Act 5, Scene 1: The forest.

SCENE I. The forest.

    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: 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.

    Enter WILLIAM

WILLIAM

    Good even, Audrey.

AUDREY

    God ye good even, William.

WILLIAM

    And good even to you, sir.

TOUCHSTONE

    Good even, 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' the 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 sayest 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 a 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; I 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 seeks you; come, away, away!

TOUCHSTONE

    Trip, Audrey! trip, Audrey! I attend, I attend.

    Exeunt

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