Page:As You Like It (1919) Yale.djvu/58

46 

Orl. Hang there, my verse, in witness of my love:

And thou, thrice-crowned queen of night, survey

With thy chaste eye, from thy pale sphere above,

Thy huntress' name, that my full life doth sway.

O Rosalind! these trees shall be my books,

And in their barks my thoughts I'll character,

That every eye, which in this forest looks,

Shall see thy virtue witness'd everywhere.

Run, run, Orlando: carve on every tree

The fair, the chaste, and unexpressive she.

Cor. And how like you this shepherd's life,

Master Touchstone?

Touch. Truly, shepherd, in respect of itself,

it is a good life; but in respect that it is a shep-

herd's life, it is naught. In respect that it is

solitary, I like it very well; but in respect that

it is private, it is a very vile life. Now, in respect

it is in the fields, it pleaseth me well; but in

respect it is not in the court, it is tedious. As

it is a spare life, look you, it fits my humour

well; but as there is no more plenty in it, it goes

much against my stomach. Hast any philosophy

in thee, shepherd?

Cor. No more but that I know the more one

sickens the worse at ease he is; and that he that

 2 thrice-crowned; cf. n.

3 sphere: orbit

4 huntress' name; cf. n.

full: whole

doth sway: hath under control

6 character: inscribe

10 unexpressive: inexpressible

15 naught: good for nothing

20 spare: frugal

humour: whim 