Page:As You Like It (1919) Yale.djvu/21

As You Like It, I. ii

Cel. 'Tis true; for those that she makes fair

she scarce makes honest, and those that she

makes honest she makes very ill-favouredly.

Ros. Nay, now thou goest from Fortune's

office to Nature's: Fortune reigns in gifts of

the world, not in the lineaments of Nature.

Cel. No? when Nature hath made a fair crea-

ture, may she not by Fortune fall into the fire?

Though Nature hath given us wit to flout at

Fortune, hath not Fortune sent in this fool to

cut off the argument?

Ros. Indeed, there is Fortune too hard for

Nature, when Fortune makes Nature's natural

the cutter-off of Nature's wit.

Cel. Peradventure this is not Fortune's work

neither, but Nature's; who, perceiving our na-

tural wits too dull to reason of such goddesses,

hath sent this natural for our whetstone: for

always the dulness of the fool is the whetstone

of the wits. How now, wit! whither wander

you?

Touch. Mistress, you must come away to

your father.

Cel. Were you made the messenger?

Touch. No, by mine honour; but I was bid

to come for you.

Ros. Where learned you that oath, fool?

Touch. Of a certain knight that swore by

his honour they were good pancakes, and swore

 42 honest: chaste

43 ill-favouredly: ill-looking

45 office: function

48-50 Fortune: ''in 48 it means 'accident,' 'mischance'; cf. n.''

53 natural: idiot, half-wit

57 reason of: debate 