Mar. Thou might'ft have done this without thy beard and gown; he fees thee not..

Sir To. To him in thine own voice, and bring me word how thou find'st him': I would, we were all rid of this knavery. If he may be conveniently deliver'd, I would, he were; for I am now fo far in offence with my neice, that I cannot pursue with any fafety this fport to the upshot. Come by and by to my chamber.

[Exit with Maria. Clo. Hey Robin, jolly Robin, tell me how my lady"

does.

Mal. Fool,

Clo. My lady is unkind, perdie.

Mal. Fool,

Clo. Alas, why is she fo!

Mal. Fool, I fay ;

Clo. She loves another

who calls, ha?

[Singing.

Mal. Good Fool, as ever thou wilt deferve well at my hand, help me to a candle, and pen, ink, and paper; as I am a gentleman, I will live to be thankful to thee for't.

Clo. Mr. Malvolio!

Mal. Ay, good fool.

Clo. Alas, Sir, how fell you befides your five wits? Mal. Fool, there was never man fo notoriously abus'd; I am as well in my wits, fool, as thou art.

Clo. But as well! then thou art mad, indeed, if you be no better in your wits than a fool.

Mal. They have here propertied me; keep me in darkness, fend minifters to me, affes, and do all they can to face me out of my wits.

Cle. Advife you what you fay: the minifter is here. Malvolio, Malvolio, thy wits the heav'ns reftore; endeavour thy felf to fleep, and leave thy vain bibble babble. Mal. Sir Topas,

ノ

Clo. Maintain no words with him, good fellow.

Who, I, Sir? not I, Sir. God b'w'you, good Sir

Topas

Marry, amen.

I will, Sir, I will.

Mal. Fool, fool, fool, I fay.

Clo

Clo. Alas, Sir, be patient. What fay you, Sir? I am fhent for fpeaking to you.

Mal. Good fool, help me to fome light, and fome paper; I tell thee, I am as well in my wits, as any man in Illyria.

Clo. Well-a-day, that you were, Sir!
Mal. By this hand, I am

good fool, fome ink, paper and light; and convey what I fet down to my Lady: It fhall advantage thee more than ever the bearing of

letter did.

Clo. I will help you to't.

But tell me true, are you

not mad, indeed, or do you but counterfeit ?

Mal. Believe me, I am not : I tell thee true.

Clo. Nay, I'll ne'er believe a mad man, 'till I fee his brains. I will fetch you light, and paper, and ink, Mal. Fool, I'll requite it in the highest degree;

I pr'ythee, be gone.

Clo. I am gone, Sir, and anon, Sir,

I'll be with you again

In a trice, like to the old vice, (10)

Your need to fuftain:

[Singing

Who with dagger of lath, in his rage, and his wrath,

Cries, ab, ha! to the devil:

Like a mad lad, pare thy nails, dad,

Adieu, good man drivel.

[Exit:

SCENE changes to another Apartment in

Seb. I

Olivia's Houfe.

Enter Sebastian.

HIS is the air, that is the glorious fun;

T This pear! the gave me, I do feel't and fee't.

And though 'tis wonder that enwraps me thus,
Yet 'tis not madnefs. Where's Anthonio then?

(10) Like to the old Vice,] I have explain'd this Word, and the Character meant by it, in a Note upon this Line of King Richard IIId.

Thus, like the formal Vice, Iniquity, &c.

I could not find him at the Elephant;

Yet there he was, and there I found this credit, (11)
That he did range the town to seek me out.
His counfel now might do me golden fervice;
For tho' my foul difputes well with my fenfe,
That this may be fome error, but no madness;
Yot doth this accident and flood of fortune
So far exceed all inftance, all difcourfe;
That I am ready to diftruft mine eyes,

And wrangle with my reafon that perfuades me
To any other truft, but that I'm mad;

Or elfe the Lady's mad; yet if 'twere so,

She could not fway her house, command her followers,
Take, and give back affairs, and their difpatch,
With fuch a fmooth, discreet, and stable bearing,
As, I perceive, fhe does: there's fomething in't,
That is deceivable. But here she comes,

Enter Olivia and Prieft.

Oli. Blame not this hafte of mine: if you mean well, with me, and with this holy man,

Now go

Into the chantry by; there before him,
And underneath that confecrated roof,
Plight me the full affurance of your faith;
That my moft jealous and too doubtful foul
May live at peace. He fhall conceal it,
Whiles you are willing it fhall come to note;
What time we will our celebration keep
According to my birth. What do you fay?

(11) Yet there he was, and there I found this Credit,

That he did range, &c.] i. e. I found it justified, credibly vouch'd. Whether the Word Credit will easily carry this Meaning, I am doubtful: The Expreffion feems obfcure; and tho' I have not difturb'd the Text, I very much fufpect that the Poet wrote;

and there I found this credent.

He uses the fame Term again in the very fame Senfe in The Winter's Tale.

-Then 'tis very credent.

Thou may'ft co-join with something, and thou doft, &c.

Seb.

Seb. I'll follow this good man, and go with you; And having fworn truth, ever will be true.

Oli. Then lead the way, good father; and heav'ns fo

fhine,

That they may fairly note this act of mine!

[Exeunt.

A C T

V.

SCENE, The Street.

Now

Enter Clown, and Fabian.

FABIAN.

OW, as thou lov'st me, let me fee his letter.
Clo. Good Mr. Fabian, grant me another
requeft.

Fab. Any thing.

Clo. Do not defire to fee this letter.

Fab. This is to give a dog, and in recompence defire my dog again.

Enter Duke, Viola, Curio, and Lords.

Duke. Belong you to the lady Olivia, friends?
Clo. Ay, Sir, we are fome of her trappings.

Duke. I know thee well; how doft thou, my good fellow ?

Clo. Truly, Sir, the better for my foes, and the worse, for my friends.

Duke. Juft the contrary; the better for thy friends.
Clo. No, Sir, the worse.

Duke. How can that be?

Clo. Marry, Sir, they praise me, and make an afs of me; now, my foes tell me plainly, I am an afs; so that by my foes, Sir, I profit in the knowledge of myself; and by my friends I am abufed: fo that, conclufion to

be

be asked, is, (12) if your four negatives make your two affirmatives, why, then the worfe for my friends, and the better for my foes.

Duke. Why, this is excellent.

Clo. By my troth, Sir, no; tho' it please you to be one of my friends.

Duke. Thou shalt not be the worfe for me, there's

gold.

Clo. But that it would be double-dealing, Sir, I would, you could make it another.

Duke. O, you give me ill counsel.

Clo. Put your grace in your pocket, Sir, for this once, and let your flesh and blood obey it.

Duke. Well, I will be fo much a finner to be a doubledealer: there's another.

Clo. Primo, fecundo, tertio, is a good Play, and the old faying is, the third pays for all: the triplex, Sir, is a good tripping measure; or the bells of St. Bennet, Sir, may put you in mind, one, two, three.

Duke. You can fool no more mony out of me at this throw; if you will let your Lady know, I am here to fpeak with her, and bring her along with you, it may awake my bounty further.

Clo. Marry, Sir, lullaby to your bounty 'till I come again. I go, Sir; but I would not have you to think,

(12) So that Conclufions to be as kiffes," -] Tho' it might be unreasonable to call our Poet's Fools and Knaves every where to Account; yet, if we did, for the Generality we should find them refponfible. But what monstrous Abfurdity have we here? To fuppofe the Text genuine, we must acknowledge it too wild to have any known Meaning; and what has no known Meaning, cannot be allow'd to have either Wit or Humour. Befides, the Clown is affecting to argue seriously and in Form. I imagine, the Poet wrote;

So that, Conclufion to be asked, is

i. e. So that the Conclufion I have to demand of You is this, if your Four, &c. He had in the preceding Words been inferring fome Premises, and now comes to the Conclufion very logically; You grant Me, fays He, the Premisses; I now ask you to grant the Conclufion.

Mr. Warburton,

that