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As You Like It

Act IV, Scene 3

The forest.
 
[Enter ROSALIND and CELIA]
 
ROSALIND
How say you now, is it not past two o'clock? and here much Orlando.
 
CELIA
I warrant you, with pure love, and troubled brain, he hath tane his bow and arrows, and is gone forth to sleep: Look who comes here.
 
[Enter SILVIUS]
 
SILVIUS
          ,       ,    .  T     T    T     oo
      My er|rand is | to you, fair youth,|
           ,      ,       ,         ,          ,
      My gent|le Phe|be, bid | me give | you this:
          ,     T   .   T   T          ,       ,
      I know | not the contents,| but as | I guess
                 ,     ,          ,       ,    ,
      By the / stern brow,| and wasp|ish act|ion
             ,         ,        ,          ,        x
      Which she | did use,| as she | was writ|ing of it,
           ,         ,      ,        ,      ,
      It bears | an ang|ry ten|or: pard|on me,
         ,        ,       ,         ,      ,
      I am | but as | a guilt|less mes|senger.
 
ROSALIND
       ,              ,            ,       ,           x
      Patience | herself | would start|le at | this letter,
            ,          ,    2      ,      T     T   T
      And play | the swag|gerer, bear | this, bear all:
            ,     2    ,      ,              ,     ,
      She says | I am not | fair, that | I lack | manners,
            ,          ,        2      ,           ,      ,
      She calls | me proud,| and that she | could not | love me
            ,         ,         ,         ,          ,
      Were man | as rare | as phoen|ix: 'Od's | my will,
            ,        ,          ,         ,        ,
      Her love | is not | the hare | that I | do hunt,
             ,          ,       ,           ,          ,
      Why writes | she so | to me?| Well* shep|herd, well,
        ,          ,             ,   ,        ,
      This is | a let|ter of / your own | device.
 
SILVIUS
       ,           ,        ,     T   .    T  T
      No, I | protest,| I know | not the contents,
       ,               x
      Phebe | did write it.
 
ROSALIND
                             T     T    T       2    ,
                           Come, come, you | are a fool,
             ,        ,      2   ,     ,        ,
      And turned | into | the extrem|ity | of love.
         ,          ,     ,            ,         ,
      I saw | her hand,| she has | a leath|ern hand,
      .   T   T    T         ,       ,   3 3      ,
      A freestone-col|ored hand:| I ver|ily did think
                  ,     ,           ,          ,          ,
      That her / old gloves | were on,| but 'twas | her hands:
       ,     2     T   T      T            ,           x
      She has a | huswife's hand, | but that's | no matter:
         ,         ,      ,        ,            x
      I say | she nev|er did | invent | this letter,
            ,       ,         ,        ,          ,
      This is | a man's | invent|ion, and | his hand.
 
SILVIUS
        ,            ,
      Sure it | is hers.   \\
 
ROSALIND
       ,              ,    2     ,       ,       ,
      Why, 'tis | a bois|terous and | a cru|el style,
          ,           ,       ,     ,      2     ,
      A style | for chal|lengers:| why, she de|fies me,
             ,         ,          ,         ,       ,
      Like^Turk | to Chris|tian: wom|en's gent|le brain
             ,    ,    ,     ,   ,      ,     ,
      Could not drop forth such giant-rude invention, ????
            ,    2    ,       ,            ,         ,
      Such^Eth|iope^words,| blacker | in their | effect
            ,            ,           ,           ,           x
      Than in | their counte|nance: Will | you hear | the letter?
 
SILVIUS
            ,           ,       ,       ,         ,
      So please | you, for | I nev|er heard | it yet:
            ,           ,        ,        ,     ,
      Yet heard | too much | of Phe|be's cru|elty.
 
ROSALIND
           ,       ,     ,             ,         ,
      She Phe|bes me:| mark how | the ty|rant writes.
       ,          ,          ,          __
      Art thou | god, to | shepherd | turned?
        ,        ,          ,            __
      That a | maiden's | heart hath | burned.  (tetra with prev)
         2   ,       ,
      Can a wom|an rail | thus?
 
SILVIUS
                                   ,          ,      ,
                                 Call | you this | railing?
 
ROSALIND
       ,          T   T    T       ,
      Why, thy | godhead laid | apart,
         T     T    T       ,         ,
      Warrst thou with | a wom|an's heart?
       ,         ,       ,          ,
      Did you | ever | hear such^|railing?
         ,          ,        ,         ,
      Whiles the | eye of | man did | woo me,
        ,           ,        ,          ,
      That could | do no | vengeance | to me.
        ,        ,      ___    oo
      Meaning | me a | beast.|
       ,         ,          T     T     T
      If the | scorn of | your bright eyne
             x      .   T     T    T         ,
      Have power | to raise such love | in mine,
         ,        ,           ,          ,
      Alack,| in me,| what strange | effect
        ,            ,         T   T  T
      Would they | work in | mild aspect?
         ,           ,       ,        __
      Whiles you | chid me,| I did | love,
       ,           ,            ,        __
      How then | might your | prayers | move?
       ,           ,            ,        __
      He that | brings this | love to | thee,
       ,         ,            ,       __
      Little | knows this | love in | me:
       ,        ,         ,        __
      And by | him seal^|up thy | mind,
        ,         ,          ,          __
      Whether | that thy | youth and | kind
        ,          ,         ,       __
      Will the | faithful | offer | take
          ,        ,         ,         ,
      Of me | and all | that I | can make,
           ,        ,        ,       ,
      Or else | by him | my lov|e deny,
            ,           ,     ,        ,
      And then | I'll stud|y how | to die.
 
SILVIUS
            ,           ,
      Call you | this chid|ing?
 
CELIA
                                    ,    ,      ,
                                 A/las poor | shepherd.
 
ROSALIND
Do you pity him? No, he deserves no pity: Wilt thou love such a woman? What to make thee an instrument, and play false strains upon thee? not to be endured. Well, go your way to her; (for I see love hath made thee a tame snake) and say this to her: that if she love me, I charge her to love thee: if she will not, I will never have her, unless thou entreat for her: If you be a true lover hence, and not a word: for here comes more company.
 
[Exit SILVIUS. Enter OLIVER]
 
OLIVER
            ,         ,      ,     ,                     ,
      Good mor|row, fair | ones: pray / you, (if / you know)
        ,              ,   2    ,         ,          ,
      Where in | the purl|ieus of | this for|est, stands
      .   T     T      T        ,          ,       ,
      A sheep-cote, fenced | about | with ol|ive trees?
 
CELIA
        ,              ,       ,    2        ,         ,
      West of | this place,| down in the | neighbor | bottom
            ,        ,  2     ,        ,    2      ,
      The rank | of os|iers, by | the mur|muring stream
        ,              ,       ,      ,                    ,
      Left on | your right | hand, brings / you to | the place:
                 ,    ,          ,            ,        ,
      But at / this hour,| the house | doth keep | itself,
                ,        ,
      There's none | within.  \\
 
OLIVER
       ,            ,          ,      ,        ,
      If that | an eye | may prof|it by | a tongue,
              ,         ,         ,       ,      ,
      Then should | I know | you by | descrip|tion,
            ,          ,           ,          ,         ,
      Such^gar|ments, and | such^years:| The boy | is fair,
       .  T  T   T       ,        ,          ,
      Of female fav|or, and | bestows | himself
        ,        ,   ,              ,      ___
      Like a | ripe sis/ter: the | woman | low
            ,        ,          ,        ,         ,
      And brown|er than | her broth|er: Are | not you
           ,      ,         ,        ,        ,          ->
      The own|er of | the house | I did | inquire || for?
 
CELIA
        2      ,   ,       2     ,         ,        ,
      It is / no boast,| being asked,| to say | we are.
 
OLIVER
         ,       ,         ,         ,         ,
      Orlan|do doth | commend | him to | you both,
           ,          ,          ,          ,     ,
      And to | that youth | he calls | his Ros|alind,
           ,            ,      ,        ,         ,
      He sends | this blood|y nap|kin; are | you he?
 
ROSALIND
         ,          ,        ,      ,          ,
      I am:| what must | we und|erstand | by this?
 
OLIVER
        ,            ,         ,           ,        ,
      Some of | my shame,| if you | will know | of me
            ,       ,        ,         ,          ,
      What man | I am,| and how,| and why,| and where
             ,       ,           ,
      This hand|kercher | was stained.
 
CELIA
                                          ,            x
                                      I pray | you tell it.
 
OLIVER
             ,          ,        ,        x           ,
      When last | the young | Orlan|do parted | from you,
           ,        ,       ,       ,       ,
      He left | a prom|ise to | return | again
          ,         ,         ,         ,             x
      Within | an hour,| and pac|ing through | the forest,
        ,    2        ,         ,          ,        ,
      Chewing the | food of | sweet and | bitter | fancy,
       T   T   .  T         ,          ,       ,
      Lo what befell:| he threw | his eye | aside,
            ,          ,       ,         ,        ,
      And mark | what ob|ject^did | present | itself
       ,          ,             ,             ,           ,
      Under | an oak,| whose^boughs | were mossed | with age
       .    T   T     T          ,       ,     ,
      And high top, bald | with dry | antiq|uity:
           ,       ,       ,         ,            ,
      A wretch|ed rag|ged man,| oregrown | with hair
       ,    ,                  ,       ,          ,
      Lay sleep/ing on | his back;| about | his neck
          ,           ,       ,             ,          ,
      A green | and gild|ed snake | had wreathed | itself,
            ,          ,      ,            ,            ,
      Who^with | her head,| nimble | in threats | approached
           ,        ,         ,          ,      ,
      The ope|ning of | his mouth:| but sud|denly,
       ,          ,       ,        ,         ,
      Seeing | Orlan|do, it | unlinked | itself,
            ,        ,        ,           ,      ,
      And with | indent|ed glides,| did slip | away
       ,         ,     ,              ,       ,
      Into | a bush,| under | which^bush|'s shade
         ,    ,            x      T    T    T
      A li|oness,| with udders | all drawn dry,
             ,          ,          ,           ,         ,
      Lay* couch|ing, head | on ground,| with cat|like^watch
             ,          ,        ,             ,          ,
      When that | the sleep|ing man | should stir;| for 'tis
           ,      ,     ,             ,    ,
      The roy|al dis|posi|tion of / that beast
           ,         ,        ,           ,         ,
      To prey | on noth|ing that | doth^seem | as dead:
             ,       ,      ,         ,          ,
      This^seen,| Orlan|do did | approach | the man,
            ,      ,    2        ,            ,       ,      ->
      And found | it was his | brother,| his eld|er broth||er.
 
CELIA
      ,    2       ,           ,       2       ,      ,
      O | I have heard | him speak | of that same | brother;
           ,     ,   ,    2            ,      ,  2
      And he | did rend/er him the | most un|natural
             ,        T    T
      That lived | mongst men.
 
OLIVER
                                 .    T         ,         ,
                                And well | he might | so do,
            ,        ,        ,       ,    ,
      For well | I know | he was | unnat|ural.
 
ROSALIND
       ,          ,       ,         ,           ,
      But to | Orlan|do: did | he leave | him there,
        ,              ,           ,      ,    ,
      Food to | the sucked | and hung|ry li|oness?
 
OLIVER
        ,              ,          ,         ,         ,
      Twice did | he turn | his back,| and pur|posed so:
            ,         ,       ,      ,        ,
      But kind|ness, nob|ler ev|er than | revenge,
           ,         ,        ,          ,       ,      ->
      And nat|ure strong|er than | his just | occas||ion,
        ,          ,       x             ,    ,
      Made | him give | battle to | the li|oness:
            ,        ,          x           ,       ,
      Who quick|ly fell | before him,| in which | hurtling
            ,    ,       ,      ,      ,
      From mis|era|ble slum|ber I | awaked.
 
CELIA
           ,          ,
      Are you | his broth|er?
 
ROSALIND
                                  x      ,        ,
                               Was it | you he | rescued?
 
CELIA
         2    ,          ,        ,         ,            x
      Was it you | that did | so oft | contrive | to kill him?
 
OLIVER
            ,               ,  ,      ,         ,
      'Twas I:| but 'tis / not I:| I do | not shame
           ,          ,       ,           ,        ,      ->
      To tell | you what | I was,| since^my | convers||ion
       ,     ,          T      Tx   .    T        ,
      So | sweetly | tastes, being the thing | I am.
 
ROSALIND
       ,              ,      ,
      But for | the blood|y nap|kin?
 
OLIVER
                                     ,        ,
                                    By | and by:
        ,               ,          ,        ,         ,
      When from | the first | to last | betwixt | us two,
        ,             ,          ,           ,        ,
      Tears our | recount|ments had | most kind|ly bathed,
          ,        ,       ,             ,    ,
      As how | I came | into | that des/ert place.
           ,         ,        ,         ,       ,
      In brief,| he led | me to | the gent|le duke,
            ,         ,        ,       x        ,
      Who gave | me fresh | array,| and enter|tainment,  ??
          ,        ,    ,          ,          ,
      Commit|ting me | unto | my broth|er's love,
           ,         ,      ,      ,         ,
      Who led | me inst|antly | unto | his cave,
                 ,           ,          ,      ,         ,
      There* stripped | himself,| and here | upon | his arm
           ,    ,          ,           ,       ,
      The li|oness | had torn | some flesh | away,
             ,           ,           ,         ,           x
      Which all | this while | had bled;| and now | he fainted,
            ,          ,          ,   ,     ,
      And cried | in faint|ing u/pon Ros|alind.
        ,           ,               ,    ,         ,
      Brief, I | recov|ered him,/ bound up | his wound,
           ,              ,     ,       2      ,          ,
      And aft|er some / small space,| being strong | at heart,
           ,         ,         ,       ,      ,
      He sent | me hith|er, strang|er as | I am
           ,           ,       ,          ,         ,
      To tell | this stor|y, that | you might | excuse
            ,       ,          2       ,    ,     ,
      His brok|en prom|ise, and to / give this | napkin
        ,             ,      ,           ,         ,
      Dyed in | his blood,| unto | the shep|herd youth,
            ,        ,            ,         ,     ,
      That he | in sport | doth call | his Ros|alind.
 
[ROSALIND swoons]
 
CELIA
            ,          ,     ,            ,     ,
      Why* how | now* Gan|ymede,| sweet* Gan|ymede.
 
OLIVER
       ,            ,            ,         ,         ,
      Many | will swoon | when they | do look | on blood.
 
CELIA
        ,          ,             ,      ,     ,
      There is | more in | it; Cous|in Gan|ymede.
 
OLIVER
        ,     2    ,
      Look, he re|covers.
 
ROSALIND
                             ,         ,         ,
                         I would | I were | at home.
 
CELIA
              ,          ,
      We'll lead | you thith|er:  \\
          ,          ,          ,         ,        ,
      I pray | you will | you take | him by | the arm.
 
OLIVER
       ,        T    T     T      ,       ,
      Be of | good cheer youth:| you a | man?
      <-         ,        T     T
        You || lack a | man's heart.
 
ROSALIND
                                     T    ,      ,       ,
                                     I | do so,| I con|fess it:
Ah, sirrah, a body would think this was well counterfeited, I pray you tell your brother how well I counterfeited. Heigh ho.
 
OLIVER
This was not counterfeit, there is too great testimony in your complexion, that it was a passion of earnest.
 
ROSALIND
Counterfeit, I assure you.
 
OLIVER
Well then, take a good heart, and counterfeit to be a man.
 
ROSALIND
So I do: but in faith, I should have been a woman by right.
 
CELIA
Come, you look paler and paler: pray you draw homewards: Good sir, go with us.
 
OLIVER
That will I: for I must bear answer back
How you excuse my brother, Rosalind.
 
ROSALIND
I shall devise something: but I pray you commend my counterfeiting to him: Will you go?
 
[Exeunt]

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