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As You Like It - Act 5, scene 4
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As You Like It - Act 5, scene 4Act 5, scene 4
Scene 4
Synopsis:
In the presence of Duke Senior and his lords, “Ganymede” reminds Orlando, Silvius, and Phoebe of their promises. “He” and “Aliena” then leave while Touchstone entertains the assembly. Hymen, god of marriage, enters bringing Rosalind and Celia. Duke Senior welcomes his daughter and his niece; Orlando welcomes Rosalind. Phoebe agrees to marry Silvius. As Hymen speaks to each of the four couples, the brother of Orlando and Oliver brings news that Duke Frederick has given up the throne. Duke Senior, now once again in power, returns Oliver’s lands to him and establishes Orlando as his heir.
Enter Duke Senior, Amiens, Jaques, Orlando, Oliver,⌜and⌝ Celia ⌜as Aliena.⌝
DUKE SENIOR
2633 Dost thou believe, Orlando, that the boy
2634 Can do all this that he hath promisèd?
ORLANDO
2635 I sometimes do believe and sometimes do not,
2636 As those that fear they hope, and know they fear.
Enter Rosalind ⌜as Ganymede,⌝ Silvius, and Phoebe.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝
2637 5 Patience once more whiles our compact is urged.
2638 ⌜To Duke.⌝ You say, if I bring in your Rosalind,
2639 You will bestow her on Orlando here?
DUKE SENIOR
2640 That would I, had I kingdoms to give with her.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede, to Orlando⌝
2641 And you say you will have her when I bring her?
ORLANDO
2642 10 That would I, were I of all kingdoms king.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede, to Phoebe⌝
2643 You say you’ll marry me if I be willing?
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191
PHOEBE 2644 That will I, should I die the hour after.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝
2645 But if you do refuse to marry me,
2646 You’ll give yourself to this most faithful shepherd?
PHOEBE 2647 15So is the bargain.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede, to Silvius⌝
2648 You say that you’ll have Phoebe if she will?
SILVIUS
2649 Though to have her and death were both one thing.
ROSALIND, ⌜as Ganymede⌝
2650 I have promised to make all this matter even.
2651 Keep you your word, O duke, to give your
2652 20 daughter,—
2653 You yours, Orlando, to receive his daughter.—
2654 Keep you your word, Phoebe, that you’ll marry me,
2655 Or else, refusing me, to wed this shepherd.—
2656 Keep your word, Silvius, that you’ll marry her
2657 25 If she refuse me. And from hence I go
2658 To make these doubts all even.
Rosalind and Celia exit.
DUKE SENIOR
2659 I do remember in this shepherd boy
2660 Some lively touches of my daughter’s favor.
ORLANDO
2661 My lord, the first time that I ever saw him
2662 30 Methought he was a brother to your daughter.
2663 But, my good lord, this boy is forest-born
2664 And hath been tutored in the rudiments
2665 Of many desperate studies by his uncle,
2666 Whom he reports to be a great magician
2667 35 Obscurèd in the circle of this forest.
Enter ⌜Touchstone⌝ and Audrey.
JAQUES 2668 There is sure another flood toward, and these
2669 couples are coming to the ark. Here comes a pair of
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193
2670
very strange beasts, which in all tongues are called2671 fools.
TOUCHSTONE 2672 40Salutation and greeting to you all.
JAQUES, ⌜to Duke⌝ 2673 Good my lord, bid him welcome.
2674 This is the motley-minded gentleman that I have so
2675 often met in the forest. He hath been a courtier, he
2676 swears.
TOUCHSTONE 2677 45If any man doubt that, let him put me to
2678 my purgation. I have trod a measure. I have flattered
2679 a lady. I have been politic with my friend,
2680 smooth with mine enemy. I have undone three
2681 tailors. I have had four quarrels, and like to have
2682 50 fought one.
JAQUES 2683 And how was that ta’en up?
TOUCHSTONE 2684 Faith, we met and found the quarrel was
2685 upon the seventh cause.
JAQUES 2686 How “seventh cause”?—Good my lord, like
2687 55 this fellow.
DUKE SENIOR 2688 I like him very well.
TOUCHSTONE 2689 God ’ild you, sir. I desire you of the like. I
2690 press in here, sir, amongst the rest of the country
2691 copulatives, to swear and to forswear, according as
2692 60 marriage binds and blood breaks. A poor virgin, sir,
2693 an ill-favored thing, sir, but mine own. A poor
2694 humor of mine, sir, to take that that no man else
2695 will. Rich honesty dwells like a miser, sir, in a poor
2696 house, as your pearl in your foul oyster.
DUKE SENIOR 2697 65By my faith, he is very swift and
2698 sententious.
TOUCHSTONE 2699 According to the fool’s bolt, sir, and such
2700 dulcet diseases.
JAQUES 2701 But for the seventh cause. How did you find the
2702 70 quarrel on the seventh cause?
TOUCHSTONE 2703 Upon a lie seven times removed.—Bear
2704 your body more seeming, Audrey.—As thus, sir: I
2705 did dislike the cut of a certain courtier’s beard. He
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195
2706
sent me word if I said his beard was not cut well, he2707 75 was in the mind it was. This is called “the retort
2708 courteous.” If I sent him word again it was not well
2709 cut, he would send me word he cut it to please
2710 himself. This is called “the quip modest.” If again it
2711 was not well cut, he disabled my judgment. This is
2712 80 called “the reply churlish.” If again it was not well
2713 cut, he would answer I spake not true. This is called
2714 “the reproof valiant.” If again it was not well cut, he
2715 would say I lie. This is called “the countercheck
2716 quarrelsome,” and so to “⌜the⌝ lie circumstantial,”
2717 85 and “the lie direct.”
JAQUES 2718 And how oft did you say his beard was not well
2719 cut?
TOUCHSTONE 2720 I durst go no further than the lie circumstantial,
2721 nor he durst not give me the lie direct, and
2722 90 so we measured swords and parted.
JAQUES 2723 Can you nominate in order now the degrees of
2724 the lie?
TOUCHSTONE 2725 O sir, we quarrel in print, by the book, as
2726 you have books for good manners. I will name you
2727 95 the degrees: the first, “the retort courteous”; the
2728 second, “the quip modest”; the third, “the reply
2729 churlish”; the fourth, “the reproof valiant”; the
2730 fifth, “the countercheck quarrelsome”; the sixth,
2731 “the lie with circumstance”; the seventh, “the lie
2732 100 direct.” All these you may avoid but the lie direct,
2733 and you may avoid that too with an “if.” I knew
2734 when seven justices could not take up a quarrel, but
2735 when the parties were met themselves, one of them
2736 thought but of an “if,” as: “If you said so, then I said
2737 105 so.” And they shook hands and swore brothers.
2738 Your “if” is the only peacemaker: much virtue in
2739 “if.”
JAQUES, ⌜to Duke⌝ 2740 Is not this a rare fellow, my lord?
2741 He’s as good at anything and yet a fool.
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197
DUKE SENIOR
2742
110He uses his folly like a stalking-horse,2743 and under the presentation of that he shoots his wit.
Enter Hymen, Rosalind, and Celia. Still music.
HYMEN
2744 Then is there mirth in heaven
2745 When earthly things made even
2746 Atone together.
2747 115 Good duke, receive thy daughter.
2748 Hymen from heaven brought her,
2749 Yea, brought her hither,
2750 That thou mightst join ⌜her⌝ hand with his,
2751 Whose heart within his bosom is.
ROSALIND, ⌜to Duke⌝
2752 120 To you I give myself, for I am yours.
2753 ⌜To Orlando.⌝ To you I give myself, for I am yours.
DUKE SENIOR
2754 If there be truth in sight, you are my daughter.
ORLANDO
2755 If there be truth in sight, you are my Rosalind.
PHOEBE
2756 If sight and shape be true,
2757 125 Why then, my love adieu.
ROSALIND, ⌜to Duke⌝
2758 I’ll have no father, if you be not he.
2759 ⌜To Orlando.⌝ I’ll have no husband, if you be not he,
2760 ⌜To Phoebe.⌝ Nor ne’er wed woman, if you be not
2761 she.
HYMEN
2762 130 Peace, ho! I bar confusion.
2763 ’Tis I must make conclusion
2764 Of these most strange events.
2765 Here’s eight that must take hands
2766 To join in Hymen’s bands,
2767 135 If truth holds true contents.
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199
⌜To Rosalind and Orlando.⌝2768 You and you no cross shall part.
⌜To Celia and Oliver.⌝
2769 You and you are heart in heart.
⌜To Phoebe.⌝
2770 You to his love must accord
2771 Or have a woman to your lord.
⌜To Audrey and Touchstone.⌝
2772 140 You and you are sure together
2773 As the winter to foul weather.
⌜To All.⌝
2774 Whiles a wedlock hymn we sing,
2775 Feed yourselves with questioning,
2776 That reason wonder may diminish
2777 145 How thus we met, and these things finish.
Song.
2778 Wedding is great Juno’s crown,
2779 O blessèd bond of board and bed.
2780 ’Tis Hymen peoples every town.
2781 High wedlock then be honorèd.
2782 150 Honor, high honor, and renown
2783 To Hymen, god of every town.
DUKE SENIOR, ⌜to Celia⌝
2784 O my dear niece, welcome thou art to me,
2785 Even daughter, welcome in no less degree.
PHOEBE, ⌜to Silvius⌝
2786 I will not eat my word. Now thou art mine,
2787 155 Thy faith my fancy to thee doth combine.
Enter Second Brother, ⌜Jaques de Boys.⌝
SECOND BROTHER
2788 Let me have audience for a word or two.
2789 I am the second son of old Sir Rowland,
2790 That bring these tidings to this fair assembly.
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201
2791
Duke Frederick, hearing how that every day2792 160 Men of great worth resorted to this forest,
2793 Addressed a mighty power, which were on foot
2794 In his own conduct, purposely to take
2795 His brother here and put him to the sword;
2796 And to the skirts of this wild wood he came,
2797 165 Where, meeting with an old religious man,
2798 After some question with him, was converted
2799 Both from his enterprise and from the world,
2800 His crown bequeathing to his banished brother,
2801 And all their lands restored to ⌜them⌝ again
2802 170 That were with him exiled. This to be true
2803 I do engage my life.
DUKE SENIOR 2804 Welcome, young man.
2805 Thou offer’st fairly to thy brothers’ wedding:
2806 To one his lands withheld, and to the other
2807 175 A land itself at large, a potent dukedom.—
2808 First, in this forest let us do those ends
2809 That here were well begun and well begot,
2810 And, after, every of this happy number
2811 That have endured shrewd days and nights with us
2812 180 Shall share the good of our returnèd fortune
2813 According to the measure of their states.
2814 Meantime, forget this new-fall’n dignity,
2815 And fall into our rustic revelry.—
2816 Play, music.—And you brides and bridegrooms all,
2817 185 With measure heaped in joy to th’ measures fall.
JAQUES, ⌜to Second Brother⌝
2818 Sir, by your patience: if I heard you rightly,
2819 The Duke hath put on a religious life
2820 And thrown into neglect the pompous court.
SECOND BROTHER 2821 He hath.
JAQUES
2822 190 To him will I. Out of these convertites
2823 There is much matter to be heard and learned.
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2824
⌜To Duke.⌝ You to your former honor I bequeath;2825 Your patience and your virtue well deserves it.
2826 ⌜To Orlando.⌝ You to a love that your true faith doth
2827 195 merit.
2828 ⌜To Oliver.⌝ You to your land, and love, and great
2829 allies.
2830 ⌜To Silvius.⌝ You to a long and well-deservèd bed.
2831 ⌜To Touchstone.⌝ And you to wrangling, for thy
2832 200 loving voyage
2833 Is but for two months victualled.—So to your
2834 pleasures.
2835 I am for other than for dancing measures.
DUKE SENIOR 2836 Stay, Jaques, stay.
JAQUES
2837 205 To see no pastime, I. What you would have
2838 I’ll stay to know at your abandoned cave.He exits.
DUKE SENIOR
2839 Proceed, proceed. We’ll begin these rites,
2840 As we do trust they’ll end, in true delights.
⌜Dance. All but Rosalind⌝ exit.