Enter the Clown with a Letter, and Fabian.

4

A most extracting frenzy of mine own
From my remembrance clearly banish'd his.
How does he, firrah?

Clo. Truly, Madam, he holds Belzebub at the stave's end, as well as a man in his cafe may do: h'as here writ a letter to you, I fhould have given't you to-day morning. But as a mad-man's epiftles are no gofpels, so it skills not much, when they are deliver'd.

Oli. Open't, and read it.

Clo. Look then to be well edify'd, when the fool delivers the mad-man-By the Lord, Madam.-[Reads. Oli. How now, art mad?

Clo. No, Madam, I do but read madness: an your Ladyship will have it as it ought to be, you must allow Vox.

Oli. Pr'ythee, read it, i'thy right wits.

Clo. So I do, Madona; but to read his right wits, is to read thus therefore perpend, my princefs, and give ear.

Oli. Read it you, Sirrah.

[To Fabian. Fab. [Reads] By the Lord, Madam, you wrong me, and the world fhall know it: though you have put me into darkness, and given your drunken Uncle rule over me, yet have I the benefit of my fenfes as well as your Ladyfhip. I have your own Letter, that induced me to the Semblance I put on, with the which I doubt not, but to do myself much right, or you much shame: think of me, as you pleafe: I leave my duty a little unthought of, and Speak out of my injury. The madly us'd Malvolio.

Oli. Did he write this?
Clo. Ay, Madam.

4 A most extracting frenzy-] i. e. A frenzy that drew me away

from every thing but its own object.

WARBURTON.

Duke.

Duke. This favours not much of distraction.

Oli. See him deliver'd, Fabian, bring him hither. My Lord, fo please you, these things further thoughton, To think me as well a fifter as a wife;

One day fhall crown th' alliance on't, so please you, Here at my house, and at my proper cost.

Duke. Madam, I am moft apt t'embrace your offer. Your mafter quits you; and for your fervice done him, So much against the metal of your fex, [To Viola. So far beneath your foft and tender breeding; And fince you call'd me mafter for fo long, Here is my hand, you fhall from this time be Your master's mistress.

Duke. Is this the mad-man ?

Oli. Ay, my Lord, this fame: how now, Malvolio? Mal. Madam, you have done me wrong, notorious wrong.

Oli. Have I, Malvolio? no.

Mal. Lady, you have; pray you, perufe that Letter.
You must not now deny it is your hand.
Write from it if you can, in hand or phrase;
Or fay, 'tis not your feal, nor your invention 1;
You can fay none of this. Well, grant it then,
And tell me in the modefty of honour,

Why you have given me fuch clear lights of favour,
Bade me come fmiling, and crofs-garter'd to you,
To put on yellow ftockings, and to frown
Upon Sir Toby and the lighter people :
And acting this in an obedient hope,
Why have you fuffer'd me to be imprifon'd,
Kept in a dark houfe, vifited by the prieft,

lighter People of lefs dignity or importance.

And

And made the most notorious geck', and gull,
That e'er invention play'd on? tell me, why?
Oli. Alas, Malvolio, this is not my writing,
Tho' I confefs, much like the character:
But, out of queftion, 'tis Maria's hand.
And now I do bethink me, it was fhe

First told me, thou waft mad; then cam'ft thou fmil ing,

And in fuch forms which here were prefuppos'd'
Upon thee in the letter: pr'ythee, be content;
This practice hath moft fhrewdly past upon thee;
But when we know the grounds and authors of it,
Thou shalt be both the plaintiff and the judge
Of thine own caufe..

Fab. Good Madam, hear me speak;

And let no quarrel, nor no brawl to come,
Taint the condition of this present hour,
Which I have wonder'd at. In hope it shall not,
Moft freely I confefs, myself and Sir Toby
Set this device against Malvolio here,
Upon some stubborn and uncourteous parts
We had conceiv'd against him. Maria writ
The letter, at Sir Toby's great importance;
In recompence whereof, he hath married her.
How with a sportful malice it was follow'd,
May rather pluck on laughter than revenge;
If that the injuries be juftly weigh'd,
That have on both fides paft.

Oli. Alas, poor fool! how have they baffled thee? Clo. Why, fome are born great, fome atchieve greatnefs, and fome have greatness thrust 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 madbut do you remember, Madam,-why laugh you at

5-geck-] A fool.
here were prefup-

pos'd] Prefuppos'd, for impofed. WARBURTON.

Juch

fuch a barren rafcal? an you fmile not, he's gagg'd: and
thus the whirl-gigg of time brings in his revenges.
Mal. I'll be reveng'd on the whole pack of you.
[Exit.

Oli. He hath been moft notoriously abus'd.
Duke. Pursue him, and intreat him to a peace:
He hath not told us of the captain yet;
When that is known, and golden time convents,
A folemn combination fhall be made

Of our dear fouls. Mean time, sweet fifter,
We will not part from hence.-Cefario, come;
(For fo you fhall be, while you are a man ;)
But when in other habits you are seen,
Orfino's mistress, and his fancy's Queen.

Clown fings.

When that I was a little tiny boy,
With bey, bo, the wind and the rain:
Afoolish thing was but a toy,

For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I came to man's eftate,

With bey, bo, &c.

'Gainft knaves and thieves men fhut their

For the rain, &c.

But when I came, alas! to wive,

With bey, bo, &c.

By fwaggering could I never thrive,

For the rain, &c.

But when I came unto my beds,

With bey, bo, &c.

With tofs pots still bad drunken beads,
For the rain, &c.

[Exeunt.

gale,

A great

A great while ago the world begun,
With bey, bo, &c.

But that's all one, our play is done
And we'll strive to please you every day. [Exit.