ARKCODEX
Act II, Scene 5
1The Forest.
2Enter Amiens, Jaques, and others.
3Song.
4AmiensUnder the greenwood tree
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
No enemy
But winter and rough weather.
5JaquesMore, more, I prithee, more.
6AmiensIt will make you melancholy, Monsieur Jaques.
7JaquesI thank it. More, I prithee, more. I can suck melancholy out of a song, as a weasel sucks eggs. More, I prithee, more.
8AmiensMy voice is ragged: I know I cannot please you.
9JaquesI do not desire you to please me; I do desire you to sing. Come, more; another stanzo: call you ’em stanzos?
10AmiensWhat you will, Monsieur Jaques.
11JaquesNay, I care not for their names; they owe me nothing. Will you sing?
12AmiensMore at your request than to please myself.
13JaquesWell then, if ever I thank any man, I’ll thank you; but that they call compliment is like the encounter of two dog-apes, and when a man thanks me heartily, methinks I have given him a penny and he renders me the beggarly thanks. Come, sing; and you that will not, hold your tongues.
14AmiensWell, I’ll end the song. Sirs, cover the while; the duke will drink under this tree. He hath been all this day to look you.
15JaquesAnd 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.
16Song.
17AmiensWho doth ambition shun All together here.
And loves to live i’ the sun,
Seeking the food he eats
And pleased with what he gets,
Come hither, come hither, come hither:
Here shall he see
No enemy
But winter and rough weather.
18JaquesI’ll give you a verse to this note that I made yesterday in despite of my invention.
19AmiensAnd I’ll sing it.
20JaquesThus it goes:—
If it do come to pass
That any man turn ass,
Leaving his wealth and ease,
A stubborn will to please,
Ducdame, ducdame, ducdame:
Here shall he see
Gross fools as he,
An if he will come to me.
21AmiensWhat’s that “ducdame”?
22Jaques’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.
23AmiensAnd I’ll go seek the duke: his banquet is prepared. Exeunt severally.