Re: Heart of a Warrior

["Ed Hopkins" <Ed.Hopkins@MCI.Com>]

Poster: "Ed Hopkins" <Ed.Hopkins@MCI.Com>

> i'm curious as to where you got the words for peasant warrior - was it
> straight from rosalind?  i was reading through the lyrics and got hung up
> on the differing uses of "forsworn" - checked my online webster's, which
> says
> 
> Forswear \For*swear"\, v. t. [imp. Forswore; p. p. Forsworn; p. pr. & vb.
> n. Forswearing.] [OE. forsweren, forswerien, AS. forswerian;
> pref. for- + swerian to swear. See For-, and Swear, v. i.] 1. To reject or
> renounce upon oath; hence, to renounce earnestly,
> determinedly, or with protestations. 
> 
> which looks like what she intended here -
> 
> > For he had not the heart of a warrior.
> > And no matter he's high born, on that day he had forsworn to be a knight,
> > Denied his vow to King and Lord.
> 
> but not here -
> 
> > For I have the heart of a warrior,
> > And no matter how I'm born, on this day I have forsworn
> > To play the knight, that I may fight for my leige lord.
> 
> or here -
> 
> > May you have the heart of a warrior.
> > For no matter how you're born,
> > On one day you had forsworn to be a knight with honour
> >   bright for King and Lord.
> > For one day you were reborn as a knight and you have worn
> >   the golden chain, the belt pure white and silver sword.
> 
> rosalind, are you out there?  am i just misreading, or are we seeing
> folk-processes-of-oral-evolution-etc in action? *grin*

TOUCHSTONE Mistress, you must come away to your father.

CELIA      Were you made the messenger?

TOUCHSTONE No, by mine honour, but I was bid to come for you.

ROSALIND   Where learned you that oath, fool?

TOUCHSTONE Of a certain knight that swore by his honour they were
           good pancakes and swore by his honour the mustard was
           naught: now I'll stand to it, the pancakes were naught
           and the mustard was good, and yet was not the knight forsworn.

CELIA      How prove you that, in the great heap of your knowledge?

ROSALIND   Ay, marry, now unmuzzle your wisdom.

TOUCHSTONE Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear
           by your beards that I am a knave.

CELIA      By our beards, if we had them, thou art.

TOUCHSTONE By my knavery, if I had it, then I were; but if you
           swear by that that is not, you are not forsworn: no
           more was this knight swearing by his honour, for he
           never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before
           ever he saw those pancakes or that mustard.

-- "As You Like It", Act I, Scene II

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