The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (381 page)

he met an old religious man

who spoke with him, and then the Duke was converted,

and gave up his mission, even retreating from the world.

He has left his crown to his banished brother,

and restored the lands of the exiles

to all of them that were forced out. This is true,

I swear by my life.

DUKE SENIOR

Welcome, young man;

Thou offer'st fairly to thy brothers' wedding:

To one his lands withheld, and to the other

A land itself at large, a potent dukedom.

First, in this forest, let us do those ends

That here were well begun and well begot:

And after, every of this happy number

That have endured shrewd days and nights with us

Shall share the good of our returned fortune,

According to the measure of their states.

Meantime, forget this new-fall'n dignity

And fall into our rustic revelry.

Play, music! And you, brides and bridegrooms all,

With measure heap'd in joy, to the measures fall.

Welcome young man,

you bring a good present to your brothers’ wedding:

to Oliver his withheld lands, and to Orlando

the land itself, the whole dukedom as inheritance.

First, let us do those things here in the forest

that were started here.

After that, every person of this happy group

who has endured hard days and nights with us

will have a part of our returned fortune,

according to their ranks.

Meanwhile, let’s forget this new nobility

and enjoy our country partying.

Music! And you brides and grooms,

with all of your joy, go dance.

JAQUES

Sir, by your patience. If I heard you rightly,

The duke hath put on a religious life

And thrown into neglect the pompous court?

Sire, one moment: if I heard you correctly,

did you say that the duke has taken on a religious life

and thrown away his courtly nobility?

JAQUES DE BOYS

He hath.

He has.

JAQUES

To him will I : out of these convertites

There is much matter to be heard and learn'd.

Then I will go to him: these converts

have a lot from which I can hear and learn.

To DUKE SENIOR

You to your former honour I bequeath;

Your patience and your virtue well deserves it:

I leave you with your former title:

your patience and goodness deserve it.

To ORLANDO

You to a love that your true faith doth merit:

You I leave to a love your faith has earned you.

To OLIVER

You to your land and love and great allies:

You to your land and your love and allies.

To SILVIUS

You to a long and well-deserved bed:

You to a long and deserved bed with your wife.

To TOUCHSTONE

And you to wrangling; for thy loving voyage

Is but for two months victuall'd. So, to your pleasures:

I am for other than for dancing measures.

And you to your fighting, for your marriage

will last for two months. Now go to your pleasure

and dance, I must seek other things.

DUKE SENIOR

Stay, Jaques, stay.

Stay with us, Jacques.

JAQUES

To see no pastime I what you would have

I'll stay to know at your abandon'd cave.

I would rather not see such fun, but I will

stay at your cave if you need me.

Exit

DUKE SENIOR

Proceed, proceed: we will begin these rites,

As we do trust they'll end, in true delights.

Let’s go on, we will begin this ceremony

the way it should end also: with true happiness.

A dance

EPILOGUE

ROSALIND

It is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue;

but it is no more unhandsome than to see the lord

the prologue. If it be true that good wine needs

no bush, 'tis true that a good play needs no

epilogue; yet to good wine they do use good bushes,

and good plays prove the better by the help of good

epilogues. What a case am I in then, that am

neither a good epilogue nor cannot insinuate with

you in the behalf of a good play! I am not

furnished like a beggar, therefore to beg will not

become me: my way is to conjure you; and I'll begin

with the women. I charge you, O women, for the love

you bear to men, to like as much of this play as

please you: and I charge you, O men, for the love

you bear to women--as I perceive by your simpering,

none of you hates them--that between you and the

women the play may please. If I were a woman I

would kiss as many of you as had beards that pleased

me, complexions that liked me and breaths that I

defied not: and, I am sure, as many as have good

beards or good faces or sweet breaths will, for my

kind offer, when I make curtsy, bid me farewell.

One doesn’t usually see a woman in the epilogue,

but it is not worse than seeing a man

give the prologue. If it is true that good wine does not

need advertised, then it is also true that a good play does not need

an epilogue. Yet good wine still gets good advertisements

and good plays often are improved with good

epilogues. This is a strange case, then, since

I neither have a good epilogue nor can suggest

that this was a good play! I am not

dressed like a beggar, so begging would not

be attractive for me. My way is to trick you, and I will start

with the women. Women, I command you, for your love

of men, to like as much of this play as you

want. Men, I command you for your love

for women – and I can see by your smiles

that none of you hate them – that the play will

please you as something to share with the women. If I were a woman I

would kiss all of you who have beards and who pleased

me, complexions that were attractive, and breaths that

were not disgusting. And I am sure that all of you who have good

beards or good faces or sweet breaths will, for my

offer, applaud me farewell when I curtsy to leave.

Exeunt

SOLINUS, Duke of Ephesus.



AEGEON, a Merchant of Syracuse.

ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS, Twin brothers and sons to Aegion and ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE, and Aemelia, but unknown to each other.

DROMIO OF EPHESUS, Twin brothers, and attendants on


DROMIO OF SYRACUSE, the two Antipholuses.

BALTHAZAR, a Merchant.



ANGELO, a Goldsmith.



A MERCHANT, friend to Antipholus of Syracuse.

PINCH, a Schoolmaster and a Conjurer.

AEMILIA, Wife to Aegeon, an Abbess at Ephesus

ADRIANA, Wife to Antipholus of Ephesus

LUCIANA, her Sister.


LUCE, her Servant.