Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

A

Sir Toby. She 'll none o' the count; she 'll not match above her degree; neither in estate, years, nor wit; I have heard her swear it. Tut, there's life in 't, man.

Sir And. I'll stay a month longer. I am a fellow o' the strangest mind i' the world; I delight in masques and revels sometimes altogether.

Sir Toby. Art thou good at these kickshaws, knight?

Sir And. As any man in Illyria, whatsoever he be, under the degree of my betters; and yet I will not compare with an old man.

Vio. You either fear his humor or my negli-
gence, that you call in question the continuance of
his love: Is he inconstant, sir, in his favors?
Val. No, believe me.

Enter DUKE, CURIO, and Attendants.
Vio. I thank you. Here comes the count.
Duke. Who saw Cesario, ho?

Vio. On your attendance, my lord; here.
Duke. Stand you awhile aloof. - Cesario,
Thou know'st no less but all; I have unclasped

Sir Toby. What is thy excellence in a galliard, To thee the book even of my secret soul: knight?

Sir And. 'Faith I can cut a caper.

Sir Toby. And I can cut the mutton to 't. Sir And. And I think I have the back-trick simply as strong as any man in Illyria.

Sir Toby. Wherefore are these things hid? wherefore have these gifts a curtain before them? are they like to take dust, like Mistress Mall's picture? why dost thou not go to church in a galliard, and come home in a coranto? My very walk should be a jig! I would not so much as make water but in a sink-a-pace. What dost thou mean? is it a world to hide virtues in? I did think, by the excellent constitution of thy leg, it was formed under the star of a galliard.

Sir And. Ay, 't is strong, and it does indifferent well in a flame-colored stock. Shall we set about some revels?

Therefore, good youth, address thy gait unto her;
Be not denied access, stand at her doors,
And tell them, there thy fixéd foot shall grow
Till thou have audience.

Vio.

Sure, my noble lord,
If she be so abandoned to her sorrow
As it is spoke, she never will admit me.

Duke. Be clamorous, and leap all civil bounds,
Rather than make unprofited return.

Vio. Say I do speak with her, my lord; What
then?

Duke. O, then unfold the passion of my love,
Surprise her with discourse of my dear faith :
It shall become thee well to act my woes;
She will attend it better in thy youth,
Than in a nuncio of more grave aspéct.
Vio. I think not so, my lord.
Duke. Dear lad, believe it;

Sir Toby. What shall we do else? were we not For they shall yet belie thy happy years, born under Taurus?

Sir And. Taurus? that's sides and heart. Sir Toby. No, sir; it is legs and thighs. Let me see thee caper: ha! higher: ha, ha!-excellent! [Exeunt.

SCENE IV.A Room in the DUKE's Palace.

Enter VALENTINE, and VIOLA in man's attire.

Val. If the duke continue these favors towards you, Cesario, you are like to be much advanced : he hath known you but three days, and already you are no stranger.

That say thou art a man: Diana's lip

Is not more smooth and rubious; thy small pipe
Is as the maiden's organ, shrill, and sound,
And all is semblative a woman's part.

I know thy constellation is right apt

For this affair:- Some four or five attend him;
All, if you will; for I myself am best
When least in company :- - Prosper well in this,
And thou shalt live as freely as thy lord,
To call his fortunes thine.
Vio. I'll do my best
To woo your lady: yet, a barful strife!
Whoe'er I woo, myself would be his wife.

[Aside. [Exeunt.

SCENE V. A Room in OLIVIA's house.

Enter MARIA and Clown.

Mar. Nay, either tell me where thou hast been, or I will not open my lips so wide as a bristle may enter, in way of thy excuse: my lady will hang thee for thy absence.

Oli. Go to, you're a dry fool; I'll no more of you: besides, you grow dishonest.

Clo. Two faults, madonna, that drink and good counsel will amend; for give the dry fool drink, then is the fool not dry; bid the dishonest man mend himself; if he mend, he is no longer dishonest; if he cannot, let the botcher mend him. Any

Clo. Let her hang me! he that is well hanged thing that's mended is but patched: virtue that

in this world, needs to fear no colors.

Mar. Make that good.

Clo. He shall see none to fear.

Mar. A good lenten answer. I can tell thee where that saying was born, of "I fear no colors." Clo. Where, good Mistress Mary? Mar. In the wars; and that may you be bold to say in your foolery.

Clo. Well, God give them wisdom that have it; and those that are fools let them use their talents. Mar. Yet you will be hanged for being so long absent; or, to be turned away, is not that as good as a hanging to you?

Clo. Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage; and for turning away, let summer bear it

out.

Mar. You are resolute then?

Clo. Not so neither; But I am resolved on two points.

Mar. That if one break, the other will hold; or if both break, your gaskins fall.

Clo. Apt, in good faith; very apt! Well, go thy way; if Sir Toby would leave drinking, thou wert as witty a piece of Eve's flesh as any in Illyria.

Mar. Peace, you rogue, no more o' that; here comes my lady: make your excuse widely, you were best. [Exit.

Enter OLIVIA and MALVOLIO.

Clo. Wit, an 't be thy will, put me into good fooling! Those wits that think they have thee, do very often prove fools; and I, that am sure I lack thee, may pass for a wise man: For what says Quinapulus? Better a witty fool than a foolish

wit.

God bless thee, lady.

Oli. Take the fool away.

[blocks in formation]

Oli. Sir, I bade them take away you.

Clo. Misprison in the highest degree! - Lady,
Cucullus non facit monachum; that's as much as
to say, I wear not motley in my brain. Good ma-
donna, give me leave to prove you a fool.
Oli. Can you do it?

Clo. Dexterously, good madonna.
Oli. Make your proof.

Clo. I must catechise you for it, madonna; good my mouse of virtue, answer me.

Oli. Well sir, for want of other idleness, I'll 'bide your proof.

Clo. Good madonna, why mourn'st thou ? Oli. Good fool, for my brother's death. Clo. I think his soul is in hell, madonna. Oli. I know his soul is in heaven, fool. Clo. The more fool you, madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul being in heaven.- Take away the fool, gentlemen.

Oli. What think you of this fool, Malvolio? doth he not mend?

Mal. Yes; and shall do, till the pangs of death shake him Infirmity, that decays the wise, doth ever make the better fool.

Clo. God send you, sir, a speedy infirmity, for the better increasing your folly! Sir Toby will be sworn that I am no fox; but he will not pass word for two-pence that you are no fool.

his

Oli. How say you to that, Malvolio? Mal. I marvel your ladyship takes delight in such a barren rascal; I saw him put down the

Clo. Do you not hear, fellows? Take away the other day with an ordinary fool, that has no more brain than a stone. Look you now, he's out of

lady.

his guard already; unless you laugh and minister occasion to him, he is gagged. I protest, I take these wise men that crow so at these set kind of fools, no better than the fools' zanies.

Oli. O, you are sick of self-love, Malvolio, and taste with a distempered appetite. To be generous, guiltless, and of free disposition, is to take those things for bird-bolts, that you deem cannon-bullets. There is no slander in an allowed fool, though he do nothing but rail; nor no railing in a known discreet man, though he do nothing but reprove.

Clo. Now Mercury endue thee with leasing, for thou speakest well of fools.

Re-enter MARIA.

Sir Toby. Let him be the devil, an' he will, I care not; give me faith, say I. Well, it's all one. [Exit.

Oli. What's a drunken man like, fool?

Clo. Like a drowned man, a fool, and a madman: one draught above heat makes him a fool; the second mads him; and a third drowns him.

Oli. Go thou and seek the coroner, and let him sit o' my coz; for he 's in the third degree of drink, he's drowned: go, look after him.

Clo. He is but mad yet, madonna; and the fool shall look to the madman. [Exit CLOWN.

Re-enter MALVOLIO.

Mal. Madam, yond' young fellow swears he will speak with you. I told him you were sick; he

Mar. Madam, there is at the gate a young gen- takes on him to understand so much, and therefore tleman, much desires to speak with you.

Oli. From the Count Orsino, is it?

comes to speak with you. I told him you were asleep; he seems to have a foreknowledge of that

Mar. I know not, madam; 't is a fair young too, and therefore comes to speak with you. What man, and well attended.

Oli. Who of my people hold him in delay? Mar. Sir Toby, madam, your kinsman. Oli. Fetch him off, I pray you; he speaks nothing but madman: Fye on him! [Exit MARIA.] Go you, Malvolio: if it be a suit from the count, I am sick, or nor at home; what you will to dismiss it.. [Exit MALVOLIO.] Now you see, sir, how your fooling grows old, and people dislike it. Clo. Thou hast spoke for us, madonna, as if thy eldest son should be a fool; whose skull Jove cram with brains, for here he comes, one of thy kin, has a most weak pia mater.

Enter SIR TOBY BELCH.

Oli. By mine honor, half drunk.

at the gate, cousin?

Sir Toby. A gentleman

is to be said to him, lady? he's fortified against any denial.

Oli. Tell him, he shall not speak with me.

Mal. He has been told so; and he says, he 'll stand at your door like a sheriff's post, and be the supporter of a bench, but he'll speak with you. Oli. What kind of man is he? Mal. Why, of man kind. Oli. What manner of man?

Mal. Of very ill manner; he 'll speak with you, will you or no.

Oli. Of what personage and years is he?

Mal. Not yet old enough for a man, nor young enough for a boy; as a squash is before 't is a peascod, or a codling when 't is almost an apple: 't is with him e'en standing water, between boy and What is he man. He is very well-favored, and he speaks very shrewishly; one would think his mother's milk were scarce out of him.

[blocks in formation]

Enter VIOLA.

I bring no

Vio. It alone concerns your ear. overture of war, no taxation of homage; I hold

Vio. The honorable lady of the house, which is the olive in my hand; my words are as full of peace she? as of matter.

Oli. Speak to me, I shall answer for her: Your will?

Vio. Most radiant, exquisite, and unmatchable. beauty, I pray you, tell me if this be the lady of the house, for I never saw her: I would be loath to cast away my speech; for, besides that it is excellently well penned, I have taken great pains to con it. Good beauties, let me sustain no scorn; I am very comptible, even to the least sinister usage. Oli. Whence came you, sir.

Vio. I can say little more than 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 usurp myself, I am. Vio. Most certain, if you are she, you do usurp yourself; for what is yours to bestow, is not yours to reserve. But this is from my commission: I will on with my speech in your praise, and then shew you the heart of my message.

[blocks in formation]

Oli. A comfortable doctrine, and much may be said of it. Where lies your text? Vio. In Orsino's bosom.

Oli. In his bosom? In what chapter of his bosom?

Vio. To answer by the method, in the first of his heart.

Oli. O, I have read it; it is heresy. Have you no more to say?

Vio. Good madam, let me see your face.

Oli. Have you any commission from your lord to negotiate with my face? you are now out of your text but we will draw the curtain, and shew

Oli. Come to what is important in 't: I forgive you the picture. Look you, sir, such a one as I you the praise. was this present: Is 't not well done?

Vio. Alas, I took great pains to study it, and 't is poetical.

Oli. It is the more like to be feigned; I pray you keep it in. I heard you were saucy at my gates, and 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: 't is not that time of noon with me, to make one in so skipping a dialogue.

Mar. Will you hoist sail, sir? here lies your way. Vio. No, good swabber; I am to hull here a little longer. Some mollification for your giant, sweet lady.

[blocks in formation]

[Unveiling.

Vio. Excellently done, if God did all. Oli. 'Tis in grain, sir; 't will endure wind and weather.

Vio. 'Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and
white

Nature's own sweet and cunning hand laid on:
Lady, you are the cruelest she alive,
If you will lead these graces to the grave,
And leave the world no copy.

Oli. O, sir, I will not be so hard-hearted; I will give out divers schedules of my beauty: it shall be inventoried; and every particle, and utensil, labelled to my will: as, item, two lips indifferent red; item, two grey eyes, with lids to them; item, one neck, one chin, and so forth. Where you sent hither to praise me?

Vio. I see you what you are: you are too proud;

[blocks in formation]

Vio. With adorations, with fertile tears,
With groans that thunder love, with sighs of fire.
Oli. Your lord does know my mind, I cannot
love him:

Yet I suppose him virtuous, know him noble,
Of great estate, of fresh and stainless youth;
In voices well divulged, free, learned, and valiant,
And, in dimension and the shape of nature,
A gracious person: but yet I cannot love him;
He might have took his answer long ago.

Vio. If I did love in my master's flame,
With such a suffering, such a deadly life,
In
your denial I would find no sense,

I would not understand it.

[blocks in formation]

Unless, perchance, you come to me again,
Fare you well:

To tell me how he takes it.

I thank you for your pains: spend this for me.
Vio. I am no fee'd post, lady; keep your purse;
My master, not myself, lacks recompense.
Love make his heart of flint, that you shall love;
And let your fervor, like my master's, be
Placed in contempt! Farewell, fair cruelty. [Exit.
Oli. What is your parentage?

"Above my fortunes, yet my state is well:
I am a gentleman." - I'll be sworn thou art;
Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions, and
spirit,

- Not too fast:

Do give thee five-fold blazon :—
soft! soft!
Unless the master were the man. - How now?
Even so quickly may one catch the plague?
Methinks I feel this youth's perfections,
With an invisible and subtle stealth,

[blocks in formation]

Oli. You might do much: What is your parent- I'll give him reasons for 't. Hie thee, Malvolio. age?

[blocks in formation]

Mal. Madam, I will.

[Exit. Oli. I do I know not what; and fear to find Mine eye too great a flatterer for my mind. Fate, shew thy force: Ourselves we do not owe; What is decreed, must be; and be this so! [Exit.

« ZurückWeiter »