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  • Title: As You Like It (Folio 1, 1623)
  • Editor: David Bevington

    • ISBN: 978-1-55058-369-4

    Copyright David Bevington. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: David Bevington
    Peer Reviewed

    As You Like It (Folio 1, 1623)

    196
    As you like it.

    Helens cheeke, but not his heart,
    Cleopatra's Maiestie:
    1345Attalanta's better part,
    sad Lucrecia's Modestie.
    Thus Rosalinde of manie parts,
    by Heauenly Synode was deuis'd,
    Of manie faces, eyes, and hearts,
    1350 to haue the touches deerest pris'd.
    Heauen would that shee these gifts should haue,
    and I to liue and die her slaue.

    Ros. O most gentle Iupiter, what tedious homilie of
    Loue haue you wearied your parishioners withall, and
    1355neuer cri'de, haue patience good people.
    Cel. How now backe friends: Shepheard, go off a lit-
    tle: go with him sirrah.
    Clo. Come Shepheard, let vs make an honorable re-
    treit, though not with bagge and baggage, yet with
    1360scrip and scrippage. Exit.
    Cel. Didst thou heare these verses?
    Ros. O yes, I heard them all, and more too, for some
    of them had in them more feete then the Verses would
    beare.
    1365Cel. That's no matter: the feet might beare y^e verses.
    Ros. I, but the feet were lame, and could not beare
    themselues without the verse, and therefore stood lame-
    ly in the verse.
    Cel. But didst thou heare without wondering, how
    1370thy name should be hang'd and carued vpon these trees?
    Ros. I was seuen of the nine daies out of the wonder,
    before you came: for looke heere what I found on a
    Palme tree; I was neuer so berimdsince Pythagoras time
    that I was an Irish Rat, which I can hardly remember.
    1375Cel. Tro you, who hath done this?
    Ros. Is it a man?
    Cel. And a chaine that you once wore about his neck:
    change you colour?
    Ros. I pre'thee who?
    1380Cel. O Lord, Lord, it is a hard matter for friends to
    meete; but Mountaines may bee remoou'd with Earth-
    quakes, and so encounter.
    Ros. Nay, but who is it?
    Cel. Is it possible?
    1385Ros. Nay, I pre'thee
    now, with most petitionary ve-
    hemence, tell me who it is.
    Cel. O wonderfull, wonderfull, and most wonderfull
    wonderfull, and yet againe wonderful, and after that out
    of all hooping.
    1390Ros. Good my complection, dost thou think though
    I am caparison'd like a man, I haue a doublet and hose in
    my disposition? One inch of delay more, is a South-sea
    of discouerie. I pre'thee tell me, who is it quickely, and
    speake apace: I would thou couldst stammer, that thou
    1395might'st powre this conceal'd man out of thy mouth, as
    Wine comes out of a narrow-mouth'd bottle: either too
    much at once, or none at all. I pre'thee take the Corke
    out of thy mouth, that I may drinke thy tydings.
    Cel. So you may put a man in your belly.
    1400Ros. Is he of Gods making? What manner of man?
    Is his head worth a hat? Or his chin worth a beard?
    Cel. Nay, he hath but a little beard.
    Ros. Why God will send more, if the man will bee
    thankful: let me stay the growth of his beard, if thou
    1405delay me not the knowledge of his chin.
    Cel. It is yong Orlando, that tript vp the Wrastlers
    heeles, and your heart, both in an instant.

    Ros. Nay, but the diuell take mocking: speake sadde
    brow, and true maid.
    1410Cel. I'faith (Coz) tis he.
    Ros. Orlando?
    Cel. Orlando.
    Ros. Alas the day, what shall I do with my doublet &
    hose? What did he when thou saw'st him? What sayde
    1415he? How look'd he? Wherein went he? What makes hee
    heere? Did he aske for me? Where remaines he ? How
    parted he with thee ? And when shalt thou see him a-
    gaine? Answer me in one vvord.
    Cel. You must borrow me Gargantuas mouth first:
    1420'tis a Word too great for any mouth of this Ages size, to
    say I and no, to these particulars, is more then to answer
    in a Catechisme.
    Ros. But doth he know that I am in this Forrest, and
    in mans apparrell? Looks he as freshly, as he did the day
    1425he Wrastled?
    Cel. It is as easie to count Atomies as to resolue the
    propositions of a Louer: but take a taste of my finding
    him, and rellish it with good obseruance. I found him
    vnder a tree like a drop'd Acorne.
    1430Ros. It may vvel be cal'd Ioues tree, when it droppes
    forth fruite.
    Cel. Giue me audience, good Madam.
    Ros. Proceed.
    Cel. There lay hee stretch'd along like a Wounded
    1435knight.
    Ros. Though it be pittie to see such a sight, it vvell
    becomes the ground.
    Cel. Cry holla, to the tongue, I prethee: it curuettes
    vnseasonably. He was furnish'd like a Hunter.
    1440Ros. O ominous, he comes to kill my Hart.
    Cel. I would sing my song without a burthen, thou
    bring'st me out of tune.
    Ros. Do you not know I am a woman, when I thinke,
    I must speake: sweet, say on.

    1445Enter Orlando & Iaques.
    Cel. You bring me out. Soft, comes he not heere?
    Ros. 'Tis he, slinke by, and note him.
    Iaq I thanke you for your company, but good faith
    I had as liefe haue beene my selfe alone.
    1450Orl. And so had I: but yet for fashion sake
    I thanke you too, for your societie.
    Iaq. God buy you, let's meet as little as we can.
    Orl. I do desire we may be better strangers.
    Iaq. I pray you marre no more trees vvith Writing
    1455Loue-songs in their barkes.
    Orl. I pray you marre no moe of my verses with rea-
    ding them ill-fauouredly.
    Iaq. Rosalinde is your loues name? Orl. Yes, Iust.
    Iaq. I do not like her name.
    1460Orl. There was no thought of pleasing you when she
    was christen'd.
    Iaq. What stature is she of?
    Orl. Iust as high as my heart.
    Iaq. You are ful of prety answers: haue you not bin ac-
    1465quainted with goldsmiths wiues, & cond thē out of rings
    Orl. Not so: but I answer you right painted cloath,
    from whence you haue studied your questions.
    Iaq. You haue a nimble wit; I thinke 'twas made of
    Attalanta's heeles. Will you sitte downe with me, and
    1470wee two, will raile against our Mistris the world, and all
    our miserie.
    Orl. I wil chide no breather in the world but my selfe
    against
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