Imatges de pàgina
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you the degrees. The firft, the Retort courteous; "the fecond, the Quip modeft; the third, the Reply "churlish; the fourth, the Reproof valiant; the "fifth, the countercheck quarrelfome; the fixth, the "Lye with circumftance; the feventh, the Lye di"rect. All these you may avoid, but the Lye direct; "and you may avoid that too, with an If. I knew, "when feven Juftices could not take up a quarrel; "but when the parties were met themfelves, one of "them thought but of an If; as, if you faid fo, then "I faid fo; and they fhook hands, and fwore bro❝thers. Your If is the only peace-maker; much "virtue in If."

Faq. Is not this a rare fellow, my lord? he's good at any thing, and yet a fool.

Duke Sen. He uses his folly like a stalking-horse, and under the presentation of that he shoots his wit.

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Enter Hymen, Rofalind in woman's cloaths, and Celia.

STILL MUSICK.

Hym. Then is there mirth in heav'n,
When earthly things made even
Atone together.

Good Duke, receive thy daughter,
Hymen from heaven brought her,
Yea, brought her bither:

That thou might'ft join her hand with his,
Whofe heart within his bofom is.

parties were met themselves, one of them thought but of an IF, as if you faid fo, then I faid fo, and they shook hands, and fwore brothers. Your IF is the only peace maker; much virtue in 18. Caranza was another of these authentick Authors upon the Duello. Fletcher in his laft Act of Love's Pilgrimage ridicules him with much humour.

Rof.

Raf. To you I give my self; for I am yours.

[To the Duke. To you I give my felf; for I am yours. [To Orlando. Duke Sen. If there be truth in fight, you are my

Daughter.

Orla. If there be truth in fight, you are my Rofalind.
Phe. If fight and shape be true,
Why, then my love adieu!

Rof. I'll have no father, if you be not he;
I'll have no husband, if you be not he;
Nor ne'er wed woman, if you be not she.
Hym. Peace, hoa! I bar confufion:

'Tis I muft make conclufion

Of these most strange events:
Here's eight that muft take hands,
To join in Hymen's bands,

If truth holds true contents.
You and you no Crofs fhall part;
You and you are heart in heart;
You to his love must accord,
Or have a woman to your lord.
You and you are fure together,
As the winter to foul weather:
Whiles a wedlock-hymn we fing,
Feed your felves with questioning:
That reafon wonder may diminish,
How thus we meet, and these things finish.

SONG.

Wedding is great Juno's Crown,
O bleffed bond of board and bed!
'Tis Hymen peoples every town,
High wedlock then be honoured:
Honour, high bonour and renown
To Hymen, God of every town!

Duke

Duke Sen. O my dear neice, welcome thou art to

me,

Ev'n daughter-welcome, in no lefs degree.

Phe. I will not eat my word, now thou art mine; Thy faith my fancy to thee doth combine.

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Jaq. de B. Let me have audience for a word of

two:

I am the second son of old Sir Rowland,

That bring these tidings to this fair affembly.
Duke Frederick hearing, how that every day
Men of great worth resorted to this forest,
Addrefs'd a mighty power, which were on foot
In his own conduct purposely to take
His brother here, and put him to the fword:
And to the skirts of this wild wood he came,
Where meeting with an old religious man,
After some question with him, was converted
Both from his enterprize, and from the world;
His Crown bequeathing to his banish'd brother,
And all their lands reftor'd to them again,
That were with him exil'd. This to be true,
I do engage my life.

Duke Sen. Welcome, young man:

Thou offer'ft fairly to thy brother's wedding;
To one, his lands with-held; and to the other,
A land itself at large, a potent Dukedom.
First, in this foreft, let us do thofe ends
That here were well begun, and well begot:
And after, every of this happy number,
That have endur'd fhrewd days and nights with us,
Shall fhare the good of our returned fortune,
According to the measure of their states.

Mean

Mean time, forget this new-fall'n dignity,

And fall into our ruftick revelry:

Play, mufick; and you brides and bridegrooms all,
With measure heap'd in joy, to th' measures fall.

Jaq. Sir, by your patience: if I heard you rightly, The Duke hath put on a religious life,

And thrown into neglect the pompous Court.
Faq. de B. He hath.

Jaq. To him will I: out of thefe convertites
There is much matter to be heard and learn'd.
You to your former Honour I bequeath, [To the Duke.
Your patience and your virtue well deferve it:
You to a love, that your true faith doth merit ;

[To Orla.

You to your land, and love, and great allies;

[To Oli. You to a long and well deferved bed; [To Silv. And you to wrangling; for thy loving voyage [To the Clown. Is but for two months victual'd: fo to your pleafures: I am for other than for dancing measures. Duke Sen. Stay, Jaques, stay.

Faq. To fee no paftime, I: what you would have, I'll stay to know at your abandon'd Cave.

[Exit. Duke Sen. Proceed, proceed; we will begin thefe

rites;

As, we do trust they'll end, in true delights.

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Rof. It is not the fashion to fee the lady the Epilogue; but it is no more unhandsome, than to fee the lord the Prologue. If it be true, that good wine needs no bufh, 'tis true, that a good Play needs no Epilogue. Yet to good wine they do ufe good bufhes; and good Plays prove the better by the help of good Epilogues. What a cafe am I in then, that am neither VOL. II.

Cc

a good

a good Epilogue, nor can infinuate with you in the behalf of a good Play? I am not furnish'd like a beggar; therefore to beg will not become me. My way is to conjure you, and I'll begin with the women. 'I charge you, O women, for the love you bear to men, to like as much of this Play as pleases them: and I charge you, O men, for the love you bear to women, (as I perceive by your fimpring, none of you hate them) to like as much as pleases them: that between you and the women, the Play may please. If I were a woman, I would kifs as many of you as had beards that pleas'd me, complexions that lik'd me, and breaths that I defy'd not: and, I am fure, as many as have good beards, or good faces, or sweet breaths, will for my kind offer, when I make curt'fie, bid me farewel. [Exeunt omnes.

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I charge you, O women, for the love you bear to men, to like as much of this play as pleases you: and I charge you, O men, for the love you bear to women, - that between you and the women, &c.] This paffage fhould be read thus, I charge you, O women, for the love you bear to men, to like as much of this play as pleafes THEM: and I charge you, O men, for the love you bear to women,TO LIKE AS MUCH AS PLEASES THEM, that between you and the women, &c. Without the alteration of Yeu into Them the invocation is nonfenfe; and without the addition of the words, to like as much as pleases them, the inference of, that between you and the women the play may pafs, would be unfupported by any precedent premises. The words seem to have been ftruck out by fome fenfelefs Player, as a vicious redun dancy.

THE

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