1    Dost thou believe, Orlando, that the boy
2    Can do all this that he hath promised?

3    I sometimes do believe, and sometimes do not;
4    As those that fear they hope, and know they fear.

5    Patience once more, whiles our compact is urged:
6    You say, if I bring in your Rosalind,
7    You will bestow her on Orlando here?

8    That would I, had I kingdoms to give with her.

9    And you say, you will have her, when I bring her?

10   That would I, were I of all kingdoms king.

11   You say, you'll marry me, if I be willing?

12   That will I, should I die the hour after.

13   But if you do refuse to marry me,
14   You'll give yourself to this most faithful shepherd?

15   So is the bargain.

16   You say, that you'll have Phebe, if she will?

17   Though to have her and death were both one thing.

18   I have promised to make all this matter even.
19   Keep you your word, O duke, to give your daughter;
20   You yours, Orlando, to receive his daughter:
21   Keep your word, Phebe, that you'll marry me,
22   Or else refusing me, to wed this shepherd:
23   Keep your word, Silvius, that you'll marry her.
24   If she refuse me: and from hence I go,
25   To make these doubts all even.

26   I do remember in this shepherd boy
27   Some lively touches of my daughter's favour.

28   My lord, the first time that I ever saw him
29   Methought he was a brother to your daughter:
30   But, my good lord, this boy is forest-born,
31   And hath been tutor'd in the rudiments
32   Of many desperate studies by his uncle,
33   Whom he reports to be a great magician,
34   Obscured in the circle of this forest.

35   There is, sure, another flood toward, and these
36   couples are coming to the ark. Here comes a pair of
37   very strange beasts, which in all tongues are called fools.

38   Salutation and greeting to you all!

39   Good my lord, bid him welcome: this is the
40   motley-minded gentleman that I have so often met in
41   the forest: he hath been a courtier, he swears.

42   If any man doubt that, let him put me to my
43   purgation. I have trod a measure; I have flattered
44   a lady; I have been politic with my friend, smooth
45   with mine enemy; I have undone three tailors; I have
46   had four quarrels, and like to have fought one.

47   And how was that ta'en up?

48   Faith, we met, and found the quarrel was upon the
49   seventh cause.

50   How seventh cause? Good my lord, like this fellow.

51   I like him very well.

52   God 'ild you, sir; I desire you of the like. I
53   press in here, sir, amongst the rest of the country
54   copulatives, to swear and to forswear: according as
55   marriage binds and blood breaks: a poor virgin,
56   sir, an ill-favoured thing, sir, but mine own; a poor
57   humour of mine, sir, to take that that no man else
58   will: rich honesty dwells like a miser, sir, in a
59   poor house; as your pearl in your foul oyster.

60   By my faith, he is very swift and sententious.

61   According to the fool's bolt, sir, and such dulcet diseases.

62   But, for the seventh cause; how did you find the
63   quarrel on the seventh cause?

64   Upon a lie seven times removed:--bear your body more
65   seeming, Audrey:--as thus, sir. I did dislike the
66   cut of a certain courtier's beard: he sent me word,
67   if I said his beard was not cut well, he was in the
68   mind it was: this is called the Retort Courteous.
69   If I sent him word again 'it was not well cut,' he
70   would send me word, he cut it to please himself:
71   this is called the Quip Modest. If again 'it was
72   not well cut,' he disabled my judgment: this is
73   called the Reply Churlish. If again 'it was not
74   well cut,' he would answer, I spake not true: this
75   is called the Reproof Valiant. If again 'it was not
76   well cut,' he would say I lied: this is called the
77   Counter-cheque Quarrelsome: and so to the Lie
78   Circumstantial and the Lie Direct.

79   And how oft did you say his beard was not well cut?

80   I durst go no further than the Lie Circumstantial,
81   nor he durst not give me the Lie Direct; and so we
82   measured swords and parted.

83   Can you nominate in order now the degrees of the lie?

84   O sir, we quarrel in print, by the book; as you have
85   books for good manners: I will name you the degrees.
86   The first, the Retort Courteous; the second, the
87   Quip Modest; the third, the Reply Churlish; the
88   fourth, the Reproof Valiant; the fifth, the
89   Countercheque Quarrelsome; the sixth, the Lie with
90   Circumstance; the seventh, the Lie Direct. All
91   these you may avoid but the Lie Direct; and you may
92   avoid that too, with an If. I knew when seven
93   justices could not take up a quarrel, but when the
94   parties were met themselves, one of them thought but
95   of an If, as, 'If you said so, then I said so;' and
96   they shook hands and swore brothers. Your If is the
97   only peacemaker; much virtue in If.

98   Is not this a rare fellow, my lord? he's as good at
99   any thing and yet a fool.

100  He uses his folly like a stalking-horse and under
101  the presentation of that he shoots his wit.

102  Then is there mirth in heaven,
103  When earthly things made even
104  Atone together.
105  Good duke, receive thy daughter
106  Hymen from heaven brought her,
107  Yea, brought her hither,
108  That thou mightst join her hand with his
109  Whose heart within his bosom is.

To DUKE SENIOR
110   To you I give myself, for I am yours.
To ORLANDO
111  To you I give myself, for I am yours.

112  If there be truth in sight, you are my daughter.

113  If there be truth in sight, you are my Rosalind.

114  If sight and shape be true,
115  Why then, my love adieu!

116  I'll have no father, if you be not he:
117  I'll have no husband, if you be not he:
118  Nor ne'er wed woman, if you be not she.

119  Peace, ho! I bar confusion:
120  'Tis I must make conclusion
121  Of these most strange events:
122  Here's eight that must take hands
123  To join in Hymen's bands,
124  If truth holds true contents.
125  You and you no cross shall part:
126  You and you are heart in heart
127  You to his love must accord,
128  Or have a woman to your lord:
129  You and you are sure together,
130  As the winter to foul weather.
131  Whiles a wedlock-hymn we sing,
132  Feed yourselves with questioning;
133  That reason wonder may diminish,
134  How thus we met, and these things finish.
135  Wedding is great Juno's crown:
136  O blessed bond of board and bed!
137  'Tis Hymen peoples every town;
138  High wedlock then be honoured:
139  Honour, high honour and renown,
140  To Hymen, god of every town!

141  O my dear niece, welcome thou art to me!
142  Even daughter, welcome, in no less degree.

143  I will not eat my word, now thou art mine;
144  Thy faith my fancy to thee doth combine.

145  Let me have audience for a word or two:
146  I am the second son of old Sir Rowland,
147  That bring these tidings to this fair assembly.
148  Duke Frederick, hearing how that every day
149  Men of great worth resorted to this forest,
150  Address'd a mighty power; which were on foot,
151  In his own conduct, purposely to take
152  His brother here and put him to the sword:
153  And to the skirts of this wild wood he came;
154  Where meeting with an old religious man,
155  After some question with him, was converted
156  Both from his enterprise and from the world,
157  His crown bequeathing to his banish'd brother,
158  And all their lands restored to them again
159  That were with him exiled. This to be true,
160  I do engage my life.

161  Welcome, young man;
162  Thou offer'st fairly to thy brothers' wedding:
163  To one his lands withheld, and to the other
164  A land itself at large, a potent dukedom.
165  First, in this forest, let us do those ends
166  That here were well begun and well begot:
167  And after, every of this happy number
168  That have endured shrewd days and nights with us
169  Shall share the good of our returned fortune,
170  According to the measure of their states.
171  Meantime, forget this new-fall'n dignity
172  And fall into our rustic revelry.
173  Play, music! And you, brides and bridegrooms all,
174  With measure heap'd in joy, to the measures fall.

175  Sir, by your patience. If I heard you rightly,
176  The duke hath put on a religious life
177  And thrown into neglect the pompous court?

178  He hath.

179  To him will I : out of these convertites
180  There is much matter to be heard and learn'd.
To DUKE SENIOR
181  You to your former honour I bequeath;
182  Your patience and your virtue well deserves it:
To ORLANDO
183  You to a love that your true faith doth merit:
To OLIVER
184  You to your land and love and great allies:
To SILVIUS
185  You to a long and well-deserved bed:
To TOUCHSTONE
186  And you to wrangling; for thy loving voyage
187  Is but for two months victuall'd. So, to your pleasures:
188  I am for other than for dancing measures.

189  Stay, Jaques, stay.

190  To see no pastime I what you would have
191  I'll stay to know at your abandon'd cave.

192  Proceed, proceed: we will begin these rites,
193  As we do trust they'll end, in true delights.