(Thinking that I mean him,) but therein suits His folly to the mettle of my speech? There then; How, what then? Let me see wherein Enter ORLANDO, with his sword drawn. Jaq. Why, I have eat none yet. Orl. Nor shalt not, till necessity be serv'd. Jaq. Of what kind should this cock come of? Duke S. Art thou thus bolden'd, man, by thy distress ; Or else a rude despiser of good manners, Orl. You touch'd my vein at first; the thorny point Till I and my affairs are answered. Jaq. An you will not be answered with reason, I must die. Duke S. What would you have? Your gentleness shall force, More than your force move us to gentleness. Orl. I almost die for food, and let me have it. Duke S. Sit down and feed, and welcome to our table. Orl. Speak you so gently? Pardon me, I pray you: I thought, that all things had been savage here; 2-inland bred,] Inland here, and elsewhere in this play, is the opposite to outland, or upland. Orlando means to say, that he had not been bred among clowns. 3 And know some nurture:] Nurture is education, breeding. And therefore put I on the countenance Under the shade of melancholy boughs, If ever from your eye-lids wip'd a tear, my sword. Orl. Then, but forbear your food a little while, Whiles, like a doe, I go to find my fawn, And give it food. There is an old poor man, Who after me hath many a weary step Limp'd in pure love; till he be first suffic'd,Oppress'd with two weak evils, age and hunger,I will not touch a bit. Duke S. Go find him out, And we will nothing waste till you return. comfort! Orl. I thank ye; and be bless'd for your good [Exit. Duke S. Thou seest, we are not all alone un happy: This wide and universal theatre Presents more woeful pageants than the scene And take upon command-] At your own command. Jaq. All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits, and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms; And then, the whining school-boy, with his satchel, And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school: And then, the lover; Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress' eye-brow: Then, a soldier; Even in the cannon's mouth: And then, the justice; His acts being seven ages.] I have seen, more than once, an old print, entitled The Stage of Man's Life, divided into seven ages. As emblematical representations of this sort were formerly stuck up, both for ornament and instruction, in the generality of houses, it is more probable that Shakspeare took his hint from thence, than from Hippocrates or Proclus, who are quoted by Mr. Malone. HENLEY. 6 — and bearded like the pard,] Beards of different cut were appropriated in our author's time to different characters and professions. The soldier had one fashion, the judge another, the bishop different from both, &c. 7 sudden and quick-] Lest it should be supposed that these epithets are synonymous, it is necessary to be observed that one of the ancient senses of sudden, is violent. modern instances,] Modern means trite, common. And whistles in his sound: Last scene of all, Is second childishness, and mere oblivion; Re-enter ORLANDO, with ADAM. Duke S. Welcome: Set down your venerable burden, And let him feed. Orl. I thank you most for him. Adam. So had you need; I scarce can speak to thank you for myself. Duke S. Welcome, fall to; I will not trouble you As yet, to question you about your fortunes:— Give us some musick; and, good cousin, sing. AMIENS sings. SONG. I. Blow, blow, thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind" As man's ingratitude; Thy tooth is not so keen, Because thou art not seen,' Although thy breath be rude. Heigh, ho! sing, heigh, ho! unto the green holly: • Thou art not so unkind, &c.] That is, thy action is not so contrary to thy kind, or to human nature, as the ingratitude of Because thou art not seen,] It is the opinion of the best commentators, that this can only be tortured into a meaning. Dr. II. Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky, Though thou the waters warp, As friend remember'd not." Heigh, ho! sing, heigh, ho! &c. Duke S. If that you were the good sir Rowland's As you have whisper'd faithfully, you were; Johnson paraphrases thus :-Thou winter wind, thy rudeness gives the less pain, as thou art not seen, as thou art an enemy that dost not brave us with thy presence, and whose unkindness is therefore not aggravated by insult. 2 As friend remember'd not.] Remember'd for remembering. |