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Scene V.—: Another Part of the Forest. - William Shakespeare, As You Like It [1623]

Edition used:

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (The Oxford Shakespeare), ed. with a glossary by W.J. Craig M.A. (Oxford University Press, 1916).

Part of: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (The Oxford Shakespeare)

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Scene V.—

Another Part of the Forest.

EnterAmiens, Jaques,and Others.

SONG.

Ami.

  • Under 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.

Jaq.

More, more, I prithee, more.

Ami.

It will make you melancholy, Monsieur Jaques.

Jaq.

I thank it. More! I prithee, more. I can suck melancholy out of a song as a weasel sucks eggs. More! I prithee, more.

Ami.

My voice is ragged; I know I cannot please you.

Jaq.

I do not desire you to please me; I do desire you to sing. Come, more; another stanzo: call you them stanzos?

Ami.

What you will, Monsieur Jaques.

Jaq.

Nay, I care not for their names; they owe me nothing. Will you sing?

Ami.

More at your request than to please myself.

Jaq.

Well 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.

Ami.

Well, 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.

Jaq.

And 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.

SONG

Ami.

  • Who doth ambition shun,
  • [All together here.
  • And loves to live i’ the sun,
  • Secking the food he eats,
  • And pleas’d with what he gets.
  • Come hither, come hither, come hither:
  • Here shall he see
  • No enemy
  • But winter and rough weather.

Jaq.

I’ll give you a verse to this note, that I made yesterday in despite of my invention.

Ami.

And I’ll sing it.

Jaq.

Thus 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.

Ami.

What’s that ‘ducdame?’

Jaq.

’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.

Ami.

And I’ll go seek the duke: his banquet is prepared.

[Exeunt severally.