Act II, Scene 5

Another part of the forest

Enter AMIENS, JAQUES, and OTHERS

• Amiens. Under the greenwood tree 820
  Who loves to lie with me,
  And turn his merry note
  Unto the sweet bird's throat,
  Come hither, come hither, come hither.
  Here shall he see 825
  No enemy
  But winter and rough weather.

• Jaques (lord). More, more, I prithee, more.

• Amiens. It will make you melancholy, Monsieur Jaques.

• Jaques (lord). I thank it. More, I prithee, more. I can suck melancholy 830
  out of a song, as a weasel sucks eggs. More, I prithee, more.

• Amiens. My voice is ragged; I know I cannot please you.

• Jaques (lord). I do not desire you to please me; I do desire you to sing.
  Come, more; another stanzo. Call you 'em stanzos?

• Amiens. What you will, Monsieur Jaques. 835

• Jaques (lord). Nay, I care not for their names; they owe me nothing. Will
  you sing?

• Amiens. More at your request than to please myself.

• Jaques (lord). Well then, if ever I thank any man, I'll thank you; but
  that they call compliment is like th' encounter of two dog-apes; 840
  and when a man thanks me heartily, methinks have given him a
  penny, and he renders me the beggarly thanks. Come, sing; and you
  that will not, hold your tongues.

• Amiens. Well, I'll end the song. Sirs, cover the while; the Duke
  will drink under this tree. He hath been all this day to look 845
  you.

• Jaques (lord). And I have been all this day to avoid him. He is too
  disputable for my company. I think of as many matters as he; but
  I give heaven thanks, and make no boast of them. Come, warble, come.
  SONG 850
  [All together here]
  Who doth ambition shun,
  And loves to live i' th' sun,
  Seeking the food he eats,
  And pleas'd with what he gets, 855
  Come hither, come hither, come hither.
  Here shall he see
  No enemy
  But winter and rough weather.

• Jaques (lord). I'll give you a verse to this note that I made yesterday in 860
  despite of my invention.

• Amiens. And I'll sing it.

• Jaques (lord). Thus it goes:
  If it do come to pass
  That any man turn ass, 865
  Leaving his wealth and ease
  A stubborn will to please,
  Ducdame, ducdame, ducdame;
  Here shall he see
  Gross fools as he, 870
  An if he will come to me.

• Amiens. What's that 'ducdame'?

• Jaques (lord). 'Tis a Greek invocation, to call fools into a circle. I'll
  go sleep, if I can; if I cannot, I'll rail against all the
  first-born of Egypt. 875

• Amiens. And I'll go seek the Duke; his banquet is prepar'd.

Exeunt severally