key-cock of him; how he jets under his advanc'd plumes! Sir And. 'Slife, I could fo beat the rogue. Mal. To be Count Malvolio, Sir To. Ah, rogue! Sir And. Piftol him, pistol him. Sir To. Peace, peace. Mal. There is example for't: the Lady of the Strachy married the yeoman of the wardrobe, Sir And. Fie on him, Jezebe!! Fab. O, peace, now he's deeply in look, how imagination blows him. Mal. Having been three months married to her, fitting in my ftate Sir To. O for a stone-bow, to hit him in the eye!— Mal. Calling my officers about me, in my branch'd velvet-gown; having come down from a day-bed, where I have left Olivia fleeping. Sir To. Fire and brimftone ! Fab. O, peace, peace. Mal. And then to have the humour of state; and after a demure travel of regard, telling them, I know my place, as I would they fhould do theirs--to afk for my uncle Toby Sir To. Bolts and fhackles ! Fab. Oh, peace, peace, peace; now, now. Mal. Seven of my people with an obedient start make out for him: I frown the while, and, perchance, 7 The Lady of the Strachy.] We fhould read Trachy, i. e. Thrace; for fo the old English writers called it. Mandeville fays, As Trachye and Macedoigne of the which Alifandre was Kyng. It was common to use the article the before names of places: And this was no improper in wind up my watch, or play with fome rich jewel. Toby approaches, curtfies there to me. Sir To. Shall this fellow live? Fab. Tho' our filence be drawn from us with cares, yet, peace1. Mal. I extend my hand to him thus; quenching my familiar fmile with an auftere regard of controul. Sir Ta. And does not Toby take you a blow o'th' lips then? Mal. Saying, uncle Toby, my fortunes having caft me on your Niece, give me this prerogative of fpeech Sir To. What, what? Mal. You must amend your drunkenness. Sir To. Out, fcab! Fab. Nay, patience, or we break the finews of our plot. Mal. Befides, you waste the treasure of your time with a foolish Knight Sir And. That's me, I warrant you. Mal. One Sir Andrew,Sir And. I knew, 'twas I; for many do call me Fool. Wind up my watch.] In our authour's time, watches were very uncommon. When Guy Faux was taken, it was urged as a circumftance of fufpicion that a watch was found upon him. Tho' our filence be drawn from us with cares,] i. e. Tho' it is the greatest pain to us to keep filence. Yet the Oxford Editor has altered it to, Tho' our filence be drawn from us by th' ears. There is fome conceit, I fuppose, in this, as in many other Mal. What employment have we here?? [Taking up the letter. Fab. Now is the woodcock near the gin. Sir To. Oh peace! now the spirit of humours intimate reading aloud to him! Mal. By my life, this is my Lady's hand: these be her very C's, her U's, and her T's, and thus makes fhe her great P's. It is in contempt of question, her hand. Sir And. Her C's, her U's, and her T's: why that. Mal. To the unknown belov'd, this, and my good wishes; her very phrases: By your leave, wax. Soft! and the impreffure her Lucrece, with which fhe uses to feal; 'tis my Lady: to whom should this be? Fab. This wins him, liver and all. Mal. Jove knows I love, but who, No man must know-what follows? the number's alter'd-no man must know-if this fhould be thee, Malvolio? Sir To. Marry, hank thee, Brock! Mal. I may command, where I adore, But, filence, like a Lucrece knife, With bloodless Stroke my heart doth gore, M. O. A. I. doth fway my life. Fab. A fuftian riddle. Sir To. Excellent wench, fay I. Mal. M. O. A. I. doth fway my life-nay, but first, let me fee-let me fee Fab. What a dish of poison has she dress'd him? 2 What employment have we bere ?] A phrafe of that time, equivalent to our common fpeech of-What's to do here. The Oxford Editor, not attending to this, alters it to What implement have we here ? By which happy emendation, he makes Malvolio to be in the plot against himfelf; or how could he know that this letter was an implement made ufe of to catch him? WARBURTON. 3 Sir To. And with what wing the ftannyel checks at it? Mal. I may command where I adore. Why, fhe may command me: I ferve her, fhe is my lady. Why, this is evident to any formal capacity. There is no obftruction in this--and the end-what fhould that alphabetical pofition portend? if I could make that refemble fomething in me? foftly-M. O. A. I.—— Sir To.. O, ay; make up that; he is now at a cold fcent. Fab. Sowter will cry upon't for all this, tho' it be not as rank as a fox 5. Mal. name. M.-Malvolio.-M.—why, that begins my Fab. Did not I fay he would work it out? the cur is excellent at faults. Mal. M. But then there is no confonancy in the fequel; That fuffers under probation: A fhould follow, but O does. Fab. And O fhall end, I hope. Sir To. Ay, or I'll cudgel him, and make him cry, O. Mal. And then I comes behind. Fab. Ay, an you had an eye behind you, you might see more detraction at your heels than fortunes before you. Mal. M. O. A. I.-this fimulation is not as the former-and yet to crufh this a little, it would bow to me, for every one of thefe letters is in my name. Soft, here follows profe-If this fall into thy hand, revolve. In my stars I am above thee, but be not afraid of greatness; fome are born great, fome atchieve greatnefs, and fome have greatness thrust upon them. Thy fates open their hands, let thy blood and spirit embrace them; and to inure thyself to what thou art like to be, caft thy bumble flough, and appear fresh. Be oppofite with a kinfman, furly with fervants: let thy tongue tang arguments of fate; put thyself into the trick of fingularity. She thus advises thee, that fighs for thee. Remember who commended thy yellow stockings, and wish'd to fee thee ever cross-garter'd. I fay, remen ber; go to, thou art made, if thou defireft to be fo: if not, let me fee thee a steward ftill, the fellow of fervants, and not worthy to touch fortune's fingers. Farewel. She, that would alter fervices with thee, the fortunate and happy. Day-light and champian discovers no more 7: this is open. I will be proud, I will read politick authors, I will baffle Sir Toby, I will wafh off grofs acquaintance, I will be point de vice, the very man. I do *not now fool myfelf, to let imagination jade me; for every reason excites to this, that my Lady loves me. She did commend my yellow ftockings of late, she did praise my leg, being cross-garter'd, and in this fhe manifefts herself to my love, and with a kind of injunction drives me to thefe habits of her liking. I thank my ftars, I am happy: I will be ftrange, ftout, in yellow ftockings, and cross-garter'd, even with the fwiftnefs of putting on. Jove, and my ftars be praised! Here is yet a poftfcript. Thou canst not chufe but *know who I am: if thou entertaineft my love, let it appear in thy fmiling; thy fmiles become thee well. Therefore in my prefence ftill fmile, dear my fweet, I pr'ythee.-Jove, I thank thee! I will fmile, I will do every thing that thou wilt have me. [Exit. Day-light and champian difcover no more: i. e. Broad day and an open country cannot make things plainer. WARBURTON. Fab. |