But as a mad man's epiftles are no gospels, 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 ladyfhip 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, firrah. [To Fabian. FAB. [reads.]" By the Lord, madam, you wrong me, “and the world shall know it: though you have put me in66 to darkness, and given your drunken uncle rule over me, << yet have I the benefit of my fenfes as well as your lady66 fhip. I have your own letter, that induced me to the "femblance I put on; with the which I doubt not but to "do myself much right, or you much fhame: think of me, as you please: I leave my duty a little unthought of, and fpeak out of mine injury. The madly us'd Malvolio."

OLI. Did he write this?

CLO. Ay, madam.

DUKE. This favours not much of diftraction.

OLI. See him deliver'd, Fabian; bring him hither.
My lord, fo please you, these things further thought on,
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 most apt t'embrace your offer.
Your master quits you; and for your service done him,
So much against the metal of your fex,

[To Viola.

Bo far beneath your soft and tender breeding;
And fince you call'd me mafter for fo long,
Here is my hand, you shall from this time be
Your mafter's mistress.

SCENE VII. Enter Malvolio,

DUKE. Is this the mad-man?

OLI. Ay, my lord, this fame: how now, Malvolio?

MAL. Madam, you have done me wrong, notorious OLI. Have I, Malvolio? no.

[wrong.

MAL. Lady, you have; pray you, peruse 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;

Well, grant it then,

You can fay none of this.

And tell me in the modesty of honour,

Why you have given me fuch clear lights of favour,
Bade me come fmiling, and cross-garter'd to you,
To put on yellow ftockings, and to frown
Upon Sir Toby, and the lighter people.:.
And acting thus in an obedient hope,
Why have you fuffer'd me to be imprifon'd,
Kept in a dark house, vifited by the priest,
And made the most notorious geck and gull,
That e'er invention plaid 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 she

First told me, thou waft mad; then cam'st thou smiling, And in fuch forms which here were presuppos'd

Upon thee in the letter: pr'ythee, be content;
This practice hath most shrewdly 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 cause.

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 wondered at. In hope it shall not,
Moft freely. I confefs, myself and Sir Toby
Set this device against Malvolio here,
Upon fome 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 justly weigh'd,

That have on both fides past.

OLI. Alas, poor fool! how have they baffled thee?

CLO. Why, "fome are born great, fome atchieve great66 nefs, and some have greatnefs thruft upon them." I was one, fir, in this interlude; one Sir Topas, fir; but that's all one:" by the Lord, fool, I am not mad"- -but do you remember, madam,- why laugh you at fuch a bar66 ren 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 most notoriously abus'd.

DUKE. Purfue 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, fweet fifter,
We will not part from hence.-Cesario, come;
(For fo you shall be, while you are a man;)
But when in other habits you are feen,
Orfino's mistress, and his fancy's queen.

Clown fings.

When that I was a little tiny boy,

With hey, ho, the wind and the rain:

A foolish thing was but a toy,

For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I came to man's eftate,

With hey, ho, &c.

[Exeunt.

"Gainst knaves and thieves men fhut their gate.

For the rain, &c.

But when I came, alas! to wive,

With hey, ho, &c.

By fwaggering could I never thrive,

For the rain, &c.

But when I came unto my beds,

With hey, ho, &c.

With tofs-pots ftill had drunken heads,

For the rain, &c.

A great while ago the world begun,

With hey, ho, &c.

But that's all one, our play is done;

And we'll strive to please you every day.

[Exit.