Orlando learns from Adam, an old servant, that Oliver plans to kill Orlando. Adam and Orlando decide to go in search of a new life.
Enter Orlando and Adam, ⌜meeting.⌝
ORLANDO0700
Who’s there? ADAM 0701What, my young master, O my gentle master, 0702O my sweet master, O you memory 0703Of old Sir Rowland! Why, what make you here? 07045Why are you virtuous? Why do people love you? 0705And wherefore are you gentle, strong, and valiant? 0706Why would you be so fond to overcome 0707The bonny prizer of the humorous duke? 0708Your praise is come too swiftly home before you. 070910Know you not, master, to ⌜some⌝ kind of men 0710Their graces serve them but as enemies? 0711No more do yours. Your virtues, gentle master, 0712Are sanctified and holy traitors to you.
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0713O, what a world is this when what is comely 071415Envenoms him that bears it! ⌜ORLANDO⌝0715
Why, what’s the matter? ADAM0716
O unhappy youth, 0717Come not within these doors. Within this roof 0718The enemy of all your graces lives. 071920Your brother—no, no brother—yet the son— 0720Yet not the son, I will not call him son— 0721Of him I was about to call his father, 0722Hath heard your praises, and this night he means 0723To burn the lodging where you use to lie, 072425And you within it. If he fail of that, 0725He will have other means to cut you off. 0726I overheard him and his practices. 0727This is no place, this house is but a butchery. 0728Abhor it, fear it, do not enter it. ⌜ORLANDO⌝ 072930Why, whither, Adam, wouldst thou have me go? ADAM 0730No matter whither, so you come not here. ORLANDO 0731What, wouldst thou have me go and beg my food, 0732Or with a base and boist’rous sword enforce 0733A thievish living on the common road? 073435This I must do, or know not what to do; 0735Yet this I will not do, do how I can. 0736I rather will subject me to the malice 0737Of a diverted blood and bloody brother. ADAM 0738But do not so. I have five hundred crowns, 073940The thrifty hire I saved under your father, 0740Which I did store to be my foster nurse 0741When service should in my old limbs lie lame, 0742And unregarded age in corners thrown. 0743Take that, and He that doth the ravens feed, 074445Yea, providently caters for the sparrow,
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0745Be comfort to my age. Here is the gold. 0746All this I give you. Let me be your servant. 0747Though I look old, yet I am strong and lusty, 0748For in my youth I never did apply 074950Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood, 0750Nor did not with unbashful forehead woo 0751The means of weakness and debility. 0752Therefore my age is as a lusty winter, 0753Frosty but kindly. Let me go with you. 075455I’ll do the service of a younger man 0755In all your business and necessities. ORLANDO 0756O good old man, how well in thee appears 0757The constant service of the antique world, 0758When service sweat for duty, not for meed. 075960Thou art not for the fashion of these times, 0760Where none will sweat but for promotion, 0761And having that do choke their service up 0762Even with the having. It is not so with thee. 0763But, poor old man, thou prun’st a rotten tree 076465That cannot so much as a blossom yield 0765In lieu of all thy pains and husbandry. 0766But come thy ways. We’ll go along together, 0767And ere we have thy youthful wages spent, 0768We’ll light upon some settled low content. ADAM 076970Master, go on, and I will follow thee 0770To the last gasp with truth and loyalty. 0771From ⌜seventeen⌝ years till now almost fourscore 0772Here livèd I, but now live here no more. 0773At seventeen years, many their fortunes seek, 077475But at fourscore, it is too late a week. 0775Yet fortune cannot recompense me better 0776Than to die well, and not my master’s debtor. They exit.
