Shakespeare Portal

Act 2, Scene 4

The Forest of Arden.

  1. [Enter ROSALIND in boy's clothes, CELIA dressed like a shepherdess, and TOUCHSTONE.]
  2. Rosalind
  3. 690 O Jupiter! how weary are my spirits!
  4. Touchstone
  5. 691 I care not for my spirits, if my legs were not weary.
  6. Rosalind
  7. 692 I could find in my heart to disgrace my man's apparel,
  8. 693 and to cry like a woman; but I must comfort the weaker vessel, as
  9. 694 doublet and hose ought to show itself courageous to petticoat;
  10. 695 therefore, courage, good Aliena.
  11. Celia
  12. 696 I pray you bear with me; I can go no further.
  13. Touchstone
  14. 697 For my part, I had rather bear with you than bear you:
  15. 698 yet I should bear no cross if I did bear you; for I think you
  16. 699 have no money in your purse.
  17. Rosalind
  18. 700 Well, this is the forest of Arden.
  19. Touchstone
  20. 701 Ay, now am I in Arden: the more fool I; when I was at
  21. 702 home I was in a better place; but travellers must be content.
  22. Rosalind
  23. 703 Ay, be so, good Touchstone.—Look you, who comes here?, a
  24. 704 young man and an old in solemn talk.
  25. [Enter CORIN and SILVIUS.]
  26. Corin
  27. 705 That is the way to make her scorn you still.
  28. Silvius
  29. 706 O Corin, that thou knew'st how I do love her!
  30. Corin
  31. 707 I partly guess; for I have lov'd ere now.
  32. Silvius
  33. 708 No, Corin, being old, thou canst not guess;
  34. 709 Though in thy youth thou wast as true a lover
  35. 710 As ever sigh'd upon a midnight pillow:
  36. 711 But if thy love were ever like to mine,—
  37. 712 As sure I think did never man love so,—
  38. 713 How many actions most ridiculous
  39. 714 Hast thou been drawn to by thy fantasy?
  40. Corin
  41. 715 Into a thousand that I have forgotten.
  42. Silvius
  43. 716 O, thou didst then never love so heartily:
  44. 717 If thou remember'st not the slightest folly
  45. 718 That ever love did make thee run into,
  46. 719 Thou hast not lov'd:
  47. 720 Or if thou hast not sat as I do now,
  48. 721 Wearing thy hearer in thy mistress' praise,
  49. 722 Thou hast not lov'd:
  50. 723 Or if thou hast not broke from company
  51. 724 Abruptly, as my passion now makes me,
  52. 725 Thou hast not lov'd: O Phebe, Phebe, Phebe!
  53. [Exit Silvius.]
  54. Rosalind
  55. 726 Alas, poor shepherd! searching of thy wound,
  56. 727 I have by hard adventure found mine own.
  57. Touchstone
  58. 728 And I mine. I remember, when I was in love, I broke my
  59. 729 sword upon a stone, and bid him take that for coming a-night to
  60. 730 Jane Smile: and I remember the kissing of her batlet, and the
  61. 731 cow's dugs that her pretty chapp'd hands had milk'd: and I
  62. 732 remember the wooing of a peascod instead of her; from whom I took
  63. 733 two cods, and giving her them again, said with weeping tears,
  64. 734 'Wear these for my sake.' We that are true lovers run into
  65. 735 strange capers; but as all is mortal in nature, so is all nature
  66. 736 in love mortal in folly.
  67. Rosalind
  68. 737 Thou speak'st wiser than thou art 'ware of.
  69. Touchstone
  70. 738 Nay, I shall ne'er be 'ware of mine own wit till I break my shins
  71. 739 against it.
  72. Rosalind
  73. 740 Jove, Jove! this shepherd's passion
  74. 741 Is much upon my fashion.
  75. Touchstone
  76. 742 And mine: but it grows something stale with me.
  77. Celia
  78. 743 I pray you, one of you question yond man
  79. 744 If he for gold will give us any food:
  80. 745 I faint almost to death.
  81. Touchstone
  82. 746 Holla, you clown!
  83. Rosalind
  84. 747 Peace, fool; he's not thy kinsman.
  85. Corin
  86. 748 Who calls?
  87. Touchstone
  88. 749 Your betters, sir.
  89. Corin
  90. 750 Else are they very wretched.
  91. Rosalind
  92. 751 Peace, I say.—
  93. 752 Good even to you, friend.
  94. Corin
  95. 753 And to you, gentle sir, and to you all.
  96. Rosalind
  97. 754 I pr'ythee, shepherd, if that love or gold
  98. 755 Can in this desert place buy entertainment,
  99. 756 Bring us where we may rest ourselves and feed:
  100. 757 Here's a young maid with travel much oppress'd,
  101. 758 And faints for succour.
  102. Corin
  103. 759 Fair sir, I pity her,
  104. 760 And wish, for her sake more than for mine own,
  105. 761 My fortunes were more able to relieve her:
  106. 762 But I am shepherd to another man,
  107. 763 And do not shear the fleeces that I graze:
  108. 764 My master is of churlish disposition,
  109. 765 And little recks to find the way to heaven
  110. 766 By doing deeds of hospitality:
  111. 767 Besides, his cote, his flocks, and bounds of feed,
  112. 768 Are now on sale; and at our sheepcote now,
  113. 769 By reason of his absence, there is nothing
  114. 770 That you will feed on; but what is, come see,
  115. 771 And in my voice most welcome shall you be.
  116. Rosalind
  117. 772 What is he that shall buy his flock and pasture?
  118. Corin
  119. 773 That young swain that you saw here but erewhile,
  120. 774 That little cares for buying anything.
  121. Rosalind
  122. 775 I pray thee, if it stand with honesty,
  123. 776 Buy thou the cottage, pasture, and the flock,
  124. 777 And thou shalt have to pay for it of us.
  125. Celia
  126. 778 And we will mend thy wages. I like this place,
  127. 779 And willingly could waste my time in it.
  128. Corin
  129. 780 Assuredly the thing is to be sold:
  130. 781 Go with me: if you like, upon report,
  131. 782 The soil, the profit, and this kind of life,
  132. 783 I will your very faithful feeder be,
  133. 784 And buy it with your gold right suddenly.
  134. [Exeunt.]