Enter Servant.

Ser. Madam, the young gentleman of the count Orfino's is return'd; I could hardly entreat him back: he attends your ladyship's pleasure. Oli. I'll come to him. this fellow be look'd to. fome of my people have not have him mifcarry for

a

[Exit Serv.] Good Maria, let Where's my coufin Toby? Let special care of him; I would the half of my dowry. [Exeunt OLIVIA and MARIA. Mal. Oh, ho! do you come near me now? no worse man than fir Toby to look to me? This concurs directly with the letter: the fends him on purpose, that I may appear ftubborn to him; for fhe incites me to that in the letter. Caft thy humble flough, fays fhe ;-be oppofite with a kinfman, furly with fervants,-let thy tongue tang with arguments of ftate, put thyself into the trick of fingu larity; and, confequently, fets down the manner how ; as, a fad face, a reverend carriage, a flow tongue, in the habit of fome fir of note, and fo forth. I have limed her, but it is Jove's doing, and Jove make me thankful! And, when he went away now, Let this fellow be Look'd to: Fellow 7! not Malvolio, nor after my degree, but fellow. Why, every thing adheres together; that no dram of a fcruple, no fcruple of a fcruple, no obftacle, no incredulous or unfafe circumftance,-What can be said ? Nothing, that can be, can come between me and the full profpect of my hopes. Well, Jove, not I, is the doer of this, and he is to be thanked.

be oppofite] See p. 57, n. 5. MALONE.

let thy tongue tang &c.] Here the old copy reads-langer; but it fhould be-tang, as I have corrected it from the letter which Malvo

lio reads in a former fcene. STEEVENS.

The fecond folio reads-tang. TYRWHITT.

6-I bave limed ber,] I have entangled or caught her, as a bird is caught with birdlime. JOHNSON.

7-Fellow!] This word, which originally fignified companion, was not yet totally degraded to its prefent meaning; and Malvolio takes it in the favourable fenfe. JoHNSON.

Re-enter

Re-enter MARIA, with Sir TOBY, and FABIAN.

Sir To. Which way is he, in the name of fanctity? If all the devils of hell be drawn in little, and Legion him. felf poffefs'd him, yet I'll speak to him.

Fab. Here he is, here he is: How is't with you, fir? how is't with you, man?

Mal. Go off; I difcard you; let me enjoy my private ; go off.

Mar. Lo, how hollow the fiend fpeaks within him! did not I tell you?-Sir Toby, my lady prays you to have a care of him.

Mal. Ah, ha! does the fo?

Sir To. Go to, go to; peace, peace, we muft deal gently with him; let me alone. How do you, Malvolio? how is't with you? What man! defy the devil: confider, he's an enemy to mankind.

Mal. Do you know what you say?

Mar. La you, an you fpeak ill of the devil, how he takes it at heart! Pray God, he be not bewitch'd!

Fab. Carry his water to the wife woman.

Mar. Marry, and it thall be done to-morrow morning, if I live. My lady would not lofe him for more than I'll fay. Mal. How now, mistress?

Mar. O lord!

Sir To. Pr'ythee, hold thy peace, this is not the way: Do you not fee, you move him? let me alone with him. Fab. No way but gentleness; gently, gently: the fiend is rough, and will not be roughly used.

SirTo. Why, how now, my bawcock? how doft thou, chuck? Mal. Sir?

Sir To. Ay, Biddy, come with me. What man! 'tis not for gravity to play at cherry-pit with Satan: Hang him, foul collier!

Mar.

An

Ay, Biddy, come with me.] Come, Bid, come, are words of endearment ufed by children to chickens and other domeftick fowl. anonymous writer, with little probability, fuppofes the words in the text to be a quotation from fome old fong. MALONE.

9-cherry-pit-] Cherry-pit is pitching cherry-stones into a little hole. STEEVENS.

Mar. Get him to fay his prayers; good fir Toby, get him to pray.

Mal. My prayers, minx?

Mar. No, I warrant you, he will not hear of godlinefs. Mal. Go, hang yourselves all! you are idle fhallow things: I am not of your element; you fhall know more hereafter. [Exit.

Sir To. Is't poffible?

Fab. If this were play'd upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction.

Sir To. His very genius hath taken the infection of the device, man.

Mar. Nay, purfue him now; left the device take air, and taint.

Fab. Why, we shall make him mad, indeed.

Mar. The houfe will be the quieter.

Sir To. Come, we'll have him in a dark room, and bound. My niece is already in the belief that he is mad; we may carry it thus, for our pleasure, and his penance, till our very paftime, tired out of breath, prompt us to have mercy on him: at which time, we will bring the device to the bar, and crown thee for a finder of madmen 2. But fee, but fee.

Enter Sir ANDREW AGUE-CHEEK.

Fab. More matter for a May morning 3.

1 Hang bim, foul collier!] Collier was, in our author's time, a term of the highest reproach. STEEVENS.

The devil is called Collier for his blacknefs; Like will to like, fays the Devil to the Collier. JOHNSON.

2 — finder of madmen.] If there be any doubt whether a culprit is become non compos mentis, after indictment, conviction, or judgment, the matter is tried by a jury; and if he be found either an ideot or lunatick, the lenity of the English law will not permit him, in the first case, to be tried, in the fecond, to receive judgment, or in the third, to be executed. In other cafes alfo inquefts are held for the finding of madmen. MALONE.

3 More matter for a May morning.] It was ufual on the first of May to exhibit metrical interludes of the comick kind, as well as the morrisdance, of which a plate is given at the end of the first part of King Henry IV. with Mr. Tollet's obfervations on it. STEEVENS.

Sir

Sir And. Here's the challenge, read it; I warrant, there's vinegar and pepper in't.

Fab. Is't fo fawcy?

Sir And. Ay, is't? I warrant him: do but read.

Sr To. Give me. [reads.] Youth, whatfoever thou art, thou art but a fcurvy fellow:

Fab. Good, and valiant.

Sir To. Wonder not, nor admire not in thy mind, why I do call thee fo, for I will fhew thee no reafon for't.

Fab. A good note: that keeps you from the blow of

the law.

Sir To. Thou comeft to the lady Olivia, and in my fight fbe ufes thee kindly: but thou lieft in thy throat, that is not the matter I challenge thee for.

Fab. Very brief, and exceeding good fenfe-less.

Sir To. I will way-lay thee going home; where if it be thy chance to kill me,—

Fab. Good.

Sir To. Thou kill' ft me like a rogue and a villain.

Fab. Still you keep o'the windy fide of the law: Good. Sir To. Fare thee well; And God have mercy upon one of our fouls! He may have mercy upon mine; but my hope is better, and fo look to thyself. Thy friend, as thou ufeft him, and thy fworn enemy, ANDREW AGUE-CHEEK.

Sir To. If this letter move him not, his legs cannot : I'll give't him.

Mar. You may have very fit occafion for't; he is now in fome commerce with my lady, and will by and by depart.

Sir To. Go, fir Andrew; fcout me for him at the corner

He may have mercy upon mine;] We may read: He may have mercy upon thine, but my bope is better. Yet the paffage may well enough stand without alteration.

It were much to be wifhed that Shakspeare in this and fome other paffages, had not ventured fo near profanenefs. JOHNSON.

He may have mercy upon my foul, in cafe I fhould be killed by you; but my hope is that I fhall furvive the combat, and that you will fall; fo look to yourself, for on yours he can have no mercy. Such, I fuppofe, is the knight's meaning. MALONE.

of

of the orchard, like a bum-bailiff: fo foon as ever thou feeft him, draw; and, as thou draw'ft, fwear horrible': for it comes to pass oft, that a terrible oath, with a swaggering accent fharply twang'd off, gives manhood more approbation than ever proof itself would have earn'd him. Away.

Sir And. Nay, let me alone for fwearing.

[Exit.

Sir To. Now will not I deliver his letter: for the behaviour of the young gentleman gives him out to be of good capacity and breeding; his employment between his lord and my niece confirms no lefs; therefore this letter, being fo excellently ignorant, will breed no terror in the youth, he will find it comes from a clodpole. But, fir, I will deliver his challenge by word of mouth; fet upon Ague-cheek a notable report of valour; and drive the gentleman, (as, I know, his youth will aptly receive it,) into a moft hideous opinion of his rage, fkill, fury, and impetuofity. This will fo fright them both, that they will kill one another by the look, like cockatrices.

Enter OLIVIA and VIOLA..

Fab. Here he comes with your niece: give them way, till he take leave, and prefently after him.

Sir To. I will meditate the while upon fome horrid
meffage for a challenge. [Exeunt Sir T. FAB. and MAR.
Oli. I have faid too much unto a heart of ftone,
And laid mine honour too unchary out":

There's fomething in me, that reproves my fault;
But fuch a headstrong potent fault it is,

That it but mocks reproof.

Vio. With the fame 'havour that your paffion bears, Go on my master's griefs.

Oli. Here, wear this jewel for me 7, 'tis my picture;

Refufe

fear horrible :] Adjectives are often ufed by our author and his contemporaries adverbially. See Vol. III. p. 441, n. 2. MALONE. too unchary out :] The old copy reads-on't. The emendation is Mr. Theobald's. MALONE.

6

7

wear this jewel for me,] Jewel does not properly fignify a single gem, but any precious ornament or fuperfiuity. JoHNSON,

So,