first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. Cel. Or I, I promise thee. Ros. But is there any else longs to set this broken music in his sides? 11 is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking?· Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? Le Beau. You must, if you stay here; for here is 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. Fred. 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. Fred. How now, daughter, and cousin! 12 are you crept hither to see the wrestling? Ros. Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave. Fred. 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 will not be entreated: Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him. Cel. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. [He goes apart. Le Beau. Monsieur the challenger, the Princess calls for you. Orl. I attend them 13 with all respect and duty. Ros. Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler? 11 The original has see instead of set. It is not easy to make any sense with see; and such a misprint were an easy one. Mr. Dyce substitutes feet for see, which may be a better change. The idea of broken ribs suggests to Rosalind the whimsical fancy of broken music, which appears to have been a phrase of the Poet's time for music in parts; as a round, a trio, or a quartette. So explained in Troilus and Cressida, Act iii. scene 1: "Pandarus. What music is this? "Servant. I do but partly know, sir: it is music in parts. "Pandarus. Fair prince, here is good broken music. "Paris. You have broke it, cousin; and, by my life, you shall make it whole again." The Poet seems to have been rather fond of quibbling upon the phrase. Thus in King Henry V., v. 2, when the King is wooing the French Princess: "Come, your answer in broken music; for thy voice is music, and thy English broken." 12 Cousin was used indifferently of nephews, nieces, and grandchildren, as well as for what we mean by the term. Shakespeare is full of instances in point. Rosalind is niece to Frederick. 18 Only one of the ladies calls for Orlando; and he says them, because he sees two, not because the request comes from them both. Ori. No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger: 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. 14 Ros. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: We will make it our suit to the Duke that the wrestling might not go forward. 15 Orl. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts. 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; 16 if kill'd, but one dead that is willing to be 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. Fred. You shall try but one fall. Cha. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first. Orl. You mean to mock me after; you should not 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. [CHA. and ORL. wrestle. 14 Eyes and judgment are somewhat emphatic here; the implication being, that Orlando sees himself not as he really is, but as fancy or passion overdraws him. Celia means a delicate compliment to the young gentleman. Mr. Dyce and some others read "our eyes" and "our judgment;" which, it seems to me, makes the sense no better a good deal. 15 The original gives this passage thus: "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," &c. Wherein is only in the way here, and I do not well see how any sense can be made out of it. The theory of the change is, that the word somehow got repeated from what follows. 16 Never in grace, or in favour. Shakespeare elsewhere has similar uses of the word Ros. O, excellent young man ! Cel. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell wh should go down. Fred. No more, no more. [CHARLES is thrown. Show Orl. Yes, I beseech your Grace: I am not yet wel breath'd.17 Fred. How dost thou, Charles? Le Beau. He cannot speak, my lord. Fred. Bear him away. [CHARLES is borne out.]- What is thy name, young man? Orl. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Roland de Bois. Fred. 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,1o But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth: I would thou hadst told me of another father. [Exeunt FRED., Train, and LE Beau. Cel. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? Orl. I am more proud to be Sir Roland's son, youngest son, and would not change that calling, To be adopted heir to Frederick. His Ros. My father lov'd Sir Roland as his soul, 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: But justly, as you have exceeded promise, Your mistress shall be happy. Ros. Giving a Chain from her Neck.] Gentleman, Wear this for me, one out of suits with fortune, 17 Well breath'd is well exercised. Orlando means that he is not yet fairly warm with his work. The verb to breathe often occurs in this sense. 18 Should'st in the sense of would'st. The auxiliaries could, should, and would had not become fully differentiated in Shakespeare's time. They were used interchangeably, and he has many instances of such use. It was the same with shall and will; as also with various other words. In Rosalind's second speech below, we have it again: "That could give more;" could for would. 19 Tears in addition to entreaties. That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Cel. Ay:- Fare you well, fair gentleman. 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,20 a mere lifeless block. Ros. He calls us back: 21 My pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. Cel. Will you go, coz? Ros. Have with you. - - Fare you well. [Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA Orl. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! Or Charles or something weaker masters thee. Re-enter LE BEAU. Le Beau. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you Orl. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this: Le Beau. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; But yet, indeed, the smaller 23 is his daughter: Th' other is daughter to the banish'd Duke, 20 A quintain was a figure set up for tilters to run at, in a mock tournament. The form was a post with a cross-bar fixed to the top, turning on a pivot, having a broad board at one end, and a bag full of sand at the other. In the sport, if the figure were struck on the shield, the quintain turned on its pivot and hit the assailant with the sand bag. The skill consisted in striking the quintain dexterously so as to avoid the blow. Orlando is talking to himself in this speech, the ladies having withdrawn. 21 Orlando has not called them back: why, then, does Rosalind say this? Perhaps she wants to talk further with him. - 22 This word occurs very often in the sense of temper or disposition. Thus, in The Merchant of Venice, Act i. scene 2, Portia says of the Moorish Prince, who comes to woo her, " If he have the condition of a saint, and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me. In the next line, misconstrues has the accent on the second syllable, and is spelt misconsters in the original. I think the Poet always accents it thus. - Humorous, a little after, is used, as was then common, in the sense of capricious, or going by fits and starts. 28 The old copy reads taller, which is evidently wrong, for Rosalind says in the next scene that she is "more than common tall." And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, But that the people praise her for her virtues, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; 24 SCENE III. A Room in the Palace. Enter CELIA and ROSALIND. [Exit. Cel. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! - Cupid have mercy! Not a word? Ros. Not one to throw at a dog. Cel. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. Ros. Then there were two cousins laid up, when the one should be lam'd with reasons, and the other mad without any. Cel. But is all this for your father? Ros. No, some of it is for my father's child.' O, how full of briers is this working-day world! Cel. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. Ros. I could shake them off my coat: these burs are in my heart. Cel. Hem them away. Ros. I would try, if I could cry hem, and have him. Ros. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. Cel. O, a good wish upon you! you will try in time, in despite of a fall. But. turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest: Is it possible, on such a sudden, you 24 That is, from bad to worse. 1 The original has "my child's father," which can hardly be right. |