I know thy conftellation is right apt.

For this affair fome four or five attend him;
All, if you will; for I myfelf am best

When leaft in company.

Profper 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 ftrife!
Whoe'er I woo, myfelf would be his wife.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI. Changes to Olivia's houfe.

Enter Maria and Clown.

Mar. Nay, either tell me where thou hast been, or I will not open my lips fo wide as a briftle may enter in way of thy excufe; my Lady will hang thee for thy abfence.

Clo. Let her hang me; he that is well hang'd in this world, needs fear no colours. Mar. Make that good.

Clo. He fhall fee none to fear.

Mar. A good fenten anfwer. I can tell thee where that faying was born, of I fear no colours.

Clo. Where, good Miftrefs Mary?

Mar. In the wars; and that may you be bold to fay in your foolery.

Clo. Well, God give them wisdom that have it; and thofe that are fools, let them ufe their talents.

Mar. Yet you will be hang'd for being fo long ab fent, or be turn'd away; is not that as good as hanging to you?

Clo. Marry, a good hanging prevents a bad marriage; and for turning away, let fummer beat it out. Mar. You are refolute, then?

Clo. Not fo neither; but I am refolv'd 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.

Mar. Peace, you rogue, no more o' that. Here comes my Lady; make your excufe wifely, you were belt. [Exit.

SCENE VII. Enter Olivia, and Malvolio." Clo. Wit, and't be thy will, put me into a good fooling! Thofe wits that think they have thee, do very oft prove fools; and I that am fure 1 lack thee, may pafs for a wife man. For what fays Quinapalus? Better be a witty fool than a foolish wit. God bless thee, Lady!

Oli. Take the fool away.

Glo. Do you not hear, fellows? take away the ady. Oli. Go to, y'are a dry fool; I'll no more of you; befides, you grow dishonest.

Clo. Two faults, Madona, that drink and good counfel will amend; for give the dry fool drink, then is the fool not dry. Bid the difhoneft man mend himfelf; if he mend, he is no longer difhoneft; if he cannot, let the botcher mend him. Any thing that's mended, is but patch'd; virtue that tranfgreffes, is but patch'd with fin; and fin that amends, is but patch'd with virtue. If that this fimple fyllogifm will ferve fo; if it will not, what remedy? as there is no true cuckold but calamity, fo beauty's a flower: the lady bade take away the fool; therefore I say again, take her away.

Oli. Sir, I bade them take away you.

Clo. Mifprifion in the highest degree.Lady, Gucullus non facit monachum; that's as much as to fay, I wear not motley in my brain. Good Madona, give me leave to prove you a fool.

Oli. Can y you do it?

Clo. Dexterously, good Madona.

Qli. Make your proof.

Clo. I must catechife you for it, Madona; good my moufe of virtue, answer me.

Oli. Well, Sir, for want of other idleness, I'll bidė your proof.

Clo. Good Madona, why mourn'st thou?
Oli. Good fool, for my brother's death.
Clo. I think his foul is in hell, Madona.
Oli. I know his foul is in heav'n, fool.

Clo.

> Clo. The more fool you, Madona, to mourn for your brother's foul being in heav'n. Take away the fool, Gentlemen.

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

Mal. Yes, and fhall do, till the pangs of death fhake him. Infirmity, that decays the wife, doth ever make better the fool.

Glo. God fend you, Sir, a speedy infirmity, for the better increasing your folly! Sir Toby will be fworn that I am no fox; but he will not pafs his word for two pence that you are no fool.

Oli. How fay you to that, Malvolio ?

Mal. I marvel your Ladyfhip takes delight in fuch a barren rascal. I faw him put down the other day with an ordinary fool, that has no more brain than a stone. Look you now, he's out of his guard already; unless you laugh and minifter occafion to him, he is gagg'd. I protest, I take these wise men that crow fo at these fet kind of fools, no better than the fools' Zanies.

Oli. O, you are fick of felf-love, Malvolio, and tafte with a diftemper'd appetite. To be generous, guiltlefs, and of free difpofition, is to take thofe things for bird-bolts that you deem cannon-bullets there is no flander in an allowed fool, though he do nothing but rail; nor no railing in a known difcreet man, though he do nothing but reprove.

Clo. Now, Mercury endue thee with pleafing, for thou fpeak'ft well of fools!

Enter Maria.

Mar. Madam, there is at the gate a young gentleman much defires to speak with you.

Oli. From the Count Orfino, is it Pa

Mar. I know not, Madam; 'tis a fair young man, and well attended.

Oli. Who of my people hold him in delay ? "Mar. Sir Toby, Madam, your uncle.

Oli. Fetch him off, I pray you; he fpeaks nothing but madman: fie on him! Go you, Malvolio; if it be a fuit from the Count, I am fick, or not at home: what you will, to difmifs it. [Exit Malvolio.] Now,

you

you fee, Sir, how your fooling grows old, and people diflike it,

Clo. Thou haft fpoke for us, Madona, as if thy eldest fon fhould be a fool: whofe fcull Jove cram with brains, for here comes one of thy kin has a most weak pia mater!

Oli. By mine honour, half drunk. What is he at the gate, uncled

Sir Tob. A gentleman.

Oli. A gentleman? what gentleman?

Sir To. Tis a gentleman-heir,-A plague o' thefe pickle herring! how now, fot?

Clo. Good Sir Toby,.

Oli. Uncle, uncle, how have you come fo early by this lethargy?

Sir To. Letchery! I defy letchery. There's one at the gate.

Oli. Ay, marry, what is he?

Sir To. Let him be the devil an he will, I care not: give me faith, fay I. Well, its all one.

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

[Exit.

Clo. Like a drown'd man, a fool, and a madman:

one draught above heat makes him a fool, the fecond

mads him, and a third drowns him.

Oli. Go thou and feek the corner, and let him fit o'my uncle; for he's in the third degree of drink; he's drown'd go, look after him.

Clo. He is but mad yet, Madona, and the fool fhall look to the madman. [Exit Clown,

Enter. Malvolio.

Mal. Madam, yond young fellow fwears he will fpeak with you. I told him you were fick; he takes on him to understand so much, and therefore comes to fpeak with you. I told him you were asleep; he seems to have a foreknowledge of that too, and therefore comes to speak with you. What is to be faid to him, Lady? he's fortified against any denial.

་་་་་

Oli. Tell him he fhall not fpeak with me.
Mal. He has been told fo; and he says, he'll stand

at

at your door like a fheriff's poft *, and be the fupporter to a bench, but he'll fpeak with you.

Oli. What kind o'man is he?

Mal. Why of mankind.

Oli. What manner of man?

Mal. Of very ill manners; he'll fpeak with you, will you or no.

4

Qli. Of what perfonage and years is he?

Mal. Not yet old enough for a man, nor young nough for a boy; as a fquafh is before 'tis a peafcod, or a codling when 'tis almost an apple: 'tis with him in ftanding water, between boy and man. He is very well favoured, and he fpeaks very threwilly; one would think his mother's milk were fcarce out of him, Oli. Let him approach call in my gentlewoman. Mal. Gentlewoman, my Lady calls. [Exh.]

SCENE IX. Enter Maria.

Oli. Give me my veil: come, throw it o'er my face; We'll once more hear Orfino's embaffy.

Enter Viola.

will?

Vio. The honourable lady of the houfe, which is fhe? Oli. Speak to me, I shall answer for her: your Vio. Moft radiant, exquifite, and unmatchable beauty -I pray you, tell me, if this be the lady of the houfe, for I never faw her. I would be loth to caft away my speech; for, befides that it is excellently well. penn'd, I have take great pains to con it. Good. beauties, let me fuftain no fcorn; I am very compible +, even to the leaft finifter ufage.

Oli. Whence came you, Sir?

Vio. I can fay little more than I have ftudied, and that question's out of my part. Good gentle one, give.

Heretofore all proclamations by the King, all appointments of the rates of wages by the juftices of peace, and other things of the like nature, were fent to the sheriff of each county, who was obliged to promulgate them, not only by caufing them to be read in every market-town, but by affixing them to fome convenient place within it ; for which purpofe great pofts or pillars were erected in each such town, and thefe were called-heriff's posts.

+ Comptible, for ready to call to account.