Imatges de pàgina
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Ami. I would not change it *. Happy is your Grace, That can tranflate the ftubbornnefs of fortune Into fo quiet and fo fweet a ftyle.

Duke Sen. Come, fhall we go and kill us venifon? And yet it irks me, the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this defert city, Should, in their own Confines, with forked heads Have their round haunches gor'd.

1 Lord. Indeed, my Lord,

The melancholy Jaques grieves at that;
And in that kind fwears you no more ufurp
Than doth your brother, that hath banish'd you.
To-day my Lord of Amiens, and myself,
Did fteal behind him, as he lay along
Under an oak, whofe antique root peeps out
Upon the brook that brawls along this wood;
To the which place a poor fequeftred stag,
That from the hunters' aim had ta'en a hurt,
Did come to languish; and, indeed, my lord,
The wretched Animal heav'd forth fuch groans,
That their discharge did stretch his leathern coat
Almost to bursting; and the big round tears
Cours'd one another down his innocent nofe
In piteous chase; and thus the hairy fool,
Much marked of the melancholy Jaques,
Stood on th' extremeft verge of the swift brook,
Augmenting it with tears.

Duke Sen. But what faid Jaques?
Did he not moralize this fpectacle?

1 Lord. O yes, into a thousand fimilies. First, for his weeping in the needless stream; Poor Deer, quoth he, thou mak'st a testament As worldlings do, giving thy fum of more To that which had too much. Then being alone, Left and abandon'd of his velvet friends:

*I would not change it.] Mr. and makes Amiens begin, Happy Upton, not without probability, is your Grace.

gives thefe words to the duke,

'Tis right, quoth he, thus mifery doth part,
The flux of company. Anon a careless herd,
Full of the pafture, jumps along by him,
And never stays to greet him: Ay, quoth Jaques,
Sweep on, you fat and greafy citizens,

'Tis juft the fashion: wherefore do you look
Upon that poor and broken bankrupt there?
Thus moft invectively he pierceth through
The body of the Country, City, Court,
Yea and of this our life; fwearing, that we
Are meer ufurpers, tyrants, and what's worfe,
To fright the animals, and to kill them up
In their affign'd and native dwelling place.

Duke Sen. And did you leave him in this contemplation?

2 Lord. We did, my lord, weeping and commenting

Upon the fobbing deer.

Duke Sen. Show me the place;

I love to cope him too in these fullen fits;

For then he's full of matter.

2 Lord. I'll bring you to him ftraight.

Duke. C

SCENE II.

Changes to the PALACE again.

Enter Duke Frederick with Lords.

[Exeunt.

AN it be poffible, that no man faw them? It cannot be. Some villains of my Court Are of consent and fufferance in this.

1 Lord. I cannot hear of any that did fee her The ladies, her attendants of her chamber, Saw her a-bed, and in the morning early

They found the bed untreasur'd of their mistress.

to cope him,] To encounter him; to engage with him.
2 Lord.

2 Lord. My lord, the roynifh Clown, at whom fo

oft

Your Grace was wont to laugh, is alfo miffing.
Hefperia, the Princefs' Gentlewoman,
Confeffes, that fhe fecretly o'er-heard

Your Daughter and her Coufin much commend
The parts and graces of the Wrestler,

That did but lately foil the finewy Charles ;
And The believes, where ever they are gone,
That youth is furely in their company.

Duke. Send to his brother: Fetch that Gallant hither.
If he be abfent, bring his brother to me,
I'll make him find him. Do this fuddenly;
And let not Search and Inquifition quail
To bring again these foolish runaways.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

III.

Crla.

Changes to OLIVER'S Houfe.

Enter Orlando and Adam.

HO's there?

WH

Adam. What! my young mafter? oh,

my gentle master,

Oh, my sweet master, oh, you memory

Of old Sir Rowland! why, what make you here?
Why are you virtuous? why do people love you?
And wherefore are you gentle, ftrong, and valiant?
Why would you be fo fond to overcome
The bony 3 Prifer of the humorous Duke?
Your Praise is come too fwiftly home before you.
Know you not, mafter, to fome kind of men
Their Graces ferve them but as enemies?

3 In the former editions, The BONNY Prifer-] We fhould read BONEY Prifer. For this wrestler is characterised for his

ftrength and bulk, not for his gayety or good-humour.

WARBURTON So Milton; Giants of mighty bone No

No more do yours; your virtues, gentle mafter,
Are fanctified and holy traitors to you.

Oh, what a world is this, when what is comely
Envenoms him that bears it!

Orla. Why, what's the matter?
Adam. O unhappy youth,

Come not within thefe doors; within this roof
The enemy of all your graces lives:

Your brother-no; no brother-yet the fon,—
Yet not the fon-I will not call him fon
Of him I was about to call his father,

Hath heard your praises, and this night he means
To burn the lodging where you use to lie,
within it. If he fail of that,

And you within it.

He will have other means to cut you off;
I overheard him and his practices:

This is no place, this house is but a butchery;
Abhor it, fear it, do not enter it.

Orla. Why, whither, Adam, wouldst thou have me go?

Adam. No matter whither, fo you come not here. Orla. What, wouldst thou have me go and beg my food?

Or with a base, and boisterous fword enforce

A thievifh living on the common road?

This I must do, or know not what to do:
Yet this I will not do, do how I can;

I rather will fubject me to the malice

Of a diverted blood +, and bloody brother.

Adam. But do not fo. I have five hundred crowns, The thrifty hire I fav'd under your father, Which I did ftore, to be my foster nurse When service should in my old limbs lie lame, And unregarded age in corners thrown. Take That: and he that doth the ravens feed, Yea, providentially caters for the sparrow,

A diverted blood.] Blood turned out of the course of nature.

Be

Be comfort to my age! Here is the gold,
All this I give you, let me be your servant;
Tho' I look old, yet I am strong and lusty;
For in my youth I never did apply

Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood;
Nor did I with unbafhful forehead woo
The means of weakness and debility;
Therefore my age is as a lufty winter,
Frofty, but kindly. Let me go with you;
I'll do the fervice of a younger man
In all your business and neceffities.

Orla. Oh! good old man, how well in thee appears
The constant service of the antique world;
When service sweat for duty, not for meed!
Thou art not for the fashion of these times,
Where none will fweat, but for promotion;
And, having That, do cloak their service up
Even with the Having. It is not so with thee.
But, poor old man, thou prun'ft a rotten tree,
That cannot fo much as a bloffom yield,
In lieu of all thy pains and husbandry.
But come thy ways, we'll go along together;
And ere we have thy youthful wages spent,
We'll light upon fome fettled low content.

Adam. Mafter, go on; and I will follow thee
To the last gafp with truth and loyalty.
From seventeen years 'till now almost fourscore
Here lived I, but now live here no more.
At seventeen years many their fortunes feek
But at fourscore, it is too late a week;
Yet fortune cannot recompence me better
Than to die well, and not my master's debtor.

[Exeunt.

5 Even with the having.] Even with the promotion gained by fervice, is service extinguished.

SCENE

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