ox, confirms this emendation. So Caliban fays, And here you sty me in this hard rock. WARBURTON. Stics is better than flays, and more likely to be Shakspeare's So, in Noah's Flood, by Drayton : JOHNSON. And fy themselves up in a little room." STEEVENS. birth, that differs not from the ftalling of an ox? His horfes are bred better; for, befides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hired: but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Befides this nothing that he fo plentifully gives me, the fomething that nature gave me, his countenance feems to take from me he lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and, as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutinyagainst this fervitude; I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wife remedy how to avoid it. Enter Oliver. Adam. Yonder comes my mafter, your brother. Orla. Go apart, Adam, and thou fhalt hear how he will shake me up. Oli. Now, fir! what make you here? Orla. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing. Oli. What mar you then, fir? Orla. Marry, fir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. Oli. Marry, fir, be better employ'd, and be nought a while " Orla. "Be better employed, and be nought a while.] Mr. Theobald has here a very critical note; which, though his modefty suffered him to withdraw it from his fecond edition, deserves to be perpetuated, i. e. (fays he) be better employed, in my opinion, in being and doing nothing. Your idleness, as you call it, may be an exercife by which you make a figure, and endear yourself to the world: and I had rather you were a contemptible cypher. The poct feems to me to |