William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare - Complete Works

FREDERICK, his brother, and usurper of his dominions

AMIENS, lord attending on the banished Duke

JAQUES, " " " " " "

LE BEAU, a courtier attending upon Frederick

CHARLES, wrestler to Frederick

OLIVER, son of Sir Rowland de Boys

JAQUES, " " " " " "

ORLANDO, " " " " " "

ADAM, servant to Oliver

DENNIS, " " "

TOUCHSTONE, the court jester

SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a vicar

CORIN, shepherd

SILVIUS, "

WILLIAM, a country fellow, in love with Audrey

A person representing HYMEN

ROSALIND, daughter to the banished Duke

CELIA, daughter to Frederick

PHEBE, a shepherdes

AUDREY, a country wench

Lords, Pages, Foresters, and Attendants

Enter ORLANDO and ADAM

ORLANDO. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me rustically 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, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hir'd; 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. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the something that nature gave me his countenance seems 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 servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it.

Enter OLIVER

ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother.

ORLANDO. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me

up. [ADAM retires]

OLIVER. Now, sir! what make you here?

ORLANDO. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing.

OLIVER. What mar you then, sir?

ORLANDO. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a

poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness.

OLIVER. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile.

ORLANDO. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What

prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury?

OLIVER. Know you where you are, sir?

ORLANDO. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard.

OLIVER. Know you before whom, sir?

ORLANDO. Ay, better than him 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 first-born; but the same 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.

OLIVER. What, boy! [Strikes him]

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

OLIVER. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?

ORLANDO. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de

Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such

a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not

take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy

tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself.

ADAM. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's

remembrance, be at accord.

OLIVER. Let me go, I say.

ORLANDO. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father

charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have

train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all

gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in

me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such

exercises 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.

OLIVER. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir,

get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have

some part of your will. I pray you leave me.

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

OLIVER. Get you with him, you old dog.

ADAM. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in

your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke

such a word.

Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM

OLIVER. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic

your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla,

Dennis!

Enter DENNIS

DENNIS. Calls your worship?

OLIVER. not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me?

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

to you.

OLIVER. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and

to-morrow the wrestling is.

Enter CHARLES

CHARLES. Good morrow to your worship.

OLIVER. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new

court?

CHARLES. There's no news at the court, sir, 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, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke;

therefore he gives them good leave to wander.

OLIVER. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished

with her father?

CHARLES. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her,

being ever from their cradles bred together, that she 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.

OLIVER. Where will the old Duke live?

CHARLES. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many

merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood

of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day,

and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world.

OLIVER. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke?

CHARLES. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a

matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger

brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against

me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he

that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well.

Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would

be loath to foil him, as I must, 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

thing of his own search and altogether against my will.

OLIVER. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt

find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my

brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to

dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. 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 secret

and villainous contriver against me his natural brother.