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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.

Enter WILLIAM

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.

WILLIAM. Good ev'n, Audrey.

AUDREY. God ye good ev'n, William.

WILLIAM. And good ev'n to you, sir.

TOUCHSTONE. Good ev'n, gentle friend. Cover thy head, cover thy

head; nay, prithee be cover'd. 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' th' 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 say'st 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 pour'd out of 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;

will o'er-run 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