As You Like It | Page 3

links; OR
[*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at
no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent form by the program that displays the etext (as is the case, for instance, with most word processors); OR
[*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at
no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the etext in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC or other equivalent proprietary form).
[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this
"Small Print!" statement.
[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Project of 20% of the
net profits you derive calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are payable to "Project Gutenberg Association/Carnegie-Mellon University" within the 60 days following each?date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return.
WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty free copyright licenses, and every other sort of contribution you can think of. Money should be paid to "Project Gutenberg Association / Carnegie-Mellon University".
*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END*
This etext was prepared by the PG Shakespeare Team,?a team of about twenty Project Gutenberg volunteers.
AS YOU LIKE IT
by William Shakespeare
Persons represented.
DUKE, living in exile.?FREDERICK, Brother to the Duke, and Usurper of his Dominions. AMIENS, Lord attending on the Duke in his Banishment.?JAQUES, Lord attending on the Duke in his Banishment.?LE BEAU, a Courtier attending upon Frederick.?CHARLES, his Wrestler.?OLIVER, Son of Sir Rowland de Bois.?JAQUES, Son of Sir Rowland de Bois.?ORLANDO, Son of Sir Rowland de Bois.?ADAM, Servant to Oliver.?DENNIS, Servant to Oliver.?TOUCHSTONE, a Clown.?SIR OLIVER MARTEXT, a Vicar.?CORIN, Shepherd.?SILVIUS, Shepherd.?WILLIAM, a Country Fellow, in love with Audrey.?A person representing HYMEN.
ROSALIND, Daughter to the banished Duke.?CELIA, Daughter to Frederick.?PHEBE, a Shepherdess.?AUDREY, a Country Wench.
Lords belonging to the two Dukes; Pages, Foresters, and other Attendants.
The SCENE lies first near OLIVER'S house; afterwards partly in the Usurper's court and partly in the Forest of Arden.
ACT I.
SCENE I. An Orchard near OLIVER'S house.
[Enter ORLANDO and ADAM.]
ORLANDO.?As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion,--bequeathed me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st, charged my 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 my birth that?differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses 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 me, 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, though yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it.
ADAM.?Yonder comes my master, your brother.
ORLANDO.?Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me up.
[ADAM retires]
[Enter OLIVER.]
OLIVER.?Now, sir! what make you here?
ORLANDO.?Nothing: I am not taught to make anything.
OLIVER.?What mar you then, sir?
ORLANDO.?Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a?poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness.
OLIVER.?Marry, sir, be better employed, and be naught awhile.
ORLANDO.?Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What?prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury?
OLIVER.?Know you where you are, sir?
ORLANDO.?O, sir, very well: here in your orchard.
OLIVER.?Know you before whom, sir?
ORLANDO.?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.
OLIVER.?What, boy!
ORLANDO.?Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this.
OLIVER.?Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?
ORLANDO.?I am no villain: I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de?Bois: he was my father; and he is thrice a