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As You Like It: Act I, Scene 2

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As You Like It
Act I, Scene 2

A lawn before the Duke’s palace.

I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry

Hugh Thomson, 1910

  1. Enter Rosalind and Celia.

Celia

1
  1. I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry.
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    cousin

Rosalind

2 - 5
  1. Dear Celia—I show more mirth than I am mistress of, and
  2. would you yet I were merrier? Unless you could teach me to
  3. forget a banish’d father, you must not learn me how to
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    teach
  4. remember any extraordinary pleasure.

Celia

6 - 11
  1. Herein I see thou lov’st me not with the full weight that I
  2. love thee. If my uncle, thy banish’d father, had banish’d
  3. thy uncle, the Duke my father, so thou hadst been still with
  4. me, I could have taught my love to take thy father for mine;
  5. so wouldst thou, if the truth of thy love to me were so
  6. righteously temper’d as mine is to thee.
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    Correctly proportioned. In this sense, “temper'd” means “mixed”.

Rosalind

12 - 13
  1. Well, I will forget the condition of my estate, to rejoice
  2. in yours.

Celia

14 - 19
  1. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to
  2. have; and truly when he dies, thou shalt be his heir; for
  3. what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will
  4. render thee again in affection. By mine honor, I will, and
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    pay back
  5. when I break that oath, let me turn monster. Therefore, my
  6. sweet Rose, my dear Rose, be merry.

Rosalind

20 - 21
  1. From henceforth I will, coz, and devise sports. Let me
  2. see—what think you of falling in love?

Celia

22 - 24
  1. Marry, I prithee do, to make sport withal. But love no man
  2. in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither, than with
  3. safety of a pure blush thou mayst in honor come off again.
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    Do not act out love anymore than you can escape from with an innocent blush.

Rosalind

25
  1. What shall be our sport then?

Celia

26 - 27
  1. Let us sit and mock the good huswife Fortune from her wheel,
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    housewife
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    Fortune was depicted as a blind goddess who spun people's fates on a spinning wheel. Celia plays with this image by making Fortune a housewife.
  2. that her gifts may henceforth be bestow’d equally.

Rosalind

28 - 30
  1. I would we could do so; for her benefits are mightily
  2. misplac’d, and the bountiful blind woman doth most mistake
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    another reference to Fortune
  3. in her gifts to women.

Celia

31 - 33
  1. ’Tis true, for those that she makes fair she scarce makes
  2. honest, and those that she makes honest she makes very
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    Chaste. Later in the play, Touchstone and Audrey will again talk about the relationship between appearance and sexuality.
  3. ill-favoredly.
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    ugly

Rosalind

34 - 36
  1. Nay, now thou goest from Fortune’s office to Nature’s.
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    Now you're talking about Nature, not Fortune.
  2. Fortune reigns in gifts of the world, not in the lineaments
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    is in charge of
  3. of Nature.
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    one's natural appearance
  1. Enter Clown (Touchstone).
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    The First Folio refers only to “clowne” in this stage direction. Touchstone is not explicitly named in the folio until Act II, scene 4.

Celia

37 - 40
  1. No; when Nature hath made a fair creature, may she not by
  2. Fortune fall into the fire? Though Nature hath given us wit
  3. to flout at Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    mock
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    referring to Touchstone, who has just entered
  4. cut off the argument?

Rosalind

41 - 42
  1. Indeed there is Fortune too hard for Nature, when Fortune
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    stronger than
  2. makes Nature’s natural the cutter-off of Nature’s wit.
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    fool

Celia

43 - 47
  1. Peradventure this is not Fortune’s work neither, but
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    perhaps
  2. Nature’s, who perceiveth our natural wits too dull to reason
  3. of such goddesses, and hath sent this natural for our
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    talk about
  4. whetstone; for always the dullness of the fool is the
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    Literally, a whetstone is a stone used for sharpening knives. In this figurative sense, it is something for sharpening the wits. This is just the first time Touchstone challenges people to use their wits.
  5. whetstone of the wits. How now, wit, whither wander you?
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    Celia plays on the catchphrases “wit, whither wilt?” or “wandering wits”, which refer to someone who is talking too much.

Touchstone

48
  1. Mistress, you must come away to your father.

Celia

49
  1. Were you made the messenger?
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    Celia means this word in the usual sense of someone who carries a message. In the next line, Touchstone intentionally uses a different sense of “messenger”, meaning an officer of the court who has the power to arrest someone. That meaning roughly makes sense (at least enough for a joke) because it was the duke who ordered him to fetch her.

Touchstone

50
  1. No, by mine honor, but I was bid to come for you.

Rosalind

51
  1. Where learn’d you that oath, fool?

Touchstone

52 - 55
  1. Of a certain knight, that swore by his honor they were good
  2. pancakes, and swore by his honor the mustard was naught. Now
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    bad
  3. I’ll stand to it, the pancakes were naught, and the mustard
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    affirm, attest
  4. was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn.
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    perjured, lied under oath

Celia

56
  1. How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge?

Rosalind

57
  1. Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom.

Touchstone

58 - 59
  1. Stand you both forth now. Stroke your chins, and swear by
  2. your beards that I am a knave.

Celia

60
  1. By our beards (if we had them) thou art.

Touchstone

61 - 65
  1. By my knavery (if I had it) then I were. But if you swear by
  2. that that is not, you are not forsworn. No more was this
  3. knight, swearing by his honor, for he never had any; or if
  4. he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those
  5. pancakes or that mustard.

Of a certain knight, that swore by his honor they were good pancakes, and swore by his honor the mustard was naught

John E. Sutcliffe, 1901

Celia

66
  1. Prithee, who is’t that thou mean’st?

Touchstone

67
  1. One that old Frederick, your father, loves.

Celia

68 - 69
  1. My father’s love is enough to honor him enough. Speak no
  2. more of him, you’ll be whipt for taxation one of these days.
    May 16, 2019 Miko
    A general purpose word for “offense”. In this case, the supposed offense is slander.

Touchstone

70 - 71
  1. The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men
  2. do foolishly.

Celia

72 - 74
  1. By my troth, thou sayest true; for since the little wit that
  2. fools have was silenc’d, the little foolery that wise men
    May 17, 2019 Miko
    This phrase might be a reference to the Bishops' Ban of 1599. In that ban, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London signed orders that banned a variety of types of books, including works of satire. If it is indeed such a reference, that coincides well with estimates that the play was written in 1599.
  3. have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau.
  1. Enter Le Beau.

Rosalind

75
  1. With his mouth full of news.

Celia

76
  1. Which he will put on us, as pigeons feed their young.

Rosalind

77
  1. Then shall we be news-cramm’d.

Celia

78 - 79
  1. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bonjour,
  2. Monsieur Le Beau. What’s the news?

Le Beau

80
  1. Fair princess, you have lost much good sport.

Celia

81
  1. Sport! Of what color?

Le Beau

82
  1. What color, madam? How shall I answer you?

Rosalind

83
  1. As wit and fortune will.

Touchstone

84
  1. Or as the Destinies decrees.

Celia

85
  1. Well said—that was laid on with a trowel.

Touchstone

86
  1. Nay, if I keep not my rank—

Rosalind

87
  1. Thou losest thy old smell.

Le Beau

88 - 89
  1. You amaze me, ladies. I would have told you of good
  2. wrestling, which you have lost the sight of.

Rosalind

90
  1. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling.

Le Beau

91 - 93
  1. I will tell you the beginning; and if it please your
  2. ladyships, you may see the end, for the best is yet to do,
  3. and here where you are, they are coming to perform it.

Celia

94
  1. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried.

Le Beau

95
  1. There comes an old man and his three sons—

Celia

96
  1. I could match this beginning with an old tale.

Le Beau

97
  1. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence.

Rosalind

98 - 99
  1. With bills on their necks, “Be it known unto all men by
  2. these presents.”

Le Beau

100 - 105
  1. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the Duke’s
  2. wrestler, which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke
  3. three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him.
  4. So he serv’d the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie,
  5. the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole
  6. over them that all the beholders take his part with weeping.

Rosalind

106
  1. Alas!

Touchstone

107
  1. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost?

Le Beau

108
  1. Why, this that I speak of.

Touchstone

109 - 110
  1. Thus men may grow wiser every day. It is the first time that
  2. ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies.

Celia

111
  1. Or I, I promise thee.

Rosalind

112 - 114
  1. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his
  2. sides? Is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking? Shall
  3. we see this wrestling, cousin?

Le Beau

115 - 116
  1. You must if you stay here, for here is the place appointed
  2. for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it.

Celia

117
  1. Yonder sure they are coming. Let us now stay and see it.
  1. Flourish. Enter Duke Frederick, Lords, Orlando, Charles, and
  2. Attendants.

Duke Frederick

118 - 119
  1. Come on. Since the youth will not be entreated, his own
  2. peril on his forwardness.

Rosalind

120
  1. Is yonder the man?

Le Beau

121
  1. Even he, madam.

Celia

122
  1. Alas, he is too young! Yet he looks successfully.

Duke Frederick

123 - 124
  1. How now, daughter and cousin? Are you crept hither to see
  2. the wrestling?

Rosalind

125
  1. Ay, my liege, so please you give us leave.

Duke Frederick

126 - 129
  1. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is
  2. such odds in the man. In pity of the challenger’s youth I
  3. would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated. Speak
  4. to him, ladies, see if you can move him.

Celia

130
  1. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau.
Charles the Wrestler

Charles the Wrestler

John Miller, George Scharf, 1824

Duke Frederick

131
  1. Do so; I’ll not be by.

Le Beau

132
  1. Monsieur the challenger, the princess calls for you.

Orlando

133
  1. I attend them with all respect and duty.

Rosalind

134
  1. Young man, have you challeng’d Charles the wrestler?

Orlando

135 - 136
  1. No, fair princess; he is the general challenger. I come but
  2. in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth.

Celia

137 - 142
  1. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years.
  2. You have seen cruel proof of this man’s strength. If you saw
  3. yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your
  4. judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a
  5. more equal enterprise. We pray you for your own sake to
  6. embrace your own safety, and give over this attempt.

Rosalind

143 - 145
  1. Do, young sir, your reputation shall not therefore be
  2. mispris’d. We will make it our suit to the Duke that the
  3. wrestling might not go forward.

Orlando

146 - 155
  1. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts,
  2. wherein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and
  3. excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and
  4. gentle wishes go with me to my trial; wherein if I be
  5. foil’d, there is but one sham’d that was never gracious; if
  6. kill’d, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my
  7. friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no
  8. injury, for in it I have nothing. Only in the world I fill
  9. up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it
  10. empty.

Rosalind

156
  1. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you.

Celia

157
  1. And mine, to eke out hers.

Rosalind

158
  1. Fare you well; pray heaven I be deceiv’d in you!

Celia

159
  1. Your heart’s desires be with you!

Charles

160 - 161
  1. Come, where is this young gallant that is so desirous to lie
  2. with his mother earth?

Orlando

162
  1. Ready, sir, but his will hath in it a more modest working.

Duke Frederick

163
  1. You shall try but one fall.

Charles

164 - 165
  1. No, I warrant your Grace, you shall not entreat him to a
  2. second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first.

Orlando

166 - 167
  1. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mock’d me
  2. before. But come your ways.

Rosalind

168
  1. Now Hercules be thy speed, young man!

Celia

169 - 170
  1. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the
  2. leg.
  1. Wrestle.

Rosalind

171
  1. O excellent young man!

Celia

172 - 173
  1. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should
  2. down.
  1. Charles is thrown. Shout.

Duke Frederick

174
  1. No more, no more.

Orlando

175
  1. Yes, I beseech your Grace, I am not yet well breath’d.

Duke Frederick

176
  1. How dost thou, Charles?

Le Beau

177
  1. He cannot speak, my lord.

Duke Frederick

178
  1. Bear him away. What is thy name, young man?

Orlando

179
  1. Orlando, my liege, the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys.

Duke Frederick

180 - 186
  1. I would thou hadst been son to some man else:
  2. The world esteem’d thy father honorable,
  3. But I did find him still mine enemy.
  4. Thou shouldst have better pleas’d me with this deed
  5. Hadst thou descended from another house.
  6. But fare thee well, thou art a gallant youth.
  7. I would thou hadst told me of another father.
  1. Exit Duke with Train and Le Beau.

Celia

187
  1. Were I my father, coz, would I do this?

Orlando

188 - 190
  1. I am more proud to be Sir Rowland’s son,
  2. His youngest son, and would not change that calling
  3. To be adopted heir to Frederick.

Rosalind

191 - 195
  1. My father lov’d Sir Rowland as his soul,
  2. And all the world was of my father’s mind.
  3. Had I before known this young man his son,
  4. I should have given him tears unto entreaties,
  5. Ere he should thus have ventur’d.

Celia

196 - 202
  1.                                   Gentle cousin,
  2. Let us go thank him, and encourage him.
  3. My father’s rough and envious disposition
  4. Sticks me at heart. Sir, you have well deserv’d.
  5. If you do keep your promises in love
  6. But justly as you have exceeded all promise,
  7. Your mistress shall be happy.

O excellent young man!

Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, Hugh Thomson, 1910

Rosalind

203 - 206
  1.                               Gentleman,
  2. Giving him a chain from her neck.
  3. Wear this for me: one out of suits with Fortune,
  4. That could give more, but that her hand lacks means.
  5. Shall we go, coz?

Celia

207
  1.                   Ay. Fare you well, fair gentleman.

Orlando

208 - 210
  1. Can I not say, I thank you? My better parts
  2. Are all thrown down, and that which here stands up
  3. Is but a quintain, a mere lifeless block.

Rosalind

211 - 214
  1. He calls us back. My pride fell with my fortunes,
  2. I’ll ask him what he would. Did you call, sir?
  3. Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown
  4. More than your enemies.

Celia

215
  1.                         Will you go, coz?

Rosalind

216
  1. Have with you.—Fare you well.
  1. Exit with Celia.

Orlando

217 - 220
  1. What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue?
  2. I cannot speak to her, yet she urg’d conference.
  3. Enter Le Beau.
  4. O poor Orlando! Thou art overthrown,
  5. Or Charles, or something weaker, masters thee.

Le Beau

221 - 227
  1. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you
  2. To leave this place. Albeit you have deserv’d
  3. High commendation, true applause, and love,
  4. Yet such is now the Duke’s condition
  5. That he misconsters all that you have done.
  6. The Duke is humorous— what he is indeed
  7. More suits you to conceive than I to speak of.

Orlando

228 - 230
  1. I thank you, sir; and pray you tell me this:
  2. Which of the two was daughter of the Duke,
  3. That here was at the wrestling?

Le Beau

231 - 245
  1. Neither his daughter, if we judge by manners,
  2. But yet indeed the smaller is his daughter.
  3. The other is daughter to the banish’d Duke,
  4. And here detain’d by her usurping uncle
  5. To keep his daughter company, whose loves
  6. Are dearer than the natural bond of sisters.
  7. But I can tell you that of late this Duke
  8. Hath ta’en displeasure ’gainst his gentle niece,
  9. Grounded upon no other argument
  10. But that the people praise her for her virtues,
  11. And pity her for her good father’s sake;
  12. And on my life his malice ’gainst the lady
  13. Will suddenly break forth. Sir, fare you well.
  14. Hereafter, in a better world than this,
  15. I shall desire more love and knowledge of you.

Orlando

246 - 249
  1. I rest much bounden to you; fare you well.
  2. Exit Le Beau.
  3. Thus must I from the smoke into the smother,
  4. From tyrant Duke unto a tyrant brother.
  5. But heavenly Rosalind!
  1. Exit.

Byam Shaw, 1901

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