244
AS YOU LIKE IT.
[Act I.
tiler, and, as mucli as in him lies, mines mygentility with my education. This it is, Adam,that grieves me: and the spirit of my father,which I think is within me, begins to mutinyagainst this servitude: I will no longer endureit, though yet I know no wise remedy how toavoid it.
Enter Oliver.
Adam. Yonder comes my master, your bro-ther.
Orl. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear howlie will shake me up.
Oli. Now, sir! what make you here ?
Orl. Nothing: I am not taught to make anything.
Oli. What mar yon then, sir ?
Orl. Marry, sir, I am helping you to marthat which God made, a poor unworthy brotherof yours, with idleness.
OIL Many, sir, be better employed, and benaught awhile.
Orl. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat huskswith them ? What prodigal portion have Ispent, that I should come to such penury ?
Oli. Know you where you are, sir ?
Orl. O, siT, very well: here in your orchard.
Oli. Know you before whom, sir ?
Orl. Ay, better than he I am before knowsme. I know, you are my eldest brother ; and,in the gentle condition of blood, you shouldso know me: The courtesy of nations allowsyou my better, in that you are the first born ;but the same tradition takes not away my blood,were there twenty brothers betwixt us: I haveas much of my father in me, as you: albeit, Iconfess, your coining before me is nearer to Idsreverence.
Oli. What, boy!
Orl. Come, come, elder brother, you are tooyoung in this.
Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain ?
Orl. I am no villain: I am the youngest sonof sir Howland de Bois ; he was my father ; andlie is thrice a villain, that says such a father be-got villains: Wert thou not my brother, I wouldnot take this hand from thy throat, till this otherhad pulled out thy tongue for saying so ; thouhast railed on thyself.
Adam. Sweet masters, be patient; for yourfather’s remembrance, be at accord.
■ Oli. Let me go, I say.
Orl. I will not, till I please: you shall hearme. My father charged you in his will to giveme good education : you have trained me like apeasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gen-tleman-like qualities: the spirit of my fathergrows strong in me, and I will no longer endureit: therefore allow me such exercises as maybecome a gentleman, or give me the poor allot-tery my father left me by testament; with thatI will go buy my fortunes.
Oli. And what wilt thou do ? beg, when that
is spent ? Well, sir, get you in: I will not longhe troubled with you: you shall have some partof your will: I pray you, leave me.
Orl. I will no further offend you than be-comes me for my good.
Oli. Get you with him, you old dog.
Adam. Is old dog my reward ? Most true, Iiiave lost my teeth in your service.—God bewith my old master ! he would not have spokesuch a word. {^Exeunt Orlando and Adam.
Oli. Is it even so? begin you to grow uponme ? I will pbysick your rankness, and yet giveno thousand crowns neither. Hola, Dennis 1
Enter Dennis.
Den. Calls your worship ?
Oli. Was not Charles , the duke’s wrestler ,here to speak with me ?
Den. So please you, he is here at the door,and importunes access to you.
Oli. Call liirn in. fcExit Dennis.^ —’Twill bea good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is.
C/m. Good morrow to your worship.
Oli. Good monsieur Charles 1 —-what’s thenew news at the new court ?
Cha. There’s no news at the court, sir, butthe old news: that is, the old duke is banishedby his younger brother the new duke; and threeor four loving lords have put themselves intovoluntary exile with him, whose lands and re-venues enrich the new duke; therefore he givesthem good leave to wander.
Oli. Can you tell, if Rosalind, the duke’sdaughter, be banished with her father ?
Cha. O, no; for the duke’s daughter, hercousin, so loves her,—being ever from theircradles bred together,—that she would havefollowed her exile, or have died to stay behindher. She is at the court, and no less beloved ofher uncle than his own daughter; and nevertwo ladies loved as they do.
Oli. Where will the old duke live ?
Cha. They say, he is already in the forest ofArden, and a many merry men with him; andthere they live like the old Robin Hood of Eng-land : they say, many young gentlemen flock tohim every day; and fleet the time carelessly, asthey did in the golden world.
Oli. What, you wrestle to-morrow before thenew duke ?
Cha. Marry, do I, sir; and 1 came to acquaintyou with a matter. I am given, sir, secretly tounderstand, that your younger brother, Orlando ,hath a disposition to come in disguis’d againstme to try a fall: To-morrow, sir, I wrestle formy credit; and he that escapes me withoutsome broken limb, shall acquit him well. Yourbrother is but young, and tender; and, for yourlove, I would be loth to foil him, as I must, formy own honour, if he come in: therefore, out ofmy love to you, I came hither to acquaint you