1 LORD. Sir, it was I. JAQ. Let's present him to the duke, like a Roman conqueror; and it would do well to set the deer's horns upon his head, for a branch of victory; -Have you no song, forester, for this purpose? 2 LORD. Yes, sir. JAQ. Sing it; 'tis no matter how it be in tune, so it make noise enough. SONG. 5 1. What shall he have, that kill'd the deer? Take thou no scorn, to wear the horn" 66 The rest shall bear this burden. 5 His leather skin, and horns to wear.] Shakspeare seems to have formed this song on a hint afforded by the novel which furnished him with the plot of his play. What news, Forrester? Hast thou wounded some deere, and lost him in the fall? Care not, man, for so small a losse; thy fees was but the skinne, the shoulders, and the horns." Lodge's Rosalynde, or Euphues's Golden Legacie, 1592. For this quotation the reader is indebted to Mr. Malone. So likewise in an ancient MS. entitled The Boke of Huntyng, that is cleped Mayster of Game : "And as of fees, it is to wite that what man that smyte a dere atte his tree with a dethes stroke, and he be recouered by sonne going doune, he shall haue the skyn," &c. STEEvens. Then sing him home:] In Playford's Musical Companion, 1673, where this song is to be found set to musick, the words "Then sing him home" are omitted. From this we may suppose, that they were not then supposed to form any part of the song itself, but spoken by one of the persons as a direction to the rest to commence the chorus. It should be observed, that in the old copy, the words in question, and those which the modern editors have regarded as a stage direction, are given as one line: "Then sing him home; the rest shall bear this burthen.” BOSWELL. 7 Take thou no scorn, to wear the horn ;] In King John in two parts, 1591, a play which our author had, without doubt, attentively read, we find these lines: All. The horn, the horn, the lusty horn, Is not a thing to laugh to scorn. [Exeunt. SCENE III". The Forest. Enter ROSALIND and Celia. Ros. How say you now? Is it not past two o'clock ? and here much Orlando! "But let the foolish Frenchman take no scorn, "If Philip front him with an English horn." MALONE. Thus also, in the old comedy of Grim the Collier of Croydon (date unknown) : Unless your great infernal majesty "Do solemnly proclaim, no devil shall scorn To take scorn is a phrase that occurs in K. Henry VI. P. I. Act IV. Sc. IV. : "And take foul scorn, to fawn on him by sending." STEEVENS. 7 The foregoing noisy scene was introduced to fill up an interval, which is to represent two hours. This contraction of the time we might impute to poor Rosalind's impatience, but that a few minutes after we find Orlando sending his excuse. I do not see that by any probable division of the Acts this absurdity can be obviated. JOHNSON. 8 and here мUCH Orlando!] Thus the old copy. Some of the modern editors read, but without the least authority: "I wonder much, Orlando is not here." STEEVENS, The word much should be explained. It is an expression of latitude, and taken in various senses. "Here's much Orlando!" i. e. Here is no Orlando, or we may look for him. We have still this use of it, as when we say, speaking of a person who we suspect will not keep his appointment, "Ay, you will be sure to see him there much!" WHALLEY. 66 So the vulgar yet say, "I shall get much by that no doubt," meaning that they shall get nothing. MALONE. "Here much Orlando!" is spoken ironically on Rosalind's perceiving that Orlando had failed in his engagement. HOLT WHITE. CEL. I warrant you, with pure love, and troubled brain, he hath ta'en his bow and arrows, and is gone forth—to sleep: Look, who comes here. Enter SILVIUS. SIL. My errand is to you, fair youth ;My gentle Phebe did bid me3 give you this: [Giving a letter. I know not the contents; but, as I guess, By the stern brow, and waspish action Which she did use as she was writing of it, It bears an angry tenour: pardon me, I am but as a guiltless messenger. Ros. Patience herself would startle at this letter, And play the swaggerer'; bear this, bear all: She says, I am not fair; that I lack manners; She calls me proud; and, that she could not love me Were man as rare as Phoenix; Od's my will! Her love is not the hare that I do hunt: Why writes she so to me ?-Well, shepherd, well, This is a letter of your own device. SIL. No, I protest, I know not the contents; Phebe did write it. Ros. Come, come, you are a fool, And turn'd into the extremity of love. I saw her hand: she has a leathern hand, A freestone-colour'd hand2; I verily did think 9 bid me-] The old copy redundantly reads-did bid me. 1 Patience herself would startle at this letter, 2 Phebe did write it. Ros. Come, come, you are a fool.- A freestone-colour'd hand;] As this passage now stands, the metre of the first line is imperfect, and the sense of the whole; for why should Rosalind dwell so much upon Phebe's hands, un That her old gloves were on, but 'twas her hands; She has a huswife's hand: but that's no matter: I say, she never did invent this letter; This is a man's invention, and his hand. SIL. Sure, it is hers. 3 Ros. Why, 'tis a boisterous and a cruel style, A style for challengers; why, she defies me, Like Turk to Christian: woman's gentle brain 3 Could not drop forth such giant-rude invention, Such Ethiop words, blacker in their effect Than in their countenance :-Will you hear the letter? SIL. So please you, for I never heard it yet; Yet heard too much of Phebe's cruelty. Ros. She Phebes me: Mark how the tyrant writes. Art thou god to shepherd turn'd, [Reads. That a maiden's heart hath burn'd?— Can a woman rail thus ? SIL. Call you this railing? Ros. Why, thy godhead laid apart, Warr'st thou with a woman's heart? Did you ever hear such railing ?— Whiles the eye of man did woo me, Meaning me a beast. 4 If the scorn of your bright eyne Have power to raise such love in mine, less Silvius had said something about them?—I have no doubt but the line originally run thus: 3 Phebe did write it with her own fair hand. And then Rosalind's reply will naturally follow. M. MASON. WOMAN'S gentle brain-] Old copy-women's. Corrected by Mr. Rowe. MALONE. 4 vengeance —] Is used for mischief. JOHNSON. Alack, in me what strange effect SIL. Call you this chiding? Ros. Do you pity him? no, he deserves no pity.Wilt thou love such a woman ?-What, to make thee an instrument, and play false strains upon thee! not to be endured!-Well, go your way to her, (for I see, love hath made thee a tame snake,) and say this to her;-That if she love me, I charge her to love thee: if she will not, I will never have her, unless thou entreat for her.-If you be a true lover, hence, and not a word; for here comes more company. [Exit SILVIUS. 5 youth and KIND— -] Kind is the old word for nature. JOHNSON. So, in Antony and Cleopatra: "You must think this, look you, that the worm will do his kind." STEEVENS. 7 6 all that I can MAKE ;] i. e. raise as profit from any thing. So, in Measure for Measure: "He's in for a commodity of brown paper; of which he made five marks ready money." STEEVENS. I see, love hath made thee a tame SNAKE,] This term was, in our author's time, frequently used to express a poor contemptible fellow. So, in Sir John Oldcastle, 1600: and you, poor snakes, come seldom to a booty." Again, in Lord Cromwell, 1602 : 66 the poorest snake, "That feeds on lemons, pilchards 66 MALONE, |
