DRAMATIS PERSONE.

ORSINO, duke of Illyria.

SEBASTIAN, a young gentleman, brother to Viola.
ANTONIO, a fea-captain, friend to Sebastian.

VALENTINE,

CURIO,

Gentlemen, attending on the duke.

Sir TOBY BELCH, uncle to Olivia.

Sir ANDREW AGUE-CHEEK, a foolish knight, pretending

A Sea-captain, friend to Viola.

FABIAN, fervant to Olivia.

MALVOLIO, a fantastical steward to Olivia.

CLOWN, fervant to Olivia.

OLIVIA, a lady of great beauty and fortune, belov'd by the

duke.

VIOLA, in love with the duke.

MARIA, Olivia's woman.

Prieft, failors, officers, and other attendants.

SCENE, A city on the coaft of Illyria.

O R,

WHAT YOU WILL

ACT I.

SCENE I.

IF

The PALACE.

Enter the Duke, Curio, and lords.

DUKE.

mufick be the food of love, play on;

Give me excess of it; that surfeiting,

The appetite may ficken, and fo die.

That strain again;—it had a dying fall:

O! it came o'er my ear, like the sweet south,
That breathes upon a bank of violets,

Stealing and giving odour. Enough !—no more;
'Tis not so sweet now, as it was before.

O fpirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou!

That, notwithstanding thy capacity
Receiveth as the fea, nought enters there,
Of what validity and pitch foe'er,

But falls into abatement and low price,

Even in a minute; fo full of shapes in fancy,
That it alone is high fantastical.

CUR. Will you go hunt, my lord?
DUKE. What, Curio?

CUR. The hart.

VOL. II.

DUKE. Why, fo I do, the noblest that I have :
O, when my eyes did fee Olivia first,
Methought, fhe purg'd the air of peftilence;
That inftant was I turn'd into a hart,
And my defires, like fell and cruel hounds,

Ever fince purfue me.

How now, what news from her?

Enter Valentine.

VAL. So please my lord, I might not be admitted,
But from her hand-maid do return this answer:
The element itself, 'till feven years hence,
Shall not behold her face at ample view;
But, like a cloystress, she will veiled walk,
And water once a day her chamber round
With eye-offending brine: all this to feafon
A brother's dead love, which she would keep fresh
And lasting in her fad remembrance.

DUKE. O, fhe, that hath a heart of that fine frame,
Το pay this debt of love but to a brother,

How will the love, when the rich golden fhaft

Hath kill'd the flock of all affections elfe

That live in her? when liver, brain, and heart,
These fov'reign thrones, are all supply'd, and fill'd,
Her sweet perfections, with one felt-fame king!
Away before me to fweet beds of flowers;
Love-thoughts lye rich, when canopy'd with bowers, [Exe.

SCENE IL. The street.

Enter Viola, a captain and failors.

Vio. What country, friends, is this?

CAP. Illyria, lady.

Vio. And what should I do in Illyria ?

My brother he is in Elyfium.

Perchance he is not drown'd: what think you, failors?
CAP. It is perchance, that you yourself were fav'd.
Vio. O my poor brother! fo, perchance, may he be.
CAP. True, madam; and to comfort you with chance,
Affure yourself, after our ship did split,

When you, and that poor number fav'd with you,
Hung on our driving boat: I faw your brother,
Most provident in peril, bind himself

(Courage and hope both teaching him the practice)
To a strong maft, that liv'd upon the fea;
Where, like Arion on the dolphin's back,
I faw him hold acquaintance with the waves,
So long as I could fee.

Vro. For faying fo, there's gold.

Mine own escape unfoldeth to my hope,
Whereto thy fpeech ferves for authority,
The like of him. Know'ft thou this country ?

CAP. Ay, madam, well; for I was bred and bora

Not three hours travel from this very place.

VIO. Who governs here?

CAP. A noble duke in nature, as in name.
V10. What is his name?

CAP. Orfino.

Vio. Orfino! I have heard my father name him: He was a batchelor then.

CAP. And fo is now, or was fo very

late;

For but a month ago I went from hence,
And then 'twas fresh in murmur (as you know,
What great ones do, the lefs will prattle of)

That he did feek the love of fair Olivia,

Vio. What's they

CAP. A virtuous maid, the daughter of a count,
That dy'd fome twelve months fince, then leaving her
In the protection of his fon, her brother,

Who fhortly alfo dy'd; for whose dear love,
They fay, the hath abjur'd the fight

And company of men.

VIO. O, that I ferv'd that lady,

And might not be deliver'd to the world,
'Till I had made mine own occafion mellow
What my estate is !

CAP. That were hard to compass;

Because the will admit no kind of fuit,

No, not the duke's.

Vio. There is a fair behaviour in thee, captain;
And tho' that nature with a beauteous wall
Doth oft close in pollution; yet of thee,
I will believe, thou hast a mind that fuits
With this thy fair and outward character:
I pr'ythee, and I'll pay the bounteously,
Conceal me what I am, and be my aid
For fuch difguife as, haply, fhall become
The form of my intent. I'll ferve this duke;
Thou shalt prefent me as an eunuch to him,
It may be worth thy pains; for I can fing,
And speak to him in many forts of mufick,
That will allow me very worth his service,
What elfe may hap, to time I will commit;
Only shape thou thy filence to my wit.

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

[Exeunt