As You Like It by William Shakespeare
Act 1 - Scene 2
A lawn before the DUKE’S palace
(stage directions) : Enter ROSALIND and CELIA
Celia : I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry.
Rosalind : Dear Celia, I show more mirth than I am mistress of; and
[p]would you
yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to forget
[p]a banished
father, you must not learn me how to remember any
[p]extraordinary
pleasure.
Celia : Herein I see thou lov'st me not with the full weight that I
[p]love
thee. If my uncle, thy banished father, had banished thy
[p]uncle, the
Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with me, I
[p]could have
taught my love to take thy father for mine; so wouldst
[p]thou, if the
truth of thy love to me were so righteously temper'd
[p]as mine is to
thee.
Rosalind : Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to
[p]rejoice in
yours.
Celia : You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to
[p]have;
and, truly, when he dies thou shalt be his heir; for what
[p]he hath
taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee
[p]again in
affection. By mine honour, I will; and when I break that
[p]oath, let
me turn monster; therefore, my sweet Rose, my dear
[p]Rose, be merry.
Rosalind : From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports.
[p]Let me see; what
think you of falling in love?
Celia : Marry, I prithee, do, to make sport withal; but love no man
[p]in good
earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety
[p]of a pure
blush thou mayst in honour come off again.
Rosalind : What shall be our sport, then?
Celia : Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her
[p]wheel, that
her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally.
Rosalind : I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily
[p]misplaced;
and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake in her
[p]gifts to
women.
Celia : 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair she scarce makes
[p]honest;
and those that she makes honest she makes very
[p]ill-favouredly.
Rosalind : Nay; now thou goest from Fortune's office to Nature's:
[p]Fortune
reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments of
[p]Nature.
(stage directions) : Enter TOUCHSTONE
Celia : No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by
[p]Fortune
fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit to
[p]flout at
Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to cut off
[p]the
argument?
Rosalind : Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when
[p]Fortune makes
Nature's natural the cutter-off of Nature's wit.
Celia : Peradventure this is not Fortune's work neither, but
[p]Nature's, who
perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason of
[p]such goddesses,
and hath sent this natural for our whetstone; for
[p]always the
dullness of the fool is the whetstone of the wits. How
[p]now, wit!
Whither wander you?
Touchstone : Mistress, you must come away to your father.
Celia : Were you made the messenger?
Touchstone : No, by mine honour; but I was bid to come for you.
Rosalind : Where learned you that oath, fool?
Touchstone : Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were
[p]good
pancakes, and swore by his honour the mustard was naught.
[p]Now I'll
stand to it, the pancakes were naught and the mustard
[p]was good, and
yet was not the knight forsworn.
Celia : How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge?
Rosalind : Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom.
Touchstone : Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear
[p]by your
beards that I am a knave.
Celia : By our beards, if we had them, thou art.
Touchstone : By my knavery, if I had it, then I were. But if you
[p]swear by that
that is not, you are not forsworn; no more was this
[p]knight,
swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he
[p]had, he had
sworn it away before ever he saw those pancackes or
[p]that mustard.
Celia : Prithee, who is't that thou mean'st?
Touchstone : One that old Frederick, your father, loves.
Celia : My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough, speak no
[p]more of
him; you'll be whipt for taxation one of these days.
Touchstone : The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise
[p]men do
foolishly.
Celia : By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that
[p]fools
have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have
[p]makes a
great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau.
(stage directions) : Enter LE BEAU
Rosalind : With his mouth full of news.
Celia : Which he will put on us as pigeons feed their young.
Rosalind : Then shall we be news-cramm'd.
Celia : All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour,
[p]Monsieur
Le Beau. What's the news?
Le Beau : Fair Princess, you have lost much good sport.
Celia : Sport! of what colour?
Le Beau : What colour, madam? How shall I answer you?
Rosalind : As wit and fortune will.
Touchstone : Or as the Destinies decrees.
Celia : Well said; that was laid on with a trowel.
Touchstone : Nay, if I keep not my rank-
Rosalind : Thou losest thy old smell.
Le Beau : You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good
[p]wrestling,
which you have lost the sight of.
Rosalind : Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling.
Le Beau : I will tell you the beginning, and, if it please your
[p]ladyships,
you may see the end; for the best is yet to do; and
[p]here, where you
are, they are coming to perform it.
Celia : Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried.
Le Beau : There comes an old man and his three sons-
Celia : I could match this beginning with an old tale.
Le Beau : Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence.
Rosalind : With bills on their necks: 'Be it known unto all men by
[p]these
presents'-
Le Beau : The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke's
[p]wrestler;
which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of
[p]his ribs,
that there is little hope of life in him. So he serv'd
[p]the second,
and so the third. Yonder they lie; the poor old man,
[p]their father,
making such pitiful dole over them that all the
[p]beholders take his
part with weeping.
Rosalind : Alas!
Touchstone : But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have
[p]lost?
Le Beau : Why, this that I speak of.
Touchstone : Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time
[p]that ever I
heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies.
Celia : Or I, I promise thee.
Rosalind : But is there any else longs to see this broken music in
[p]his sides?
Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall we
[p]see this
wrestling, cousin?
Le Beau : You must, if you stay here; for here is the place
[p]appointed for the
wrestling, and they are ready to perform it.
Celia : Yonder, sure, they are coming. Let us now stay and see it.
(stage directions) : Flourish. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, LORDS, ORLANDO,
(stage directions) : CHARLES, and ATTENDANTS
Frederick : Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own
[p]peril on
his forwardness.
Rosalind : Is yonder the man?
Le Beau : Even he, madam.
Celia : Alas, he is too young; yet he looks successfully.
Frederick : How now, daughter and cousin! Are you crept hither to
[p]see the
wrestling?
Rosalind : Ay, my liege; so please you give us leave.
Frederick : You will take little delight in it, I can tell you,
[p]there is such
odds in the man. In pity of the challenger's youth
[p]I would fain
dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak to
[p]him, ladies;
see if you can move him.
Celia : Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau.
Frederick : Do so; I'll not be by.
[p] [DUKE
FREDERICK goes apart]
Le Beau : Monsieur the Challenger, the Princess calls for you.
Orlando : I attend them with all respect and duty.
Rosalind : Young man, have you challeng'd Charles the wrestler?
Orlando : No, fair Princess; he is the general challenger. I come
[p]but in, as
others do, to try with him the strength of my youth.
Celia : Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years.
[p]You have
seen cruel proof of this man's strength; if you saw
[p]yourself with
your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the
[p]fear of your
adventure would counsel you to a more equal
[p]enterprise. We pray
you, for your own sake, to embrace your own
[p]safety and give over
this attempt.
Rosalind : Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be
[p]misprised: we
will make it our suit to the Duke that the
[p]wrestling might not go
forward.
Orlando : I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts,
[p]wherein I
confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent
[p]ladies any
thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go
[p]with me to my
trial; wherein if I be foil'd there is but one
[p]sham'd that was
never gracious; if kill'd, but one dead that is
[p]willing to be so. I
shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none
[p]to lament me; the
world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only
[p]in the world I fill
up a place, which may be better supplied when
[p]I have made it
empty.
Rosalind : The little strength that I have, I would it were with
[p]you.
Celia : And mine to eke out hers.
Rosalind : Fare you well. Pray heaven I be deceiv'd in you!
Celia : Your heart's desires be with you!
Charles : Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to
[p]lie with
his mother earth?
Orlando : Ready, sir; but his will hath in it a more modest working.
Frederick : You shall try but one fall.
Charles : No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a
[p]second,
that have so mightily persuaded him from a first.
Orlando : You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock'd me
[p]before;
but come your ways.
Rosalind : Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man!
Celia : I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the
[p]leg.
[They wrestle]
Rosalind : O excellent young man!
Celia : If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should
[p]down.
(stage directions) : [CHARLES is thrown. Shout]
Frederick : No more, no more.
Orlando : Yes, I beseech your Grace; I am not yet well breath'd.
Frederick : How dost thou, Charles?
Le Beau : He cannot speak, my lord.
Frederick : Bear him away. What is thy name, young man?
Orlando : Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of Sir Rowland de
[p]Boys.
Frederick : I would thou hadst been son to some man else.
[p]The world esteem'd
thy father honourable,
[p]But I did find him still mine enemy.
[p]Thou
shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed,
[p]Hadst thou
descended from another house.
[p]But fare thee well; thou art a
gallant youth;
[p]I would thou hadst told me of another father.
(stage directions) : Exeunt DUKE, train, and LE BEAU
Celia : Were I my father, coz, would I do this?
Orlando : I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son,
[p]His youngest son- and
would not change that calling
[p]To be adopted heir to Frederick.
Rosalind : My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul,
[p]And all the world was of
my father's mind;
[p]Had I before known this young man his son,
[p]I
should have given him tears unto entreaties
[p]Ere he should thus have
ventur'd.
Celia : Gentle cousin,
[p]Let us go thank him, and encourage him;
[p]My
father's rough and envious disposition
[p]Sticks me at heart. Sir, you
have well deserv'd;
[p]If you do keep your promises in love
[p]But
justly as you have exceeded all promise,
[p]Your mistress shall be
happy.
Rosalind : Gentleman, [Giving him a chain from her neck]
[p]Wear this for
me; one out of suits with fortune,
[p]That could give more, but that
her hand lacks means.
[p]Shall we go, coz?
Celia : Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman.
Orlando : Can I not say 'I thank you'? My better parts
[p]Are all thrown down;
and that which here stands up
[p]Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless
block.
Rosalind : He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes;
[p]I'll ask him what
he would. Did you call, sir?
[p]Sir, you have wrestled well, and
overthrown
[p]More than your enemies.
Celia : Will you go, coz?
Rosalind : Have with you. Fare you well.
(stage directions) : Exeunt ROSALIND and CELIA
Orlando : What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue?
[p]I cannot speak to
her, yet she urg'd conference.
[p]O poor Orlando, thou art
overthrown!
[p]Or Charles or something weaker masters thee.
(stage directions) : Re-enter LE BEAU
Le Beau : Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you
[p]To leave this place.
Albeit you have deserv'd
[p]High commendation, true applause, and
love,
[p]Yet such is now the Duke's condition
[p]That he misconstrues
all that you have done.
[p]The Duke is humorous; what he is,
indeed,
[p]More suits you to conceive than I to speak of.
Orlando : I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this:
[p]Which of the two was
daughter of the Duke
[p]That here was at the wrestling?
Le Beau : Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners;
[p]But yet, indeed, the
smaller is his daughter;
[p]The other is daughter to the banish'd
Duke,
[p]And here detain'd by her usurping uncle,
[p]To keep his
daughter company; whose loves
[p]Are dearer than the natural bond of
sisters.
[p]But I can tell you that of late this Duke
[p]Hath ta'en
displeasure 'gainst his gentle niece,
[p]Grounded upon no other
argument
[p]But that the people praise her for her virtues
[p]And pity
her for her good father's sake;
[p]And, on my life, his malice 'gainst
the lady
[p]Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you
well.
[p]Hereafter, in a better world than this,
[p]I shall desire
more love and knowledge of you.
Orlando : I rest much bounden to you; fare you well.
[p][Exit LE BEAU]
[p]Thus
must I from the smoke into the smother;
[p]From tyrant Duke unto a
tyrant brother.
[p]But heavenly Rosalind!
Exit
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Next: Act 1 - Scene 3
