Outline
Characters
Dreamweaver
[Enter Touchstone and Audrey.]
Touchstone
We shall find a time, Audrey; patience, gentle Audrey.
Audrey
Faith, the priest was good enough, for all the old gentleman’s saying.
Touchstone
A most wicked Sir Oliver, Audrey, a most vile Martext. But Audrey,
there is a youth here in the forest lays claim to you.
Audrey
Ay, I know who ’tis. He hath no interest in me in the world.
[Enter William.]
Audrey
Here comes the man you mean.
Touchstone
It is meat and drink to me to see a clown. By my troth, we that have
good wits have much to answer for. We shall be flouting; we cannot
hold.
William
Good ev’n, Audrey.
Audrey
God ye good ev’n, William.
William
And good ev’n to you, sir.
Touchstone
Good ev’n, gentle friend. Cover thy head, cover thy head. Nay, prithee,
be covered. How old are you, friend?
William
Five-and-twenty, sir.
Touchstone
A ripe age. Is thy name William?
William
William, sir.
Touchstone
A fair name. Wast born i’ th’ forest here?
William
Ay, sir, I thank God.
Touchstone
“Thank God.” A good answer. Art rich?
William
Faith, sir, so-so.
Touchstone
“So-so” is good, very good, very excellent good. And yet it is not, it
is but so-so. Art thou wise?
William
Ay, sir, I have a pretty wit.
Touchstone
Why, thou sayst well. I do now remember a saying: “The fool doth think
he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” The heathen
philosopher, when he had a desire to eat a grape, would open his lips
when he put it into his mouth, meaning thereby that grapes were made to
eat and lips to open. You do love this maid?
William
I do, sir.
Touchstone
Give me your hand. Art thou learned?
William
No, sir.
Touchstone
Then learn this of me: to have is to have. For it is a figure in
rhetoric that drink, being poured out of cup into a glass, by filling
the one doth empty the other. For all your writers do consent that
_ipse_ is “he.” Now, you are not _ipse_, for I am he.
William
Which he, sir?
Touchstone
He, sir, that must marry this woman. Therefore, you clown,
abandon—which is in the vulgar, “leave”—the society—which in the
boorish is “company”—of this female—which in the common is “woman”;
which together is, abandon the society of this female, or, clown, thou
perishest; or, to thy better understanding, diest; or, to wit, I kill
thee, make thee away, translate thy life into death, thy liberty into
bondage. I will deal in poison with thee, or in bastinado, or in steel.
I will bandy with thee in faction; will o’errun thee with policy. I
will kill thee a hundred and fifty ways! Therefore tremble and depart.
Audrey
Do, good William.
William
God rest you merry, sir.
[Exit.]
[Enter Corin.]
Corin
Our master and mistress seek you. Come away, away.
Touchstone
Trip, Audrey, trip, Audrey! I attend, I attend.
[Exeunt.]