[TO VIOLA Whom the blind waves and surges have devour'd:- Seb. A spirit I am, indeed; But am in that dimension grossly clad, Vio. And dy'd that day when Viola from her birth Seb. O, that record is lively in my soul ! He finished, indeed, his mortal act, That day that made my sister thirteen years. Do not embrace me, till each circumstance I'll bring you to a captain in this town, Where lie my maiden weeds; by whose gentle help All the occurrence of my fortune since But nature to her bias drew in that. [TO VIOLA And all those swearings keep as true in soul, Duke. Give me thy hand; And let me see thee in thy woman's weeds. Vio. The captain, that did bring me first on shore, A gentleman, and follower of my lady's. Oli. He shall enlarge him :-Fetch Malvolio hither :And yet, alas, now I remember me, They say, poor gentleman, he's much distract. Re-enter Clown, with a letter. A most extracting frenzy of mine own From my remembrance clearly banish'd his.- Clo. Truly, madam, he holds Belzebub at the stave's end, as well as a man in his case may do: he'as here write a letter to you; I should have given it you to-day morning; but as a madman's epistles are no gospels, so it skills not much, when they are delivered. Oli. Open it, and read it. Clo. Look then to be well edified, when the fool delivers the madman:-By the Lord, madam,- [Reads. Oli. How now! art thou mad? Clo. No, madam, I do but read madness: an your la dyship will have it as it ought to be, you must allow vox. Oli. Pr'ythee, read i' thy right wits. Clo. So I do, madona; but to read his right wits, is to read thus therefore perpend, my princess, and give ear. Oli. Read it you, sirrah. [TO FABIAN. Fab. [reads.] By the Lord, madam, you wrong me, and the world shall know it: though you have put me into darkness, and given your drunken cousin rule over me, yet have I the benefit of my senses as well as your ladyship. I have your own letter that induced me to the semblance I put on; with the which I doubt not but to do myself much right, or you much shame. Think of me as [4] i. e. a frenzy that drew me away from every thing but its own object. WARBURTON. [5] To represent his present state of mind, is to read a madman's letter as I now like a madman. JOHNSON. 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-used MALVOLIO. Duke. This savours not much of distraction. Oli. See him deliver'd, Fabian; bring him hither. [Exit FABIAN. My lord, so please you, these things further thought on, To think me as well a sister as a wife, One day shall crown the alliance on't, so please you, Duke. Madam, I am most apt to embrace your offer. -Your master quits you; and, for your service done him, So much against the mettle of your sex, So far beneath your soft and tender breeding, Oli. A sister?-you are she. Re-enter FABIAN with MALVOLIO. Duke. Is this the madman ? Oli. Ay, my lord, this same :- How now, Malvolio ? Mal. Madam, you have done me wrong, Notorious wrong. Oli. Have I, Malvolio? no. [TO VIOLA. 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; Why you have given me such clear lights of favour ; [6] People of less dignity or importance. JOHNS. [7] A fool. JOHNS That e'er invention play'd on? tell me why? First told me, thou wast mad; then cam'st in smiling, Fab. Good madam, hear me speak; And let no quarrel, nor no brawl to come, Oli. Alas, poor fool! how have they baffled thee! Clo. Why, some are born great, some achieve greatness, · and some have greatness thrown upon them. I was one, sir, in this interlude; one sir Topas, sir; but that's all one: -By the Lord, fool, I am not mad ;-But do you remember? Madam, why laugh you at such a barren rascal? an you smile not, he's gagg'd: And thus the whirli gig of time brings in his revenges. Mal. I'll be revenged on the whole pack of you. Oli. He hath been most notoriously abus'd. He hath not told us of the captain yet; When that is known and golden time convents,R Of our dear souls-Meantime, sweet sister, [8] i. e. shall serve, agree, be convenient. 11 VOL. IV. DOUCE. [Exit. We will not part from hence.-Cesario, come ; SONG. Clo. When that I was and a little tiny boy, For the rain it raineth every day. But when I came to man's estate, With hey, ho, the wind and the rain, But when I came, alus! to wive, But when I came unto my bed, With hey, ho, the wind and the rain, A great while ago the world begun, [Exeunt. |