laisian in the expression which it receives from Touchstone, than from the fool in Lear, but it is the same in effect, and
as such is delightful to Jaques.
He delights in him, and
entreats the Duke to do so likewise.
“Good my Lord,
like this fellow.” He goes out of his way to counsel him against his false marriage and its effects, when the wood so greenly put together will warp, warp. Jaques indeed displays a greedy appetite for all knowledge of human nature. He hunts after peculiarities and revels in the chase ; as Shakespeare himself must have done, to have
acquired that wonderful collection of game and vermin, which he has transmitted to us in the vast museum of his
dramas. That Jaques, with all his contempt of mankind in general, really loves man in the particular, is proved by his last speech, “Jaq. Sir, by your patience; If I heard you rightly, The Duke hath put on a religious life, And thrown into neglect the pompous court'
Jaq de B. He hath. Jaq. To him will I : out of these convertites There is much matter to he heard and learn'd.—
You to your former honour I bequeath ; [To Duke S. Your patience, and your virtue, well deserves it:— You [to Orlando] to a love, that your true faith doth merit: You [to Oliver] to your land, and love, and great allies:— You [to Silvius] to a long and well-deserved bed :— And you [to Touchstone] to wrangling; for thy loving voyage Is but for two months victual'd :-So to your pleasures;
I am for other than for dancing measures.” In this he does full justice to all, even to poor Touchstone, whose perverse match he has not been able to prevent. If he is not for dancing measures, it is because the gay cloak of ceremonious amusement would conceal that which he hungers after, the heart of man ; because it would afford a less fruitful field of observation than the words and works of
the Duke, so recently converted from the wicked enjoyment
