Act IV · Scene III
A road near the Shepherd's cottage.
Hover a speech to translate it — or press play to hear it performed.
Enter AUTOLYCUS, singing
AUTOLYCUS
When daffodils begin to peer,With heigh! the doxy over the dale,Why, then comes in the sweet o' the year;For the red blood reigns in the winter's pale.The white sheet bleaching on the hedge,With heigh! the sweet birds, O, how they sing!Doth set my pugging tooth on edge;For a quart of ale is a dish for a king.The lark, that tirra-lyra chants,With heigh! with heigh! the thrush and the jay,Are summer songs for me and my aunts,While we lie tumbling in the hay.I have served Prince Florizel and in my timewore three-pile; but now I am out of service:But shall I go mourn for that, my dear?The pale moon shines by night:And when I wander here and there,I then do most go right.If tinkers may have leave to live,And bear the sow-skin budget,Then my account I well may, give,And in the stocks avouch it.My traffic is sheets; when the kite builds, look tolesser linen. My father named me Autolycus; whobeing, as I am, littered under Mercury, was likewisea snapper-up of unconsidered trifles. With die anddrab I purchased this caparison, and my revenue isthe silly cheat. Gallows and knock are too powerfulon the highway: beating and hanging are terrors tome: for the life to come, I sleep out the thoughtof it. A prize! a prize!
Enter Clown
Clown
Let me see: every 'leven wether tods; every todyields pound and odd shilling; fifteen hundredshorn. what comes the wool to?
AUTOLYCUS
[Aside]If the springe hold, the cock's mine.
Clown
I cannot do't without counters. Let me see; what amI to buy for our sheep-shearing feast? Three poundof sugar, five pound of currants, rice,--what willthis sister of mine do with rice? But my fatherhath made her mistress of the feast, and she lays iton. She hath made me four and twenty nose-gays forthe shearers, three-man-song-men all, and very goodones; but they are most of them means and bases; butone puritan amongst them, and he sings psalms tohorn-pipes. I must have saffron to colour the wardenpies; mace; dates?--none, that's out of my note;nutmegs, seven; a race or two of ginger, but that Imay beg; four pound of prunes, and as many ofraisins o' the sun.
AUTOLYCUS
O that ever I was born!
Grovelling on the ground
Clown
I' the name of me--
AUTOLYCUS
O, help me, help me! pluck but off these rags; andthen, death, death!
Clown
Alack, poor soul! thou hast need of more rags to layon thee, rather than have these off.
AUTOLYCUS
O sir, the loathsomeness of them offends me morethan the stripes I have received, which are mightyones and millions.
Clown
Alas, poor man! a million of beating may come to agreat matter.
AUTOLYCUS
I am robbed, sir, and beaten; my money and apparelta'en from me, and these detestable things put uponme.
Clown
What, by a horseman, or a footman?
AUTOLYCUS
A footman, sweet sir, a footman.
Clown
Indeed, he should be a footman by the garments hehas left with thee: if this be a horseman's coat,it hath seen very hot service. Lend me thy hand,I'll help thee: come, lend me thy hand.
AUTOLYCUS
O, good sir, tenderly, O!
Clown
Alas, poor soul!
AUTOLYCUS
O, good sir, softly, good sir! I fear, sir, myshoulder-blade is out.
Clown
How now! canst stand?
AUTOLYCUS
[Picking his pocket]Softly, dear sir; good sir, softly. You ha' done mea charitable office.
Clown
Dost lack any money? I have a little money for thee.
AUTOLYCUS
No, good sweet sir; no, I beseech you, sir: I havea kinsman not past three quarters of a mile hence,unto whom I was going; I shall there have money, orany thing I want: offer me no money, I pray you;that kills my heart.
Clown
What manner of fellow was he that robbed you?
AUTOLYCUS
A fellow, sir, that I have known to go about withtroll-my-dames; I knew him once a servant of theprince: I cannot tell, good sir, for which of hisvirtues it was, but he was certainly whipped out of the court.
Clown
His vices, you would say; there's no virtue whippedout of the court: they cherish it to make it staythere; and yet it will no more but abide.
AUTOLYCUS
Vices, I would say, sir. I know this man well: hehath been since an ape-bearer; then aprocess-server, a bailiff; then he compassed amotion of the Prodigal Son, and married a tinker'swife within a mile where my land and living lies;and, having flown over many knavish professions, hesettled only in rogue: some call him Autolycus.
Clown
Out upon him! prig, for my life, prig: he hauntswakes, fairs and bear-baitings.
AUTOLYCUS
Very true, sir; he, sir, he; that's the rogue thatput me into this apparel.
Clown
Not a more cowardly rogue in all Bohemia: if you hadbut looked big and spit at him, he'ld have run.
AUTOLYCUS
I must confess to you, sir, I am no fighter: I amfalse of heart that way; and that he knew, I warranthim.
Clown
How do you now?
AUTOLYCUS
Sweet sir, much better than I was; I can stand andwalk: I will even take my leave of you, and pacesoftly towards my kinsman's.
Clown
Shall I bring thee on the way?
AUTOLYCUS
No, good-faced sir; no, sweet sir.
Clown
Then fare thee well: I must go buy spices for oursheep-shearing.
AUTOLYCUS
Prosper you, sweet sir!
Exit Clown
AUTOLYCUS
Your purse is not hot enough to purchase your spice.I'll be with you at your sheep-shearing too: if Imake not this cheat bring out another and theshearers prove sheep, let me be unrolled and my nameput in the book of virtue!
Sings
AUTOLYCUS
Jog on, jog on, the foot-path way,And merrily hent the stile-a:A merry heart goes all the day,Your sad tires in a mile-a.
Exit