And high top bald with dry antiquity, 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: with dry antiquity”) I have omitted old, as an unquestionable interpolation. Steevens. Under an oak, &c.] The passage stands thus in Lodge's novel: Saladyne, wearie with wandring up and downe, and hungry with long fasting, finding a little cave by the side of a thicket, eating such fruite as the forrest did affoord, and contenting himself with such drinke as nature had provided, and thirst made delicate, after his repast he fell into a dead sleepe. As thus he lay, a hungry lyon came hunting downe the edge of the grove for pray, and espying Saladyne, began to ceaze upon him: but seeing he lay still without any motion, he left to touch him, for that lyons hate to pray on dead carkasses: and yet desirous to have some foode, the lyon lay downe and watcht to see if he would stirre. While thus Saladyne slept secure, fortune that was careful of her champion, began to smile, and brought it so to passe, that Rosader (having stricken a deere that but lightly hurt fled through the thicket) came pacing downe by the grove with a boare-speare in his hande in great haste, he spyed where a man lay asleepe, and a lyon fast by him: amazed at this sight, as he stood gazing, his nose on the sodaine bledde, which made him conjecture it was some friend of his. Whereupon drawing more nigh, he might easily discerne his visage, and perceived by his phisnomie that it was his brother Saladyne, which drave Rosader into a deepe passion, as a man perplexed, &c.—But the present time craved no such doubting ambages: for he must eyther resolve to hazard his life for his reliefe, or else steal away and leave him to the crueltie of the lyon. In which doubt hee thus briefly debated," &c. Steevens. 3 A lioness, with udders all drawn dry,] So, in Arden of Feversham, 1592: "When she is dry-suckt of her eager young." Steevens. And found it was his brother, his elder brother. Cel. O, I have heard him speak of that same brother; And he did render him the most unnatural That liv'd 'mongst men. Oli. And well he might so do, For well I know he was unnatural. 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 hurtling1 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 you what I was, since my conversion So sweetly tastes, being the thing I am. Ros. But, for the bloody napkin? By, and by. Oli. 9 And he did render him —] i. e. describe him. Malone. So, in Cymbeline: 66 May drive us to a render where we have liv'd." Steevens. in which hurtling-] To hurtle is to move with impetuosity and tumult. So, in Julius Cæsar: 1 "A noise of battle hurtled in the air." Again, in Nash's Lenten Stuff, &c. 1591: "-hearing of the gangs of good fellows that hurtled and bustled thither," &c. Again, in Spenser's Fairy Queen, B. I, c. iv: "All hurtlen forth, and she with princely pace," &c. Again, B. I, c. viii: "Came hurtling in full fierce, and forc'd the knight retire.” Steevens. 2 As, how I came into that desert place;] I believe, a line following this has been lost. Malone. As, in this place, signifies—as for instance. So, in Hamlet: "As, stars with trains of fire," &c. I suspect no omission. Steevens. Who gave me fresh array, and entertainment, There stripp'd himself, and here upon his arm Which all this while had bled; and now he fainted, Brief, I recover'd him; bound up his wound; To tell this story, that you might excuse I Cel. Why, how now, Ganymede? sweet Ganymede? Ros. I would, I were at home. Cel. We 'll lead you thither: pray you, will you take him by the arm? Oli. Be of good cheer, youth: -You a man?—You lack a man's heart. Ros. I do so, I confess it. Ah, sir,5 a body would think this was well counterfeited: I pray you, tell your brother how well I counterfeited.—Heigh ho!— Oli. This was not counterfeit; there is too great testi 3 Dy'd in this blood;] Thus the old copy. The editor of the second folio changed this blood unnecessarily to-his blood. Oliver points to the handkerchief, when he presents it; and Rosalind could not doubt whose blood it was after the account that had been before given. Malone. Perhaps the change of this into his, is imputable only to the compositor, who casually omitted the t. Either reading may serve; and certainly that of the second folio is not the worst, because it prevents the disgusting repetition of the pronoun, this, with which the present speech is infested. Steevens. 4 Cousin-Ganymede !] Celia, in her first fright, forgets Rosalind's character and disguise, and calls out cousin, then recollects herself, and says, Ganymede. Johnson. 5 Ah, sir,] The old copy reads -Ah, sirra, &c. Corrected by the editor of the second folio. Malone. mony in your complexion, that it was a passion of earnest. Ros. Counterfeit, I assure you. Oli. Well then, take a good heart, and counterfeit to be a man. Ros. So I do: but i' faith I should have been a woman by right. Cel. Come, you look paler and paler; pray you, draw homewards: Good sir, go with us. Oli. That will I, for I must bear answer back How you excuse my brother, Rosalind. Ros. I shall devise something: But, I pray you, commend my counterfeiting to him:-Will you go? [Exeunt. ACT V..... SCENE I. The same. Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY. Touch. We shall find a time, Audrey; patience, gentle Audrey. Aud. 'Faith, the priest was good enough, for all the old gentleman's saying. Touch. A most wicked sir Oliver, Audrey, a most vile Mar-text. But, Audrey, there is a youth here in the forest lays claim to you. Aud. Ay, I know who 'tis; he hath no interest in me in the world: here comes the man you mean. Enter WILLIAM. Touch. It is meat and drink to me to see a clown: By my troth, we that have good wits, have much to answer for; we shall be flouting; we cannot hold. Will. Good even, Audrey. Aud. God ye good even, William. Will. And good even to you, sir. Touch. Good even, gentle friend: Cover thy head, cover thy head; nay, pr'ythee, be covered. How old are you, friend? Will. Five and twenty, sir. Touch. A ripe age: Is thy name William? Touch. A fair name: Wast born i' the forest here? Touch. Thank God;-a good answer: Art rich? Touch. So, so, is good, very good, good and yet it is not; it is but so so. Will. Ay, sir, I have a pretty wit. very excellent Art thou wise? Touch. Why, thou say'st well. I do now remember a saying; The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool. The heathen philosopher, when he had a desire to eat a grape, would open his lips when he put it into his mouth; meaning thereby, that grapes were made to eat, and lips to open. do love this maid?7 Will. I do, sir. Touch. Give me your hand: Art thou learned? You Touch. Then learn this of me; To have, is to have: For it is a figure in rhetorick, that drink, being poured out of a cup into a glass, by filling the one doth empty the other: For all your writers do consent, that ipse is he; now you are not ipse, for I am he. Will. Which he, sir? Touch. He, sir, that must marry this woman: Therefore, you clown, abandon,—which is in the vulgar, leave, -the society, which in the boorish is, company,—of this female,-which in the common is,-woman, which together is, abandon the society of this female; or, clown The heathen philosopher, when he had a desire to eat a grape, &c.] This was designed as a sneer on the several trifling and insignificant sayings and actions, recorded of the ancient philosophers, by the writers of their lives, such as Diogenes Laertius, Philostratus, Eunapius, &c. as appears from its being introduced by one of their wise sayings. Warburton. A book called The Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers, was printed by Caxton in 1477. It was translated out of French into English by Lord Rivers. From this performance, or some republication of it, Shakspeare's knowledge of these philosophical trifles might be derived. Steevens. 7 meaning thereby, that grapes were made to eat, and lips to open. You do love this maid?] Part of this dialogue seems to have grown out of the novel on which the play is formed: "Phebe is no latice for your lips, and her grapes hang so hie, that gaze at them you may, but touch them you cannot." Malone. |