то

[Duke s.

To Orl.

a

с

Orl. If there be truth in sight, you are my 'Rosalind !
Ros. I 'll have 'no father, if you be not he:-
I 'll have no 'husband, if 'you be not he:-

[. Nor ne'er wed 'woman, if you be not she. [Phebe. Duke S. O my dear niece, welcome thou art to me:

Even 'daughter welcome in no 'less degree. 'All the lovers are now made happy. Oliver receives the hand of the Princess Celia; and Phebe prudently puts-up with Silvius ; while Touchstone hopes for the best with his own Audrey. To crown their mutual congratulations, young Jacques de Bois—the brother of Oliver and Orlando-here enters, with important intelligence of Frederick the Usurping Duke : Jacq. de B. Let 'me have audience for a word or two.

I am the 'second son of old Sir Rowland,
That bring these tidings to this fair assembly. -
Duke Frederick, hearing how that every day
Men of great worth resorted to this Forest,
Addresseda mighty power,-intent to take
His brother here, and put him to the sword.
And to the 'skirts of this wild wood he came;
Where, meeting with an old religious man,
After some question with him, was converted
Both from his 'enterprise, and from the 'world;
His crown bequeathing to his banished brother,
And all their lands 'restored to them again,
That were with him exiled. This to be 'true
I do engage my

'life. Duke S.

Welcome, young man;
Thou offer'st fairly to thy brothers' wedding :
Meantime, 'forget this new-fall'no 'dignity,
And fall into our rustic 'revelry. -
Play, music! and you, brides and bridegrooms all,
With measure heaped in joy, to the measures fall.

Jaquez gravely advances :
Jaq. Sir, (Jacq.'de B.] by your patience.—If I heard you rightly,

The Duke hath put on a 'religious life,
And thrown into neglect the pompous Court?...
To'him will I: out of these convertites
There is much “matter” to be heard and learned.-
You [Dukes.] to your former honour I bequeath ;
Your patience, and your virtue, well deserve it:-

You [...] to a love, that your true faith doth merit:* prepared. b0. R. purposely.

to

to

to

You [01.] to your land, and love, and great allies :-
You [sic.] to a long and well-deservéd life:
And you [ro] 'to 'wrangling; for thy 'loving voyage
Is but for 'two months victualled.-So, to your pleas-

to

ures:

[Exit.

'I am for other than for 'dancing measures.
Duke S. Stay, Jaquez, stay.
Juq. To see no 'pastime, I:—what you would have,

I'll stay to know at your abandoned Cave.
Duke S. Proceed, proceed : we will 'begin these rites,

As we do trust they 'll 'end,—in true delights.
The play concludes with a rustic dance; and then the happy
Rosalind comes forward to speak the

EPILOGUE:

b

Ros. It is not the fashion to see the 'lady the 'epilogue;

but it is no more unhandsome than to see the 'lord the
'prologue. If it be true, that “Good wine needs no
bush, 't is true, that a good play needs no lepilogue:
Yet to good wine they do 'use good bushes; and good
plays prove the 'better by the help of good epilogues.
What a case am 'I in then,—that am neither a good
'epilogue, nor cannot insinuate with you in the behalf
of a good 'play? I am not 'furnished like a beggar,
therefore to 'beg will not become me: my way is, to
'conjure' you; and I'll begin with the 'women. I'charge
you, O 'women, for the love you bear to men, to like as
much of this play as please 'them: and I charge 'you,
O 'men, for the love you bear to women (as I perceive
by your simpering, none of you 'hate them), that the
play may please. If I were a 'woman,'I would 'kiss as
many of you as had beards that pleased me, complex-
ions that liked me, and breaths that I defied not; and
I am sure, as many as 'have good beards, or good faces,
or sweet breaths, will, for my kind offer, when I make
curtsey, bid me farewell.

TWELFTH-NIGHT:

OR, WHAT YOU WILL.

The Comedy of“ Twelfth-Night, or What You Will," is known to have been performed in the Middle Temple, London, at the Christmas festivities of 1602 ;b but its first appearance in print was in the folio of 1623.

The main plot is founded on one of the stories in Belleforest'so “Histoires Tragiques,” (1572,) and he, on his part, borrowed from the Italian novelist Bandello;d but as there is a similar story (“Apolonius and Silla") in Barnaby Riche's amusing “Collections, it is possible that Shakespeare read both, and followed neither. So much for the serious portion: the comic scenes of Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Ague-cheek, Malvolio, and the Clown, have no place in any of the original stories. Shakespeare appears, after selecting a slight plot, to have followed the recipe of Bandello :“ Item, a twin brother and sister; item, the sister in love, and becoming a Page in the service of him she loved; item, the Page sent as a messenger to the lady whom her master loved; item, the lady falling in love with the Page ; item, the lady meeting with the twin brother; item, all parties happily married":—for such, indeed, are the ingredients of this merry “old Christmas night symposium. To speak commercially—the Comedy is like our coinage; it consists mainly of paper currency, which merely “promisos,” but is intrinsically valueless; gold, a little alloyed; silver, deteriorated by a nondescript “white metal or spurious silver; and a large admixture of vulgar copper; but all fresh from the Master of the Mint, and acceptable as a legal “dramatic" tender.

* This Comedy was not entered in the “Stationers' Register :" but, on "Aug. 6, 1607,” there is the following: “Thos. Thorpe.) A Comedy called What You Will ”This play, having the second or sub-title of Shakespeare's, was written by John Marston, and printed for T. Thorpe in 1607.

b In the “ British Museum,” there is a MSS. autograph Diary (from 1601 to 1603) written by John Manningham (then a Student of the Middle Temple) which distinctly mentions this Com. dy's being performed at the Readers' Feast, on February 20, 1602, new style—“At our feast wee had a play called Twelve Night or What You Will, much like the Comedy of Errors, or Menechmis in Plautus, but most like & neere to that in Italian called inganni.? A good practise in it to make the steward beleeve his lady widdowes was in love with him, by counterfayting a lettre, as from his lady, in generall termes, telling him what shee liked best in him, & prescribing his gesture in smiling, his apparraile, &c., and then when he came to practise, making him beleeve they tooke him to be mad."

° F. de Belleforest, a French semi-historical writer, born 1530, died 1583. a Matteo Bandello, a French writer of fiction, died 1561.

e In 1581, Barnaby Riche published an amusing Collection of Tales-entitled “Riche his Farewell to the Militarie Profession," in which the story of “Apolonius and Silla” is reproduced.

f(or Ingannati.) Italian plays probably known to Shakespeare, as they bear some reseinblance to the serious parts of his Comedy.

8 This is a mistake: Olivia is not a widow, but is mourning for the death of her brother.

Clown, } Servants to Olivia.

The Characters in this Condensation are : ORSINO, Duke of Illyria..

MALVOLIO, Steward to Olivia. SEBASTIAN, Brother to Viola.

FABIAN ANTONIO, a Sea Captain, Friend

to Sebastian. A Sea Captain, Friend to Viola.

OLIVIA, a rich Countess. VALENTINE,

Gentlemen attendCURIO,

VIOLA, Sister to Sebastian. ing on the Duke. SIR TOBY BELOH, Uncle to Olivia.

Maria, Olivia's Waiting-Woman. SIR ANDREW AGUE-CHEEK, his Lords, a Priest, Sailors, Officers, “Chum."

Musicians, and Attendants.
Scene-A City in Illyria ;" and the Sea-coast near it.

Sebastian, and his sister Viola, are twins and orphans—who were so much alike that, but for their dress, they could not be distinguished. While making a sea-voyage together, they are shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria.

The captain of the ship, and a few of the escaped sailors, bring the fair Viola safely ashore. Endued not only with warm sisterly affection, but with romantic love-for, although the dramatist only hints at the fact, yet the older narrative makes it known—she has already given her affections (but without his solicitation) to a foreign nobleman; and, strange to say, she is now cast on his territory--a brotherless, helpless orphan; who may, in her need, be justified in resorting to many expedients, which, perhaps, under more happy circumstances, would not be approved.

Viola now stands before usb on the sea-shore-a shipwrecked maiden; but carefully attended by the captain of the ship, and by a couple of the sailors. She anxiously .nquires : Vio. What 'country, friends, is this? Cap.

This is Illyria, lady. Vio. And what should I do in 'Illyria?

My brother—he is in 'Elysium !
Perchance, he is 'not drowned :—what think you, sail-

ors ?

Cap. It is per chanced that you yourself were 'saved.
Vio. O my poor brother! And so, per-chance," may 'he be. .
Cap. True, madam: and, to 'comfort you with chance,

Assure yourself, after our ship did split,
(When you, and that poor

number 'saved with you, Hung on our drifting boat,) I saw your brother,

late;

Courage and Hope both teaching him the practice-
To a strong mast that lived upon the sea ;
Where, (like Arion on the dolphin's back,)
I saw him hold acquaintance with the waves,

So long as I could see.
Vio. Who governs here?
Cap. A 'noble Du

in nature as in name.
Vio. What 'is his name?
Cap.

Orsino.
Vio. Orsino? I have heard my 'father name him ;

He was a 'bachelor then.
Cap. And so is 'now, or 'was so very

For, but a month ago, I went from hence,
And then 't was fresh in murmur that he sought

The love of fair 'Olivia.
Vio.

What is she?
Cap. A virtuous maid,—the daughter of a Count

That died some twelvemonth since; 'then leaving her
In the protection of his son, (her brother,)
Who shortly 'also died; for whose dear loss,
They say, she hath abjured the company

And sight of 'men.
Vio.

0, that I 'served that lady! Cap. That were hard to compass;'

Because she will admit no 'kind of suit,

No, not the 'Duke's.
Vio. .. There is a fair 'behaviour in thee, Captain ;

And I believe, thou hast a 'mind that suits
With this thy fair and 'outward character.
I pray thee, -and I 'll pay thee bounteously,-
'Conceal me what I am; and be my aid
For such disguise, as, haply, shall become
The form of my intent. I'll serve this 'Duke :o
Thou shalt present me as a 'Page to him:
It may be worth thy pains; for I can sing,
And speak to him in 'many sorts of music,
That will allow' me very 'worth his service.
What 'else may hap,to 'time I will commit;
Only shape'thou thy 'silence to 'my 'wit.

: