the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it.

Cel. Yonder, sure, they are coming: Let us now stay and see it.

Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, Lords, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and Attendants.

Duke Frederick. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness.

Ros. Is yonder the man?

Le Beau. Even he, Madam.

Cel. Alas, he is too young: yet he looks successfully.

Duke F. How now, daughter and cousin! are you crept hither to see the wrestling!

160

Ros. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. Duke F. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the men. In pity of the challenger's youth, I would fain dissuade him, but he 170 will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him.

Cel. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau.

Duke F.

Do so; I'll not be by.

[DUKE goes apart.

Le Beau. Monsieur the challenger, the Princess calls

for you.

Orl. I attend them, with all respect and duty. Ros. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler?

162 successfully, likely to win. Orlando was plainly gracious, i. e. acceptable. Cf. 1. 200. (R)

177 them. Le Beau delivers the message as from the Princess,

because he had received it only from Celia; but Orlando, who sees two Princesses, naturally says he will wait on them.

Orl. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger : 180 I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth.

Cel. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength: if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety, and give over this attempt.

Ros. Do, young sir: your reputation shall not be therefore misprised. We will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward.

190

Orl. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be foil'd, there is but one sham'd that was never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be 200 So. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty.

Ros. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you.

Cel.

And mine, to eke out hers.

Ros. Fare you well. Pray Heaven, I be deceiv'd in you!

Cel. Your heart's desires be with you.

Cha. Come, where is this young gallant, that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth?

Orl. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working.

Duke F.

You shall try but one fall.

210

Cha. No, I warrant your Grace; you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily perIsuaded him from a first.

Orl. You mean to mock me after; you should not 220 have mock'd me before: but come your ways.

Ros. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man !

Cel. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [CHARLES and ORLANDO wrestle. Ros. O excellent young man !

Cel. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout. Duke F. No more, no more.

Orl. Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd.

Duke F. How dost thou, Charles?
Le Beau. He cannot speak, my lord.
Duke F. Bear him away.

[CHARLES is borne out.

What is thy name, young man?

Orl. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Bois.

Duke F. I would thou hadst been son to some man

else.

The world esteem'd thy father honourable,

But I did find him still mine enemy:

Thou should'st have better pleas'd me with this

deed,

Hadst thou descended from another house.

230

240

But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth;

I would thou hadst told me of another father.

[Exeunt DUKE FRED., Train, and LE BEAU. Cel. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? Orl. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, 230 breath'd, i. e. I have not put forth my full strength. 238 still, always (as often). (R)

His youngest son; - and would not change that call

ing,

To be adopted heir to Fredrick.

Ros. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul,
And all the world was of my father's mind:
Had I before known this young man his son,

I should have given him tears unto entreaties,
Ere he should thus have ventur'd.

Cel.

Gentle cousin,

Let us go thank him, and encourage him:

My father's rough and envious disposition
Sticks me at heart. — Sir, you have well deserv'd;
If you do keep your promises in love

But justly as you have exceeded all promise,

Your mistress shall be happy.

Ros.

Wear this for me,

Gentleman,

[Giving him a chain from her neck. one out of suits with Fortune, That could give more but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz?

Cel.

man.

Ay:- Fare you well, fair gentle

Orl. Can I not say I thank you? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block.

Ros. He calls us back: My pride fell with my fortunes:

I'll ask him what he would. — Did you call, sir?

245 calling, appellation. (R) 250 unto, in addition to. (R) 253 envious, malicious. (R) 258 suits, favour. See Supplementary Notes. (R)

263 quintain in the sports of the tilt-yard was an upright, and a

250

260

rotatory arm, one end of which was loaded. The unloaded end being struck with sword or spear, the arm revolved quickly and returned the blow with the loaded end, unless the assailant were nimble enough to escape.

Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown

More than your enemies.

I cannot speak to her; yet she urg'd conference.

Enter LE BEAU.

O poor Orlando! thou art overthrown;

Or Charles, or something weaker, masters thee.
Le Beau. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you
To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd
High commendation, true applause, and love,
Yet such is now the Duke's condition,
That he misconsters all that you have done.
The Duke is humorous: what he is, indeed,
More suits you to conceive, than I to speak of.

270

Orl. I thank you, sir; and, pray you, tell me this: 280 Which of the two was daughter of the Duke,

That here was at the wrestling?

Le Beau. Neither his daughter, if we judge by

manners;

But yet, indeed, the smaller is his daughter:
The other is daughter to the banish'd Duke,

277 misconsters, not a mis-spelling of "misconstrue," but the old form of the word. A similar reason justifies the retention of I in l. 279, for that was the grammatical form in use in Shakespeare's day. [Cambridge followed Pope in reading misconstrues.]

278 humorous, subject to humours, wayward-such is his condition, i. e. disposition. (R)

284 smaller. The original has taller, a manifest corruption, as we learn from Rosalind herself, in the very next Scene. [Recent editors suggest lesser, after Spedding so in Globe- or retain taller, as in Cambridge.]