The Soul Of Ireland

The reference in the poem, then, is that Rosalind has Atalanta's "better part," the beauty which drew so many to court her, but not the cruelty which killed those who wooed and failed to beat her. Atalanta was a byword for fleetness. Thus, later on Jaques speaks scornfully of Orlando's retorts to his own ill-natured remarks, saying: You have a nimble wit. I think 'twas made of Atalanta''s heels. —Act HI, scene ii, lines 273-74 … an Irish rat … Rosalind is very pleased at all this, but affects indifference, saying: I was never so berhymed since Pythagoras' time that I was an Irish rat. .. —Act III, scene ii, lines 175-76 It was Pythagoras' doctrine of the transmigration of souls (see page I-535) that is here being referred to. By it, Rosalind's soul might once have inhabited the body of an Irish rat. But what has that to do with rhyming? Well, the Celtic bards of Wales and Ireland were past masters at weaving curses into their improvised poetry. They could use such deadly verses to kill rats and other vermin. Therefore an Irish rat would be most "berhymed." … Gargantua's mouth… But Celia knows who has written the verses and finally reveals that it is none other than Orlando ...»