SCE NE II. Changes to the FOREST. Enter Orlando. Orla. HANG there, my verse, in witness of my love; And thou thrice-crowned Queen of Night furvey, [Exit, 2 Enter Corin and Clown. Cor. And how like you this fhepherd's life, Mr. Touchstone? 66 66 66 " Clo. Truly, fhepherd in refpect of itself, it is a good life; but in refpect that it is a fhepherd's life, "it is naught. In respect that it is folitary, I like "it very well; but in refpect that it is private, it is a very vile life. vile life. Now in refpect it is in the fields, "it pleafeth me well; but in refpect it is not in the "Court, it is tedious. As it is a fpare life, look you, "it fits my humour well; but as there is no more "plenty in it, it goes much against my stomach. "Haft any philofophy in thee, fhepherd? Cor. "No more, but that I know, the more one "fickens, the worfe at eafe he is: and that he, that <c wants mony, means, and content, is without three good friends. That the property of rain is to wet, 66 ❝and 66 "and fire to burn: that good pafture makes fat fheep; and that a great cause of the night, is lack "of the Sun: and that he that hath learned no wit by nature nor art, may complain of grofs breed"ing, or comes of a very dull kindred. Clo. Such a one is a natural philofopher. Waft ever in Court, fhepherd? Cor. No, truly. Clo. Then thou art damn'd. Cor. Nay, I hope Clo. Truly, thou art damn'd, like an ill-roafted egg, all on one fide. Cor. For not being at Court? your reason. Clo.? Why, if thou never waft at Court, thou never faw'ft good manners; if thou never faw'ft good manners, then thy manners must be wicked; and 1 He that hath learned no wit by nature or art, may complain of GOOD breeding, or comes of very dull kindred.] Common fenfe requires us to read, may complain of GROSS breeding. The Oxford editor has greatly improved this emendation by reading, bad breeding. 2 Such a one is a natural philofopher.] The fhepherd had faid all the Philofophy he knew was the property of things, that rain wetted, fire burnt, &c. And the Clown's reply, in a fatire on Phyficks or Natural Philofophy, though introduced with a quibble, is extremely juft. For the Natural Philofopher is indeed as ignorant (notwithstanding all his parade of knowledge) of the efficient caufe of things as the Ruftic. It appears, from a thoufand inftances, that our poet was well acquainted with the Phyfics of his time: and his great penetration enabled him to fee this remediless defect of it. 3 Why, if thou never waft at Court, thou never faw'st good manners; if thou never, &c.] This reafoning is drawn up in imitation of Friar John's to Panurge in Rablais. Si tu es Coquu, ergo ta femme fera belle; ergo tu feras bien traité d'elle; ergo tu auras des Amis beaucoup ; ergo tu feras fauvé. The laft inference is pleasantly drawn from the popifh doctrine of the interceffion of Saints. And, I fuppofe, our jocular English proverb, concerning this matter, was founded in Friar John's logic. wicked wickedness is fin, and fin is damnation: thou art in a parlous ftate, fhepherd. Cor. Not a whit, Touchstone: those, that are good manners at the Court, are as ridiculous in the Country, as the behaviour of the Country is most mockable at the Court. You told me, you falute not at the Court, but you kiss your hands; that courtefie would be uncleanly, if Courtiers were fhepherds. Clo. Inftance, briefly; come, inftance. Cor. Why, we are ftill handling our ewes; and their fels, you know, are greafie. Clo. Why, do not your Courtiers hands fweat? and is not the grease of a mutton as wholfome as the fweat of a man? fhallow, fhallow; a better inftance, I fay: come. Cor. Befides, our hands are hard. Clo. Your lips will feel them the fooner. again: a more founder inftance, come. Shallow Cor. And they are often tarr'd over with the furgery of our sheep; and would you have us kifs tarr? the Courtier's hands are perfumed with civet. Clo. Moft fhallow man! thou worms-meat, in refpect of a good piece of flefh, indeed! learn of the wife and perpend; civet is of a baser birth than tarr ; the very uncleanly flux of a cat. Mend the inftance, shepherd. Cor. You have too courtly a wit for me; I'll reft. Clo. Wilt thou reft damn'd? God help thee, fhallow man; God 4 make incifion in thee, thou art raw. 4 make incifion in thee,] To make incifion was a proverbial expreffion then in vogue, to make to understand. So in Beaumont and Fletcher's Humourous Lieutenant, O excellent King, Thus he begins, thou life and light of creatures i. e. to make him understand what he would be at. Cor. 6 Cor. Sir, I am a true labourer, I earn that I eat; get that I wear; owe no man hate, envy no man's happiness; glad of other men's good, content with my harm; and the greatest of my pride is, to fee my ewes graze, and my lambs fuck. Clo. That is another fimple fin in you, to bring the ewes and the rams together; and to offer to get your living by the copulation of cattle; to be a bawd to a bell-weather; and to betray a fhe-lamb of a twelve-month to a crooked-pated old cuckoldly ram, out of all reasonable match. If thou be'st not damn'd for this, the devil himself will have no fhepherds; I cannot fee elfe how thou should'ft 'scape. Cor. Here comes young Mr. Ganimed, my new mistress's brother. Enter Rofalind, with a paper. Rof. From the east to western Inde, Her worth, being mounted on the wind, Are but black to Rofalind ; Let no face be kept in mind, But the face of Rofalind. Clo. I'll rhime you fo, eight years together; dinners, and fuppers, and fleeping hours excepted: it is the right butter-women's rank to market.. Rof. Out, fool! Clo. For a taste. If a bart doth lack a bind, Winter Winter garments must be lin❜d, They, that reap, must sheaf and bind; He that fweetest rose will find, Muft find love's prick, and Rofalind. This is the very falfe gallop of verses; why do you infect yourself with them? Rof. Peace, you dull fool, I found them on a tree. Clo. Truly, the tree yields bad fruit. Rof. I'll graff it with you, and then I fhall graff it with a medler; then it will be the earliest fruit i' th' country; for you'll be rotten ere you be half ripe, and that's the right virtue of the medler. Clo. You have faid; but whether wifely or no, 5 let the Forefter judge. SCENE V. Enter Celia, with a writing. Rof. Peace, here comes my Sifter reading; ftand afide. Cel. Why Should this a Defart be, 3 Let the FOREST judge.] We fhould read FORESTER, i. e. the fhepherd who was there present. Some |
