Fab. What dish o' poison has she dress'd him!

Sir To. And with what wing the staniel1 checks at it!

Mal. "I may command where I adore." Why, she may command me: I serve her; she is my lady. Why, this is evident to any formal capacity; there is no obstruction in this: and the end,-what should that alphabetical position portend? If I could make that resemble something in me, . . . Softly! M, 0, A, I. Sir To. O, ay, make up that: he is now at a cold scent.

Fab. Sowter2 will cry upon 't, for all this, though it be as rank as a fox.

Mal. M,-Malvolio; M,-why, that begins my name.

Fab. Did not I say he would work it out? the cur is excellent at faults.3

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Mal. M, O, A, I: this simulation is not as the former; and yet, to crush this a little, it would bow to me, for every one of these letters are in my name. Soft! here follows prose.

[Reads] "If this fall into thy hand, revolve. In my stars I am above thee; but be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em. Thy Fates open their hands; let thy blood and spirit embrace them: and, to inure thyself to what thou art like to be, cast thy humble slough, and appear fresh. Be opposite with a kinsman, surly with servants; let thy tongue tang 5 arguments of state; put thyself into the trick of singularity: she thus advises thee that sighs for thee. Remember who commended thy yellow stockings, and wished to see thee ever cross-garter'd: I say, remember. Go to, thou art made, if thou desirest to be so; if not, let me see

thee a steward still, the fellow of servants, and not worthy to touch Fortune's fingers. Farewell. She that would alter services with thee,

THE FORTUNATE-UNHAPPY." Daylight and champaign discover not more: this is open. I will be proud, I will read politic authors, I will baffle Sir Toby, I will wash off gross acquaintance, I will be pointdevise the very man. I do not now fool myself, to let imagination jade7 me; for every reason excites to this, that my lady loves me. She did commend my yellow stockings of late, she did praise my leg being cross-garter'd; and in this she manifests herself to my love, and with a kind of injunction drives me to these habits of her liking. I thank my stars, I am happy. I will be strange, stout,8 in yellow stockings, and cross-garter'd, even with the swiftness of putting on. Jove and my stars be praised! Here is yet a postscript. [Reads] "Thou canst not choose but know who I am. If thou entertain'st my love, let it appear in thy smiling: thy smiles become thee well; therefore in my presence still smile, dear my sweet, I prithee." Jove, I thank thee! I will smile; I will do everything that thou wilt have me. [Exit.

Fab. I will not give my part of this sport for a pension of thousands to be paid from the Sophy.9

Sir To. I could marry this wench for this device.

Sir And. So could I too.

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• Point-devise, precisely.

Jade, i.e. make me appear like a jade, ridiculous.

8 Strange, stout, distant and proud.

Sophy, i.e. Sufi, Shah of Persia.

10 Tray-trip, a game at dice.

Enter VIOLA, and CLOWN with a tabor.
Vio. Save thee, friend, and thy music!
Dost thou live by thy tabor?

Clo. No, sir, I live by the church.
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 mayst say, the king lies by a beggar, if a beggar dwell near him; or, the church stands by thy tabor, if thy tabor stand by the church.

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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 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.

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Vio. I saw thee late at the Count Orsino's.

Clo. Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb like the sun, it shines everywhere. 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 upon3 me, I'll no more with thee. Hold, there's expenses for thee. [Gives him a piece of money. Clo. Now Jove, in his next commodity of hair, send thee a beard!

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what you would are out of my welkin; I might say element, but the word is over-worn. [Exit. Vio. This fellow's wise enough to play the fool,

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And to do that well craves a kind of wit:
He must observe their mood on whom he jests,
The quality of persons, and the time,
Not, like the haggard, check at every feather
That comes before his eye. This is a practice
As full of labour as a wise man's art:
For folly, that he wisely shows, is fit,
But wise men, folly-fall'n, quite taint their wit.
Enter SIR TOBY BELCH and SIR ANDREW
AGUECHEEK.

Sir To. Save you, gentleman.

Vio. And you, sir.

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. [Aside] That youth's a rare courtier: "Rain odours;" well.

Vio. My matter hath no voice, lady, but to your own most pregnant and vouchsafed ear.

Sir And. [Aside] “Odours,” “pregnant " and "vouchsafed:" I'll get 'em all three all ready.

Oli. Let the garden door be shut, and leave

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: 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 And baited it with all the unmuzzled thoughts That tyrannous heart can think? To one of your receiving 9

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