iii. 5.

"With this Ganimede start up, made her ready, and went into the fields with Aliena, where unfolding their flockes, they sate them downe under an olive tree, both of them amorous, and yet diversely affected, Aliena joying in the excellence of Saladyne,* and Ganimede sorowing for the wounds of her Rosader; not quiet in thought till shee might heare of his health. As thus both of them sate in their dumpes, they might espie where Coridon came running towards them, almost out of breath with his hast. What newes with you, quoth Aliena, that you come in such post? Oh, mistres, quoth Coridon, you have a long time desired to see Phœbe, the faire shepheardesse whom Montanus loves; so now if you please, you and Ganimede, to walk with mee to yonder thicket, there shall you see Montanus and her sitting by a fountaine, he courting her with her countrey ditties, and she as coy as if she held love in disdaine. The newes were so welcome to the two lovers, that up they rose, and went with Coridon. Assoone as they drew nigh the thicket, they might espie where Phoebe sate, the fairest shepherdesse in all Arden, and he the frolickst swaine in the whole forrest, she in a petticote of scarlet, covered with a green mantle, and to shrowd her from the sunne, a chaplet of roses, from under which appeared a face full of natures excellence, and two such eyes as might have amated a greater man than Montanus. At gaze uppon this gorgeous nymph sate the shepheard, feeding his eyes with her favours, wooing with such piteous lookes, and courting with such deepe strained sighs, as would have made Diana her selfe to have been compassionate... Phoebe, quoth he, whereof art thou made, that thou regardest not my maladie?... At these wordes she fild her face full of frowns, and made him this short and sharpe reply.-Importunate shepheard, whose loves are lawlesse, because restlesse, are thy passions so extreame that thou canst not conceale them with patience?... Wert thou, Montanus, as faire as Paris, as hardy as Hector, as constant as Troylus, as loving as Leander, Phoebe could not love, because she cannot love at all: and therefore if thou pursue me with Phoebus I must flie with Daphne. Ganimede, overhearing all these passions of Montanus, could not brooke the crueltie of Phoebe, but starting from behind the bush said: And if, damzell, you fled from mee, I would transforme you as Daphne to a bay, and then in contempt trample your branches under my feet. Phoebe at this sodaine replye was amazed, especially when shee saw so faire a swaine as Ganimede; blushing therefore, she would have bene gone, but that he held her by the hand, and prosecuted his reply thus: What, shepheardesse, so faire and so cruell? Disdaine beseemes not cottages, nor coynesse maids; for either they be condemned to be too proud, or too froward . . . Love while thou art yoong, least thou be disdained

Ah,

* "An incident in the novel, which accounts for the sudden falling in love of Saladyne and Aliena, is altogether omitted by Shakespeare. A band of robbers attempt to carry off Aliena, Rosader encounters them single-handed, but is wounded and almost overpowered, when his brother comes to the rescue. While Ganimede is dressing Rose ader's wounds, Aliena and Saladyne indulge in some quirkes and quiddities of love,' the course of which is told with considerable detail. Aliena's secret is soon extorted from her by Ganimede" (Wright).

132

V. 2.

when thou art olde. Beautie nor time cannot be recalde, and if thou love, like of Montanus; for if his desires are many, so his deserts are great. Phoebe all this while gazed on the perfection of Ganimede, as deeply enamored on his perfection as Montanus inveigled with hers... "I am glad, quoth Ganimede,* you looke into your own faults, and see where your shoo wrings you, measuring now the pains of Montanus by your owne passions. Truth, q. Phœbe, and so deeply I repent me of my frowardnesse towards the shepheard, that could I cease to love Ganimede, I would resolve to like Montanus. What if I can with reason perswade Phœbe to mislike of Ganimede, wil she then favour Montanus? When reason, quoth she, doth quench that love that I doe owe to thee, then will I fancie him; conditionally, that if my love can bee supprest with no reason, as being without reason, Ganimede will onely wed himselfe to Phoebe. I graunt it, faire shepheardesse, quoth he; and to feed thee with the sweetnesse of hope, this resolve on: I wil never marry my seife to woman but unto thy selfe. . . . Ganimede tooke his leave of Phoebe and departed, leaving her a contented woman, and Montanus highly pleased. As she came on the

plaines, shee might espy where Rosader and Saladyne sat with Aliena ander the shade. . . . I had not gone abroad so soone, quoth Rosader, but that I am bidden to a marriage, which, on Sunday next, must bee solemnpnized betweene my brother and Aliena. I see well where love leads delay is loathsome, and that small wooing serves where both the parties are willing, Truth, quoth Ganimede; but what a happy day should it be, if Rosader that day might be married to Rosalynd. Ah, good Ganimede, quoth he, by naming Rosalynd, renue not my sorrowes; for the thought of her perfections is the thrall of my miseries. Tush, bee of good cheare, man, quoth Ganimede: I have a friend that is deeply experienst in negromancy and magicke; what art can do shall be acted for thine advantage. I wil cause him to bring in Rosalynde, if either France or any bordring nation harbour her; and upon that take the faith of a yoong shepheard...

V. 4.

"In these humors the weeke went away, that at last Sunday came. As they were thus drinking and ready to go to church, came in Montanus, apparalled all in tawny, to signifie that he was forsaken: on his head hee wore a garland of willow, his bottle hanged by his side, whereon was painted dispaire, and on his sheephooke hung two sonnets, as labels of his loves and fortunes. . . . Gerismond, desirous to prosecute the ende of these passions, called in Ganimede, who, knowing the case, came in graced with such a blush, as beautified the christall of his face with a ruddie brightnesse. The king noting well the phisnomy of Ganimede, began by his favour to cal to mind the face of his Rosalynd, and with that fetcht a deepe sigh. Rosader, that was passing familiar with Gerismond, demanded of him why he sighed so sore? Because, Rosader, quoth hee, the favour of Ganimede puts mee in minde of Rosalynde. At this word Rosader sighed so deeply, as though his heart would

*This is at an interview with Phoebe after the latter has sent a letter to Ganimede by Montanus.

have burst. And whats the matter, quoth Gerismond, that you quite mee with such a sigh? Pardon me, sir, quoth Rosader, because I love none but Rosalynd. And upon that condition, quoth Gerismond, that Rosalynd were here, I would this day make up a marriage betwixt her and thee. At this Aliena turnd her head and smilde upon Ganimede, and shee could scarce keep countenance. Yet shee salved all with secrecie; and Gerismond, to drive away his dumpes, questioned with Ganimede, what the reason was he regarded not Phoebes love, seeing she was as faire as the wanton that brought Troy to ruine? Ganimede mildly answered, If I shuld affect the faire Phoebe, I should offer poore Montanus great wrong to winne that from him in a moment, that hee hath labored for so many monthes. Yet have I promised to the bewtiful shepheardesse to wed my selfe never to woman except unto her; but with this promise, that if I can by reason suppresse Phœbes love towards me, she shall like of none but of Montanus. To that, quoth Phoebe, I stand; for my love is so far beyond reason, as wil admit no persuasion of reason. For justice, quoth he, I appeale to Gerismond: and to his censure wil I stand, quoth Phoebe. And in your victory, quoth Montanus, stands the hazard of my fortunes, for if Ganimede go away with conquest, Montanus is in conceit loves monarch: if Phoebe winne, then am I in effect most miserable. We wil see this controversie, quoth Gerismond, and then we will to church therefore, Ganimede, led us heare your argument. Nay, pardon my absence a while, quoth shee, and you shall see one in store. went Ganimede and drest her self in womans attire, having on a gowne of greene, with a kirtle of rich sandall, so quaint, that she seemed Diana triumphing in the forrest: upon her head she wore a chaplet of roses, which gave her such a grace that she looked like Flora pearkt in the pride of all her floures. Thus attired came Rosalind in, and presented hir self at hir fathers feete, with her eyes full of teares, craving his blessing, and discoursing unto him all her fortunes, how shee was banished by Torismond, and how ever since she lived in that country disguised. . . . "While every one was amazed, ... Coridon came skipping in, and told them that the priest was at church, and tarried for their comming. With that Gerismond led the way, and the rest followed; where to the admiration of all the countrey swains in Arden, their mariages were solemnly solemnized."

In

It will be seen, that while the Poet followed the novel closely in the main incidents of his plot, the characterization is exclusively his own. The personages common to the novel and the play are as truly new creations in the latter as Jaques, Touchstone, and Audrey, who have no place in the former. Even the deviations in the conduct of the story, as Knight remarks, "furnish a most remarkable example of the wonderful superiority of his art as compared with the art of other men." We cannot discuss these in detail; the quotations we have given from the novel will enable the reader to examine them for himself.*

* Compare what Campbell says in his introduction to the play: "The plot of this delicious comedy was taken by our Poet from Lodge's 'Rosalynde, or Euphues' Golden Legacye.' Some of Lodge's incidents are judiciously omitted, but the greater part are preserved the wrestling scene, the flight of the two ladies into the forest of Arden, the

We may add that the character of Adam has a peculiar interest from the fact that, according to a tradition current in the last century, the part was performed by Shakespeare himself. Steevens gives the following extract from Oldys's manuscript collections for a life of the Poet:

"One of Shakespeare's younger brothers, who lived to a good old age, even some years, as I compute, after the restoration of K. 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 dramatic 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 [exciting them] 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." Capell also has the following:

"A traditional story was current some years ago about Stratford,that a very old man of that place,-of weak intellects, but yet related to Shakespeare,-being ask'd by some of his neighbours, what he remember'd about him; answer'd,-that he saw him once brought on the stage upon another man's back; which answer was apply'd by the hearers, to his having seen him perform in this scene the part of Adam.”

This story came to Capell from Mr. Thomas Jones, of Tarbick, in Worcestershire; and Malone suggests that he may have heard it from Richard Quiney (who died in 1656, at the age of 69) or from Thomas Quiney, Shakespeare's son-in-law (who lived till about 1663, and who was 27 years old when the poet died), or from one of the Hathaways.

meeting there of Rosalind with her father and mother, and the whole happy termination of the plot, are found in the prose romance. Even the names of the personages are but slightly changed; for Lodge's Rosalind, in her male attire, calls herself Ganymede, and her cousin, as a shepherdess, is named Aliena But never was the prolixity and pedantry of a prosaic narrative transmuted by genius into such magical poetry. In the days of James L. George Heriot, the Edinburgh merchant who built a hospital still bearing his name, is said to have made his fortune by purchasing for a trifle a quantity of sand that had been brought as ballast by a ship from Africa. As it was dry, he suspected from its weight that it contained gold, and he succeeded in filtering a treasure from it. Shakes peare, like Heriot, took the dry and heavy sand of Lodge, and made gold out of it." Charles Hart, who was perhaps a grandson of Shakespeare's sister Joan.

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66

ACT I.

SCENE I.-1. As I remember, etc. We follow the folio here, with Halliwell, K., and others. Warb., who has been followed by D. and some other editors, thought it necessary to mend the grammar by reading upon this fashion: he bequeathed," etc. W. points it thus: "fashion,-bequeathed," etc., which is plausible. Bequeathed is then in the past tense, the subject being omitted; as Abbott (Gr. 399) explains charged just below. With our pointing bequeathed is a participle, and charged may be considered the same, or as Abbott gives it.

2. Poor a. This transposition of the article is akin to that still allowed after how and so. Cf. Gr. 85, 422. In A. and C. v. 2. 236, we have "What poor an instrument." K. says that Orlando is " quoting the will, and poor is the adjective to a thousand crowns." Caldecott puts the whole