The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 53

SCENE V.

Another part of the forest

Enter SILVIUS and PHEBE

SILVIUS. Sweet Phebe, do not scorn me; do not, Phebe.

Say that you love me not; but say not so In bitterness. The common executioner, Whose heart th' accustom'd sight of death makes hard, Falls not the axe upon the humbled neck But first begs pardon. Will you sterner be Than he that dies and lives by b.l.o.o.d.y drops?

Enter ROSALIND, CELIA, and CORIN, at a distance

PHEBE. I would not be thy executioner; I fly thee, for I would not injure thee.

Thou tell'st me there is murder in mine eye.

'Tis pretty, sure, and very probable, That eyes, that are the frail'st and softest things, Who shut their coward gates on atomies, Should be call'd tyrants, butchers, murderers!

Now I do frown on thee with all my heart; And if mine eyes can wound, now let them kill thee.

Now counterfeit to swoon; why, now fall down; Or, if thou canst not, O, for shame, for shame, Lie not, to say mine eyes are murderers.

Now show the wound mine eye hath made in thee.

Scratch thee but with a pin, and there remains Some scar of it; lean upon a rush, The cicatrice and capable impressure Thy palm some moment keeps; but now mine eyes, Which I have darted at thee, hurt thee not; Nor, I am sure, there is not force in eyes That can do hurt.

SILVIUS. O dear Phebe, If ever- as that ever may be near- You meet in some fresh cheek the power of fancy, Then shall you know the wounds invisible That love's keen arrows make.

PHEBE. But till that time Come not thou near me; and when that time comes, Afflict me with thy mocks, pity me not; As till that time I shall not pity thee.

ROSALIND. [Advancing] And why, I pray you? Who might be your mother, That you insult, exult, and all at once, Over the wretched? What though you have no beauty- As, by my faith, I see no more in you Than without candle may go dark to bed- Must you be therefore proud and pitiless?

Why, what means this? Why do you look on me?

I see no more in you than in the ordinary Of nature's sale-work. 'Od's my little life, I think she means to tangle my eyes too!

No faith, proud mistress, hope not after it; 'Tis not your inky brows, your black silk hair, Your bugle eyeb.a.l.l.s, nor your cheek of cream, That can entame my spirits to your wors.h.i.+p.

You foolish shepherd, wherefore do you follow her, Like foggy south, puffing with wind and rain?

You are a thousand times a properer man Than she a woman. 'Tis such fools as you That makes the world full of ill-favour'd children.

'Tis not her gla.s.s, but you, that flatters her; And out of you she sees herself more proper Than any of her lineaments can show her.

But, mistress, know yourself. Down on your knees, And thank heaven, fasting, for a good man's love; For I must tell you friendly in your ear: Sell when you can; you are not for all markets.

Cry the man mercy, love him, take his offer; Foul is most foul, being foul to be a scoffer.

So take her to thee, shepherd. Fare you well.

PHEBE. Sweet youth, I pray you chide a year together; I had rather hear you chide than this man woo.

ROSALIND. He's fall'n in love with your foulness, and she'll fall in love with my anger. If it be so, as fast as she answers thee with frowning looks, I'll sauce her with bitter words. Why look you so upon me?

PHEBE. For no ill will I bear you.

ROSALIND. I pray you do not fall in love with me, For I am falser than vows made in wine; Besides, I like you not. If you will know my house, 'Tis at the tuft of olives here hard by.

Will you go, sister? Shepherd, ply her hard.

Come, sister. Shepherdess, look on him better, And be not proud; though all the world could see, None could be so abus'd in sight as he.

Come, to our flock. Exeunt ROSALIND, CELIA, and CORIN PHEBE. Dead shepherd, now I find thy saw of might: 'Who ever lov'd that lov'd not at first sight?'

SILVIUS. Sweet Phebe.

PHEBE. Ha! what say'st thou, Silvius?

SILVIUS. Sweet Phebe, pity me.

PHEBE. Why, I arn sorry for thee, gentle Silvius.

SILVIUS. Wherever sorrow is, relief would be.

If you do sorrow at my grief in love, By giving love, your sorrow and my grief Were both extermin'd.

PHEBE. Thou hast my love; is not that neighbourly?

SILVIUS. I would have you.

PHEBE. Why, that were covetousness.

Silvius, the time was that I hated thee; And yet it is not that I bear thee love; But since that thou canst talk of love so well, Thy company, which erst was irksome to me, I will endure; and I'll employ thee too.

But do not look for further recompense Than thine own gladness that thou art employ'd.

SILVIUS. So holy and so perfect is my love, And I in such a poverty of grace, That I shall think it a most plenteous crop To glean the broken ears after the man That the main harvest reaps; loose now and then A scatt'red smile, and that I'll live upon.

PHEBE. Know'st thou the youth that spoke to me erewhile?

SILVIUS. Not very well; but I have met him oft; And he hath bought the cottage and the bounds That the old carlot once was master of.

PHEBE. Think not I love him, though I ask for him; 'Tis but a peevish boy; yet he talks well.

But what care I for words? Yet words do well When he that speaks them pleases those that hear.

It is a pretty youth- not very pretty; But, sure, he's proud; and yet his pride becomes him.

He'll make a proper man. The best thing in him Is his complexion; and faster than his tongue Did make offence, his eye did heal it up.

He is not very tall; yet for his years he's tall; His leg is but so-so; and yet 'tis well.

There was a pretty redness in his lip, A little riper and more l.u.s.ty red Than that mix'd in his cheek; 'twas just the difference Betwixt the constant red and mingled damask.

There be some women, Silvius, had they mark'd him In parcels as I did, would have gone near To fall in love with him; but, for my part, I love him not, nor hate him not; and yet I have more cause to hate him than to love him; For what had he to do to chide at me?

He said mine eyes were black, and my hair black, And, now I am rememb'red, scorn'd at me.

I marvel why I answer'd not again; But that's all one: omittance is no quittance.

I'll write to him a very taunting letter, And thou shalt bear it; wilt thou, Silvius?

SILVIUS. Phebe, with all my heart.

PHEBE. I'll write it straight; The matter's in my head and in my heart; I will be bitter with him and pa.s.sing short.

Go with me, Silvius. Exeunt

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ACT IV. SCENE I.

The forest

Enter ROSALIND, CELIA, and JAQUES

JAQUES. I prithee, pretty youth, let me be better acquainted with thee.

ROSALIND. They say you are a melancholy fellow.

JAQUES. I am so; I do love it better than laughing.

ROSALIND. Those that are in extremity of either are abominable fellows, and betray themselves to every modern censure worse than drunkards.

JAQUES. Why, 'tis good to be sad and say nothing.

ROSALIND. Why then, 'tis good to be a post.

JAQUES. I have neither the scholar's melancholy, which is emulation; nor the musician's, which is fantastical; nor the courtier's, which is proud; nor the soldier's, which is ambitious; nor the lawyer's, which is politic; nor the lady's, which is nice; nor the lover's, which is all these; but it is a melancholy of mine own, compounded of many simples, extracted from many objects, and, indeed, the sundry contemplation of my travels; in which my often rumination wraps me in a most humorous sadness.

ROSALIND. A traveller! By my faith, you have great reason to be sad. I fear you have sold your own lands to see other men's; then to have seen much and to have nothing is to have rich eyes and poor hands.

JAQUES. Yes, I have gain'd my experience.

Enter ORLANDO

ROSALIND. And your experience makes you sad. I had rather have a fool to make me merry than experience to make me sad- and to travel for it too.

ORLANDO. Good day, and happiness, dear Rosalind!

JAQUES. Nay, then, G.o.d buy you, an you talk in blank verse.

ROSALIND. Farewell, Monsieur Traveller; look you lisp and wear strange suits, disable all the benefits of your own country, be out of love with your nativity, and almost chide G.o.d for making you that countenance you are; or I will scarce think you have swam in a gondola. [Exit JAQUES] Why, how now, Orlando! where have you been all this while? You a lover! An you serve me such another trick, never come in my sight more.

ORLANDO. My fair Rosalind, I come within an hour of my promise.

ROSALIND. Break an hour's promise in love! He that will divide a minute into a thousand parts, and break but a part of the thousand part of a minute in the affairs of love, it may be said of him that Cupid hath clapp'd him o' th' shoulder, but I'll warrant him heart-whole.

ORLANDO. Pardon me, dear Rosalind.

ROSALIND. Nay, an you be so tardy, come no more in my sight. I had as lief be woo'd of a snail.