AS YOU LIKE IT. THIS charming dramatic pastoral was first printed, it is believed, in the folio, 1623. On the Stationers' Registers, however, is an entry, conjectured, with good reason, to belong to the year 1600, which may induce a different conclusion. It runs thus: "4 Augusti. "As you like yt, a book. Henry the ffift, a book. Every Man in his humor, a book. The Commedie of Much Adoo about Nothinge, a book. To be staied." The object of the "stay," as Mr. Collier supposes, was no doubt to prevent the publication of these plays by any other booksellers than Wise and Apsley; and as the three other "books" were issued by them in a quarto form, probabilities are in favour of the fourth having been so published also. At all events, there are sufficient grounds for hope that a quarto edition may some day come to light. "As You Like It" is founded on Lodge's novel, entitled "Rosalynde, Euphues Golden Legacy," &c., 1590; which in turn was derived from the "Coke's Tale of Gamelyn," attributed to Chaucer, and sometimes printed in his works, though now very generally believed to be the work of another and much inferior hand. The quotation, in Act. III. Sc. 5, from Marlowe's poem of "Hero and Leander,” "Who ever lov'd, that lov'd not at first sight?"— which appeared in 1598; the circumstance of its not being included in the list by Meres; and the memorandum above mentioned in the Stationers' Registers, have led Malone and others, we think rightly, to assign the composition of "As You Like It" to the year 1599. In connexion with this comedy there is a tradition too pleasing to be forgotten. It is related, on the authority of the poet's brother Gilbert, who survived till after the Restoration of Charles II, that Shakespeare himself personated the faithful old Adam on the Stage. "One of Shakespeare's younger brothers," Oldys relates, "who lived to a good old age, even some years, as I compute, after the restoration of King Charles II, would in his younger days come to London to visit his brother Will, as he called him, and be a spectator of him as an actor in some of his own plays. This custom, as his brother's fame enlarged, and his dramatick entertainments grew the greatest support of our principal, if not of all our theatres, he continued, it seems, so long after his brother's death as even to the latter end of his own life. The curiosity at this time of the most noted actors to learn something from him of his brother, &c. they justly held him in the highest veneration. And it may be well believed, as there was besides a kinsman and descendant of the family, who was then a celebrated actor among them, this opportunity made them greedily inquisitive into every little circumstance, more especially in his dramatick character, which his brother could relate of him. But he, it seems, was so stricken in years, and possibly his memory so weakened with infirmities, which might make him the easier pass for a man of weak intellects, that he could give them but little light into their enquiries; and all that could be recollected from him of his brother Will in that station was the faint, general, and almost lost ideas he had of having once seen him act a part in one of his own comedies, wherein, being to personate a decrepit old man, he wore a long beard, and appeared so weak and drooping, and unable to walk, that he was forced to be supported and carried by another person to a table, at which he was seated among some company, who were eating, and one of them sung a song.' This description accords in all essential particulars with the introduction of Adam to the banished duke and his followers, at their sylvan banquet, in Act II. Sc. 7. Persons Represented. DUKE, living in banishment. FREDERICK, his Brother, and CHARLES, a Wrestler. usurper of his Dominions. AMIENS, CORIN, Gentlemen attending on the Exiled DUKE. JAQUES, LE BEAU, a Courtier attending upon FREDERICK. TOUCHSTONE, a Clown, or Domestic Fool. SILVIUS, Shepherds. WILLIAM, a Peasant, in love with AUDREY. ROSALIND, Daughter to the banished DUKE. OLIVER, The Representative of Hymen. JAQUES, Sons of SIR ROLAND DE BOIS. ORLANDO, ADAM, DENIS, Servants to OLIVER. SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a Vicar. CELIA, Daughter to FREDERICK. PHEBE, a Shepherdess. AUDREY, a Country wench. Followers and Attendants on the two Dukes, Pages, Foresters, &c. &c. SCENE,-First, (and in Act II. Sc. 3,) near OLIVER's House; intermediately and afterwards, partly in the usurper's Court, and partly in the Forest of Arden. SCENE I.-An Orchard, adjoining Oliver's House. 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 me, his countenance seems to take the place of a brother, and, as much as in him lies, from me he lets me feed with his hinds, bars, me Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of my mines my gentility with my education. This is it, father, which I think is within me, begins to endure it, though yet I know no wise remedy how mutiny against this servitude: I will no longer to avoid it. ACT I. Enter ORLANDO and ADAM. ORL. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion,-bequeathed me by will, but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou sayest, charged my ab brother, on his blessing, to breed me well: and there begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and report speaks goldenly of his profit: 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 birth, that differs not from the stalling of an ox? my His horses are bred better: for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, they are taught their Bequeathed me-] Some of the modern editions read, "he bequeathed me:" and it is not improbable that the pronoun was omitted by the carelessness of the transcriber or compositor. But poor a thousand crowns,-] So the folio, 1623, but most editors have adopted the reading of the folio, 1632:-"a poor thousand crowns;" and those who adhere to the original have failed to produce a single instance of similar phraseology to support them. This is the more strange, since the idiom was at least as old as the time of Chaucer, and by no means uncom mon: "And so I followed, till it me brought To right a pleasaunt herber." CHAUCER: Flower and Leaf, 1. 49. "At Leycester came to the Kynge ryght a fayre felawship of folks, to the nombar of three thousand men."-Arrival of Edward IV. p. 8. "The Kynge travaylynge all his people, whereof were moo than three thousand foteman, that Fryday, which was right-an-hot day, thirty myle and more."-Ibid. p. 27. e His countenance seems to take from me:] The commentators appear to have misunderstood this expression. It does not here import aspect, carriage, and the like, but entertainment. note (g), p. 255, Vol. I. See ADAM. Yonder comes my master, your brother. ORL. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up. [ADAM retires. Enter OLIVER. OLI. Now, sir! what make you here? ORL. Nothing: I am not taught to make any thing. OLI. What mar you then, sir? ORL. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness. OLI. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be naught awhile. ORL. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What prodigal portion have I speat, that I should come to such penury? OLI. Know you where you are, sir? ORL. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know, you are my eldest brother; and, in the gentle condition of blood, you should so know me: the courtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us: I have as much of my father in me, as you; albeit, I confess, your coming before me is nearer to his reverence. a What make you here?] What do you here? b Be naught awhile.] A proverbial phrase, equivalent to a mischief on you. c Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this.] The obscurity in this speech is at once cleared up by a passage in the original story:-"Though I am eldest by birth, yet, never having attempted any deeds of arms, I am youngest to perform any martial exploits."-LODGE'S Rosalynd, p. 17 of reprint in Shakespeare's Library. Stung by the sarcastic allusion to his reverence, Óliver attempts to strike his brother, who seizes him, observing at the same time, "You are too young at this game of manly prowess; in this, I am the elder." OLI. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain? ORL. I am no villain: I am the youngest son of sir Roland de Bois: he was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat, till this other had pulled out thy tongue for saying so; thou hast railed on thyself. ADAM. [Coming forward.] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord. OLI. Let me go, I say. ORL. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father charged you in his will to give me good education: you have trained me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in me, and I will no longer endure it: therefore allow me such exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy my fortunes. OLI. And what wilt thou do? beg, when that is spent? Well, sir, get you in: I will not long be troubled with you: you shall have some part of your will: I pray you, leave me. ORL. I will no further offend you than becomes me for my good. OLI. Get you with him, you old dog. ADAM. Is old dog my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in your service.-God be with my old master! he would not have spoke such a word. [Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM. OLI. Is it even so? begin you to grow upon me? I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Denis! |