as it may be, I will marry thee; and to that end
I have been with Sir Oliver Martext, the vicar
of the next village, who hath promised to meet
me in this place of the forest, and to couple us.
Jaq. [Aside.] I would fain see this meeting.
Aud. Well, the gods give us joy! 49
Touch. Amen. A man may, if he were of a
fearful heart, stagger in this attempt; for here
we have no temple but the wood, no assembly
but horn-beasts. But what though? Courage!
As horns are odious, they are necessary. It is
said, 'many a man knows no end of his goods': 55
right; many a man has good horns, and knows
no end of them. Well, that is the dowry of his
wife; 'tis none of his own getting. Horns?
Even so. Poor men alone? No, no; the noblest
deer hath them as huge as the rascal. Is the 60
single man therefore blessed? No: as a walled
town is more worthier than a village, so is the
forehead of a married man more honourable
than the bare brow of a bachelor; and by how
much defence is better than no skill, by so much
is a horn more precious than to want.
Enter Sir Oliver Martext.
Here comes Sir Oliver.—Sir Oliver Martext, 67
you are well met: will you dispatch us here
under this tree, or shall we go with you to your
chapel?
Sir Oli. Is there none here to give the
woman? 72
49 gods . . . joy; cf. n.
51 stagger: hesitate
53 horn-beasts: i.e., deer
60 rascal: young or inferior deer of a herd
65 defence: skill in swordplay
