Dramatis Perfonæ.

OR SINO, Duke of Illyria.

Sebaftian, a young Gentleman, Brother to Viola.
Antonio, a Sea-captain, Friend to Sebastian.

Valentine,

Curio,

} Gentlemen, attending on the Duke.

Sir Toby Belch, Uncle to Olivia,

Sir Andrew Ague-cheek, a foolish Knight, pretending to

Olivia.

A Sea-captain, Friend to Viola.

Fabian, Servant to Olivia.

Malvolio, a fantaftical Steward, to Olivia.

Clown, Servant to Olivia.

Olivia, a Lady of great beauty and fortune, belev'd by the

Duke.

Viola, in love with the Duke.

Maria, Olivia's woman.

Priefs, Sailors, Officers, and other Attendants.

4

SCENE, a City on the Coast of Illyria,

TWELFTH

TWELFTH-NIGHT:

OR,

WHAT YOU WIL L.

I

ACT I.

SCENE, the PALACE.

Enter the Duke, Curio, and Lords..

DUKE.

F mufick be the food of love, play on ;
Give me excess of it; that, furfeiting,.
The appetite may ficken, and fo die..

no more::

That ftrain again;-it had a dying fall:
O, it came o'er my ear, like the fweet fouth,.
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Stealing, and giving odour. Enough!-
'Tis not fo fweet now, as it was before.
O fpirit of love, how quick and fresh art thou!
That, notwithstanding thy capacity

Receiveth as the fea, nought enters there,
Of what validity and pitch foe'er,

But falls into abatement and low price,

E 4

Even

Even in a minute; (1) fo full of fhapes in fancy.
That it alone is high fantastical.

Cur. Will you go hunt, my Lord?
Duke. What, Curio?

Cur. The hart.

Duke, Why, fo I do, the nobleft that I have
O, when my eyes did fee Olivia first,
Methought, fhe purg'd the air of peftilence;
That inftant was I turn'd into a hart.

And my defires, like fell and cruel hounds,
E'er fince purfue me. How now, what news from her &
Enter. Valentine.

Val. So please my Lord, I might not be admitted,
But from her hand-maid do return this answer:
The element itself, 'til feven years hence,
Shall not behold her face at ample view;
But, like a cloyitrefs, the will veiled walk,
And water once a day her chamber round
With eye-offending brine: all this to feafon
A brother's dead love, which he would keep fresh.
And lafting in her fad remembrance.

Duke. O, he that hath a heart of that fine frame, -fo full of shapes is fancy,

(1)

That it alone is bigh fantastical.] Shakespeare has made his Polonius (a character, which he design'd should be receiv'd with laughter) fay,

for to define true maduefs,

What is't, but to be nothing else but mad,

But there is no parity of reafon why his Duke here, who is altogether ferious, and moralizing on the qualities of love, fhould tell us, that Fancy is alone the most fantaftical thing imaginable. I am perfuaded,. the alteration, of is into in has giv'n us the Poet's genuine meaning that love is most fantastical, in being fo variable in its fancies. And Shakespeare every where fuppofes this to be the diftinguishing charac teriftic of this paffion. In his As You like it, where what it is to be in love is defin'd, amongst other marks we have this;

It is to be all made of fantasy.

And in the fame play, Rofalind, fpeaking of her lover, fays;

If I could meet that fancy-monger, I would give him fome good counfel, for he feems to have the quotidian of love upon him. And a hundred other paflages might be quoted, did the matter require any proof. Mr. Warburton

To pay this debt of love but to a brother,
How will the love, when the rich golden fhaft
Hath kill'd the flock of all affections elfe

That live in her? when liver, brain, and heart
These fav'reign thrones, are all fupply'd, and fill'd,.
Her fweet perfections, with one felf-fame King!
Away before me to fweet beds of flowers;
Love-thoughts lie rich, when canopy'd with bowers,

SCENE, the Street.

Enter Viola, a Captain and Sailors. Vio.HAT country, friends, is this? Cap. Illyria, Lady.

WH

Vio. And what should I do in Illyria? My brother he is in Elyfium.

[Exeunts

Perchance, he is not drown'd; what think you, failors ?
Cap. It is perchance, that you yourself were fav'd.
Vio. O my poor brother! fo, perchance, may he be..
Cap. True, Madam: and to comfort you with chance,,
Affure yourself, after our fhip did split,

When you, and that poor number fav'd with you,
Hung on our driving boat: I faw your brother,
Moft provident in peril, bind himself

(Courage and Hope both teaching him the practice)
To a ftrong maft, that liv'd upon the fea;
Where, like Arion on the dolpin's back,

I faw him hold acquaintance with the waves,
So long as I could fee..

Vio. For faying fo, there's gold.

Mine own escape unfoldeth to my hope,

Whereto thy fpeech ferves for authority,

The like of him. Know't thou this country?

Cap. Ay, Madam, well; for I was bred and born,

Not three hours travel from this very place.

Vior Who governs here?

Cap. A noble Duke in nature, as in name.
Fio. What is his name?

Cap. Orfino.

ES

1

Vio. Orfino! I have heard He was a bachelor then.

my. father name hima

Cap. And fo is now, or was

fo

very

late;

For but a month ago I went from hence,
And then 'twas fresh in murmur (as you know,
What great ones do, the lefs will prattle of)
That he did feek the love of fair Õlivia.

Vio. What's the?

Cap. A virtuous maid, the daughter of a Count,
That dy'd fome twelve months fince, then leaving her
In the protection of his fon, her brother,

Who fhortly alfo dy'd; for whofe dear love,
They fay, the hath abjur'd the fight

And company of men.

Vio. O, that I ferv'd that Lady,

And might not be deliver'd to the world,
'Till I had made mine own occafion mellow
eftate is!

What my

Cap. That were hard to compaís;

Becaufe fhe will admit no kind of fuit,
No, not the Duke's.

Via. There is a fair behaviour in thee, Captain ;
And tho' that Nature with a beauteous wall
Doth oft clofe in pollution; yet of thee,
I will believe, thou haft a mind that fuits
With this thy fair and outward character:
I pr'ythee, and I'll pay thee bounteously,
Conceal me what I am, and be my aid
For fuch difguife as, haply, fhall become
The form of my intent. I'll ferve this Duke
Thou shalt prefent me as an eunuch to him,
It may be worth thy pains; for I can fing,
And fpeak to him in many forts of mufick,
That will allow me very worth his fervice.
What else may hap, to time I will commit;
Only fhape thou thy filence to my wit.

Cap. Be you his eunuch, and your mute I'll be :
When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not fee.
Vio. I thank thee; lead me on.

[Exeunt

SCENE,