ACT I.

SCENE I. OLIVER'S Orchard.

Enter ORLANDO and ADAM.

ORLANDO.

As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion be

queathed me by will, but a poor thousand crowns; and, as thou fay'ft, charg'd my brother on his bleffing to breed me well; and there begins my fadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report fpeaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me ruftically at home; or, (to speak more properly) ftays me here at home, unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth, that differs not from the stalling of an ox? his horses 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. Besides this Nothing that he fo plentifully gives me, the Something, 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 mutiny against 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 fhake me up.

Oli. Now, Sir, what make you here?

Orla. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing.
Qli. What mar you then, Sir?

A 2

Orla.

Orla. Marry, Sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made; a poor unworthy brother of your's, with idleness.

Oli. Marry, Sir, be better employed, and be nought a while.

Orla. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? what prodigal's portion have I spent, that I fhould come to fuch penury?

Oli. Know you where you are, Sir?

Orla. O, Sir, very well; here in your orchard.
Oli. Know you before whom, Sir?

Orla. Ay, better than he I am before, knows me. I know, you are my elder brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you fhould fo know me; the courtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the first born; but the fame tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as much of my father in me, as you; albeit, I confefs your coming before me is nearer to his reverence.

Ol. What, boy!

Orla. Come,come, elder brother, you are too young in this.
Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?

Orla. I am no villain: I am the younger fon of Sir Rowland de Boys; he was my father, and he is thrice a villain, that fays, fuch a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat, 'till this other had pull'd out thy tongue for saying fo; thou haft rail'd on thyself.

Adam. Sweet mafters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord.

Oli. Let me go, I fay.

Orla. I will not, 'till I please: you shall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education; you have train'd me up like a peasant, obfcuring and hiding from ine all gentleman-like qualities; the fpirit of my father grows ftrong in me, and I will no longer endure it: therefore allow me fuch exercife as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by teftament; with that I will go buy my fortunes.

Oli. And what wilt thou do; beg, when that is spent ? well, Sir, get you in. I will not long be troubled with you: you fhall have fome part of your will. I pray you, leave me.

Orla,

Orla. I will no further offend you, than becomes me for my good.

Oli. Get you with him, you old dog.

Adam. Is old dog my reward? moft true, I have loft my teeth in your fervice. God be with my old mafter, he would not have fpoke fuch a word.

Exit ORLANDO and ADAM. Oli. Is it even fo? begin you to grow upon me? I will phyfic your ranknefs, and yet give no thousand crowns, neither. Holla, Dennis!

Enter DENNIS.

Den. Calls your Worship?

Oli. Was not Charles, the Duke's wreftler, here to speak with me?

Den. So pleafe you, he is here at the door, and importunes access to you.

Oli. Call him in ;-'twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is.

Enter CHARLES.

Cha. Good-morrow to your Worship.

Oli. Good Monfieur Charles, what's the new news at the new Court?

Cha. There's no news at the Court, Sir, but the old news; that is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke, and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him; whofe lands and revenues enrich the new Duke, therefore he gives them good leave to wander.

Oli. Can you tell, if Rofalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished with her father?

Cha. O, no; for the Duke's daughter her coufin fo loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together, that the would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the Court, and no lefs beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved, as they do.

Oli. Where will the old Duke live?

Cha. They fay, he is already in the foreft of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England: they fay, many young gen

tlemen

tlemen flock to him every day, and fleet the time careleЛly, as they did in the golden world.

Oli. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke? Cha. Marry, do I, Sir; I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, Sir, fecretly to underftand, that your younger brother Orlando hath a difpofition to come in difguifs'd againft me to try a Fall; to morrow, Sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without fome broken limb, fhall acquit him well. Your brother is but young and tender, and for your love I would be loath to foil him as I muft for mine own honour, if he come in; therefore out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal; that either you might ftay him from his intendment, or brook fuch difgrace well as he fhall run into; in that it is a thing of his own fearch, and altogether againft my will.

Oli. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou fhalt find I will moft kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to disuade him from it; but he is refolute. I tell thee, Charles, he is the ftubborneft young fellow of France; full of ambition; an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a fecret and villainous contriver againft me his natural brother; therefore use thy difcretion; I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert beft look to't; for if thou doft him any flight difgrace; or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison; entrap thee by fome treacherous device; and never leave thee till he has ta'en thy life by some indirect means or another; for I affure thee, (and almoft with tears I fpeak it) there is not one fo young and fo villainous this day living. I fpeak but brotherly of him; but fhould I anatomize him to thee as he is, I muft blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder.

Cha. I am heartily glad, I came hither to you: if he come to morrow. I'll give him his payment; if ever he ge alone again, I'll never wreftle for prize more; and fo God keep your worship. [Exit.

Oh. Farewel, good Charles. Now will I ftir this gamefter: I hope I fhall see an end of him; for my foul, Yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never fchool'd, and yet learned; full of noble device, of all forts enchantingly beloved; and, indeed, fo much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who

best

beft know him, that I am altogether mifprifed. But it fhall not be fo long; this wreftler fhall clear all; nothing remains, but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about. Exit.

SCENE changes to an open Walk, before the Duke's Palace.

Enter ROSALIND and CELIA.

Cel. I pray thee, Rofalind, fweet my coz, be merry. Rof. Dear Celia, I fhow more mirth than I am mistress of; and would you yet I were merrier? unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure.

Col. Herein I fee thou lov'ft me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy uncle the Duke, my father, fo thou hadft been ftill with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine; fo would'ft thou, if the truth of thy love to me were fo righteoufly tempered, as mine to thee.

Rof. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours.

Cel. You know, my father hath no child but me, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies, thou fhalt be is heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce; I will render the again in affection; by mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monfter: therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rofe, be merry.

Rof. From henceforth I will, coz, and divife sports; let me fee, what think you of falling in love?

Cel. Marry, I prithee do, to make sport withal; but love no man in good earneft, nor no further in sport neither, than with fafety of a pure blush thou may'ft in honour come off again.

Rof. What fhall be our sport, then?

Cel. Let us fit and mock the good housewife, Fortune, from her wheel, that her gift may henceforth be bestowed equally.

Ref. I would, we could do fo; for her benefits are mightily