[Enter ORLANDO and OLIVER.]
ORLANDO Is't possible that on so little acquaintance you should like her? that but seeing you should love her? and loving woo? and, wooing, she should grant? and will you persever to enjoy her?
OLIVER Neither call the giddiness of it in question, the poverty of her, the small acquaintance, my sudden wooing, nor her sudden consenting; but say with me, I love Aliena; say, with her, that she loves me; consent with both, that we may enjoy each other: it shall be to your good; for my father's house, and all the revenue that was old Sir Rowland's will I estate upon you, and here live and die a shepherd.
ORLANDO You have my consent. Let your wedding be to-morrow: thither will I invite the duke and all's contented followers. Go you and prepare Aliena; for, look you, here comes my Rosalind.
[Enter ROSALIND.]
ROSALIND God save you, brother.
OLIVER And you, fair sister.
[Exit.]
ROSALIND O, my dear Orlando, how it grieves me to see thee wear thy heart in a scarf!
ORLANDO It is my arm.
ROSALIND I thought thy heart had been wounded with the claws of a lion.
ORLANDO Wounded it is, but with the eyes of a lady.
ROSALIND Did your brother tell you how I counterfeited to swoon when he show'd me your handkercher?
ORLANDO Ay, and greater wonders than that.
ROSALIND O, I know where you are:—nay, 'tis true: there was never anything so sudden but the fight of two rams and Caesar's thrasonical brag of "I came, saw, and overcame:" for your brother and my sister no sooner met, but they looked; no sooner looked, but they loved; no sooner loved, but they sighed; no sooner sighed, but they asked one another the reason; no sooner knew the reason, but they sought the remedy: and in these degrees have they made pair of stairs to marriage, which they will climb incontinent, or else be incontinent before marriage: they are in the very wrath of love, and they will together: clubs cannot part them.
ORLANDO They shall be married to-morrow; and I will bid the duke to the nuptial. But O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man's eyes! By so much the more shall I to-morrow be at the height of heart-heaviness, by how much I shall think my brother happy in having what he wishes for.
ROSALIND Why, then, to-morrow I cannot serve your turn for Rosalind?
ORLANDO I can live no longer by thinking.
ROSALIND I will weary you, then, no longer with idle talking. Know of me then,—for now I speak to some purpose,—that I know you are a gentleman of good conceit: I speak not this that you should bear a good opinion of my knowledge, insomuch I say I know you are; neither do I labour for a greater esteem than may in some little measure draw a belief from you, to do yourself good, and not to grace me. Believe then, if you please, that I can do strange things: I have, since I was three year old, conversed with a magician, most profound in his art and yet not damnable. If you do love Rosalind so near the heart as your gesture cries it out, when your brother marries Aliena, shall you marry her:— I know into what straits of fortune she is driven; and it is not impossible to me, if it appear not inconvenient to you, to set her before your eyes to-morrow, human as she is, and without any danger.
ORLANDO Speak'st thou in sober meanings?
ROSALIND By my life, I do; which I tender dearly, though I say I am a magician. Therefore put you in your best array, bid your friends; for if you will be married to-morrow, you shall; and to Rosalind, if you will. Look, here comes a lover of mine, and a lover of hers.
[Enter SILVIUS and PHEBE.]
PHEBE Youth, you have done me much ungentleness, To show the letter that I writ to you.
ROSALIND I care not if I have: it is my study To seem despiteful and ungentle to you: You are there follow'd by a faithful shepherd; Look upon him, love him; he worships you.
PHEBE Good shepherd, tell this youth what 'tis to love.
SILVIUS It is to be all made of sighs and tears;— And so am I for Phebe.
PHEBE And I for Ganymede.
ORLANDO And I for Rosalind.
ROSALIND And I for no woman.
SILVIUS It is to be all made of faith and service;— And so am I for Phebe.
PHEBE And I for Ganymede.
ORLANDO And I for Rosalind.
ROSALIND And I for no woman.
SILVIUS
It is to be all made of fantasy, All made of passion, and all made of wishes; All adoration, duty, and observance, All humbleness, all patience, and impatience, All purity, all trial, all observance;— And so am I for Phebe.
PHEBE And so am I for Ganymede.
ORLANDO And so am I for Rosalind.
ROSALIND And so am I for no woman.
PHEBE [To ROSALIND.] If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
SILVIUS [To PHEBE.] If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
ORLANDO If this be so, why blame you me to love you?
ROSALIND Why do you speak too,—"Why blame you me to love you?"
ORLANDO To her that is not here, nor doth not hear.
ROSALIND Pray you, no more of this; 'tis like the howling of Irish wolves against the moon.—
[to SILVIUS] I will help you if I can;—
[to PHEBE] I would love you if I could.— To-morrow meet me all together.—
[to PHEBE] I will marry you if ever I marry woman, and I'll be married to-morrow:—
[to ORLANDO] I will satisfy you if ever I satisfied man, and you shall be married to-morrow:—
[to SILVIUS] I will content you if what pleases you contents you, and you shall be married to-morrow.
[to ORLANDO] As you love Rosalind, meet.
[to SILVIUS] As you love Phebe, meet;— and as I love no woman, I'll meet.—So, fare you well; I have left you commands.
SILVIUS I'll not fail, if I live.
PHEBE Nor I.
ORLANDO Nor I. [Exeunt.]
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