1917Iaq. I prethee, pretty youth, let me better acquainted

1918with thee.

1919Ros They say you are a melancholly fellow.

1920Iaq. I am so: I doe loue it better then laughing.

1921Ros. Those that are in extremity of either, are abho-

1922minable fellowes, and betray themselues to euery mo-

1923derne censure, worse then drunkards.

1924Iaq. Why, 'tis good to be sad and say nothing.

1925Ros. Why then 'tis good to be a poste.

1926Iaq. I haue neither the Schollers melancholy, which

1927is emulation: nor the Musitians, which is fantasticall;

1928nor the Courtiers, which is proud: nor the Souldiers,

1929which is ambitious: nor the Lawiers, which is politick:

1930nor the Ladies, which is nice: nor the Louers, which

1931is all these: but it is a melancholy of mine owne, com-

1932pounded of many simples, extracted from many obiects,

1933and indeed the sundrie contemplation of my trauells, in

1934which by often rumination, wraps me in a most humo-

1935rous sadnesse.

1936Ros. A Traueller: by my faith you haue great rea-

1937son to be sad: I feare you haue sold your owne Lands,

1938to see other mens; then to haue seene much, and to haue

1939nothing, is to haue rich eyes and poore hands.

1940Iaq. Yes, I haue gain'd my experience.

1942Ros. And your experience makes you sad: I had ra-

1943ther haue a foole to make me merrie, then experience to

1944make me sad, and to trauaile for it too.

1945Orl. Good day, and happinesse, deere Rosalind.

1946Iaq. Nay then God buy you, and you talke in blanke

1947verse.

1948Ros. Farewell Mounsieur Trauellor: looke you

1949lispe, and weare strange suites; disable all the benefits

1950of your owne Countrie: be out of loue with your

1951natiuitie, and almost chide God for making you that

1952countenance you are; or I will scarce thinke you haue

1953swam in a Gundello. Why how now Orlando, where

1954haue you bin all this while? you a louer? and you

1955serue me such another tricke, neuer come in my sight

1956more.

1957Orl. My faire Rosalind, I come within an houre of my

1958promise.

1959Ros. Breake an houres promise in loue? hee that

1960will diuide a minute into a thousand parts, and breake

1961but a part of the thousand part of a minute in the affairs

1962of loue, it may be said of him that Cupid hath clapt

1963him oth' shoulder, but Ile warrant him heart hole.

1964Orl. Pardon me deere Rosalind.

1965Ros. Nay, and you be so tardie, come no more in my

1966sight, I had as liefe be woo'd of a Snaile.

1967Orl. Of a Snaile?

1968Ros. I, of a Snaile: for though he comes slowly, hee

1969carries his house on his head; a better ioyncture I thinke

1970then you make a woman: besides, he brings his destinie

1971with him.

1972Orl. What's that?

1973Ros. Why hornes: w^c such as you are faine to be be-

1974holding to your wiues for: but he comes armed in his

1975fortune, and preuents the slander of his wife.

1976Orl. Vertue is no horne-maker: and my Rosalind is

1977vertuous.

1978Ros. And I am your Rosalind.

1979Cel. It pleases him to call you so: but he hath a Rosa-

1980lind of a better leere then you.

1981Ros. Come, wooe me, wooe mee: for now I am in a

1982holy-day humor, and like enough to consent: What

1983would you say to me now, and I were your verie, verie

1984Rosalind?

1985Orl. I would kisse before I spoke.

1986Ros. Nay,you were better speake first, and when you

1987were grauel'd, for lacke of matter, you might take oc-

1988casion to kisse: verie good Orators when they are out,

1989they will spit, and for louers, lacking (God warne vs)

1990matter, the cleanliest shift is to kisse.

1991Orl. How if the kisse be denide?

1992Ros. Then she puts you to entreatie, and there begins

1993new matter.

1994Orl. Who could be out, being before his beloued

1995Mistris?

1996Ros. Marrie that should you if I were your Mistris,

1997or I should thinke my honestie ranker then my wit.

1998Orl. What, of my suite?

1999Ros. Not out of your apparrell, and yet out of your

2000suite:

2001Am not I your Rosalind?

2002Orl. I take some ioy to say you are, because I would

2003be talking of her.

2004Ros. Well, in her person, I say I will not haue you.

2005Orl. Then in mine owne person, I die.

2006Ros. No faith, die by Attorney: the poore world is

2007almost six thousand yeeres old, and in all this time there

2008was not anie man died in his owne person (videlicet) in

2009a loue cause: Troilous had his braines dash'd out with a

2010Grecian club, yet he did what hee could to die before,

2011and he is one of the patternes of loue. Leander, he would

2012haue liu'd manie a faire yeere though Hero had turn'd

2013Nun; if it had not bin for a hot Midsomer-night, for

2014(good youth) he went but forth to wash him in the Hel-

2015lespont, and being taken with the crampe, was droun'd,

2016and the foolish Chronoclers of that age, found it was

2017Hero of Cestos. But these are all lies, men haue died

2018from time to time, and wormes haue eaten them, but not

2019for loue.

2020Orl. I would not haue my right Rosalind of this mind,

2021for I protest her frowne might kill me.

2022Ros. By this hand, it will not kill a flie: but come,

2023now I will be your Rosalind in a more comming-on dis-

2024position: and aske me what you will, I will grant it.

2025Orl. Then loue me Rosalind.

2026Ros. Yes faith will I, fridaies and saterdaies, and all.

2027Orl. And wilt thou haue me?

2028Ros. I, and twentie such.

2029Orl. What saiest thou?

2030Ros. Are you not good?

2031Orl. I hope so.

2032Rosalind. Why then, can one desire too much of a

2033good thing: Come sister, you shall be the Priest, and

2034marrie vs: giue me your hand Orlando: What doe you

2035say sister?

2036Orl. Pray thee marrie vs.

2037Cel. I cannot say the words.

2038Ros. You must begin, will you Orlando.

2039Cel. Goe too: wil you Orlando, haue to wife this Ro-

2040salind?

2041Orl. I will.

2042Ros. I, but when?

2043Orl. Why now, as fast as she can marrie vs.

2044Ros. Then you must say, I take thee Rosalind for

2045wife.

2046Orl. I take thee Rosalind for wife.

2047Ros. I might aske you for your Commission,

2048But I doe take thee Orlando for my husband : there's a

2049girle goes before the Priest, and certainely a Womans

2050thought runs before her actions.

2051Orl. So do all thoughts, they are wing'd.

2052Ros. Now tell me how long you would haue her, af-

2053ter you haue possest her?

2054Orl. For euer, and a day.

2055Ros. Say a day, without the euer: no, no Orlando, men

2056are Aprill when they woe, December when they wed:

2057Maides are May when they are maides, but the sky chan-

2058ges when they are wiues: I will bee more iealous of

2059thee, then a Barbary cocke-pidgeon ouer his hen, more

2060clamorous then a Parrat against raine, more new-fang-

2061led then an ape, more giddy in my desires, then a mon-

2062key: I will weepe for nothing, like Diana in the Foun-

2063taine, & I wil do that when you are dispos'd to be merry:

2064I will laugh like a Hyen, and that when thou art inclin'd

2065to sleepe.

2066Orl. But will my Rosalind doe so?

2067Ros. By my life, she will doe as I doe.

2068Orl. O but she is wise.

2069Ros. Or else shee could not haue the wit to doe this:

2070the wiser, the waywarder: make the doores vpon a wo-

2071mans wit, and it will out at the casement: shut that, and

2072'twill out at the key-hole: stop that, 'twill flie with the

2073smoake out at the chimney.

2074Orl. A man that had a wife with such a wit, he might

2075say, wit whether wil't?

2076Ros. Nay, you might keepe that checke for it, till you

2077met your wiues wit going to your neighbours bed.

2078Orl. And what wit could wit haue, to excuse that?

2079Rosa. Marry to say, she came to seeke you there: you

2080shall neuer take her without her answer, vnlesse you take

2081her without her tongue: ô that woman that cannot

2082make her fault her husbands occasion, let her neuer nurse

2083her childe her selfe, for she will breed it like a foole.

2084Orl. For these two houres Rosalinde, I wil leaue thee.

2085Ros. Alas, deere loue, I cannot lacke thee two houres.

2086Orl. I must attend the Duke at dinner, by two a clock

2087I will be with thee againe.

2088Ros. I, goe your waies, goe your waies: I knew what

2089you would proue, my friends told mee as much, and I

2090thought no lesse: that flattering tongue of yours wonne

2091me: 'tis but one cast away, and so come death: two o'

2092clocke is your howre.

2093Orl. I, sweet Rosalind.

2094Ros. By my troth, and in good earnest, and so God

2095mend mee, and by all pretty oathes that are not dange-

2096rous, if you breake one iot of your promise, or come one

2097minute behinde your houre, I will thinke you the most

2098patheticall breake-promise, and the most hollow louer,

2099and the most vnworthy of her you call Rosalinde, that

2100may bee chosen out of the grosse band of the vnfaith-

2101full: therefore beware my censure, and keep your pro-

2102mise.

2103Orl. With no lesse religion, then if thou wert indeed

2104my Rosalind: so adieu.

2105Ros. Well, Time is the olde Iustice that examines all

2107Cel. You haue simply misus'd our sexe in your loue-

2108prate: we must haue your doublet and hose pluckt ouer

2109your head, and shew the world what the bird hath done

2110to her owne neast.

2111Ros. O coz, coz, coz: my pretty little coz, that thou

2112didst know how many fathome deepe I am in loue: but

2113it cannot bee sounded: my affection hath an vnknowne

2114bottome, like the Bay of Portugall.

2115Cel. Or rather bottomlesse, that as fast as you poure

2116affection in, in runs out.

2117Ros. No, that same wicked Bastard of Venus, that was

2118begot of thought, conceiu'd of spleene, and borne of

2119madnesse, that blinde rascally boy, that abuses euery

2120ones eyes, because his owne are out, let him bee iudge,

2121how deepe I am in loue: ile tell thee Aliena, I cannot be

2122out of the sight of Orlando: Ile goe finde a shadow, and

2123sigh till he come.