hangings that were popular in his day. Such paintings included short and simplistic sayings or maxims. Orlando is thus implying that he is replying with simplistic answers because Jacques’ questions are simplistic and even foolish.
Orlando is tired of speaking with melancholy Jacques, who has not improved Orlando’s sad emotions of unrequited love. As Jacques is getting ready to depart, the following dialogue ensues:
JACQUES: By my troth, I was seeking for a fool when I found you.
ORLANDO: He is drowned in the brook. Look but in, and you shall see him.
JACQUES: There I shall see my own figure.
ORLANDO: Which I take to be either a fool or a cipher. (261-64)
Jacques, of course, is referring to Touchstone, whom he admires. Orlando then wittily tells Jacques that he will see a fool when he stares into a brook or creek, for he will see his own reflection. Orlando also puns on the use of the word figure. Jacques means that he will see himself, but Orlando uses the word figure to mean number. The word cipher, in this instance, also means a number: the number zero. Thus Orlando is declaring that Jacques will either see a fool or nothing when he stares into the brook. As far as Orlando is concerned, Jacques serves nothing to his