That he did range the town to feek me out.
His counsel now might do me golden fervice;
For tho' my foul difputes well with my fenfe,
That this may be fome error, but no madness;
Yet doth this accident and flood of fortune
So far exceed all instance, all difcourfe
That I am ready to distrust mine eyes,
And wrangle with my reason that perfuades me
To any other Truft, but that I'm mad;
Or elle the lady's mad; yet if 'twere so,

;

She could not fway her House, command her followers,

Take, and give back affairs, and their dispatch,
With fuch a fmooth, difcreet, and ftable bearing,
As, I perceive, fhe does: there's fomething in't,
That is deceivable. But here fhe comes.

Enter Olivia and Prieft.

Oli. Blame not this hafte of mine: if you mean well,

Now go with me, and with this holy man,
Into the chantry by; there before him,
And underneath that confecrated roof,
Plight me the full affurance of your faith;
That my moft jealous and too doubtful foul
May live at peace. He fhall conceal it,
Whiles you are willing it fhall come to note;
What time we will our celebration keep
According to my birth. What do you fay?

Seb. I'll follow this good man, and go with you;
And having fworn truth, ever will be true.

Oli. Then lead the way, good father; and heav'ns fo fhine,

That they may fairly note this act of mine! [Exeunt.

He uses the fame Term again in the very fame Sense in The Win ter's Tale.

Then 'tis very credent, Thou may't co-join with fomething, and thou doft, &c.

3.

ACT

1

A CT V.

SCENE, The Street.

Enter Clown, and Fabian.

FABIAN.

NOV

OW, as thou lov'ft me, let me fee his letter.
Clo. Good Mr. Fabian, grant me another
requeft.
Fab. Any thing.

Clo. Do not defire to fee this letter.

Fab. This is to give a dog, and in recompence defire my dog again.

Enter Duke, Viola, Curio, and lords.

Duke. Belong you to the lady Olivia, friends?

Clo. Ay, Sir, we are fome of her trappings.

Duke. I know thee well; how doft thou, my good fellow?

Clo. Truly, Sir, the better for my foes, and the worfe for my friends.

Duke. Juft the contrary; the better for thy friends.
Clo. No, Sir, the worse.

Duke. How can that be?

Clo. Marry, Sir, they praise me, and make an afs of me; now, my foes tell me plainly, I am an afs: fo that by my foes, Sir, I profit in the knowledge of my felf; and by my friends I am abused: fo that, Conclufion to be asked, is, (19) if your four negatives make

your

(19) So that Conclufions to be as kiffes,] Tho' it might be unreasonable to call our Poet's Fools and Knaves every where to Account; yet, if we did, for the Generality we should find them refponfible. But what monftrous Abfurdity have we here? To fuppofe the Text genuine, We must acknowledge it too wild to have any known Meaning and what has no known Meaning, cannot be allow'd to have either Wit or Humour. Befides, the Clown is affecting to argue feriously and in Form. I imagine, the Poet wrote;

So that, Conclufion to be asked, is

i. e. So that the Conclufion I have to demand of You is this, it your Four, &c. He had in the preceding Words been inferring fome

Premiffa,

your two affirmatives, why, then the worse for my friends, and the better for my foes.

Duke. Why, this is excellent.

Cle. By my troth, Sir, no; tho it please you to be one of my friends.

Duke. Thou shalt not be the worfe for me, there's gold.

Clo. But that it would be double-dealing, Sir, I would, you could make it another.

Duke. O, you give me ill counsel.

Clo. Put your grace in your pocket, Sir, for this once, and let your flesh and blood obey it.

'Duke. Well, I will be so much a finner to be a double-dealer: there's another.

Clo. Primo, fecundo, tertio, is a good Play, and the old faying is, the third pays for all: the triplex, Sir, iş good tripping measure; or the bells of St. Bennet, Sir, may put you in mind, one, two, three.

Duke You can fool no more mony out of me at this throw; if you will let your lady know, I am here to speak with her, and bring her along with you, it may awake my bounty further.

Clo. Marry, Sir, lullaby to your bounty 'till I come again. I go, Sir, but I would not have you to think, that my defire of having is the fin of covetoufnefs; but, as you fay, Sir, let your bounty take a nap, will awake it anon. [Exit Clown.

I

Enter Antonio, and Officers. Via. Here comes the man, Sir, that did refcue me. Duke. That face of his I do remember well; Yet when I faw it laft, it was befmear'd As black as Vulcan, in the fmoak of war: A bawbling Veffel was he Captain of, For fhallow draught and bulk unprizable, With which fuch fcathful Grapple did he make With the most noble Bottom of our fleet, That very envy and the tongue of lofs Cry'd fame and honour on him. What's the matter? Premiffes, and now comes to the Conclufion very logically; You grant Me, fays He, the Premiffes; I now ask you to grant the Conclufion. Mr. Warburton. 1 Offi.

✰ Offi. Orfino, this is that Antonio,

That took the Phenix and her fraught from Candy;
And this is he, that did the Tyger board,
When your young nephew Titus loft his leg:
Here in the streets, defperate of shame and state,
In private brabble did we apprehend him.

Vio. He did me kindness, Sir; drew on my fide;
But in conclufion put strange speech upon me,
I know not what 'twas, but diftraction.

Duke. Notable pirate! thou falt-water thief!
What foolish boldness brought thee to their mercies,
Whom thou in terms fo bloody, and fo dear,
Haft made thine enemies?

Ant. Orfino, noble Sir,

Be pleas'd that I shake off these names you give me :
Antonio never yet was thief, or pirate;
Though I confess, on Base and Ground enough,
Orfino's enemy. A witchcraft drew me hither:
That most ungrateful Boy there, by your fide,
From the rude fea's enrag'd and foamy mouth
Did I redeem; a wreck paft hope he was:
His life I gave him, and did thereto add
My love without retention or restraint;
All his in dedication. For his fake,

Did I expose my self (pure, for his love)
Into the danger of this adverse town;
Drew to defend him, when he was befet;
Where being apprehended, his false cunning
(Not meaning to partake with me in danger)
Taught him to face me out of his acquaintance;
And grew a twenty years removed thing,
While one would wink: deny'd me mine own purse,
Which I had recommended to his ufe

Not half an hour before.

Vio. How can this be?

Duke. When came he to this town?

Ant. To day, my lord; and for three months before, (No Interim, not a minute's vacancy,)

Both day and night did we keep company.
Enter Olivia, and attendants.

Duke. Here comes the Countess; now heav'n walks
on earth.

But

But for thee, fellow, fellow, thy words are madness:
Three months this youth hath tended upon me;
But more of that anon. -Take him afide.

Oli. What would my lord, but that he may not have, Wherein Olivia may feem ferviceable? Cefario, you do not keep promise with me. Vio. Madam !

Duke. Gracious Olivia,

Oli. What do you fay, Cefario? Good my lord-
Vio. My lord would fpeak, my duty hushes me.
Oli. If it be ought to the old tune, my lord,
It is as fat and fulfome to mine ear,
As howling after mufick.

Duke. Still fo cruel?

Oli. Still fo conftant, lord.

Duke. What to perverfenefs? you uncivil lady,
To whofe ingrate and unaufpicious altars
My foul the faithfull'ft offerings has breath'd out,
That e'er devotion tender'd. What shall I do?

Oli. Ev'n what it please my lord,that fhall become him. Duke. Why fhould I not, had I the heart to do't, (20)

Like to th' Egyptian Thief, at point of death
Kill what I love? (a favage jealoufie,

! (20) Why should I not, had I the Heart to do it, Like to th' Egyptian Thief, at point of Death

This

Kill what I love!] In this Simile, a particular Story is prefuppos'd; which ought to be known, to fhew the Juftnefs and Propriety of the Comparison. I'll give the Synopfis of it from Heliodorus's Ethiopics, to which our Author was indebted for the Allufion. Egyptian Thief was Thyamis, who was a Native of Memphis, and at the Head of a Band of Robbers. Theagenes and Chariclea falling into their Hands, Thyamis fell defperately in Love with the Lady, and would have married her. Soon after, a ftronger Body of Robbers coming down upon Thyamis's Party, He was in fuch Fears for his Miftrefs, that he had her fhut into a Cave with his Treasure. It was customary with those Barbarians, when they despair'd of their own Safety, firft to make away with Those whom they held dear, and defired for Companion's in the next Life. Thyamis, therefore, benetted round with his Enemies, raging with Love, Jealoufy, and Anger, went to his Cave; and calling aloud in the Egyptian Tongue, fo foon as He heard himself anfver'd towards the Cave's Mouth by a Grecian, making to the Perfon by the Direction of her Voice, he caught her by the Hair with his left Hand, and (fuppofing her to be Chariclea) with his right Hand plung'd his Sword into her Breast.

That