mad than you are; make the trial of it in stant question. any con Clo. What is the opinion of Pythagoras, concerning wild-fowl? Mal. That the soul of our grandam might haply inhabit a bird. Clo. What thinkest thou of his opinion? Mal. I think nobly of the soul, and no way approve his opinion. Clo. Fare thee well: remain thou still in darkness: thou shalt hold the opinion of Pythagoras, ere I will allow of thy wits; and fear to kill a woodcock, lest thou dispossess the soul of thy grandam. Fare thee well. Mal. Sir Topas, sir Topas, Sir To. My most exquisite sir Topas! Clo. Nay, I am for all waters.2 Mar. Thou might'st have done this without thy beard and gown; he sees thee not. Sir To. To him in thine own voice, and bring SCENE III.-Olivia's garden. Enter Sebastian. me word how thou findest him: I would we were Seb. This is the air; that is the glorious sun; well rid of this knavery. If he may be conveni- This pearl she gave me, I do feel't, and see't: ently delivered, I would he were; for I am now so And though 'tis wonder that enwraps me thus, far in offence with my niece, that I cannot pursue Yet 'tis not madness. Where's Antonio then? with any safety this sport to the upshot. Come by I could not find him at the Elephant: and by to my chamber. [Exe. Sir Toby and Mar. Yet there he was; and there I found this credit," Clo. Hey, Robin, jolly Robin, Tell me how thy lady does. Mal. Fool, Clo. My lady is unkind, perdy. Mal. Fool, Clo. Alas, why is she so? Mal. Fool, I say; That he did range the town to seek me out. [Singing. His counsel now might do me golden service: Clo. She loves another-Who calls, ha ? Mal. Good fool, as ever thou wilt deserve well at my hand, help me to a candle, and pen, and ink, and paper; as I am a gentleman, I will live to be thankful to thee for't. Clo. Master Malvolio! Mal. Ay, good fool. Clo. Alas, sir, how fell you beside your five wits? Mal. Fool, there was never man so notoriously abused: I am as well in my wits, fool, as thou art. Clo, But as well? then you are mad, indeed, if you be no better in your wits than a fool. Mal. They have here propertied me; keep me in darkness, send ministers to me, asses, and do all they can to face me out of my wits. Clo. Advise you what you say; the minister is For though my soul disputes well with my sense, That I am ready to distrust mine eyes, And wrangle with my reason, that persuades me lowers, 10 Take, and give back, affairs, and their despatch, Enter Olivia and a Priest. Oli. Blame not this haste of mine: if you mean Now go with me, and with this holy man, here.-Malvolio, Malvolio, thy wits the heavens And underneath that consecrated roof, restore! endeavour thyself to sleep, and leave thy vain bibble babble. Mal. Sir Topas, Clo. Maintain no words with him, good fellow. Who, I, sir? not I, sir. God b'wiyou, good sir Topas. Marry, amen. I will, sir, I will. Mal. Fool, fool, fool, I say, Clo. Alas, sir, be patient. What say you, sir? I am shent for speaking to you. Mal. Good fool, help me to some light, and some And, having sworn truth, ever will be true. Oli. Then lead the way, good father; -And heavens so shine, paper; I tell thee, I am as well in my wits, as any That they may fairly note this act of mine! [Exe. Iman in Illyria. Clo. Well a-day, that you were, sir! Mal. By this hand, I am: good fool, some ink, paper, and light, and convey what I will set down ACT V. to my lady; it shall advantage thee more than ever SCENE I.-The street before Olivia's house. Clo. Good master Fabian, grant me another re- I know not what 'twas, but distraction. quest. Fab. Any thing. Clo. Do not desire to see this letter. Fab. That is, to give a dog, and, in recompense, desire my dog again. Enter Duke, Viola, and attendants. Duke. Belong you to the lady Olivia, friends? Clo. Ay, sir; we are some of her trappings. Duke. I know thee well; How dost thou, my good fellow? Clo. Truly, sir, the better for my foes, and the worse for my friends. Duke. Just the contrary; the better for thy friends. Clo. No, sir, the worse. Clo. Marry, sir, they praise me, and make an ass of me; now my foes tell me plainly I am an ass: so that by my foes, sir, I profit in the knowledge of myself; and by my friends I am abused: so that, conclusions to be as kisses, if your four negatives make your two affirmatives, why, then the worse for my friends, and the better for my foes. Duke. Why, this is excellent. Clo. By my troth, sir, no; though it please you to be one of my friends. Duke. Thou shalt not be the worse for me; there's gold. Clo. But that it would be double-dealing, sir, I would you could make it another. Duke. O, you give me ill counsel. Clo. Put your grace in your pocket, sir, for this once, and let your flesh and blood obey it. Duke. Well, I will be so much a sinner to be a double-dealer; there's another. Clo. Primo, secundo, tertio, is a good play; and the old saying is, the thi d pays for all: the triplex, sir, is a good tripping measure: or the bells of St. Bennet, sir, may put you in mind; One, two, three. Duke. You can fool no more money out of me at this throw: if you will let your lady know, I am here to speak with her, and bring her along with you, it may awake my bounty further. Clo. Marry, si, lullaby to your bounty, till I come again. I go, sir; but I would not have you to think, that my desire of having is the sin of covetousness: but, as you say, sir, let vour bounty take a nap, I will awake it anon. [Exit Clown. Enter Antonio and Officers. Vio. Here comes the man, sir, that did rescue me. For shallow draught, and bulk, unprizable: Cry'd fame and honour on him. - What's the matter? 1 Off. Orsino, this is that Antonio, That took the Phoenix, and her fraught, from Candy: Duke. Notable pirate! thou salt-water thief! What foolish boldness brought thee to their mercies, Whom thou, in terms so bloody, and so dear, Hast made thine enemies? Ant. Orsino, noble sır, Be pleas'd that I shake off these names you give me, Though, I confess, on base and ground enough, While one would wink; denied me mine own Duke. When came he to this town? Ant. To-day, my lord; and for three months before (No interim, not a minute's vacancy,) Both day and night did we keep company. Enter Olivia and attendants. Duke. Here comes the countess; now heaven walks on earth.- But for thee, fellow, fellow, thy words are madness: Three months this youth hath tended upon me; But more of that anon. -- Take him aside. Oli. What would my lord, but that he may not have, Wherein Olivia mav seem serviceable ^_ Cesario, you do not keep promise with me. Vio. Madam? Duke. Gracious Olivia, Oli. What do you say, Cesario? - Good my lord, Vio. My lord would speak, my duty hushes me. Oli. If it be aught to the old tune, my lord, It is as fat and fulsome to mine ear, As howling after music. Duke. Still so cruel? Duke. Why should I not, had I the heart to do Like to the Egyptian thief, at point of death, Kill what I love; a savage jealousy, That sometime savours nobly?-But hear me this. Since you to non-regardance cast my faith, And that I partly know the instrument That screws me from my true place in your favour, (3) Dull, gross. Where he sits crowned in his master's spite.- chief: No, my lord, not I. Oli. Alas, it is the baseness of thy fear, That makes thee strangle thy propriety:1 Fear not, Cesario, take thy fortunes up; Be that thou know'st thou art, and then thou art As great as that thou fear'st.-0, welcome, father! Re-enter Attendant and Priest. Father, I charge thee, by thy reverence, Priest. A contract of eternal bond of love, Seal'd in my function, by my testimony: set on to do't by sir Toby. Vio. Why do you speak to me? I never hurt you: You drew your sword upon me, without cause; But I bespake you fair, and hurt you not. Sir And. If a bloody coxcomb be a hurt, you have hurt me; I think, you set nothing by a bloody coxcomb. Enter Sir Toby Belch, drunk, led by the Clown. Here comes sir Toby halting, you shall hear more: but if he had not been in drink, he would have tickled you othergates than he did. Duke. How now, gentleman? how is't with you? Sir To. That's all one; he has hurt me, and there's the end on't.-Sot, did'st see Dick surgeon, sot? Clo. O he's drunk, sir Toby, an hour agone; his eyes were set at eight i' the morning. Sir To. Then he's a rogue. After a passy-measure, or a pavin, I hate a drunken rogue. Oli. Away with him: who hath made this havoc with them? Sir And. P'll help you, sir Toby, because we'll be dressed together. Sir To. Will you help, an ass-head, and a cox comb, and a knave? a thin-faced knave, a gull? Oli. Get him to bed, and let his hurt be look'd to. [Exeunt Clown, Sir Toby, and Sir Andrew. A natural perspective, that is, and is not. Since when, my watch hath told me, toward my Seb. Antonio, O my dear Antonio! grave, I have travelled but two hours. Duke. O, thou dissembling cub! what wilt thou be, Vio. My lord, I do protest,- O, do not swear: Hold little faith, though thou hast too much fear. Enter Sir Andrew Ague-cheek, with his head broke. How have the hours rack'd and tortur'd me, Since I have lost thee. Ant. Sebastian are you? Seb. Fear'st thou that, Antonio? Ant. How have you made division of yourself? An apple, cleft in two, is not more twin Than these two creatures. Which is Sebastian? Oli. Most wonderful! Seb. Do I stand there? I never had a brother: Nor can there be that deity in my nature, Vio. Of Messaline: Sebastian was my father; Seb. A spirit I am indeed; But am in that dimension grossly clad, (5) Out of charity tell me. 92 TWELFTH NIGHT; OR, WHAT YOU WILL. Vio. And died that day when Viola from her birth with the which I doubt not but to do myself much Had number'd thirteen years. Seb. O, that record is lively in my soul! He finished, indeed, his mortal act, Seb. So comes it, lady, you have been mistook: But nature to her bias drew in that. You would have been contracted to a maid; right, or you much shame. Think of me as you please. I leave my duty a little unthought of, and speak out of my injury. The madly-used Malvolio. Oli. Did he write this? My lord, so please you, these things further thought To think me as well a sister as a wife, offer.- Your master quits you; [To Viola.] and, for your service done him, So much against the inettle of your sex, So far beneath your soft and tender breeding, Duke. Be not amaz'd; right noble is his blood. - And since you call'd me master for so long, If this be so, as yet the glass seems true, I shall have share in this most happy wreck: Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand times, Thou never should'st love woman like to me. [To Viola. Vio. And all those sayings will I over-swear; And all those swearings keep as true in soul, That severs day from night. Duke. Give me thy hand; And let me see thee in thy woman's weeds. Vio. The captain, that did bring me first on shore, Hath my maid's garments: he, upon some action, Is now in durance; at Malvolio's suit, A gentleman, and follower of my lady's. Oli. He shall enlarge him:-Fetch Malvolio And yet, alas, now I remember me, They say, poor gentleman, he's much distract. Re-enter Clown, with a letter. A most extracting frenzy of mine own How does he, sirrah? Here is my hand; you shall from this time be Oli. A sister?-you are she. Re-enter Fabian, with Malvolio. Duke. Is this the madman? How now, Malvolio? Ay, my lord, this same: Madam, you have done me wrong, Notorious wrong. Have I, Malvolio? no. Mal. Lady, you have. Pray you, peruse that letter: You must not now deny it is your hand, Why you have given me such clear lights of favour; Clo. Truly, madam, he holds Belzebub at the Kept in a dark house, visited by the priest, stave's end, as well as a man in his case may do: And made the most notorious geck, and gull. he has here writ a letter to you; I should have given it to you to-day morning; but as a madman's epistles are no gospels, so it skills not much, when they are delivered. Oli. Open it, and read it. Clo. Look then to be well edified, when the fool delivers the madman: -By the Lord, madam, Oli. How now! art thou mad? Clo. No, madam, I do but read madness: an your ladyship will have it as it ought to be, must allow vox.2 you That e'er invention play'd on? tell me why. First told me, thou wast mad; then cam'st in smiling, Oli. Pr'ythee, read i' thy right wits. Clo. So I do, madonna; but to read his right wits, is to read thus: therefore perpend, my prin- And let no quarrel, nor no brawl to come, Taint the condition of this present hour, cess, and give ear. [To Fabian. Which I have wonder'd at. In hope it shalt 1.. Oli. Read it you, sirrah. Fab. [reads. By the Lord, madam, you wrong Most freely I confess, myself, and Toby, me, and the world shall know it: though you have Set this device against Malvolio here, put me into darkness, and given your drunken Upon some stubborn and uncourteous parts cousin rule over me, yet have I the benefit of my We had conceiv'd against him: Maria writ senses as well as your ladyship. I have your own The letter, at sir Toby's great importance;' letter that induced me to the semblance I put on; In recompence whereof, he hath married hei (1) Hinders. (2) Voice. (3) Attend. 4) Frame and constitution. How with a sportful malice it was follow'd, (6) Fool. 17) Importunacy. May rather pluck on laughter than revenge; Oli. Alas, poor fool! how have they baffled thee! Clo. Why, some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrown upon them. I was one, sir, in this interlude; one sir Topas, sir; but that's all one: -By the Lord, fool, I am not mad;-But do you remember? Madam why laugh you at such a barren rascal? an you smile not, he's gagg'd: And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges. Mal. I'll be revenged on the whole pack of you. [Exit. Oli. He hath been most notoriously abus'd. Duke. Pursue him, and entreat him to peace:He hath not told us of the captain yet; When that is known, and golden time convents,2 A solemn combination shall be made Of our dear souls-Meantime, sweet sister, We will not part from hence. Cesario, come;For so you shall be, while you are a man; But, when in other habits you are seen, Orsino's mistress, and his fancy's queen. [Exeunt, SONG. Clo. When that I was and a little tiny boy, With hey, ho, the wind and the rain, A foolish thing was but a toy, For the rain it reineth every day. (1) Cheated. (2) Shall serve. But when I came to man's estate, But when I came, alas! to wive, But when I came unto my bed, A great while ago the world begun, Exit. This play is in the graver part elegant and easy and in some of the lighter scenes exquisitely humorous. Ague-cheek is drawn with great propriety, but his character is, in a great measure, that of natural fatuity, and is therefore not the proper prey of a satirist. The soliloquy of Malvolio is truly comic; he is betrayed to ridicule merely by his pride. The marriage of Olivia, and the succeed. ing perplexity, though well enough contrived to divert on the stage, wants credibility, and fails to produce the proper instruction required in the dra ma, as it exhibits no just picture of life. JOHNSON. |