Act I, Scene 1

Orchard of OLIVER’S house

Enter ORLANDO and ADAM

• Orlando. As I remember, Adam, it was upon this fashion bequeathed
  me by will but poor a thousand crowns, and, as thou say'st,
  charged my brother, on his blessing, to breed me well; and there
  begins my sadness. My brother Jaques he keeps at school, and 5
  report speaks goldenly of his profit. For my part, he keeps me
  rustically at home, or, to speak more properly, stays me here at
  home unkept; for call you that keeping for a gentleman of my
  birth that differs not from the stalling of an ox? His horses are
  bred better; for, besides that they are fair with their feeding, 10
  they are taught their manage, and to that end riders dearly
  hir'd; but I, his brother, gain nothing under him but growth; for
  the which his animals on his dunghills are as much bound to him
  as I. Besides this nothing that he so plentifully gives me, the
  something that nature gave me his countenance seems to take from 15
  me. He lets me feed with his hinds, bars me the place of a
  brother, and as much as in him lies, mines my gentility with my
  education. This is it, Adam, that grieves me; and the spirit of
  my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against
  this servitude. I will no longer endure it, though yet I know no 20
  wise remedy how to avoid it.

[Enter OLIVER]

• Adam. Yonder comes my master, your brother.

• Orlando. Go apart, Adam, and thou shalt hear how he will shake me
  up. 25

[ADAM retires]

• Oliver. Now, sir! what make you here?

• Orlando. Nothing; I am not taught to make any thing.

• Oliver. What mar you then, sir?

• Orlando. Marry, sir, I am helping you to mar that which God made, a 30
  poor unworthy brother of yours, with idleness.

• Oliver. Marry, sir, be better employed, and be nought awhile.

• Orlando. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat husks with them? What
  prodigal portion have I spent that I should come to such penury?

• Oliver. Know you where you are, sir? 35

• Orlando. O, sir, very well; here in your orchard.

• Oliver. Know you before whom, sir?

• Orlando. Ay, better than him I am before knows me. I know you are
  my eldest brother; and in the gentle condition of blood, you
  should so know me. The courtesy of nations allows you my better 40
  in that you are the first-born; but the same tradition takes not
  away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us. I have as
  much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming
  before me is nearer to his reverence.

• Oliver. What, boy! [Strikes him] 45

• Orlando. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this.

• Oliver. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?

• Orlando. I am no villain; I am the youngest son of Sir Rowland de
  Boys. He was my father; and he is thrice a villain that says such
  a father begot villains. Wert thou not my brother, I would not 50
  take this hand from thy throat till this other had pull'd out thy
  tongue for saying so. Thou has rail'd on thyself.

• Adam. [Coming forward] Sweet masters, be patient; for your father's
  remembrance, be at accord.

• Oliver. Let me go, I say. 55

• Orlando. I will not, till I please; you shall hear me. My father
  charg'd you in his will to give me good education: you have
  train'd me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all
  gentleman-like qualities. The spirit of my father grows strong in
  me, and I will no longer endure it; therefore allow me such 60
  exercises as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor
  allottery my father left me by testament; with that I will go buy
  my fortunes.

• Oliver. And what wilt thou do? Beg, when that is spent? Well, sir,
  get you in. I will not long be troubled with you; you shall have 65
  some part of your will. I pray you leave me.

• Orlando. I no further offend you than becomes me for my good.

• Oliver. Get you with him, you old dog.

• Adam. Is 'old dog' my reward? Most true, I have lost my teeth in
  your service. God be with my old master! He would not have spoke 70
  such a word.
  Exeunt ORLANDO and ADAM

• Oliver. Is it even so? Begin you to grow upon me? I will physic
  your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla,
  Dennis! 75

Enter DENNIS

• Dennis. Calls your worship?

• Oliver. Was not Charles, the Duke's wrestler, here to speak with me?

• Dennis. So please you, he is here at the door and importunes access
  to you. 80

• Oliver. Call him in. [Exit DENNIS] 'Twill be a good way; and
  to-morrow the wrestling is.

Enter CHARLES

• Charles. Good morrow to your worship.

• Oliver. Good Monsieur Charles! What's the new news at the new 85
  court?

• Charles. There's no news at the court, sir, but the old news; that
  is, the old Duke is banished by his younger brother the new Duke;
  and three or four loving lords have put themselves into voluntary
  exile with him, whose lands and revenues enrich the new Duke; 90
  therefore he gives them good leave to wander.

• Oliver. Can you tell if Rosalind, the Duke's daughter, be banished
  with her father?

• Charles. O, no; for the Duke's daughter, her cousin, so loves her,
  being ever from their cradles bred together, that she would have 95
  followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at
  the court, and no less beloved of her uncle than his own
  daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do.

• Oliver. Where will the old Duke live?

• Charles. They say he is already in the Forest of Arden, and a many 100
  merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood
  of England. They say many young gentlemen flock to him every day,
  and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world.

• Oliver. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new Duke?

• Charles. Marry, do I, sir; and I came to acquaint you with a 105
  matter. I am given, sir, secretly to understand that your younger
  brother, Orlando, hath a disposition to come in disguis'd against
  me to try a fall. To-morrow, sir, I wrestle for my credit; and he
  that escapes me without some broken limb shall acquit him well.
  Your brother is but young and tender; and, for your love, I would 110
  be loath to foil him, as I must, for my own honour, if he come
  in; therefore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint
  you withal, that either you might stay him from his intendment,
  or brook such disgrace well as he shall run into, in that it is
  thing of his own search and altogether against my will. 115

• Oliver. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou shalt
  find I will most kindly requite. I had myself notice of my
  brother's purpose herein, and have by underhand means laboured to
  dissuade him from it; but he is resolute. I'll tell thee,
  Charles, it is the stubbornest young fellow of France; full of 120
  ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a secret
  and villainous contriver against me his natural brother.
  Therefore use thy discretion: I had as lief thou didst break his
  neck as his finger. And thou wert best look to't; for if thou
  dost him any slight disgrace, or if he do not mightily grace 125
  himself on thee, he will practise against thee by poison, entrap
  thee by some treacherous device, and never leave thee till he
  hath ta'en thy life by some indirect means or other; for, I
  assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one
  so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly 130
  of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush
  and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder.

• Charles. I am heartily glad I came hither to you. If he come
  to-morrow I'll give him his payment. If ever he go alone again,
  I'll never wrestle for prize more. And so, God keep your worship! Exit 135

• Oliver. Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I
  hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why,
  hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never school'd and
  yet learned; full of noble device; of all sorts enchantingly
  beloved; and, indeed, so much in the heart of the world, and 140
  especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am
  altogether misprised. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler
  shall clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy
  thither, which now I'll go about. Exit