Vio. Art thou a churchman? Clo. No such matter, sir: I do live by the church; for I do live at my house, and my house doth stand by the church. Vio. So thou may'st say, the king lies by a beggar1, if a beggar dwell near him; or, the church stands by thy tabor, if thy tabor stand by the church. Clo. You have said, sir.-To see this age!-A sentence is but a cheveril gloves to a good wit: how quickly the wrong side may be turned outward! Vio. Nay, that's certain: they, that dally nicely with words, may quickly make them wanton. sir. Clo. I would therefore, my sister had had no name, Vio. Why, man? Clo. Why, sir, her name's a word; and to dally with that word, might make my sister wanton. But, indeed, words are very rascals, since bonds disgraced them. Vio. Thy reason, man? Clo. Troth, sir, I can yield you none without words; and words are grown so false, I am loath to prove reason with them. Vio. I warrant thou art a merry fellow, and carest for nothing. Clo. Not so, sir, I do care for something; but in my conscience, sir, I do not care for you: if that be to care for nothing, sir, I would it would make you invisible. Vio. Art not thou the lady Olivia's fool? Clo. No, indeed, sir; the lady Olivia has no folly: she will keep no fool, sir, till she be married; and fools 4 the king LIES by a beggar,] Ought we not to read lives, the letter having dropped out in the press. 5 but a CHEVERIL glove-] i. e. a kid glove, from the French cherreau. It is a word of ancient use in our language, and occurs in the Coventry Plays, p. 241, edit. Halliwell. We meet with it also in the old interlude of "Jacob and Esau," which was printed in 1568, "O! ye rent my chererell : let me be past my paine." are as like husbands, as pilchards are to herrings, the husband's the bigger. I am, indeed, not her fool, but her corrupter of words. Vio. I saw thee late at the count Orsino's. Clo. Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb, like the sun: it shines every where. I would be sorry, sir, but the fool should be as oft with your master, as with my mistress: I think I saw your wisdom there. Vio. Nay, an thou pass upon me, I'll no more with thee. Hold; there's expenses for thee. Clo. Now Jove, in his next commodity of hair, send thee a beard. Vio. By my troth, I'll tell thee: I am almost sick for one, though I would not have it grow on my chin. Is thy lady within? Clo. Would not a pair of these have bred, sir? Vio. Yes, being kept together, and put to use. Clo. I would play lord Pandarus of Phrygia, sir, to bring a Cressida to this Troilus. Vio. I understand you, sir: 'tis well begg'd. Clo. The matter, I hope, is not great, sir, begging but a beggar: Cressida was a beggar'. My lady is within, sir. I will construe to them whence you come; who you are, and what you would, are out of my welkin: I might say element, but the word is overworn 8. [Exit. Vio. This fellow's wise enough to play the fool, He must observe their mood on whom he jests, 6 Would not a pair of these have bred, sir?] Meaning a couple of pieces of money, instead of one only, which Viola had given him. 7 Cressida was a beggar.] Malone appositely quotes the following passage, from Chaucer's "Testament of Creseyde," "great penurye Thou suffer shalt, and as a beggar dye." The poet is speaking of Cressida. 8 but the word is over-worn.] By the affected use of it; in the same way that Armado, in "Love's Labour's Lost," Vol. ii. p. 312, uses "welkin." And, like the haggard', check at every feather For folly, that he wisely shows, is fit, But wise men's folly fall'n quite taints their wit1o. Sir To. Save you, gentleman. Vio. And you, sir. Sir And. Dieu vous garde, monsieur. Vio. Et vous aussi : votre serviteur. Sir And. I hope, sir, you are; and I am yours. Sir To. Will you encounter the house? my niece is desirous you should enter, if your trade be to her. Vio. I am bound to your niece, sir: I mean, she is the list of my voyage". Sir To. Taste your legs, sir: put them to motion. Vio. My legs do better understand me, sir, than I understand what you mean by bidding me taste my legs. Sir To. I mean, to go, sir, to enter. Vio. I will answer you with gait and entrance. But we are prevented. Enter OLIVIA and MARIA. Most excellent accomplished lady, the heavens rain odours on you! Sir And. That youth's a rare courtier. odours!" well. "Rain 9 — like the HAGGARD,] A haggard is a wild or untrained hawk, which flies at all birds without distinction. See Vol. ii. p. 224, note 1. 10 But wise men's folly fall'n quite taints their wit.] This is the old and correct reading, which Heath thus explains :-" But wise men's folly, when once it is fallen into extravagance, overpowers their discretion." Malone reads, "But wise men, folly-fallen, quite taint their wit." 11 - she is the LIST of my voyage.] Viola follows up Sir Toby's figure of a trading voyage, and says that she is bound to Olivia, who is the limit (or list) of her expedition. We have "lists" in the sense of bounds or limits in the opening of "Measure for Measure,” Vol. ii. p. 7, note 2. Vio. My matter hath no voice, lady, but to your own most pregnant and vouchsafed ear'. Sir And. "Odours," "pregnant," and "vouchsafed:" -I'll get 'em all three all ready2. Oli. Let the garden door be shut, and leave me to my hearing. [Exeunt Sir TOBY, Sir ANDREW, and MARIA. Give me your hand, sir. Vio. My duty, madam, and most humble service. Vio. Cesario is your servant's name, fair princess. Vio. And he is yours, and his must needs be yours: Your servant's servant is your servant, madaın. Oli. For him, I think not on him: for his thoughts, 'Would they were blanks, rather than fill'd with me! Vio. Madam, I come to whet your gentle thoughts On his behalf.— Oli. O! by your leave, I pray you : I bade you never speak again of him ; I had rather hear you to solicit that, Vio. Dear lady, Oli. Give me leave, 'beseech you. I did send, After the last enchantment you did here, A ring in chase of you: so did I abuse Myself, my servant, and, I fear me, you. 66 1- to your own most PREGNANT and vouchsafed ear.] i. e. Ready or prepared ear as in "Measure for Measure" we have "pregnant," p. 7, and unpregnant," p. 85, for ready and unready. -I'll get 'em all three all ready.] This is Malone's reading, or rather Malone's construction of the old reading, where it stands, "I'll get them all three already." Possibly Sir Andrew pulled out his table-book, or memorandumbook, and wrote down the words, meaning that he would "get them all three all ready" for use on some future occasion. Under your hard construction must I sit, To force that on you, in a shameful cunning, Which you knew none of yours: what might you think? Have you not set mine honour at the stake, ceiving To one of your re Enough is shown; a cyprus, not a bosom, Hides my heart3. So, let me hear you speak. Oli. That's a degree to love. Vio. No, not a grise1; for 'tis a vulgar proof, That very oft we pity enemies. Oli. Why then, methinks, 'tis time to smile again. O world, how apt the poor are to be proud! [Clock strikes. If one should be a prey, how much the better There lies your way, due west. Vio. Then westward ho! Grace, and good disposition 'tend your ladyship. Hides my heart :] Meaning, that her heart may be as easily seen as if it were covered only with a cyprus veil, and not with flesh and blood. 4 not a GRISE ;] i.e. not a step: from the Fr. grez. The word occurs again in "Timon of Athens," A. iv. sc. 3 : "for every grise of fortune Is smooth'd by that below." We also meet with it in "Othello." 5 Then westward ho!] This was one of the exclamations of the watermen on the Thames; and, used in this way, it is met with as a stage-direction in Peele's "Famous Chronicle of Edward I.," printed in 1593 and 1599:-" Make a noise, Westward Ho!" when the Queen is about to embark on the river at "Potter's Hive." Webster and Dekker wrote two plays, under the titles of "Westward ho" and "Northward ho." See Dyce's Webster's Works, Vol. iii. Jonson, Marston, and Chapman, wrote a comedy called "Eastward ho." |