Oral. Shall I keep your hogs, and eat hufks with them? What prodigal portion have I spent, that I fhould come to fuch penury?

have that trite proverbial fentiment in his eye, quoted from Attilius, by the younger Pliny and others; fatius eft otiofum effe quàm nihil agere. But Oliver, in the perverfene's of his difpofition, would reverfe the doctrine of the proverb. Does the reader know what all this means? But, 'tis no matter. I will affure him-be nought a while is only a north-country proverbial curfe equivalent to, a mifchief on you. So, the old poet Skelton :

Correct first thy felfe, walke and be nought,

"Deeme what thou lift, thou knoweft not my thought." But what the Oxford editor could not explain, he would amend, and reads:

and do aught a while.

WARBURTON.

If be nought a while has the fignification here given it, the reading may certainly stand; but till I learned its meaning from this note, I read :

Be better employed, and be naught a while.

In the fame fense as we say, it is better to do mischief, than to do nothing. JOHNSON.

Notwithstanding Dr. Warburton's far-fetched explanation, I believe that the words be nought a while, mean no more than this, Be content to be a cypher, till I shall think fit to elevate you into confequence.

This was certainly a proverbial faying. I find it in The Storie of King Darius, an interlude, 1565:

"Come away, and be nought a whyle, "Or furely I will you both defyle." Again, in K. Henry IV. p. ii. Falstaff fays to Piftol: "Nay, if he do nothing but speak nothing, he shall be nothing here."

STEEVENS.

Naught is the reading of the folio, but I believe nought was intended; for in the early part of the 17th century, nought was generally fpelt naught. So, in the 2d part of Marston's Antonio and Mellida, 1602:

"Whose reeling cenfure if I value`not,
"It values naught.'

In the edition of the fame play, 1633, it stands rightly:
"It values nought.'

Again, ibid:

"He who hath naught that fortune's gripe can feize." Again: "Naught elfe but fmoke.'

Since I wrote the above I have met with this phrase, ufed certainly with the fignification that Dr. Johnfon has annexed to it. occurs in Swetnam, a comedy, 1620:

66

-get you both in, and be naught awhile."

The speaker is a chamber-maid, and the addreffes herself to her miftrefs and her lover. MALONE.

Oli. Know you where you are, fir?

Orla. O, fir, very well here in your orchard.
Cli. Know you before whom, fir?

Orla. Ay, better than he, I am before, knows me, I know you are my eldest brother; and, in the gentle condition of blood, you fhould fo know me: The courtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the first-born; but the fame tradition takes not away my blood, were there twenty brothers betwixt us I have as much of my father in me as you; albeit, I confefs your coming before me is nearer to his reverence 7.

Oli. What, boy!

Orla. Come, come, elder brother, you are too young in this.

Oli. Wilt thou lay hands on me, villain?

Orla. I am no villain: I am the youngest son of fir Rowland de Boys; he was my father; and he is thrice a villain, that fays, fuch a father begot villains; Wert thou not my brother, I would not take this hand from thy throat, 'till this other had pulled out thy tongue for faying fo; thou haft railed on thyfelf. Adam. Sweet mafters, be patient; for your father's remembrance, be at accord.

7 Albeit, I confefs your coming before me is nearer to his reverence.] This is fenfe indeed, and may be thus understood. The reverence due to my father is, in fome degree, derived to you, as the first born-But I am perfuaded that Orlando did not here mean to compliment his brother, or condemn himfelf; something of both which there is in that fenfe. I rather think he intended a fatirical reflection on his brother, who by letting him feed with his hind, treated him as one not fo nearly related to old fir Rowland as himfelf was. I imagine therefore Shakspeare might write,albeit your coming before me is nearer bis revenue, i. e. though you are no nearer in blood, yet it must be owned, indeed, you are nearer in estate. WARBURTON.

8 1 am no villain:] The word villain is ufed by the elder brother, in its prefent meaning, for a worthless, wicked, or bloody man; by Orlando in its original fignification, for a fellow of base extraction. JOHNSON.

Oli. Let me go, I say.

Orla. I will not, 'till I please: you fhall hear me. My father charg'd you in his will to give me good education you have train'd me up like a peafant, obfcuring and hiding from me all gentleman-like qualities the fpirit of my father grows ftrong in me, and I will no longer endure it: therefore allow me fuch exercifes as may become a gentleman, or give me the poor allottery my father left me by teftament; with that I will go buy my fortunes.

Oli. And what wilt thou do? beg, when that is fpent? Well, fir, get you in: I will not long be troubled with you: you fhall have fome part of your will: I pray you, leave me.

Orla. I will no further offend you than becomes me for my good.

Oli. Get you with him, you old dog.

Adam. Is old dog my reward? Moft true, I have loft my teeth in your fervice.-God be with my old mafter, he would not have spoke fuch a word.

Oli. Is it even fo?

[Exeunt Orlando and Adam. begin you to grow upon me?

I will phyfick your ranknefs, and yet give no thou

fand crowns neither.

Holla, Dennis!

Enter Dennis,

Den. Calls your worship?

Oli. Was not Charles, the duke's wrestler, here to fpeak with me?

Den. So please you, he is here at the door, and importunes access to you.

Oli. Call him in.--[Exit Dennis.] "Twill be a good way; and to-morrow the wrestling is.

Enter Charles.

Cha. Good-morrow to your worship.

Oli. Good monfieur Charles!-what's the new

news at the new court?

Cha.

Cha. There's no news at the court, fir, but the old news that is, the old duke is banish'd by his younger brother the new duke; and three or four loving lords have put themfelves into voluntary exile with him, whofe lands and revenues enrich the new duke, therefore he gives them good leave to wan

der.

Oli. Can you tell if Rofalind, the old duke's daughter, be banish'd with her father?

Cha. O, no; for the new duke's daughter, her coufin fo loves her,-being ever from their cradles bred together, that he would have followed her exile, or have died to stay behind her. She is at the court, and no lefs beloved of her uncle than his own daughter; and never two ladies loved as they do. Oli. Where will the old duke live?

Cha. They fay, he is already in the foreft of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England: they fay, many young gentlemen flock to him every day; and fleet the time carelefly, as they did in the golden world. Oli. What, you wrestle to-morrow before the new duke?

Cha. Marry, do I, fir; and I came to acquaint you with a matter. I am given, fir, fecretly to underftand, that your younger brother Orlando hath a difpofition to come in difguis'd against me to try a fall: To-morrow, fir, I wreftle for my credit; and he that escapes me without fome broken limb, fhall acquit him well. Your brother is but young, and tender; and, for your love, I would be loth to foil him, as I muft, for mine own honour, if he come in: there

9 The old duke's daughter,] The words old and new which feem neceffary to the peripicuity of the dialogue, are inferted from fir T. Hanmer's edition. JoHNSON.

The author of the Revifal is of opinion, that the words which follow ber confin, fufficiently ditlinguifh the perfon intended.

STEEVENS.

fore,

fore, out of my love to you, I came hither to acquaint you withal; that either you might ftay him from his intendment, or brook fuch difgrace well as he fhall run into; in that it is a thing of his own fearch, and altogether againft my will.

Oli. Charles, I thank thee for thy love to me, which thou fhalt find, I will moft kindly requite. I had myself notice of my brother's purpofe herein, and have by underhand means laboured to diffuade him from it; but he is refolute. I'll tell thee, Charles, it is the stubborneft young fellow of France; full of ambition, an envious emulator of every man's good parts, a fecret and villainous contriver against me his natural brother; therefore ufe thy difcretion; I had as lief thou didst break his neck, as his finger; and thou wert beft look to't; for if thou doft him any flight difgrace, or if he do not mightily grace himfelf on thee, he will practife against thee by poifon; entrap thee by fome treacherous device; and never leave thee, 'till he hath ta'en thy life by fome indirect means or other; for, I affure thee, and almost with tears I fpeak it, there is not one fo young and fo villainous this day living. I fpeak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder.

Cha. I am heartily glad I came hither to you: if he come to-morrow, I'll give him his payment: if ever he go alone again, I'll never wreffle for prize more. And fo, God keep your worship! [Exit.

Oli. Farewel good Charles.-Now will I ftir this gamefter: I hope, I fhall fee an end of him; for my foul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet he's gentle; never fchool'd, and yet learned; full of noble device; 'of all forts enchantingly be

1-of all forts] Sorts in this place means ranks and degrees of men. REMARKS.