But, for the bloody napkin?—
OLIVER
By and by.
When from the first to last, betwixt us two,
Tears our recountments had most kindly bath’d,
As, how I came into that desert place;—
In brief, he led me to the gentle duke,
Who gave me fresh array and entertainment,
Committing me unto my brother’s love,
Who led me instantly unto his cave,
There stripp’d himself, and here upon his arm
The lioness had torn some flesh away,
Which all this while had bled; and now he fainted,
And cried, in fainting, upon Rosalind.
Brief, I recover’d him, bound up his wound,
And, after some small space, being strong at heart,
He sent me hither, stranger as I am,
To tell this story, that you might excuse
His broken promise, and to give this napkin,
Dy’d in his blood, unto the shepherd-youth
That he in sport doth call his Rosalind.
[ROSALIND faints.]
CELIA
Why, how now, Ganymede! sweet Ganymede!
OLIVER
Many will swoon when they do look on blood.
CELIA
There is more in it:—Cousin—Ganymede!
OLIVER
Look, he recovers.
ROSALIND
I would I were at home.
CELIA
We’ll lead you thither:—
I pray you, will you take him by the arm?
OLIVER
Be of good cheer, youth:—you a man?—You lack a man’s heart.
ROSALIND
I do so, I confess it. Ah, sir, 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, i’ 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.]
ACT V
SCENE I. The Forest of Arden
[Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY.]
TOUCHSTONE
We shall find a time, Audrey; patience, gentle Audrey.
AUDREY
Faith, the priest was good enough, for all the old gentleman’s saying.
TOUCHSTONE
A most wicked Sir Oliver, Audrey, a most vile Martext. But, Audrey, there is a youth here in the forest lays claim to you.
AUDREY
Ay, I know who ‘tis: he hath no interest in me in the world: here comes the man you mean.
[Enter WILLIAM.]
TOUCHSTONE
It is meat and drink to me to see a clown: By my troth, we that have good wits have much to answer for; we shall be flouting; we cannot hold.
WILLIAM
Good even, Audrey.
AUDREY
God ye good even, William.
WILLIAM
And good even to you, sir.
TOUCHSTONE
Good even, gentle friend. Cover thy head, cover thy head; nay, pr’ythee, be covered. How old are you, friend?
WILLIAM
Five and twenty, sir.
TOUCHSTONE
A ripe age. Is thy name William?
WILLIAM
William, sir.
TOUCHSTONE
A fair name. Wast born i’ the forest here?
WILLIAM
Ay, sir, I thank God.
TOUCHSTONE
“Thank God;”—a good answer. Art rich?
WILLIAM
Faith, sir, so-so.
TOUCHSTONE
“So-so” is good, very good, very excellent good:—and yet it is not; it is but so-so. Art thou wise?
WILLIAM
Ay, sir, I have a pretty wit.
TOUCHSTONE
Why, thou say’st well. I do now remember a saying; “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” The heathen philosopher, when he had a desire to eat a grape, would open his lips when he put it into his mouth; meaning thereby that grapes were made to eat and lips to open. You do love this maid?
WILLIAM
I do, sir.
TOUCHSTONE
Give me your hand. Art thou learnèd?
WILLIAM
No, sir.
TOUCHSTONE
Then learn this of me:—to have is to have; for it is a figure in rhetoric that drink, being poured out of cup into a glass, by filling the one doth empty the other; for all your writers do consent that ipse is he; now, you are not ipse, for I am he.
WILLIAM
Which he, sir?
TOUCHSTONE
He, sir, that must marry this woman. Therefore, you clown, abandon,—which is in the vulgar, leave,—the society,—which in the boorish is company,—of this female,—which in the common is woman,—which together is abandon the society of this female; or, clown, thou perishest; or, to thy better understanding, diest; or, to wit, I kill thee, make thee away, translate thy life into death, thy liberty into bondage: I will deal in poison with thee, or in bastinado, or in steel; I will bandy with thee in faction; will o’er-run thee with policy; I will kill thee a hundred and fifty ways; therefore tremble and depart.
AUDREY
Do, good William.
WILLIAM
God rest you merry, sir.
[Exit.]
[Enter CORIN.]
CORIN