Dramatis Perfonæ.

ORSINO, Duke of Illyria.

Sebaftian, a young Gentleman, Brother to Viola.
Antonio, a Sea-captain, Friend to Sebaftian.
Valentine, Gentlemen, attending on the Duke.

Curio,

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 fantastical Steward to Olivia.

Clown, Servant to Olivia.

Olivia, a Lady of great Beauty and Fortune, belov'd by

the Duke.

Viola, in love with the Duke.

Maria, Olivia's Woman.

Prieft, Sailors, Officers, and other Attendants.

SCENE, a City on the Coast of Illyria.

TWELFTH-NIGHT:

OR,

WHAT YOU WILL.

ACTI.

SCENE, The PALACE.

I

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.
That ftrain again;-it had a dying fall:
O, it came o'er my ear, like the sweet
fouth,

That breathes upon a bank of violets,

Stealing, and giving odour. Enough! --no more;

'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 3

Even

Even in a minute; (1) fo full of shapes 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 pestilence ;
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 anfwer :
The element itself, 'till feven years hence,
Shall not behold her face at ample view;
But, like a cloyftrefs, fhe will veiled walk,
And water once a day her chamber round
With eye-offending brine: all this to feason
A brother's dead love, which she would keep fresh
And lafting in her fad remembrance.

Duke. O, fhe, that hath a heart of that fine frame, Το pay this debt of love but to a brother,

How will fhe 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 fov'reign thrones, are all supply'd, and fill'd,
Her fweet perfections, with one felf-fame King!
Away before me to fweet beds of flowers;
Love-thoughts lye rich, when canopy'd with bowers.
[Exeunt.

fo full of Shapes is Fancy,

(1) That it alone is high fantastical.] There can be no Reason why the Duke here, who is altogether ferious, and moralizing on the Qualities of Love, should tell us, that Fancy is alone the most fantastical Thing imaginable. I am perfuaded, the Alteration of is into in has given us the Poet's genuine Meaning; that Love is most fantastical, in being so variable in its Mr. Warburton.

Fancies.

SCENE,

SCENE, The Street.

Enter Viola, a Captain and Sailors.

country, friends, is this? Cap. Illyria, Lady.

Vio.

WHAT

Vio. And what fhould I do in Illyria? My brother he is in Elyftum.

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 fplit,

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 strong maft, that liv'd upon the fea;
Where, like Arion on the dolphin's back,
I faw him hold acquaintance with the waves,
So long as I could see.

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'st thou this country?

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

Not three hours travel from this very place.

Vio. Who governs here?

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

Cap. Orfino.

Vio. Orfino! I have heard my father name him: He was a batchelor then.

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 less will prattle of)
That he did feek the love of fair Olivia.

Vio. What's fhe?

Cap. A virtuous maid, the daughter of a Count,

E 4

That

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
What my eftate is!

Cap. That were hard to compafs;

Because fhe will admit no kind of fuit,

No, not the Duke's.

Vio. 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, an Apartment in Olivia's House.

Sir To.

Enter Sir Toby, and Maria.

WHAT

WHAT a plague means my neice, to take the death of her brother thus? I am fure,

care's an enemy to life.

Mar. By my troth, Sir Toby, you must come in earlier a-nights; your neice, my lady, takes great exceptions to your ill hours.