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Touch. Salutation and greeting to you all!

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

swears.

Touch. If any man doubt that, let him put me to my purgation. I have trod a measure; I have flatter'd a lady; I have been politic with my friend, smooth with mine enemy; I have undone three tailors; I have had four quarrels, and like to have fought one.

Jaq. And how was that ta'en up?

Touch. 'Faith, we met, and found the quarrel was upon the seventh cause.

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

Duke. I like him very well.

Touch. God'ild you, sir; I desire you of the like.3 I press in here, sir, amongst the rest of the country copulatives, to swear, and to forswear, according as marriage binds, and blood breaks. - A poor virgin, sir, an ill-favour'd thing, sir, but mine own: a poor humour of mine, sir, to take that that no man else will. Rich honesty dwells like a miser, sir, in a poor-house, as your pearl in your foul oyster.

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

2 The measure was a kind of grave, solemn dance, something ke the minuet, elsewhere described as "full of state and ancientry,' and therefore comporting well with the dignity of the court See Much Ado about Nothing, Act ii. sc. 1, note 2. and Love's Labour's Lost, Act v. sc. 2, note 12.

H.

See A

3 A mode of speech quite common in the Poet's time. Midsummer-Night's Dream, Act iii. sc. 1, note 12. «God'ild you' means, God yield you, God reward you.

H.

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

Jaq. But, for the seventh cause; how did you find the quarrel on the seventh cause?

5

Touch. Upon a lie seven times removed; — bear your body more seeming, Audrey ; - as thus, sir: I did dislike the cut of a certain courtier's beard: he sent me word, if I said his beard was not cut well, he was in the mind it was: This is call'd the "Retort courteous." If I sent him word again, it was not well cut, he would send me word, he cut it to please himself: This is call'd the "Quip modest." If again, it was not well cut, he disabled my judgment: This is call'd the "Reply churlish." If again, it was not well cut, he would answer, 1 spake not true: This is call'd the "Reproof valiant." If again, it was not well cut, he would say, I lie : This is call'd the "Countercheck quarrelsome : and so the "Lie circumstantial," and the "Lie direct."

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

Touch. I durst go no further than the "Lie circumstantial," nor he durst not give me the "Lie direct; " and so we measur'd swords, and parted. Jaq. Can you nominate in order now the degrees of the lie?

Touch. O! sir, we quarrel in print, by the book,"

4 There was an old proverb,- -"A fool's bolt is soon shot.' See Much Ado about Nothing, Act i. sc. 1, note 5.

5 Seemly.

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The Poet has in this scene rallied the mode of formal duelling, then so prevalent, with the highest humour and address. The book alluded to is entitled, "Of Honour and Honourable Quarrels, by Vincentio Saviolo," 1594. The first part of which is "A Discourse most necessary for all Gentlemen that have in regard

as you have books for good manners: I will name you the degrees. The first, the Retort courteous ; the second, the Quip modest; the third, the Reply churlish; the fourth, the Reproof valiant; the fifth, the Countercheck quarrelsome; the sixth, the Lie with circumstance; the seventh, the Lie direct. All these you may avoid, but the lie direct; and you may avoid that too, with an if. I knew when seven justices could not take up a quarrel; but when the parties were met themselves, one of them thought but of an if, as “ If you said so, then I said so;" and they shook hands, and swore brothers. Your if is the only peace-maker; much virtue in if.

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

Duke. He uses his folly like a stalking-horse," and under the presentation of that, he shoots his wit.

their Honours, touching the giving and receiving the Lie, whereupon the Duello and the Combat in divers Forms doth ensue; and many other inconveniences for lack only of true knowledge of Honour, and the right Understanding of Words, which here is set down." The eight following chapters are on the Lie and its various circumstances, much in the order of Touchstone's enumera tion; and in the chapter of Conditional Lies, speaking of the particle if, he says, Conditional lies be such as are given conditionally, as if a man should say or write these words: if thou hast said that I have offered my lord abuse, thou liest; or if thou sayest so hereafter, thou shalt lie. Of these kind of lies, given in this manner, often arise much contention in wordes, whereof no sure conclusion can arise."

7 The Booke of Nurture; or, Schoole of Good Manners for Men, Servants, and Children, with stans puer ad mensam, 12mo., without date, in black letter, is most probably the work referred to. It was written by Hugh Rhodes, and first published in the reign of Edward VI.

A picture of a horse, which the hunter carried before himself, to deceive the game See Much Ado about Nothing, Act ii. sc.

3 note 8.

H

Enter HYMEN, leading ROSALIND in woman's clothes;

and CELIA.

Still music.

Hym. Then is there mirth in heaven,
When earthly things made even,
Atone together.10

Good Duke, receive thy daughter;
Hymen from heaven brought her;
Yea, brought her hither,

That thou might'st join her hand with his
Whose heart within her bosom is.

Ros. [To the DUKE.] To you I give myself, for I am yours:

[To ORL.] To you I give myself, for I am yours. Duke. If there be truth in sight, you are my daughter.

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

Phe. If sight and shape be true,

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Ros. [To the DUKE.] I'll have no father, if you be not he:

[To ORL.] I'll have no husband, if you be not he: [To PHE.] Nor ne'er wed woman, if you be not she:

Hym. Peace, ho! I bar confusion:

"Tis I must make conclusion

Of these most strange events:

Rosalind is imagined by the rest of the company to be brought by enchantment, and is therefore introduced by a supposed aerial being in the character of Hymen.

10 That is, at one; accord, or agree together. This is the old sense of the phrase; "an attonement, a loving againe after a breach or falling out Reditus in gratia cum aliquo." Ba et.

Here's eight that must take hands,

To join in Hymen's bands,

If truth holds true contents."

[To ORL. and Ros.] You and you no cross shall part: [To OLI. and CEL.] You and you are heart in heart [To PHE.] You to his love must accord,

Or have a woman to your lord:

[To TOUCH. and AUD.] You and you are sure to gether,

As the winter to foul weather.
Whiles a wedlock hymn we sing,
Feed yourselves with questioning,
That reason wonder may diminish,
How thus we met, and these things finish

Song.

Wedding is great Juno's crown;
O, blessed bond of board and bed!
'Tis Hymen peoples every town;
High wedlock, then, be honoured :
Honour, high honour and renown,
To Hymen, god of every town!

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

Phe. [To SILVIUS.] I will not eat my word, now

thou art mine;

Thy faith my fancy to thee doth combine.

Enter JAQUES de Bois.

Jaq. de B. Let me have audience for a word or

two.

I am the second son of old Sir Rowland,"

"That is, if there be truth in truth.

1 In the old copies this Jaques is introduced as the Second

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