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. 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. Duke. Notable pirate! thou salt-water thief! Ant. Clo. Marry, sir, they praise me, and make an ass Where being apprehended, his false cunning of me; now my foes tell me plainly I am an ass: so (Not meaning to partake with me in danger,) that by my foes, sir, I profit in the knowledge of Taught him to face me out of his acquaintance, myself; and by my friends I am abused: so that, And grew a twenty-years-removed thing, conclusions to be as kisses, if your four negatives While one would wink; denied me mine own 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, 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 third 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 purse, Which I had recommended to his use 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. I Clo. Marry, sir, lullaby to your bounty, till 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 your 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. 2 from And this is he, that did the Tiger board, Enter Olivia and attendants. Duke. Here comes the countess; now heaven But for thee, fellow, fellow, thy words are madness: Oli. What would my lord, but that he may not Duke. Gracious Olivia, Oli. What do you say, Cesario?--Good my Vio. My lord would speak, my duty hushes me Duke. Still so cruel? Oli. Still so constant, lord. Duke. What! to perverseness? you uncivil lady, Oli. Even what it please my lord, that shall be come him. Duke. Why should I not, had I the heart to do it, (3) Dull, gross. Sir And. Od's lifelings, here he is :-You broke my head for nothing; and that that I did, I was 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, Clo. O he's drunk, sir Toby, an hour agone; his eyes were set at eight i' the morning. Oli. Hast thou forgot thyself? Is it so long?-sot? Ay, husband; Can he that deny ? No, my lord, not I. Father, I charge thee, by thy reverence, Strengthen'd by interchangement of your rings; Since when, my watch hath told me, toward my grave, I have travelled but two hours. Duke. O, thou dissembling cub! what wilt thou be, When time hath sew'd a grizzle on thy case?2 Or will not else thy craft so quickly grow, That thine own trip shall be thine overthrow? Farewell, and take her; but direct thy feet, Where thou and I henceforth may never meet. Vio. My lord, I do protest,— Oli. O, do not swear: Hold little faith, though thou hast too much fear. Enter Sir Andrew Ague-cheek, with his head broke. Sir And. He has broke my head across, and has given sir Toby a bloody coxcomb too: for the love of God, your help: I had rather than forty pound, I were at home. Oli. Who has done this, sir Andrew? Sir And. The count's gentleman, one Cesario: we took him for a coward, but he's the very devil incardinate. Duke. My gentleman, Cesario? (1) Disown thy property. (2) Skin. Sir To. Then he's a rogue. After a passy-mea. sure, or a pavin, I hate a drunken rogue. Oli. Away with him: who hath made this havoc with them? Sir And. I'll help you, sir Toby, because we'll be dressed together. Sir To. Will you help, an ass-head, and a coxcomb, 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. Enter Sebastian. Seb. I am sorry, madam, I have hurt your kins man; But, had it been the brother of my blood, By that I do perceive it hath offended you; Duke. One face, one voice, one habit, and two persons? A natural perspective, that is, and is not. How have the hours rack'd and tortur'd me, Ant. Sebastian are you? Seb. Do I stand there? I never had a brother: Nor can there be that deity in my nature, Of here and every where. I had a sister, Whom the blind waves and surges have devour'd:Of charity, what kin are you to me? [To Viola. What countryman? what name? what parentage. Vio. Of Messaline: Sebastian was my father; Such a Sebastian was my brother too, So went he suited to his watery tomb: If spirits can assume both form and suit, You come to fright us. Seb. A spirit I am indeed; But am in that dimension grossly clad, Which from the womb I did participate. Were you a woman, as the rest goes even, should my tears let fall upon your cheek, And say-Thrice welcome, drowned Viola! Vio. My father had a mole upon his brow. Seb. And so had mine. I (5) Out of charity tell me. 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! But nature to her bias drew in that. Duke. Be not amaz'd; right noble is his blood. [To Viola. 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,3 my princess, and give ear. Oli. Read it you, sirrah. 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 though: To think me as well a sister as a wife, Duke. Madam, I am most apt to embrace your Your master quits you; [To Viola.] and, for your So much against the mettle of your sex, Oli. A sister?-you are she. You must not now deny it is your hand, Oli. Alas, Malvolio, this is not my writing, Fab. Good madam, hear me speak; And let no quarrel, nor no brawl to come, Taint the condition of this present hour, [To Fabian. Which I have wonder'd at. In hope it shalt not, 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 her. How with a sportful malice it was follow'd, (1) Hinders. (2) Voice. 4) Frame and constitution. (3) Attend. (5) Inferior. 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'à. Of our dear souls-Meantime, sweet sister, But when I came to man's estate, With hey, ho, the wind and the rain, 'Gainst knave and thief men shut their gate, For the rain it raineth every day. But when I came, alas! to wive, A great while ago the world begun, 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 succeeding perplexity, though well enough contrived to divert on the stage, wants credibility, and fail to produce the proper instruction required in the dra ma, as it exhibits no just picture of life. JOHNSON. MEASURE FOR MEASURE. Vincentio, duke of Vienna. PERSONS REPRESENTED. Clown, servant to Mrs. Over-done. Abhorson, an executioner. Angelo, lord deputy in the duke's absence. Escalus, an ancient lord, joined with Angelo in Barnardine, a dissolute prisoner. the deputation. Claudio, a young gentleman. Lucio, a fantastic. Two other like gentlemen. Varrius, a gentleman, servant to the duke. Provost. Thomas, Peter, Ꮑ Justice. two friars. Elbow, a simple constable. Froth, a foolish gentleman. ACT I. SCENE I-An apartment in the Duke's palace. Enter Duke, Escalus, Lords, and attendants. ESCALUS, Escal. My lord. Duke. Duke. Of government the properties to unfold, For common justice, you are as pregnant2 in, I say, bid come before us Angelo. [Exit an attendant. What figure of us think you he will bear? For you must know, we have with special soul Elected him our absence to supply; Lent him our terror, drest him with our love; And given his deputation all the organs Of our own power: what think you of it? Escal. If any in Vienna be of worth To undergo such ample grace and honour, It is lord Angelo. Isabella, sister to Claudio. Mistress Over-done, a bawd. |Lords, gentlemen, guards, officers, and other attendants. Scene, Vienna. Thyself upon thy virtues, them on thee. As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd, But I do bend my speech In our remove, be thou at full ourself; Duke. No more evasion: We have with a leaven'd and prepared choice Proceeded to you; therefore take your honours. Our haste from hence is of so quick condition, That it prefers itself, and leaves unquestion'd' Matters of needful value. We shall write to you, As time and our concernings shall impórtune, How it goes with us; and do look to know What doth befall you here. So, fare you well: To the hopeful execution do I leave you Of your commissions. Ang. Yet, give leave, my lord, That we may bring you something on the way. Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand; But do not like to stage me to their eyes: |