# As You Like It (1919) Yale/Text/Act I

Layout 2
ACT FIRST
Scene One
[An Orchard near Oliver's House]
Enter Orlando and Adam.
Orl. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed me by will but poor a thou- sand crowns, and, as thou sayest, 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 8 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 hired: but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth, for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound 16 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. 27
Enter Oliver.
Adam. Yonder comes my master, your brother.
Orl. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up.
Oli. Now, sir! what make you here? 31
Orl. Nothing: I am not taught to make any- thing.
Oli. What mar you then, sir?
Orl. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. 37
Oli. Marry, sir, be better employed, 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 such penury? 42
Oli. Know you where you are, sir?
Orl. O! sir, very well: here in your orchard.
Oli. Know you before whom, sir? 45
Orl. 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 50 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.
Oli. What, boy! 56
Orl. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this.
Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? 59
Orl. 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 pulled out thy tongue for saying so: thou hast railed on thyself. 66
Adam. [Coming forward.] Sweet masters, be patient: for your father's remembrance, be at accord.
Oli. Let me go, I say. 70
Orl. I will not, till I please: you shall hear me. My father charged you in his will to give me good education: you have trained 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 be- come a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery ​my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. 80
Oli. 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. 84
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? 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.
Oli. 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.
Den. Calls your worship? 95
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. 102
Oli. Good Monsieur Charles, what's the new news at the new court?
Cha. 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 re- venues enrich the new duke; therefore he gives them good leave to wander. 111
Oli. Can you tell if Rosalind, the duke's daughter, be banished with her father?
Cha. 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. 120
Oli. Where will the old duke live?
Cha. 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.
Oli. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new duke? 129
Cha. 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 disguised 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 136 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 a thing of his own search and altogether against my will. 144
Oli. 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 150 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: therefore use thy discretion. I had as lief thou didst break his neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himself on thee, he will practise against 158 thee by poison, entrap thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I assure thee,—and almost with tears I speak it,—there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder. 167
Cha. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come to-morrow, I'll give him his payment: ​if ever he go alone again, I'll never wrestle for prize more; and so God keep your worship! 171
Exit.
Oli. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle, never schooled and yet learned, full of noble device, of all sorts enchantingly beloved, and, indeed so much in 177 the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall clear all: nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now I'll go about.
Exit.
Scene Two
[A Lawn before the Duke's Palace]
Enter Rosalind and Celia.
Cel. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry.
Ros. Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of, and would you yet I were mer- rier? Unless you could teach me to forget a banished father, you must not learn me how to remember any extraordinary pleasure. 7
Cel. Herein I see thou lovest me not with the full weight that I love thee. If my uncle, thy ​banished father, had banished thy uncle, the duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine: so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so righteously tempered as mine is to thee. 15
Ros. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice in yours.
Cel. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and, truly, when he dies, thou shalt be his heir: for what he hath 20 taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection; by mine honour, I will; and when I break that oath, let me turn monster. Therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry. 25
Ros. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me see; what think you of falling in love? 28
Cel. Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal: but love no man in good earnest; nor no further in sport neither, than with safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honour come off again. 33
Ros. What shall be our sport then?
Cel. Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally. 37
Ros. I would we could do so, for her benefits are mightily misplaced, and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her gifts to women.
​Cel. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes honest, and those that she makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly. 43
Ros. Nay, now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of Nature.
Enter Touchstone.
Cel. No? when Nature hath made a fair crea- ture, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off the argument? 51
Ros. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit.
Cel. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but Nature's; who, perceiving our na- tural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses, hath sent this natural for our whetstone: for always the dulness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How now, wit! whither wander you? 61
Touch. Mistress, you must come away to your father.
Cel. Were you made the messenger?
Touch. No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you. 66
Ros. Where learned you that oath, fool?
Touch. Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were good pancakes, and swore ​by his honour the mustard was naught: now, I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn. 73
Cel. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge?
Ros. Ay, marry: now unmuzzle your wisdom.
Touch. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave. 79
Cel. By our beards, if we had them, thou art.
Touch. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were; but if you swear by that that is not, you are not forsworn: no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancakes or that mustard. 86
Cel. Prithee, who is 't that thou meanest?
Touch. One that old Frederick, your father, loves.
Cel. My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough! speak no more of him; you'll be whipped for taxation one of these days. 92
Touch. The more pity, that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly.
Cel. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau. 98
Enter Le Beau.
Ros. With his mouth full of news.
​Cel. Which he will put on us, as pigeons feed their young.
Ros. Then we shall be news-cramm'd.
Cel. All the better; we shall be more market- able. 104 Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau: what's the news?
Le Beau. Fair princess, you have lost much good sport.
Cel. Sport! Of what colour? 108
Le Beau. What colour, madam! How shall I answer you?
Ros. As wit and fortune will.
Touch. Or as the Destinies decree. 112
Cel. Well said: that was laid on with a trowel.
Touch. Nay, if I keep not my rank,—
Ros. Thou losest thy old smell.
Le Beau. You amaze me, ladies: I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of. 118
Ros. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling.
Le Beau. I will tell you the beginning; and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end, for the best is yet to do; and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. 123
Cel. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried.
Le Beau. There comes an old man and his three sons,— 127
Cel. I could match this beginning with an old tale.
​Le Beau. Three proper young men, of excel- lent growth and presence;—
Ros. With bills on their necks, 'Be it known unto all men by these presents.' 133
Le Beau. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him: so 137 he served the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping. 141
Ros. Alas!
Touch. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost? 144
Le Beau. Why, this that I speak of.
Touch. Thus men may grow wiser every day: it is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies. 148
Cel. Or I, I promise thee.
Ros. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we see this wrestling, cousin? 153
Le Beau. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it. 156
Cel. Yonder, sure, they are coming: let us now stay and see it.
Flourish. Enter Duke [Frederick], Lords, Orlando, Charles, and Attendants.
Duke F. Come on: since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forward- ness. 161
Ros. Is yonder the man?
Le Beau. Even he, madam.
Cel. Alas! he is too young: yet he looks successfully. 165
Duke F. How now, daughter and cousin! are you crept hither to see the wrestling?
Ros. Ay, my liege, so please you give us leave. 169
Duke F. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the man: in pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him.
Cel. Call him hither, good Monsieur le Beau.
Duke F. Do so: I'll not be by. 176
[Duke goes apart.]
Le Beau. Monsieur the challenger, the princess calls for you.
Orl. I attend them with all respect and duty.
Ros. Young man, have you challenged Charles the wrestler? 181
Orl. No, fair princess; he is the general challenger: I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth. 184
Cel. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength: if you saw yourself with your eyes or knew yourself with your judgment, ​the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety and give over this attempt. 192
Ros. Do, young sir: your reputation shall not therefore be misprised. We will make it our suit to the duke that the wrestling might not go forward. 196
Orl. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty, to deny so fair and excellent ladies any- thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial: wherein if I be foiled, there is but one shamed that was never gracious; 202 if killed, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. 208
Ros. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you.
Cel. And mine, to eke out hers.
Ros. Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceived in you! 213
Cel. Your heart's desires be with you!
Cha. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth? 216
Orl. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working.
Duke F. You shall try but one fall. 219
​Cha. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first.
Orl. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mocked me before: but come your ways. 225
Ros. Now Hercules be thy speed, young man!
Cel. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. 228
[Charles and Orlando] wrestle.
Ros. O excellent young man!
Cel. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down.
[Charles is thrown.] Shout.
Duke F. No more, no more. 232
Orl. Yes, I beseech your Grace: I am not yet well breathed.
Duke F. How dost thou, Charles?
Le Beau. He cannot speak, my lord. 236
Duke F. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man? [Charles is borne out.]
Orl. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys. 240
Duke F. I would thou hadst been son to some man else: The world esteem'd thy father honourable, But I did find him still mine enemy: Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, 244 Hadst thou descended from another house. But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth: I would thou hadst told me of another father.
Exit Duke [with Lords and Attendants].
Cel. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? 248
Orl. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son; and would not change that calling, To be adopted heir to Frederick.
Ros. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, 252 And all the world was of my father's mind: Had I before known this young man his son, I should have given him tears unto entreaties, Ere he should thus have ventur'd.
Cel.Gentle cousin, 256 Let us go thank him and encourage him: My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv'd: If you do keep your promises in love 260 But justly, as you have exceeded all promise, Your mistress shall be happy.
Ros.Gentleman,
[Giving him a chain from her neck.]
Wear this for me, one out of suits with fortune, That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. 264 Shall we go, coz?
Cel.Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman.
Orl. Can I not say, I thank you? My better parts Are all thrown down, and that which here stands up Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block. 268
Ros. He calls us back: my pride fell with my fortunes; I'll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir? Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown ​More than your enemies.
Cel. Will you go, coz? 272
Ros. Have with you. Fare you well.
Exeunt [Rosalind and Celia.]
Orl. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference.
Enter Le Beau.
O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! 276 Or Charles or something weaker masters thee.
Le Beau. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv'd High commendation, true applause and love, 280 Yet such is now the duke's condition That he misconsters all that you have done. The duke is humorous: what he is indeed, More suits you to conceive than I to speak of. 284
Orl. I thank you, sir; and pray you, tell me this; Which of the two was daughter of the duke, That here was at the wrestling?
Le Beau. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners: 288 But yet, indeed the taller is his daughter: The other is daughter to the banish'd duke, And here detain'd by her usurping uncle, To keep his daughter company; whose loves 292 Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters. But I can tell you that of late this duke Hath ta'en displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece, Grounded upon no other argument 296 ​But that the people praise her for her virtues, And pity her for her good father's sake; And, on my life, his malice 'gainst the lady Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well: 300 Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you.
Orl. I rest much bounden to you: fare you well.
[Exit Le Beau.]
Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; 304 From tyrant duke unto a tyrant brother. But heavenly Rosalind! Exit.
Scene Three
[A Room in the Palace]
Enter Celia and Rosalind.
Cel. Why, cousin! why, Rosalind! Cupid have mercy! Not a word?
Ros. Not one to throw at a dog. 3
Cel. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs; throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons.
Ros. Then there were two cousins laid up; when the one should be lamed with reasons and the other mad without any. 9
Cel. But is all this for your father?
Ros. No, some of it is for my child's father: O, how full of briers is this working-day world!
Cel. They are but burrs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery: if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. 16
​Ros. I could shake them off my coat: these burrs are in my heart.
Cel. Hem them away.
Ros. I would try, if I could cry 'hem,' and have him. 21
Cel. Come, come; wrestle with thy affections.
Ros. O! they take the part of a better wrestler than myself! 24
Cel. O, a good wish upon you! you will try in time, in despite of a fall. But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest: is it possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son?
Ros. The duke my father loved his father dearly. 32
Cel. Doth it therefore ensue that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase, I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly; yet I hate not Orlando. 36
Ros. No, faith, hate him not, for my sake.
Cel. Why should I not? doth he not deserve well?
Enter Duke [Frederick,] with Lords.
Ros. Let me love him for that; and do you love him, because I do. Look, here comes the duke. 42
Cel. With his eyes full of anger.
Duke F. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, 44 ​And get you from our court.
Ros.Me, uncle?
Duke F.You, cousin: Within these ten days if that thou be'st found So near our public court as twenty miles, Thou diest for it.
Ros.I do beseech your Grace, 48 Let me the knowledge of my fault bear with me. If with myself I hold intelligence, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires, If that I do not dream or be not frantic,— 52 As I do trust I am not,—then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your highness.
Duke F.Thus do all traitors: If their purgation did consist in words, 56 They are as innocent as grace itself: Let it suffice thee that I trust thee not.
Ros. Yet your mistrust cannot make me a traitor: Tell me whereon the likelihood depends. 60
Duke F. Thou art thy father's daughter; there's enough.
Ros. So was I when your highness took his dukedom; So was I when your highness banish'd him. Treason is not inherited, my lord; 64 Or, if we did derive it from our friends, What's that to me? my father was no traitor: Then, good my liege, mistake me not so much To think my poverty is treacherous. 68
Cel. Dear sovereign, hear me speak.
Duke F. Ay, Celia; we stay'd her for your sake; ​Else had she with her father rang'd along.
Cel. I did not then entreat to have her stay: 72 It was your pleasure and your own remorse. I was too young that time to value her; But now I know her: if she be a traitor, Why so am I; we still have slept together, 76 Rose at an instant, learn'd, play'd, eat together; And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable.
Duke F. She is too subtle for thee; and her smoothness, 80 Her very silence and her patience, Speak to the people, and they pity her. Thou art a fool: she robs thee of thy name; And thou wilt show more bright and seem more virtuous 84 When she is gone. Then open not thy lips: Firm and irrevocable is my doom Which I have pass'd upon her; she is banish'd.
Cel. Pronounce that sentence then, on me, my liege: 88 I cannot live out of her company.
Duke F. You are a fool. You, niece, provide yourself: If you outstay the time, upon mine honour, And in the greatness of my word, you die. 92
Exit Duke [with Lords].
Cel. O my poor Rosalind! whither wilt thou go? Wilt thou change fathers? I will give thee mine. I charge thee, be not thou more griev'd than I am.
Ros. I have more cause.
​Cel. Thou hast not, cousin; 96 Prithee, be cheerful; know'st thou not, the duke Hath banish'd me, his daughter?
Ros. That he hath not.
Cel. No, hath not? Rosalind lacks then the love Which teacheth thee that thou and I am one: 100 Shall we be sunder'd? shall we part, sweet girl? No: let my father seek another heir. Therefore devise with me how we may fly, Whither to go, and what to bear with us: 104 And do not seek to take your change upon you, To bear your griefs yourself and leave me out; For, by this heaven, now at our sorrows pale, Say what thou canst, I'll go along with thee. 108
Ros. Why, whither shall we go?
Cel. To seek my uncle in the forest of Arden.
Ros. Alas, what danger will it be to us, Maids as we are, to travel forth so far! 112 Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold.
Cel. I'll put myself in poor and mean attire, And with a kind of umber smirch my face; The like do you: so shall we pass along 116 And never stir assailants.
Ros. Were it not better, Because that I am more than common tall, That I did suit me all points like a man? A gallant curtle-axe upon my thigh, 120 A boar-spear in my hand; and, in my heart Lie there what hidden woman's fear there will, We'll have a swashing and a martial outside, As many other mannish cowards have 124 That do outface it with their semblances.
​Cel. What shall I call thee when thou art a man?
Ros. I'll have no worse a name than Jove's own page, And therefore look you call me Ganymede. 128 But what will you be call'd?
Cel. Something that hath a reference to my state: No longer Celia, but Aliena.
Ros. But, cousin, what if we assay'd to steal 132 The clownish fool out of your father's court? Would he not be a comfort to our travel?
Cel. He'll go alpng o'er the wide world with me; Leave me alone to woo him. Let's away, 136 And get our jewels and our wealth together, Devise the fittest time and safest way To hide us from pursuit that will be made After my flight. Now go we in content 140 To liberty and not to banishment. Exeunt.
Footnotes to Act I
Scene One
​2 Cf. n. poor a: i.e., a beggarly 5 Jaques; cf. n. 6 at school: at college 7 rustically: i.e., without opportunity to see the world 8 stays: detains 13 manage: action and paces to which a horse is trained. Cf. French manège 19 countenance: favor, patronage ​20 hinds: servants 22 mines: undermines 27 S. d.; cf. n. 31 make you: are you doing 35 Marry: an oath derived from the name of Saint Mary 38 be naught: efface yourself, withdraw 41 prodigal portion; cf. n. 48 gentle condition of blood: kind disposition caused by relationship ​49 courtesy of nations: usage of civilised nations 55 reverence; cf. n. 58 young: inexperienced, i.e., in manly prowess 60 villain: serf, servant. (In 59 the word has its modern meaning) 78 allottery: share, portion ​92 grow: encroach 93 rankness: insolence ​112 duke's daughter; cf. n. 122 forest of Arden; cf. n. 126 fleet: pass 127 golden world; cf. n. 138 foil: throw in wrestling ​141 withal: therewith 142 intendment: purpose brook . . . well: endure 148 underhand: indirect 153 natural brother: blood brother 156 look to 't: take care 158 grace himself: do honor to practise: scheme 165 anatomize: analyse, expose ​170 go alone: walk without aid, i.e., of crutches 173 gamester: frolicsome person 175 gentle: well born 176 noble device: a noble cast of mind 177 enchantingly beloved: i.e., loved as if he put men under a spell of fascination 180 misprised: despised 181 clear all: settle everything 182 kindle . . . thither: incite to take up the wrestling match
Scene Two
​1 coz: cousin 4 I; cf. n. 6 learn: teach ​21 perforce: by violence 22 render: return 24 monster: i.e., something to point one's finger at in scorn 27 sports: amusements, diversions 32 pure blush: i.e., one without shame in it come off: escape 36 Fortune . . . wheel; cf. n. ​42 honest: chaste 43 ill-favouredly: ill-looking 45 office: function 48-50 Fortune: in 48 it means 'accident,' 'mischance'; cf. n. 53 natural: idiot, half-wit 57 reason of: debate ​70 naught: worthless 71 stand to it: maintain 90 Cel.; cf. n. 92 taxation: slander, backbiting 96 fools . . . silenced; cf. n. ​100 put on: force on 103 marketable: i.e., 'because we shall be like pigeons fattened for market' 108 Sport; cf. n. 112 Destinies; cf. n. 113 laid . . . trowel: i.e., 'spread thickly' 114 rank; cf. n. 116 amaze: bewilder 129 old tale: i.e., because Le Beau's words resemble the opening line of many old fairy tales ​130 proper: good-looking 131 presence: demeanor, carriage 132 bills: labels 'Be . . . presents': a legal phrase; cf. n. 135 which: the which 137 that: so that 140 dole: grief, lamentation 150 any: anyone 151 broken music; cf. n. ​160 entreated: i.e., not to wrestle his . . . forwardness: i.e., 'let him blame his peril on his own rashness' 164 looks successfully: seems likely to succeed 166 cousin: often used for any collateral relative, as niece 171 odds . . . man: i.e., balance of advantage in favor of Charles 179 them; cf. n. 187 saw . . . judgment; cf. n. ​195 suit: petition, entreaty 198 wherein . . . guilty; cf. n. 202 gracious: in good favor 206 only: modifies 'place' 212 deceived: i.e., mistaken in my estimate of your ability 218 working: intention ​226 Hercules . . . speed; cf. n. 234 well breathed: fully exercised 243 still: constantly 245 house: family ​250 calling: name 255 unto: in addition to 258 envious: spiteful 259 Sticks . . . heart: stabs me to the heart 261 But justly: as exactly promise: i.e., in wrestling 263 suits . . . fortune; cf. n. 264 could: i.e., could find it in her heart 266 better parts: i.e., his spirit and sense 268 quintain; cf. n. ​273 Have with you: I'll go along with you 275 urg'd conference: invited talk 281 condition: disposition 282 misconsters: misconstrues 283 humorous: capricious 289 taller; cf. n. ​301 better world: i.e., in a better age, or state of affairs 303 bounden: obliged 304 smoke . . . smother; cf. n.
Scene Three
​19 Hem: clear away with a cough 20 'hem' . . . him; cf. n. 26 in despite of: notwithstanding turning . . . out of service: dismissing 34 chase: pursuit of an argument 36 dearly: deeply 38 Why . . . not; cf. n. deserve well; cf. n. 44 safest haste: i.e., with haste conducive to your best safety ​50 intelligence: communication 56 purgation: clearing from the accusation of guilt 57 grace: God himself 60 likelihood: ground of probable inference 70 stay'd: i.e., allowed her to stay ​71 rang'd: roamed 73 remorse: compassion 74 that: at that 77 at an instant: at the same time eat: eaten 78 Juno's swans; cf. n. 84 virtuous: gifted with good qualities 86 doom: sentence ​105 change: i.e., of fortunes 115 umber: brown pigment 119 suit: clothe, dress all points: in all respects 120 curtle-axe: broad cutting sword 123 swashing: blustering 125 outface it: brazen it out semblances: appearance ​128 Ganymede; cf. n. 131 Aliena; cf. n.