Vio. Most certain, if you are she, you do usurp yourself; for what is yours to bestow is not yours to reserve. But this is from my commission: I will on with my speech in your praise, and then shew you the heart of my message. Oli. Come to what is important in 't: I forgive you the praise. Vio. Alas, I took great pains to study it, and 'tis poetical. Oli. It is the more like to be feigned; I pray you keep it in. I heard you were saucy at my gates; and allow'd your approach rather to wonder at you than to hear you. If you be not mad, be gone; if you have reason, be brief: 'tis not that time of moon with me to make one in so skipping a dialogue. Mar. Will you hoist sail, sir? here lies your way. Vio. No, good swabber; I am to hull here a little longer. Some mollification for your giant, sweet lady. Tell me your mind; I am a messenger. Oli. Sure, you have some hideous matter to deliver, when the courtesy of it is so fearful. Speak your office. Vio. It alone concerns your ear. I bring no overture of war, no taxation of homage; I hold the olive in my hand: my words are as full of peace as matter. Oli. Yet you began rudely. What are you? what would you? Vio. The rudeness that hath appear'd in me have I learn'd from my entertainment. What I am, and what I would, are as secret as maidenhead : to your ears, divinity; to any other's, profanation. Oli. Give us the place alone: we will hear this divinity! [Exit MARIA.] Now, sir, what is your text? Vio. Most sweet lady, Oli. A comfortable doctrine, and much may be said of it. Where lies your text? Oli. In his bosom? In what chapter of his bosom? Vio. To answer by the method, in the first of his heart. Oli. O, I have read it; it is heresy. Have you no more to say? Vio. Good Madam, let me see your face. Oli. Have you any commission from your lord to negotiate with my face? You are now out of your text: but we will draw the curtain, and shew you the picture. [Unveiling.] Look you, sir, such a one I was this present. Is 't not well done? Vio. Excellently done, if God did all. Oli. 'Tis in-grain, sir; 'twill endure wind and weather. Vio. 'Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white Nature's own sweet and cunning hand laid on: Lady, you are the cruell'st she alive, If you will lead these graces to the grave, Oli. O, sir, I will not be so hard-hearted; I will give out divers schedules of my beauty. It shall be inventoried; and every particle, and utensil, labell'd to my will as, item, two lips, indifferent red; item, two grey eyes, with lids to them; item, one neck, one chin, and so forth. Were you sent hither to 'praise me? Vio. I see you what you are: you are too proud; But, if you were the Devil, you are fair. My lord and master loves you: O, such love Could be but recompens'd, though you were crown'd The nonpareil of beauty! Oli. How does he love me? Vio. With adorations, fertile tears, With groans that thunder love, with sighs of fire. Oli. Your lord does know my mind, I cannot love him: Yet I suppose him virtuous, know him noble, Of great estate, of fresh and stainless youth, Vio. If I did love you in my master's flame, In your denial I would find no sense; I would not understand it. Oli. Why, what would you? Vio. Make me a willow cabin at your gate, And call upon my soul within the house; Write loyal cantons of contemned love, And sing them loud, even in the dead of night; But you should pity me. Oli. You might do much. age? What is your parent Vio. Above my fortunes; yet my state is well: I am a gentleman. Oli. Get you to your lord; I cannot love him: let him send no more; Fare you well: I thank you for your pains: spend this for me. Vio. I am no fee'd post, lady; keep your purse: My master, not myself, lacks recompense. Love make his heart of flint, that you shall love; "Above my fortunes; yet my state is well : I am a gentleman.” I'll be sworn thou art; soft! soft! Unless the master were the man. How now! Even so quickly may one catch the plague? With an invisible and subtle stealth, To creep in at mine eyes. Well, let it be. - Mal. Enter MALVOLIO. Here, Madam, at your service. Oli. Run after that same peevish messenger, The County's man: he left this ring behind him, Would I, or not; tell him, I'll none of it. Desire him not to flatter with his lord, Nor hold him up with hopes; I am not for him: If that the youth will come this way to-morrow, I'll give him reasons for 't. Hie thee, Malvolio. Mal. Madam, I will. [Exit Oli. I do know not what: and fear to find Mine eye too great a flatterer for my mind. Fate, shew thy force. Ourselves we do not owe; What is decreed must be; and be this so! [Exit. W ACT II. SCENE I. — The Sea-coast. Enter ANTONIO and SEBASTIAN. ANTONIO. ILL you stay no longer? nor will you not that Sebastian. By your patience, no: my stars shine darkly over me; the malignancy of my fate might, perhaps, distemper yours: therefore, I shall crave of you your leave that I may bear my evils alone: it were a bad recompense for your love, to lay any of them on you. Ant. Let me yet know of you whither you are bound. Seb. No, sooth, sir; my my determinate voyage is mere extravagancy. But I perceive in you so excellent a touch of modesty, that you will not extort from me what I am willing to keep in; therefore it charges me in manners the rather to express myself. You must know of me, then, Antonio, my name is Sebastian, which I call'd Rodorigo; my father was that Sebastian of Messaline, whom I know you have heard of: he left behind him, myself and a sister, both born in an hour. If the Heavens had been pleas'd, would we had so ended! but you, sir, alter'd that; for, some hour before you took me from the breach of the sea, was my sister drown'd. Ant. Alas, the day! Seb. A lady, sir, though it was said she much resembled me, was yet of many accounted beautiful : |