I cannot think I am not myself!
SECOND COUNTRYMAN (_weeping_). Thou needst must think it, whether thou
wouldst or no.
FIRST COUNTRYMAN. Dost thou indeed think thou art some other person?
SECOND COUNTRYMAN. If I were myself, would not the gourd still be around my
ankle?
FIRST COUNTRYMAN. Then who art thou? And who am I?
SECOND COUNTRYMAN. Alas! I know not.
[_Enter the_ WAGS.]
FIRST COUNTRYMAN (_joyfully_). Here come those who will know whether we are
ourselves!
[_The Wags pretend not to know the Countrymen who are bowing before them.
They pass on._]
SECOND COUNTRYMAN. Stop, good sirs!
FIRST COUNTRYMAN. A word with thee!
[_The Wags stop._]
SECOND COUNTRYMAN. Dost thou not know us?
FIRST WAG. I have not that pleasure.
FIRST COUNTRYMAN. Thou didst talk with us but yester-eve!
SECOND WAG. Some mistake, I fear, my good man.
[_The Wags start off._]
SECOND COUNTRYMAN (_weeping_). Wait! I pray thee, wait!
(_The Wags stop._)
Canst thou not tell us who we are?
FIRST WAG. Do you not know yourselves?
SECOND COUNTRYMAN. Alas! we are not ourselves.
FIRST COUNTRYMAN. Thou wouldst know us were we as we were once.
SECOND WAG. Perhaps those flags will solve the riddle.
Pages:
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90