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Touchstone and Audrey are still together. Audrey is anxious to get married and Touchstone promises they will soon find someone who can perform the ceremony. He then asks her about another man who claims her. Before Audrey can speak the other man, named William, enters.
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The forest.
[Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY]
TOUCHSTONE Good 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.
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 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.
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