The world esteem'd thy father honourable, Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed, [Exeunt DUKE FRED. Train, and LE BEAU. Cel. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? Orl. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland's son, His youngest son9;—and would not change that calling 10 To be adopted heir to Frederick. Ros. My father lov'd Sir Rowland as his soul, And all the world was of Had I before known this my father's mind: I should have given him tears unto entreaties, Cel. young man his son, Gentle cousin, Let us go thank him, and encourage him : My father's rough and envious disposition Sticks me at heart.—Sir, you have well deserv'd: ' But justly, as you have exceeded all promise, Ros. Gentleman, [Giving him a Chain from her neck. Wear this for me; one out of suits with fortune 11; That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. Shall we go, coz? 9 The words than to be descended from any other house however high' must be understood. 10 Calling here means appellation, a very unusual if not unprecedented use of the word. 11 Out of suits appears here to signify out of favour, discarded by fortune. To suit with anciently signified to agree with. Cel. Ay:-Fare you well, fair gentleman. Orl. Can I not say, I thank you? My better parts Are all thrown down; and that which here stands up, Is but a quintain 12, a mere lifeless block. Ros. He calls us back: my pride fell with my fortunes: I'll ask him what he would:-Did you call, sir?have wrestled well, and overthrown Sir, you More than your enemies. Ros. Have with Will you go, coz? you::-Fare you well. [Exeunt ROSALIND and CELia. Orl. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg'd conference. O poor Re-enter LE Beau. Orlando! thou art overthrown; Or Charles, or something weaker, masters thee. 12 His better parts, i. e. his spirits or senses. A quintain was a figure set up for tilters to run at in mock resemblance of a tournament. The first and simplest form was a tree or post with a shield or some object affixed to it: afterwards a cross bar was fixed to the top of the post turning upon a pivot, having a broad board at the one end, and a bag full of sand suspended at the other. Sometimes it was made in resemblance of a human figure holding in the one hand a shield and in the other a bag of sand. In the sport, if the figure was struck on the shield the quintain turned on its pivot and hit the assailant with the sand bag. The skill consisted in striking the quintain dexterously so as to avoid the blow. Figures of several kinds and ample descriptions are to be found in Mr. Douce's Illustrations of Shakspeare, and in the Variorum editions. The sport of the quintain is humorously described in Laneham's Letter from Killingworth Castle, which the notice of the admirable author of 'Kenilworth' has made every reader acquainted with. High commendation, true applause, and love; Le Beau. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners; 14 But yet, indeed, the smaller 14 is his daughter: But that the people praise her for her virtues, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you. [Exit LE BEAU. Thus must I from the smoke into the smother; From tyrant duke, unto a tyrant brother :- [Exit. 13 i. e. demeanour, temper, disposition. Antonio in the Merchant of Venice is called by his friend 'the best condition'd man.' Humorous is capricious. See Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act iii. Sc. 1, p. 145, note 14. 14 The old copy reads taller, which is evidently wrong. Pope altered it to shorter. The present reading is Malone's. SCENE III. A Room in the Palace. Enter CELIA and ROSALIND. Cel. Why, cousin; why, Rosalind ;-Cupid have mercy!-Not a word? Ros. Not one to throw at a dog. Cel. No, thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs, throw some of them at me; come, lame me with reasons. Ros. Then there were two cousins laid up; when the one should be lamed with reasons, and the other mad without any. Cel. But is all this for your father? Ros. No, some of it for my child's father1. 0, how full of briars is this working-day world! Cel. They are but burs, cousin, thrown upon thee in holiday foolery; if we walk not in the trodden paths, our very petticoats will catch them. are Ros. I could shake them off my coat; these burs in my heart. Cel. Hem them away. Ros. I would try: if I could cry hem, and have him. Cel. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. Ros. O, they take the part of a better wrestler than myself. Cel. O, a good wish upon you! you will try in time, in despite of a fall.-But, turning these jests out of service, let us talk in good earnest: Is it · possible, on such a sudden, you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Rowland's youngest son? Ros. The duke my father lov'd his father dearly. 1 i.e. for him whom she hopes to marry and have children by. So Theobald explains this passage. Some of the modern editions read my father's child.' Cel. Doth it therefore ensue, that you should love his son dearly? By this kind of chase, I should hate him, for my father hated his father dearly 2; yet I hate not Orlando. Ros. No 'faith, hate him not, for my sake. Cel. Why should I not? doth he not deserve well 3? Ros. Let me love him for that; and do you love him, because I do :-Look, here comes the duke. Cel. With his eyes full of anger. Enter DUKE FREDERICK, with Lords. Duke F. Mistress, dispatch you with your safest Within these ten days if that thou be'st found Ros. I do beseech your grace, Or have acquaintance with mine own desires; Duke F. Thus do all traitors; If their purgation did consist in words, - 2 Shakspeare's apparent use of dear in a double sense has been already illustrated. See note on Twelfth Night, Act v. Sc. i. Vol. I. p. 382. 3 Celia answers as if Rosalind had said 'love him, for my sake,' which is the implied sense of her words. |