wonders in this forest of Arcadian shepherds,
exiled princesses, and lemon-trees. There were "certaine rascalls that
lived by prowling in the forrest, who for feare of the provost marshall
had caves in the groves and thickets";[159] there were lions, too, very
dangerous, hungry, man-eating lions. Such animals appear in Shakespeare
also, as well as "palm trees," and Shakespeare moreover takes the
liberty of doubling his lion with a serpent.

"A wretched ragged man o'ergrown with hair
Lay sleeping on his back: about his neck
A green and gilded snake had wreath'd itself
Who with her head, nimble in threats, approach'd
The opening of his mouth; but suddenly,
Seeing Orlando, it unlink'd itself,
And with indented glides did slip away
Into a bush: under which bush's shade
A lioness, with udders all drawn dry,
Lay couching."[160]

Let us not be too much troubled; here will be good opportunities for
lovers to show the sort of men they are, to be wounded, but not
disfigured, and finally to be loved.

So many rare encounters of men and animals, and shepherds and lovers,
give excellent occasions for Rosalind to display the special turn of her
mind, and if, in Lodge, she has not all the ready wit that Shakespeare
has given her, she is by no means slow of speech; she possesses besides
much more of that human kindness in which we sometimes find the
brilliant page of the play a little deficient. The conversations between
her and Alinda are very pleasant to read, and show how at last, not only
on the stage, but even in novels, the tongues of the speakers had been
loosened.

"No doubt, quoth Aliena,[161] this poesie is the passion of some
perplexed shepheard, that being enamoured of some fair and beautifull
shepheardesse suffered some sharpe repulse, and therefore complained of
the cruelty of his mistris.

"You may see, quoth Ganimede [Rosalind's page-name], what mad cattell
you women be, whose hearts sometimes are made of adamant that will touch
with no impression, and sometimes of waxe that is fit for everie forme;
they delight to be courted and then they glorie to seeme coy, and when
they are most desired, then they freeze with disdaine....

"And I pray you, quoth Aliena, if your roabes were off, what mettall are
you made of that you are so satyricall against women?... Beware,
Ganimede, that Rosader heare you not....

"Thus, quoth Ganimede, I keepe decorum, I speake now as I