Enter Malvolio. MAL. Madam, yond young fellow fwears he will speak with you. I told him, you were fick; he takes on him to understand so much, and therefore he comes to speak with you. I told him you were asleep; he feems to have a foreknowledge of that too, and therefore comes to speak with you. What is to be faid to him, Lady; he is fortified against any denial. OLI. Tell him, he fhall not fpeak with me. MAL. He has been told fo; and he fays, he'll ftand at your door like a fheriff's poft, and be the fupporter to a bench, but he'll speak with you. OLI. What kind o' man is he? MAL. Why, of mankind. OLI. What manner of man! MAL. Of very ill manners; he'll speak with you, will you or no. OLI. Of what perfonage and years is he? MAL. Not yet old enough for a man, nor young enough for a boy; as a fquash is before 'tis a peafcod, or a codling when it is almost an apple: 'tis with him in ftanding water, between boy and man. He is very well favour'd, and he speaks very fhrewifhly; one would think, his mother's milk were scarce out of him. OLI. Let him approach: call in my gentlewoman. SCENE IX. Enter Maria. [Exit, OLI. Give me my veil: come, throw it o'er my face; we'll once more hear Orfino's embassy. Enter Viola. Vio. The honourable lady of the house, which is the ? OLI. Speak to me, I fhall answer for her: your will: Vio. Most radiant, exquifite, and unmatchable beauty -I pray you, tell me, if this be the lady of the house, for I never faw her. I would be leth to caft away my fpeech; for, befides that it is excellently well penn'd, I have taken great pains to con it. Good beauties, let me sustain no fcorn; I am very comptible, even to the least finister ufage. OLI. Whence came you, fir? VIO. I can fay little more than that I have studied, and that question's out of my part. Good gentle one, give me modest assurance, if you be the lady of the house, that I may proceed in my speech. OLI. Are you a comedian? Vio. No, my profound heart; and yet, by the very fangs of malice, I swear, I am not that I play. Are you the lady of the house? OLI. If I do not ufurp myself, I am. Vio. Most certain, if you are she, you do ufurp yourself; for what is yours to bestow, is not yours to referve; but this is from my commiffion. I will on with my speech in your praise, and then fhew you the heart of my message. OLI. Come to what is important in't; I forgive you the praise. Vio. Alas, I took great pains to study it, and 'tis poetical. OLI. It is the more like to be feign'd. I pray you to keep it in. I heard you were fawcy at my gates; and I allowed your approach, rather to wonder at you than to hear you. If you be not mad, be gone; if you have reason, be brief: 'tis not that time of the moon with me, to make one in fo fkipping a dialogue. MAR. Will you hoist fail, fir? here lies your way. VIO. No, good swabber, I am to hull here a little longer. Some mollification for your giant, fweet lady. ` OLI. Tell me your mind. Vio. I am a messenger. OLI Sure you have some hideous matter to deliver, when the courtefie of it is fo fearful. Speak your office. VIO. It alone concerns your ear. I bring no overture of war, no taxation of homage; I hold the olive in my hand : my words are as full of peace as matter. OLI. Yet you began rudely. What are you? what would you? Vio. The rudeness, that hath appeared in me, have İ learn'd from my entertainment. What I am, and what I would, are as fecret as a maiden-head; to your ears, divinity; to any other's, prophanation. OLI. Give us the place alone. [Exit Maria.] We will hear this divinity. Now, fir, what is your text? V10. Moft fweet lady. OLI. A comfortable doctrine, and much may be said of it. Where lies your text? VIO. In Orfino's bofom. OLI. In his bofom? in what chapter of his bofom? Vio. To anfwer by the method, in the first of his heart. OLI. O, I have read it; it is herefy; have you no more to say? Vio. Good madam, let me see your face. OLI. Have you any commiffion from my lord to negotiate with my face? you are now out of your text; but we will draw the curtain, and fhew you the picture. Look you, fir, such a one I was this present: is't not well done? [Unveiling. Vio. Excellently done, if God did all. OLI. 'Tis in grain, fir; 'twill endure wind and weather. Vio. 'Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white If you will lead thefe graces to the grave, OLI. O, fir, I will not be fo hard-hearted: I will give you diverfe schedules of my beauty. It fhall be inventoried, and every particle and utenfil labell'd to my will. As, ITEM, two lips, indifferent red. ITEM, two grey eyes, with lids to them. ITEM, one neck, one chin, and fo forth. Were you fent hither to praise me? VIO. I fee you, what you are; you are too proud; But if you were the devil, you are fair. My lord and mafter loves you: O, fuch love Could be but recompens'd, tho' you were crown'd OLI. How does he love me? VIO. With adorations, with fertile tears, With groans that thunder love, with fighs of fire. OLI. Your lord does know my mind, I cannot love him; Yet I fuppofe him virtuous, know him noble, Of great estate, of fresh and stainless youth; In voices well divulg'd; free, learn'd, and valiant; And in dimenfion, and the fhape of nature, A gracious perfon; but yet I cannot love him: He might have took his answer long ago. Vio. If I did love you in my master's flame, With fuch a fuff'ring, fuch a deadly life, I would not understand it. OLI. Why, what would you do? Vio. Make me a willow cabbin at your gate, And call upon my foul within the house; OLI. You might do much : What is your parentage ? Vio. Above my fortunes, yet my state is well: I am a gentleman. OLI. Get you to your lord; I cannot love him: let him fend no more! OLI. What is your parentage? Above my fortunes, yet my state is well: "I am a gentleman." -I'll be fworn thou art.. Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions, and spirit, Do give thee five-fold blazon Unless thy master were the man. [Exit. -foft! foft! not too faft -How now? Even fo quickly may one catch the plague! To creep in at mine eyes. Well, let it be |