As You Like It, III.iii.

 

Touchstone. Come apace good Audrey, I wil fetch up your Goates, Audrey: and how Audrey am I the man yet? Doth my simple feature content you?

Aud. Your features, Lord warrant us: what feature ?

Tou. I am heere with thee, and thy Goats, as the most capricious Poet honest Ovid was among the Gothes.

*

Tou. When a man's verses cannot be understood, nor a man's good wit seconded with the forward childe, understanding: it strikes a man more dead then a great reckoning in a little roome: truly, I would the Gods hadde made thee poeticall.

Audrey. I do not know what Poetical is: is it honest in deed and word: is it a true thing?

Tou. No trulie: for the truest poetrie is the most feigning, and Lovers are given to Poetrie: and what they sweare in Poetrie, may be said as Lovers, they do feigne.

Aud. Do you wish then that the Gods had made me Poeticall ?

Tou. I do truly: for thou swearst to me thou art honest: Now if thou wert a Poet, I might have some hope thou didst feigne.

Aud. Would you not have me honest?

Clo. No truly, unlesse thou wert hard favour'd: for honestie coupled to beautie, is to have Honey a sawce to Sugar.

*

Aud. Well, I am not faire, and therefore I pray the Gods make me honest.

Tou. Truly, and to cast away honestie uppon a foule slut, were to put good meate into an uncleane dish.

Aud. I am not a slut, though I thanke the Goddes I am foule.

Tou. Well, praised be the Gods, for thy foulnesse; sluttishnesse may come heereafter. But be it, as it may bee, I wil marrie thee: and to that end, I have bin with Sir Oliver Mar-text, the Vicar of the next village, who hath promis'd to meete me in this place of the Forrest, and to couple us.

As You Like It, III.iii.1-41.

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