Seb. And fo had mine.

Vio. And dy'd that day when Viola from her birth Had number'd thirteen years.

Seb. O, that record is lively in my foul!
He finished indeed his mortal act,

That day that made my fifter thirteen years.
Vio. If nothing lets to make us happy both,
But this my mafculine ufurp'd attire,

Do not embrace me, till each circumstance,
Of place, time, fortune, do cohere, and jump,
That I am Viola: which to confirm,

I'll bring you to a captain in this town
Where lie my maiden weeds; by whose gentle help
I was preferr'd, to ferve this noble count:
All the occurrence of my fortune fince

Hath been between this lady, and this lord.
Seb. So comes it, lady, you have been mistook :
[To Olivia.

But nature to her biafs drew in that.
You would have been contracted to a maid;
Nor are you therein, by my life, deceiv'd,
You are betroth'd both to a maid and man.
Duke. Be not amaz'd; right noble is his blood.
If this be fo, as yet the glass seems true,
I fhall have share in this moft happy wreck :
Boy, thou haft faid to me a thousand times,
Thou never fhould'ft love woman like to me.
Vio. And all thofe fayings, will I over-swear;
And all thofe fwearings keep as true in foul,
As doth that orbed continent the fire
That fevers day from night.

Duke. Give me thy hand;

And let me fee thee in thy woman's weeds.

[To Viola.

Vio. The captain, that did bring me firft on fhore,

Hath my maid's garments: he, upon some action,
Is now in durance; at Malvolio's fuit,

A gentleman, and follower of my lady's.

Oli. He fhall enlarge him: Fetch Malvolio hither, yet, alas, now I remember me,

And

They fay, poor gentleman, he's much diftract.

Re-enter Clown, with a Letter.

A most extracting frenzy of mine own
From my remembrance clearly banish'd his.-
How does he, firrah?

Clo. Truly, madam, he holds Belzebub at the stave's end, as well as a man in his case may do: h'as here writ a letter to you, I fhould have given't you to day morning; but as a madman'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 madman.-By the Lord, madam,

Oli. How now, art thou mad!

Clo. No, madam, I do but read madness: an your ladyship will have it as it ought to be, you must allow vox. Oli. Pr'ythee, read i'thy right wits.

Clo. So I do, madonna; but to read his right wits, is to read thus: therefore perpend, my princess, and give ear. Oli. Read it you, firrah. [To Fabian. Fab. [Reads.] By the Lord, madam, you wrong me, and the world fhall know it: though you have put me into darknefs, and given your drunken coufin rule over me, yet have I the benefit of my fenfes, as well as your ladyship. I have your

A most extracting frenzy]-which drew every object, but one, out of my memory.

it fkills not much,]-is of no great confequence.

you must allow vox.]-me to exert the whole compafs of my voice; to affume a frantick tone. allow oaths.

his wits right.

own

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 shame. Think of me as you please. I leave my duty a little unthought of, and speak out of my injury.

Oli. Did he write this?

Clo. Ay, madam.

The madly-us'd Malvolio.

Duke. This favours not much of diftraction.

Oli. See him deliver'd, Fabian; bring him hither.
My lord, so please you, these things further thought on,
To think me as well a fifter as a wife,

One day shall crown the alliance, an't so please you,
Here at my house, and at my proper cost.

Duke. Madam, I am moft apt to embrace your offer. Your mafter quits you: and, for your service done him, So much" against the mettle of your fex,

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

Re-enter Fabian, with Malvolio.

Duke. Is this the madman?

[To Viola.

Oli. Ay, my lord, this fame: How now, Malvolio? Mal. Madam, you have done me wrong, notorious

wrong.

Oli. Have I, Malvolio? no.

Mal. Lady, you have. Pray you, perufe that letter:

You must not now deny it is your hand,

X

Write from it if you can, in hand, or phrase;

Or fay, 'tis not your feal, nor your invention :

against the mettle of your fex,]-fo contrary to the natural difpofition. "A fifter?-you are he.]-And I fhall henceforth regard you with all the affection of a fifter.

* from it]-differently.

You

You can fay none of this: Well, grant it then,
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 fir Toby, and the lighter people:
And, acting this 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 play'd on? tell me why?

Oli. Alas, Malvo io, this is not my writing,
Though, I confefs, much like the character:
But, out of question, 'tis Maria's hand.

And now I do bethink me, it was she

2

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

a

Upon thee in the letter. Pr'ythee, be content:
This practice hath moft fhrewdly pafs'd upon thee;
But, when we know the grounds and authors of it,
Thou shalt be both the plaintiff and the judge
Of thine own caufe.

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 wondred at. In hope it shall not,
Moft freely I confefs, myself, and Toby,
Set this device against Malvolio here,
Upon some stubborn and uncourteous parts
We had conceiv'd in him: Maria writ

C

The letter, at fir Toby's great importance;

Y geck]-fool.

z then.

• here were presuppos'd upon thee in the letter.]-'twas imagined thou wouldft affume upon reading the letter.

b

againft.

C

great importance;]-preffing folicitation.

In recompence whereof he hath marry'd 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 paft.

d

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

Clo. Why, fome are born great, fome atchieve greatness, and fome have greatness thrown upon them. I was one, sir, in this interlude; one fir 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 barren rafcal? an you fmile not, be's gagg'd: And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges.

Mal. I'll be reveng'd on the whole pack of you. [Exit. Oli. He hath been moft notoriously abus'd.

Duke. Purfue him, and intreat him to a peace :He hath not told us of the captain yet;

e

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.-Cefario, come;
For fo you fhall be, while you are a man;
But, when in other habits you are seen,
Orfino's mistress, and his fancy's queen.

d

Clown fings.

When that I was and a little tiny boy,
With hey, bo, the wind and the rain,
A foolish thing was but a toy,

For the rain it raineth every day.

baffled]-amufed, deluded.

[Exeunt.

e and golden time convents,]—and the happy hour calls us together bis fancy's queen.]-the queen of his affections.

again.

A foolish thing was but a toy,]-The follies of my childhood were eafily paffed over.

But