PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

AS YOU LIKE IT was certainly borrowed, if you believe Dr. Grey and Mr. Upton, from the Coke's Tale of Gamelyn; which by the way was not printed till a century afterwards: when in truth the old Bard, who was no hunter of MSS. contented himself only with Lodge's Rosalynd, or Euphues' Golden Legacy. 4to. 1590. FARMER.

Shakespeare has followed Lodge's Rosalynd, or Euphues' Golden Legacye, 4to. 1590, more exactly than is his general custom when he is indebted to such worthless originals; and has sketched some of his principal characters, and borrowed a few expressions from it. His imitations, &c. however, are in general too insignificant to merit transcription.

It should be observed, that the characters of Jaques, the Clown, and Audrey, are entirely of the poet's own formation.

Although I have never met with any edition of this comedy before the year 1623, it is evident, that such a publication was at least designed. At the beginning of the second volume of the entries at Stationers' Hall, are placed two leaves of irregular prohibitions, notes, &c. Among these are the following:

“As you like it, a book.

Aug. 4.

" a

Henry the Fift, a book.

"The Comedy of Much Ado, a book.

to be staid."

The dates scattered over these plays are from 1596 to 1615.

STEEVENS.

This comedy, I believe, was written in 1599. See my Attempt

to ascertain the Order of Shakespeare's Plays.

MALONE.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Duke, living in Exile.

Frederick, Brother to the Duke, and Usurper of his Dominions.

Amiens,

Jaques,

Lords attending upon the Duke in his
Banishment.

Le Beau, a Courtier attending upon Frederick.
Charles, his Wrestler.

Sylvius,

Shepherds.

William, a Country Fellow, in love with Audrey.

A Person representing Hymen.

Rosalind, Daughter to the banished Duke.

Celia, Daughter to Frederick.

Phebe, a Shepherdess.

Audrey, a Country Wench.

Lords belonging to the two Dukes; Pages, Foresters, and other Attendants.

The SCENE lies, first, near Oliver's House; afterwards, partly in the Usurper's Court, and partly in the Forest of Arden.

The list of the persons was added by Mr Rowe. JOHNSON.

AS YOU LIKE IT.

ACT I. SCENE I.

An Orchard, near Oliver's House.

Enter ORLANDO and ADAM.

ORL. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will, but poor a* thou- a poor. sand crowns; and, as thou say'st, charged my bro- 1632. ther, on his blessing, to breed me well: and there

• As I remember, Adam, it wass—to breed me well] Thrown out with the ease and freedom of the most familiar dialogue, the language of Shakespeare receives here, as we conceive, the following easy and natural interpretation :

"It was upon this fashion bequeathed me by [my father in his] will, but poor a (i. e. the poor pittance of a) thousand crowns; and, as thou say'st, [it was, or he there] charged my brother upon his blessing to breed me well."

The question then is, whether instead of this, our author's text as delivered down to us, and his natural, but unconnected, dialogue, we are to substitute (and that in the opening of a comedy, and conversation between a master and a servant) the new punctuation and argumentative formality adopted by the modern editors from Dr. Johnson, who gives it thus: "As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me. By will, but a poor," &c.

This substitution appears to us hard and unnatural: and the real text, on the contrary, in the true character and spirit of all dialogue on such an occasion between such parties.

It

This phraseology, poor a, is not yet altogether disused. has been observed to us, that " Poor a is certainly right. A is

begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home unkept. For call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth, that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are bred better; for, besides, that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hired: but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me, his countenance seems to take from me: he lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and, as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude: I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it.

one, a number. Suppose then the bequest had been 2 or 5 or ten, you see how insufferable would be this expression, two poor thousand crowns.' But farther — a thousand crowns' are words of the Will, which the speaker quotes; and thereby makes them, as 'twere, a substantive to his adjective poor." We have not any instance directly in point; but this collocation frequently occurs. In the pronoun, as Ro. & Jul. III. 2. Jul. and in the article, as:

"what poor an instrument

poor my Lord."

May do a noble act." Ant. & Cl. V. 2. Cl.

* stays me here at home unkept] i. e. detains. See Two G. of V. I. 1. Valent.

Home-keeping youths have ever homely wits."

b his countenance] i. e. the mode of his carriage towards me.

c mines with my education] i. e. " by want of culture saps and defeats." And this was the language of a later period: "where he gaines no conquest by perswasion, he mines by flattery." Sydenham's Arraignment of the Arrian. A Sermon, 4to. 1636. p. 3.