CEL. Or I, I promise thee.

Ros. But is there any else longs to see this broken musick in his sides? is there yet another dotes upon rib-breaking ?-Shall we see this wrestling, cousin ?

LE BEAU. You must, if you stay here: for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it.

CEL. Yonder, sure, they are coming: let us now stay and see it.

Flourish.

Enter Duke FREDERICK, Lords, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and Attendants.

DUKE F. Come on; since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness.

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is there any else longs to SEE this broken musick in his sides?] A stupid error in the copies. They are talking here of some who had their ribs broke in wrestling: and the pleasantry of Rosalind's repartee must consist in the allusion she makes to composing in musick. It necessarily follows, therefore, that the poet wrote-set this broken musick in his sides. WARBURTON.

If any change were necessary, I should write, feel this broken musick, for see. But see is the colloquial term for perception or experiment. So we say every day; see if the water be hot; I will see which is the best time: she has tried, and sees that she cannot lift it. In this sense see may be here used. The sufferer can, with no propriety, be said to set the musick; neither is the allusion to the act of tuning an instrument, or pricking a tune, one of which must be meant by setting musick. Rosalind hints at a whimsical similitude between the series of ribs gradually shortening, and some musical instruments, and therefore calls broken ribs, broken musick. JOHNSON.

This probably alludes to the pipe of Pan, which consisting of reeds of unequal length, and gradually lessening, bore some resemblance to the ribs of a man. M. MASON.

Broken musick either means the noise which the breaking of ribs would occasion, or the hollow sound which proceeds from a person's receiving a violent fall. DOUCE.

I can offer no legitimate explanation of this passage, but may observe that another, somewhat parallel, occurs in K. Henry V.: Come, your answer in broken musick; for thy voice is musick, and thy English broken." STEEvens.

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Ros. Is yonder the man?

LE BEAU. Even he, madam.

CEL. Alas, he is too young: yet he looks successfully.

DUKE F. How now, daughter, and cousin? are you crept hither to see the wrestling?

Ros. Ay, my liege? so please you give us leave. DUKE F. You will take little delight in it, I can tell you, there is such odds in the men: In pity of the challenger's youth, I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated: Speak to him, ladies ; see if you can move him.

CEL. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau. DUKE F. Do so; I'll not be by.

[Duke goes apart. LE BEAU. Monsieur the challenger, the princesses call for you 9.

ORL. I attend them, with all respect and duty. Ros. Young man, have you challenged Charles the wrestler1?

ORL. No, fair princess; he is the general challenger: I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth.

CEL. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for your years: You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength: if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment 2, the fear of

8

odds in the MEN:] Sir T. Hanmer. In the old editions, the man. JOHNSON.

9

the PRINCESSES CALL for you,] The old copy reads—the princesse calls. Corrected by Mr. Theobald. MALONE.

The old copy, I think, is right; it is Celia alone who directs Le Beau to call him. BOSWELL.

I

have you challenged Charles the wrestler ?] This wrestling match is minutely described in Lodge's Rosalynde, 1592. MALONE.

2

- if you saw yourself with YOUR eyes, or knew yourself with YOUR judgment,] Absurd! The sense requires that we should read,- —our eyes, and-our judgment. The argument is,-Your spirits are too bold, and therefore your judgment deceives you;

your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety, and give over this attempt.

Ros. Do, young sir; your reputation shall not therefore be misprised: we will make it our suit to the duke, that the wrestling might not go forward.

ORL. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts; wherein I confess me much guilty, to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing3. But let your fair eyes, and gentle wishes, go with me to my trial: wherein if I be foiled, there is but one

but did you see and know yourself with our more impartial judgment, you would forbear, WARBURTON.

I cannot find the absurdity of the present reading. If you were not blinded and intoxicated, (says the princess,) with the spirit of enterprise, if you could use your own eyes to see, or your own judgment to know yourself, the fear of your adventure would counsel you. JOHNSON.

3 I beseech you, punish me not, &c.] I should wish to read, I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts. Therein I confess myself much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. JOHNSON.

As the word wherein must always refer to something preceding, I have no doubt but there is an error in this passage, and that we ought to reed herein, instead of wherein. The hard thoughts that he complains of are the apprehensions expressed by the ladies of his not being able to contend with the wrestler. He beseeches that they will not punish him with them; and then adds, "Herein I confess me much guilty to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes and gentle wishes go with me to my trial." M. MASON.

The meaning, I think, is,-Punish me not with your unfavourable opinion (of my abilities); which, however, I confess, I deserve to incur, for denying such fair ladies any request. The expression is licentious, but our author's plays furnish many such.

MALONE.

4-let your gentle wishes, go with me to my trial:] Addison might have had this passage in his memory, when he put the following words into Juba's mouth :

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Marcia, may I hope

"That thy kind wishes follow me to battle?" STEEVENS.

shamed that was never gracious; if killed, but one dead that is willing to be so: I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty.

Ros. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you.

CEL. And mine, to eke out hers.

Ros. Fare you well. Pray heaven, I be deceived in you!

CEL. Your heart's desires be with you.

CHA. Come, where is this young gallant, that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth?

ORL. Ready, sir; but his will hath it in a more modest working.

DUKE F. You shall try but one fall.

CHA. No, I warrant your grace; you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first.

ORL. You mean to mock me after; you should not have mocked me before: but come your ways. Ros. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! CEL. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg.

[CHARLES and ORLANDO wrestle. Ros. O excellent young man!

CEL. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can

tell who should down.

[CHARLES is thrown. Shout.

DUKE F. No more, no more.

ORL. Yes, I beseech your grace; I am not yet

well breathed.

DUKE F. How dost thou, Charles?

LE BEAU. He cannot speak, my lord.

DUKE F. Bear him away.

[CHARLES is borne out.

What is thy name, young man ?

ORL. Orlando, my liege; the youngest son of sir Rowland de Bois.

DUKE F. I would, thou hadst been son to some man else.

The world esteem'd thy father honourable,
But I did find him still mine enemy:

Thou shouldst have better pleas'd me with this deed,

Hadst thou descended from another house.
But fare thee well; thou art a gallant youth;
I would, thou hadst told me of another father.

[Exeunt Duke FRED. Train, and LE BEAU. CEL. Were I my father, coz, would I do this? ORL. I am more proud to be sir Rowland's son, His youngest son';-and would not change that calling,

To be adopted heir to Frederick.

Ros. My father lov'd sir Rowland as his soul,
And all the world was of my father's mind:
Had I before known this young man his son,
I should have given him tears unto entreaties,
Ere he should thus have ventur❜d.

CEL.

Gentle cousin,

Let us go thank him, and encourage him :

My father's rough and envious disposition

Sticks me at heart.-Sir, you have well deserv'd: If you do keep your promises in love,

But justly, as you have exceeded all promise',

5 His youngest son ;] The words "than to be descended from any other house, however high," must be understood. Orlando is replying to the duke, who is just gone out, and had said—

"Thou should'st have better pleas'd me with this deed, "Hadst thou descended from another house." MALone. 6- that CALLING,] i. e. appellation; a very unusual, if not unprecedented sense of the word. STEEVENS.

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as you have exceeded promise,] The old copy, without regard to the measure, reads-all promise. STEEVens.