AS YOU LIKE IT.

ACT I. SCENE I.

A

An Orchard, near Oliver's Houfe.

Enter ORLANDO and ADAM.

Orlando.

S I remember, Adam, it was upon this fafhion bequeathed me: By will, but a poor thousand crowns; and, as thou fay'ft, charged my brother, on his bleffing, to breed me well: and there begins my fadnefs. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit: for my part, he keeps me ruftically 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, befides 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. Befides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the fomething that nature gave me, his countenance feems 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 fervitude: I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wife remedy how to avoid it.

Enter OLIVER.

Adam. Yonder comes my mafter, your brother. Orl. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up.

Oli. Now, fir! what make you here?

Orl. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing.
Oli. What mar you then, fir?

Orl. Marry, fir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idlenefs.

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Oli. Marry, fir, be better employ'd, and be naught awhile.

Orl. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent, that I should come to fuch penury?

Oli. Know you where you are, fir?

Orl. O, fir, very well: here in your orchard.

Oli. Know you before whom, fir?

Orl. Ay, better than he I am before knows me. I know, you are my eldest brother; and, in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me: The courtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the firstborn; but the fame tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us: I have as much of my father in me, as you; albeit, I confess, your coming before me is nearer to his reverence.

Oli. What, boy!

Orl. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this.

Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?

Orl. I am no villain: I am the youngest son of fir Rowland de Bois; he was my father; and he is thrice a villain, that fays, fuch a father begot villains: Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat, till this other had pulled out thy tongue for faying fo; thou haft railed on thyself.

Adam. Sweet mafters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord.

Oli. Let me go, I say.

Orl. I will not, till I pleafe: you fhall hear me. My father charged you in his will to give me good education : you have trained me like a peasant, obfcuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities: the fpirit of my father grows ftrong in me, and I will no longer endure it: therefore allow me fuch exercifes as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes.

Oli. And what wilt thou do? beg, when that is spent? Well, fir, get you in: I will not long be troubled with you: you shall have some part of your will: I pray you, leave me.

Orl. I will no further offend you than becomes me for my good.

Oli. Get you with him, you old dog.

Adam. Is old dog my reward? Moft true, I have loft my teeth in your service.—God be with my old master! he would not have spoke fuch a word.

[Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM. Oli. Is it even fo? begin you to grow upon me? I will phyfick your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Hola, Dennis!

Enter DENNIS.

Den. Calls your worship?

Oli. Was not Charles, the duke's wrestler, here to speak with me?

Den. So please you, he is here at the door, and importunes access to you.

Oli. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS.]-Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is.

Enter CHARLES.

Cha. Good morrow to your worship.

Oli. Good monfieur Charles!-what's the new news at the new court?

Cha. There's no news at the court, fir, but the old news that is, the old duke is banished by his younger brother the new duke; and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary exile with him, whofe lands and revenues enrich the new duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander.

Oli. Can you tell, if Rofalind, the duke's daughter, be banished with her father.

Cha. O, no; for the duke's daughter, her cousin, fo loves her, being ever from their cradles bred together,— that he would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do.

Oli. Where will the old duke live?

Cha. They fay, he is already in the foreft of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England: they fay, many young

gentlemen

H

gentlemen flock to him every day; and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world.

Oli. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new duke?

Cha. Marry, do I, fir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, fir, fecretly to understand, that your younger brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in difguis'd against me to try a fall: To-morrow, fir, I wrestle for my credit; and he that escapes me without fome broken limb, shall acquit him well. Your brother is but young, and tender; and, for your love, I would be loth to foil him, as I muft, for my own honour, if he come in: therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal; that either you might stay him from his intendment, or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into; in that it is a thing of his own fearch, and altogether against my will.

Oli. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou fhalt find I will moft kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to diffuade him from it; but he is refolute. I'll tell thee, Charles,-it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a fecret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother; therefore use thy difcretion; I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger: And thou wert beft look to't; for if thou doft him any flight difgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap thee by fome treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by fome indirect means or other: for, I affure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one fo young and so villainous this day living. I fpeak but brotherly of him; but fhould I anatomize B 3 him