Lo, what befell! He threw his eye aside, Under an old oak, whose boughs were moss'd with age And high top bald with dry antiquity, A wretched ragged man, o'ergrown with hair, 105 Lay couching, head on ground, with catlike watch, 120 To prey on nothing that doth seem as dead. This seen, Orlando did approach the man And found it was his brother, his elder brother. Cel. O, I have heard him speak of that same brother; And he did render him the most unnatural Oli. That liv'd amongst men. And well he might so do, For well I know he was unnatural. H 125 Oli. Twice did he turn his back and purpos'd so; Who quickly fell before him; in which hurtling Cel. Are you his brother? Ros. Was't you he rescu❜d? 130 Cel. Was't you that did so oft contrive to kill him? Oli. "Twas I; but 'tis not I. I do not shame To tell you what I was, since my conversion Ros. But, for the bloody napkin ? Oli. 135 140 By and by. There stripp'd himself, and here upon his arm 145 Which all this while had bled; and now he fainted And cri'd, in fainting, upon Rosalind. Brief, I recover'd him, bound up his wound; 150 And, after some small space, being strong at heart, To tell this story, that you might excuse His broken promise, and to give this napkin, 155 That he in sport doth call his Rosalind. [Rosalind swoons.] Cel. Why, how now, Ganymede! sweet Ganymede ! Oli. Many will swoon when they do look on blood. Cel. There is more in it. Cousin Ganymede! Oli. Look, he recovers. Ros. I would I were at home. Cel. We'll lead you 160 thither. I pray you, will you take him by the arm? Oli. Be of good cheer, youth. You a man! You lack a man's heart. Ros. I do so, I confess it. Ah, sirrah, a body would think this was well counterfeited! I pray you, tell your brother how well I counterfeited. Heigh-ho! Oli. This was not counterfeit. 165 There is too great 170 testimony in your complexion that it was a Ros. Counterfeit, I assure you. Oli. Well then, take a good heart and counterfeit to be a man. Ros. So I do. But, i' faith, I should have been a woman by right. 175 Cel. Come, you look paler and paler. Pray you, draw homewards. Good sir, go with us. Oli. That will I, for I must bear answer back How you excuse my brother, Rosalind. Ros. I shall devise something; but, I pray you, commend my counterfeiting to him. Will you go? 180 Exeunt. ACT FIFTH SCENE I [The forest.] Enter Clown [Touchstone] and Audrey. Touch. We shall find a time, Audrey; patience, gentle Audrey. Aud. Faith, the priest was good enough, for all the old gentleman's saying. Touch. A most wicked Sir Oliver, Audrey, a most vile Martext. But, Audrey, there is a youth here in the forest lays claim to you. Aud. Ay, I know who 'tis; he hath no interest in me in the world. Here comes the man you mean. Enter William. Touch. It is meat and drink to me to see a clown. By my troth, we that have good wits have much to answer for; we shall be flouting; we cannot hold. Will. Good even, Audrey. Aud. God ye good even, William. Will. And good even to you, sir. ΙΟΙ 5 10 15 |