Ros. Alas! poor shepherd! searching of thy wound,

I have by hard adventure found mine own.

Touch. And I mine. I remember, when I was in love I broke my sword upon a stone, and bid him take that for coming a-night to Jane Smile: and I remember the kissing of her batlet," and the cow's dugs that her pretty chopped hands had milked and I remember the wooing of a peascod" instead of her; from whom 42 I took two cods, and, giving her them again, said with weeping tears, "Wear these for my sake." We that are true lovers run into strange capers; but as all is mortal in nature, so is all nature in love mortal in folly.43 Ros. Thou speakest wiser than thou art 'ware of.

Touch. Nay, I shall ne'er be 'ware of mine own wit, till I break my shins against it.

Ros. Jove, Jove! this shepherd's passion
Is much upon my fashion.

Touch. And mine; but it grows something stale with me.

Cel. I pray you, one of you question yond' man, If he for gold will give us any food:

39. Wearying. The reading of the second Folio. The first Folio prints wearing.'

40. Batlet. coarse clothes. 41. Peascod. Used here for a bunch of peas in the pod; "cods" being an old name for their pods or shells. See Note 23, Act iii., "Midsummer Night's Dream." From a passage in "Camden's Remains," it appears that peas pods were sometimes worn as ornaments: speaking of Richard II., he says-" He also used a peascod branch with the cods open, and the peas out, as it is upon his robe in his monument at Westminster." And in an ancient schedule of jewels is found-"Item, two peascoddes of gold with seventeen pearles."

An implement used in beating and washing

42. From whom. That is, from the bunch of peas pods, impersonating Mistress Jane Smile.

43. As all is mortal in nature, so is all nature in love mortal in folly. Touchstone plays on the word "mortal;"

And wish, for her sake more than for mine own,
My fortunes were more able to relieve her;
But I am shepherd to another man,
And do not shear the fleeces that I graze :
My master is of churlish disposition,

And little recks" to find the way to heaven
By doing deeds of hospitality :

Besides, his cote, his flocks, and bounds of feed,
Are now on sale; and at our sheepcote now,
By reason of his absence, there is nothing
That you will feed on; but what is, come see,
And in my voice most welcome shall you be.
Ros. What is he that shall buy his flock and
pasture ?

Cor. That young swain that you saw here but erewhile,

That little cares for buying anything.

Ros. I pray thee, if it stand with honesty, Buy thou the cottage, pasture, and the flock, And thou shalt have to pay for it of us.

Cel. And we will mend thy wages. I like this place,

And willingly could waste my time in it.

Cor. Assuredly the thing is to be sold : Go with me: if you like, upon report, The soil, the profit, and this kind of life, I will your very faithful feeder 47 be, And buy it with your gold right suddenly. [Exeunt.

using it first in its sense of 'subject to death,' and secondly in its sense of 'excessive,' 'abundant.' In Miss Baker's " Glossary of Northamptonshire Words and Phrases," she so explains the word; giving as example the county phrases, I'm mortal bad," "it's a mortal shame," "there was a mortal sight o' people, and a mortal deal o' fun."

44. Recks. Cares, heeds. We still use the word 'reckless' for careless, or heedless.

45. Cote. An old form of cot, or cottage.

It is still used (as

in the next line) in its compound form of "sheep-cote," which strictly means an enclosure for sheep; but is sometimes, as here, used for a shepherd's cottage.

46. In my voice. By my voice during my master's absence.' 47. Feeder. One who feeds sheep. Corin, just before, says"do not shear the fleeces that I graze; " and mentions "bounds of feed" for 'pasture-lands.'

48. Turn his merry note. This was an old expression; as we

Ami. What you will, Monsieur Jaques.

Jaq. Nay, I care not for their names; they owe me nothing.50 Will you sing?

Ami. More at your request than to please myself.

Jaq. Well, then, if ever I thank any man, I'll thank you but that they call compliment is like the encounter of two dog-apes; 51 and when a man thanks me heartily, methinks I have given him a penny, and he renders me the beggarly thanks. Come, sing; and you that will not, hold your tongues.

Ami. Well, I'll end the song.-Sirs, cover the while; the duke will drink under this tree,-He

52

hath been all this day to look you.58

Jaq. And I have been all this day to avoid him. He is too disputable for my company: I think of as many matters as he; but I give Heaven thanks, and make no boast of them. Come, warble, come.

still familiarly say, 'turn a tune.' Pope altered "turn to 'tune;' but "turn his merry note unto the sweet bird's throat" means, sing or whistle his gay tune in unison with the birds' singing.'

49. Ragged. An epithet combining the sense of rough, husky, worn-out, shabby, poor; and any other disparaging epithet that a singer, making mock-modest excuses, applies to his voice. Amiens' sweet-tempered bantering of the crabbed Jaques is delightful

50. I care not for their names; they owe me nothing. Jaques makes punning allusion to the Latin word nomen, which means 'a name,' and also a 'debt,' and a 'debtor.' Ainsworth, in the fourth edition of his dictionary, 1761, interprets nomen facere, 'to contract a debt;' and gives 'debtor' as the seventh meaning of the word nomen.

51. Dog-apes "Dog" is sometimes prefixed to the name of an animal, to indicate its being of the male species; as dog fox, dog-otter.

52. Cover the while. Prepare the table meanwhile;' 'spread the meal while I sing.'

53. To look you. 'To look for you' See Note 11, Act iv., 'Merry Wives."

54. Disputable. Used here for 'disputatious:' 'fond of disputing.' Shakespeare sometimes uses words ending in "ble" in this way-as the passive form used in an active sense, and the

And pleas'd with what he gets,

Come hither, come hither, come hither: Here shall he see

No enemy

But winter and rough weather.

Jaq. I'll give you a verse to this note, that I made yesterday in despite of my invention.56 Ami. And I'll sing it.

Jaq.

Thus it goes:

If it do come to pass

That any man turn ass, Leaving his wealth and ease A stubborn will to please, Ducdame, ducdame, ducdame: 57 Here shall he see

Gross fools as he,

An if he will come to me.

Ami. Jaq. 'Tis a Greek invocation, to call fools into a circle. I'll go sleep, if I can; if I cannot, I'll rail against all the first-born of Egypt.s Ami. And I'll go seek the duke: his banquet is prepared. [Exeunt severally.

What's that "ducdame ?"

SCENE VI.-Another part of the Forest.

Enter ORLANDO and ADAM.

Adam. Dear master, I can go no farther: oh, I die for food! Here lie I down, and measure out Farewell, kind master. my grave.

Orl. Why, how now, Adam! no greater heart in thee? Live a little; comfort a little; cheer thyself a little. If this uncouth forest yield anything savage, I will either be food for it or bring it for food

active form used passively-according to the usage of writers

of his time.

55. Loves to live i' the sun. It was once proposed to change "live" to 'lie; but "live i' the sun" accords with the next line, "seeking the food he eats:" and be it observed that the sentiment in this verse of the song tends to support our view of the reading discussed in Note 1 of the present Act. The "penalty of Adam" means "the seasons' difference:" for we find here that the exiled gentlemen-foresters have to "seek their food" by sunny exertion, by hunting and that they need fear "no enemy but winter and rough weather." 56. In despite of my invention. Here used for 'in spite of my tardy invention;' or 'in a struggle with my invention:' in the same whimsically expressed way that Iago says-“ My invention comes from my pate, as birdlime does from frize-it plucks out brains and all" ("Othello,” ii. 1).

57. Ducdame. We imagine that, as a fling at the burthen to Amiens' song, "Come hither," Jaques makes this facetious transposition of the Latin words, duc ad me, 'lead to me;' and farther mystifies the young nobleman by calling it a "Greek invocation." A suggestion was once made that possibly "Ducdame" is a misprint for huc ad me, 'hither to me.' "Ducdame must be read as a trisyllable, with the accent laid on the second syllable.

"

58. The first-born of Egypt. This is said by Johnson to be a proverbial expression for high-born persons.

For thou thyself hast been a libertine,
As sensual as the brutish sting" itself;
And all the embossed sores and headed evils,
That thou with license of free foot hast caught,
Wouldst thou disgorge into the general world.
Faq. Why, who cries out on pride,
That can therein tax" any private party?
Doth it not flow as hugely as the sea,
Till that the weary very means 75 do ebb?
What woman in the city do I name,
When that I say, the city-woman bears
The cost of princes on unworthy shoulders?
Who can come in, and say that I mean her,
When such a one as she, such is her neighbour?
Or what is he of basest function,

That says his bravery 76 is not on my cost
(Thinking that I mean him), but therein suits
His folly to the mettle of my speech?

There then; how then? what then? Let me see wherein

My tongue hath wrong'd him if it do him right,

Then he hath wrong'd himself; if he be free,
Why then my taxing like a wild goose flies,
Unclaim'd of and man.-But who comes here?

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; 80
And therefore put I on the countenance
Of stern commandment. But whate'er you are,
That in this desert inaccessible,

Under the shade of melancholy boughs,
Lose and neglect the creeping hours of time;
If ever you have look'd on better days,

If ever been where bells have knoll'd to church,
If ever sat at any good man's feast,
If ever from your eyelids wip'd a tear,
And know what 'tis to pity and be pitied,―
Let gentleness my strong enforcement be:
In the which hope I blush, and hide my sword.
Duke S. True is it that we have seen better
days,

78. Inland bred, and know some nurture. "Inland," and 'upland' or 'outland,' were formerly used to express the same meaning for which we now use the words 'urbane' and 'rustic;' the one bearing the sense of 'polished in breeding,' the other 'rough and uncultivated.' "Nurture" meant 'education,' 'training,' 'breeding,' ' cultivation,' 'refinement.' 79. An you will not be answered with reason. Here Jaques plays on the words "answered" and "reason. Orlando uses "answered" in the serse of attended to,' while Jaques replies with it in the sense of responded to in argument;' and then he brings in "reason" (for 'raisin') in consonance with Orlando's "this fruit." A pun upon "reason" and 'raisin' seemed to be a favourite with Shakespeare. See Note 34, Act v., "Much Ado. 80. All things had been savage here. In this passage,

་

77. Of what kind should this cock come of? Pleonasms, such as the present superfluous repetition of the word "of" in this sentence, occur not only in Shakespeare's writings, but in other

And have with holy bell been knoll'd to church, And sat at good men's feasts, and wip'd our eyes

Of drops that sacred pity hath engender'd:
And therefore sit you down in gentleness,
And take upon command $1 what help we have,
That to your wanting may be minister'd.

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,82 age and

This wide and universal theatre

Presents more woful pageants than the scene
Wherein we play in.83

All the world's a stage,
Jag.
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.
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 woful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the

83. Wherein we play in. Another instance of the pleonasm or redundancy of expression then in use. See Note 77, Act ii. 84. Sighing like furnace. Any one calling to mind the portentous gasps of a blast furnace, will feel the comic exaggeration of this simile.

85. Pard. An abbreviation of 'leopard.' See Note 61, Act ii., "Midsummer Night's Dream."

86. Sudden. Sometimes used by Shakespeare for 'violent,' 'passionate,' 'rash,' 'hasty.'

87. Beard of formal cut. Beards, in Shakespeare's time, were cut in different fashions for men of different professions. The soldier had his style, the justice had his, the young gallant had his and we find from various passages in our poet's works, that there was much characteristic distinctiveness in the way in which beards were trimmed and worn.

In fair round belly with good capon lin'd,
With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut,87
Full of wise saws and modern 88 instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,&
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well sav'd, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly

voice,

88. Modern. Here and elsewhere used by Shakespeare for 'common,' 'trite,' 'hackneyed,' 'conventional.'

89. Pantaloon. A comic character of the Italian stage (of Venetian origin, and taken typically of Venice, as Arlechino is of Bergamo, Policinello of Naples, Stenterello of Florence, &c.); wearing slippers, spectacles, and pouch, and invariably represented as old, lean, and gullible. We have him on the English stage, to this day, in the Christmas pantomimes. 90. Sans. The French word for without;' sometimes used in colloquial English of Shakespeare's time. See Note 51, Act iv., "Comedy of Errors."

91. Unkind. Besides its usual meaning of 'cruel,'' unfeeling,' "unkind" here bears the sense of unnatural,' 'contrary to native quality.'

92. Because thou art not seen.

This line has been suspected

to be incorrect; but we take the passage to mean- Thy tooth is not so keen (as the pain of a friend's ingratitude), because thou art not seen (to be an unnatural injustice and cruelty, as his conduct is).'