DUKE. Frederick, brother to the Duke, and ufurper. Amiens, Lords attending upon the Duke in his ba Jaques, nishment. Le Beu, a courtier attending upon Frederick. Oliver, eldest Son to Sir Rowland de Boys. Jaques, } queado, Younger brothers to Oliver. Adam, an old fervant of Sir Rowland de Boys. Touchstone, a clown. Corin, Sylvius, Shepherds. William, in love with Audrey. Sir Oliver Mar-text, a country curate. Charles, wrestler to the ufurping Duke Frederick. Dennis, fervant to Oliver. Rosalind, daughter to the Duke. Audrey, a country wench. Lords belonging to the two Dukes; with pages, foresters, and other attendants. The SCENE lies, first, near Oliver's house; and, afterwards, partly in the Duke's Court; and partly in the Forest of Arden. The first Edition of this play is in the Folio of 1623. * The lift of the persons, being omitted in the old Editions, was added by Mr. Rowe. 1 A ACT I. SCENE I. OLIVER's Orchard. Enter Orlando and Adam. ORLANDO. S I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeath'd me. By Will, but a poor thou fand crowns'; and, as thou say'st, charged my brother on his Blessing to breed me well. And there begins my fadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this FASHION bequeathed me by Will, but a poor thousand. crowns, &c.] The Grammar, as well as tense, suffers cruelly by this reading. There are two nominatives to the verb bequeathed, and not so much as one to the verb charged: and yet, to the nominative there wanted, [bis blessing] refers. So that the whole sentence is confused and obscure. A very small alteration in the reading and pointing fets all right. For As I remember, Adam, it was upon this MY FATHER bequeathed me, &c. The Grammar is now rectified, and the sense also; which is this, Orlando and Adam were discoursing together on the cause why the younger brother had but a thousand crowns left him. They agree upon it; and Orlando opens the scene in this manner, As I remember, it was upon this, i. e. for the reason we have been talking of, that my father left me but a thousand crowns; however, to make aB2 mends ! For my part, he keeps me rustically at home; or, to speak more properly, stays me here at home, unkept'; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my birth, that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horfes are bred better; for besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly hired; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him as I. Besides this Nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the Something that nature gave me3, his countenance seems to take from me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a brother, and, as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the Spirit of my father, which, I think, is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, tho' yet I know no wife remedy how to avoid it. There is, in my opinion, nothing but a point misplaced, and an omiffion of a word which every hearer can supply, and which therefore an abrupt and eager dialogue naturally excludes. I read thus: As I remember, Adam, it was on this fashion bequeathed me. By will but a poor thousand crowns; and, as thou fayft, charged my brother on his bleffing to breed me well. What is there in this difficult or obscure? the nominative my father is certainly left out, but so left out that the auditor inferts it, in spite of hirafelf. or, to kept'; birth, horfes r with and to -, gain ch his nim as gives coun with d, as edu SCENE II. Enter Oliver. Adam. Yonder comes my master, your brother. Orla. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. Oli. Now, Sir, what make ye here? Orla. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing. Oli. What mar ye then, Sir? Orla. Marry, Sir, I am helping you to mar That the which God made; a poor unworthy brother of yours, me, Ino with idleness. Oli. Marry, Sir, be better employ'd, and be nought how a while. 4 Be 'better employ'd and be nought a while.] Mr. Theobald has here a very critical note; for which, though his modefty fuffered him to withdraw it from his fecond edition, deferves to be perpetuated, i. e. (fays he) be better employed, in my opinion, in being and doing nothing. Your idlenes as you call it may be an exRercife, by which you may make a Fgure, and endear your self to the world: and I had rather you were a contemptible Cypher. The poet Jeems to me to have that trite proverbial fentiment in his eye quoted, from Attilius, by the younger Pliny and others; fatius ett otiofum elle quam nihil agere. But Oliver in the perverfeness of his difpofition would reverse the doctrine of the proverb. Does the Read |