Vio. There is a fair behaviour in thee, captain; And though that nature with a beauteous wall Doth oft close in pollution, yet of thee I will believe thou hast a mind that suits With this thy fair and outward character. I pr'ythee, (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; Thou shalt present me as an eunuch 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.

CAP. Be you his eunuch, and your mute I'll be: When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not see! Vio. I thank thee: lead me on.

[Exeunt.

take the death of her brother thus? I am sure care's an enemy to life.

MAR. By my troth, sir Toby, you must come in earlier o' nights; your cousin, my lady, takes great exceptions to your ill hours.

SIR TO. Why, let her except before excepted. MAR. Ay, but you must confine yourself within the modest limits of order.

SIR TO. Confine! I'll confine myself no finer than I am these clothes are good enough to drink in, and so be these boots too:-an they be not, let them hang themselves in their own straps.

MAR. That quaffing and drinking will undo you: I heard my lady talk of it yesterday; and of a foolish knight that you brought in one night here to be her wooer.

SIR TO. Who? Sir Andrew Aguecheek?
MAR. Ay, he.

SIR TO. He's as tall a man as any's in Illyria.
MAR. What's that to the purpose?

SIR TO. Why, he has three thousand ducats a year.

MAR. Ay, but he'll have but a year in all these ducats; he's a very fool and a prodigal.

licentious speaker; and a tall man of his trencher, a hearty feeder."-GIFFORD,

SIR TO. Fie, that you'll say so! he plays o' the viol-de-gamboys,(1) and speaks three or four languages word for word without book, and hath all the good gifts of nature.

MAR. He hath, indeed,-almost natural: for, besides that he's a fool, he's a great quarreller; and, but that he hath the gift of a coward to allay the gust he hath in quarrelling, 'tis thought among the prudent, he would quickly have the gift of a

grave.

SIR TO. By this hand, they are scoundrels and substractors, that say so of him. Who are they? MAR. They that add moreover, he's drunk nightly in your company.

SIR TO. With drinking healths to my niece; I'll drink to her, as long as there is a passage in my throat and drink in Illyria. He's a coward, and a coystril, that will not drink to my niece,

a Coystril,-] A mean groom or peasant; derived, it is thought, from the Low Latin, Coterellus.

b Castiliano vulgo;] Warburton proposed, "Castiliano-volto,

till his brains turn o' the toe like a parish-top. (2 What, wench! Castiliano vulgo; for here comes sir Andrew Agueface.

Enter Sir ANDREW AGUECHEEK.

SIR AND. Sir Toby Belch! how now, sir Toby Belch !

SIR TO. Sweet sir Andrew!
SIR AND. Bless you, fair shrew.
MAR. And you too, sir.

SIR To. Accost, sir Andrew, accost.
SIR AND. What's that?

SIR TO. My niece's chamber-maid.

SIR AND. Good mistress Accost, I desire better acquaintance.

MAR. My name is Mary, sir.

SIR AND. Good mistress Mary Accost,-

put on your Castilian, that is, your grave looks; " but Maria appears already to have been more serious than suited Sir Toby's humour.

MAR. Fare you well, gentlemen.

SIR To. An thou let part so, sir Andrew, would thou might'st never draw sword again.

SIR AND. An you part so, mistress, I would I might never draw sword again. Fair lady, do you think you have fools in hand?

MAR. Sir, I have not you by the hand.

SIR AND. Marry, but you shall have, and here's my hand.

MAR. Now, sir, thought is free: I pray you, bring your hand to the buttery-bar, (3) and let it drink.

SIR AND. Wherefore, sweet heart? what's your metaphor ?

MAR. It's dry, sir."

SIR AND. Why, I think so: I am not such an ass, but I can keep my hand dry. But what's your jest?

MAR. A dry jest, sir.

SIR AND. Are you full of them?

MAR. Ay, sir; I have them at my fingers' ends: marry, now I let go your hand, I am [Exit MARIA.

barren.

It's dry, sir.] As a moist hand was commonly accounted to denote an amatory disposition, a dry one was considered symptomatic of debility.

SIR TO. O knight, thou lack'st a cup of canary: when did I see thee so put down?

SIR AND. Never in your life, I think, unless you see canary put me down. Methinks sometimes I have no more wit than a Christian or an ordinary man has but I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit.

SIR To. No question.

SIR AND. An I thought that, I'd forswear it. I'll ride home to morrow, sir Toby.

SIR To. Pourquoi, my dear knight?

SIR AND. What is pourquoi ? do or not do? I would I had bestowed that time in the tongues, that I have in fencing, dancing, and bear-baiting: O, had I but followed the arts!

SIR TO. Then hadst thou had an excellent head of hair.

SIR AND. Why, would that have mended my hair?

SIR To. Past question; for thou seest, it will not curl by nature.

SIR AND. But it becomes me well enough, does 't not?

SIR TO. Excellent! it hangs like flax on a distaff; and I hope to see a huswife take thee between her legs and spin it off.

SIR AND. Faith, I'll home to-morrow, sir Toby your niece will not be seen; or if she be,

b It will not curl by nature.] The old text reads, it will not cool my nature. Corrected by Theobald.

it's four to one she'll none of me; the count himself, here hard by, wooes her.

SIR To. She'll none o' the count; she'll not match above her degree, neither in estate, years, nor wit; I have heard her swear't. Tut, there's life in't, man.

SIR AND. I'll stay a month longer. I am a fellow o' the strangest mind i' the world; I delight in masques and revels sometimes altogether.

SIR TO. Art thou good at these kick-shaws, knight?

SIR AND. As any man in Illyria, whatsoever he be, under the degree of my betters; and yet I will not compare with an old man.

SIR TO. What is thy excellence? in a galliard, knight?

SIR AND. Faith, I can cut a caper.

SIR To. And I can cut the mutton to 't. SIR AND. And I think I have the back-trick, simply as strong as any man in Illyria.

SIR TO. Wherefore are these things hid? wherefore have these gifts a curtain before 'em? are they like to take dust, like mistress Mall's picture? (4) why dost thou not go to church in a galliard, and come home in a coranto? My very walk should be a jig; I would not so much as make water, but in a sink-a-pace. What dost thou mean? is it a world to hide virtues in? I did think, by the excellent constitution of thy leg, it was formed under the star of a galliard.

SIR AND. Ay, 'tis strong, and it does indifferent well in a flame-coloured* stock. Shall we set about some revels?

SIR TO. What shall we do else? were we not born under Taurus?

SIR AND. Taurus? that'st sides and heart. SIR To. No, sir; it is legs and thighs. Let me see thee caper: ha! higher: ha, ha!—excellent! [Exeunt.

Enter DUKE, CURIO, and Attendants. DUKE. Who saw Cesario, ho?

VIO. On your attendance, my lord; here. DUKE. Stand you awhile aloof.-Cesario, Thou know'st no less but all; I have unclasp'd To thee the book even of my secret soul: Therefore, good youth, address thy gait unto her; Be not denied access, stand at her doors, And tell them, there thy fixed foot shall grow, Till thou have audience.

VIO.

Sure, my noble lord, If she be so abandon'd to her sorrow As it is spoke, she never will admit me. DUKE. Be clamorous, and leap all civil bounds, Rather than make unprofited return.

[then? Vio. Say, I do speak with her, my lord, what DUKE. O, then unfold the passion of my love, Surprise her with discourse of my dear faith: It shall become thee well to act my woes; She will attend it better in thy youth, Than in a nuncio* of more grave aspect. VIO. I think not so, my lord.

DUKE.

Dear lad, believe it;
For they shall yet belie thy happy years,
That say thou art a man: Diana's lip
Is not more smooth and rubious; thy small pipe
Is as the maiden's organ, shrill, and sound,
And all is semblative a woman's part.

I know thy constellation is right apt
For this affair:—some four or five attend him ;
All, if you will; for I myself am best,
When least in company: prosper well in this,
And thou shalt live as freely as thy lord,
To call his fortunes thine.
VIO.

I'll do my best,

To woo your lady: yet, [Aside.] a barful strife! Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his wife.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.-A Room in Olivia's House.

Enter MARIA and Clown.(5)

MAR. Nay, either tell me where thou hast been, or I will not open my lips so wide as a bristle may enter, in way of thy excuse: my lady will hang thee for thy absence.

CLO. Let her hang me: he, that is well hanged in this world, needs to fear no colours." MAR. Make that good.

CLO. He shall see none to fear.

(*) Old copy, nuntio's.

and in other instances of this "skipping dialogue," is lost

to us.

MAR. A good lenten* answer: I can tell thee where that saying was born, of, I fear no colours. CLO. Where, good mistress Mary?

MAR. In the wars; and that may you be bold to say in your foolery.

CLO. Well, God give them wisdom that have it; and those that are fools, let them use their talents.

MAR. Yet you will be hanged for being so long absent; or, to be turned away,-is not that as good as a hanging to you?

CLO. Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage; and, for turning away, let summer bear

it out.

MAR. You are resolute, then?

CLO. Not so neither, but I am resolved on two points.

MAR. That, if one break, the other will hold; or, if both break, your gaskins fall.

CLO. Apt, in good faith; very apt! Well, go thy way; if sir Toby would leave drinking, thou wert as witty a piece of Eve's flesh as any in Illyria.

MAR. Peace, you rogue, no more o' that. Here comes my lady: make your excuse wisely, you were best. [Exit.

CLO. Wit, and 't be thy will, put me into good fooling! Those wits, that think they have thee, do very oft prove fools; and I, that am sure I lack thee, may pass for a wise man for what says Quinapalus? Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.

Enter OLIVIA, MALVOLIO, and Attendants.

God bless thee, lady!

OLI. Take the fool away.

CLO. Do you not hear, fellows? take away the lady.

OLI. Go to, you're a dry fool; I'll no more of you: besides, you grow dishonest.

CLO. Two faults, madonna, that drink and good counsel will amend: for give the dry fool drink, then is the fool not dry; bid the dishonest man mend himself; if he mend, he is no longer dishonest; if he cannot, let the botcher mend him : any thing that's mended is but patched: virtue that transgresses is but patched with sin; and sin that amends is but patched with virtue. If that this simple syllogism will serve, so; if it will not,

(*) Old copy, lenton.

Or, if both [points] break, your gaskins fall.] See note (e), p. 250, Vol. I.

b That's as much to say as,-] In modern editions this is usually printed in conformity with modern construction,"That's as much as to say;" but the form in the text was not uncommon in old language" And yet it is said,-labour in thy vocation; which is as much to say as," &c.-" Henry VI." (Part VOL. II.

241

what remedy? As there is no true cuckold but. calamity, so beauty's a flower. The lady bade take away the fool; therefore, I say again, take her away.

OLI. Sir, I bade them take away you.

CLO. Misprision in the highest degree!-Lady, Cucullus non facit monachum; that's as much to say as, I wear not motley in my brain. Good madonna, give me leave to prove you a fool. OLI. Can you do it?

CLO. Dexterously, good madonna.
OLI. Make your proof.

CLO. I must catechize you for it, madonna; good my mouse of virtue, answer me.

OLI. Well, sir, for want of other idleness, I'll bide your proof.

CLO. Good madonna, why mournest thou? OLI. Good fool, for my brother's death. CLO. I think his soul is in hell, madonna. OLI. I know his soul is in heaven, fool. CLO. The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen.

OLI. What think you of this fool, Malvolio? doth he not mend?

MAL. Yes, and shall do till the pangs of death shake him: infirmity, that decays the wise, doth ever make the better fool.

CLO. God send you, sir, a speedy infirmity, for the better increasing your folly! Sir Toby will be sworn that I am no fox; but he will not pass his word for two pence that you are no fool.

OLI. How say you to that, Malvolio?

MAL. I marvel your ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal; I saw him put down the other day with an ordinary fool, that has no more brain than a stone. Look you now, he's out of his guard already; unless you laugh and minister occasion to him, he is gagged. I protest, I take these wise men, that crow so at these set kind of fools, no better than the fools' zanies,

OLI. O, you are sick of self-love, Malvolio, and taste with a distempered appetite. To be generous, guiltless, and of free disposition, is to take those things for bird-bolts, that you deem cannon-bullets: there is no slander in an allowed fool, though he do nothing but rail; nor no railing in a known discreet man, though he do nothing but reprove.

CLO. Now Mercury endue thee with leasing, for thou speakest well of fools.

d