Fab. O, peace! Contemplation makes a rare turkey-cock of him: how he jets under his advanced plumes ! Sir And. 'Slight, I could so beat the rogue! Mal. To be Count Malvolio ! Sir To. Ah, rogue! Sir And. Pistol him, pistol him. Sir To. Peace, peace! Mal. There is example for 't; the lady of the Fab. O, peace! now he's deeply in look how imagination blows him. Mal. Having been three months married to her, sitting in my state, Sir To. O, for a stone-bow, to hit him in the eye ! Mal. Calling my officers about me, in my branched velvet gown; having come from a daybed, where I have left Olivia sleeping,— Sir To. Fire and brimstone ! Fab. O, peace, peace! 40 50 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 should do theirs, 60 to ask for my kinsman Toby,— Sir To. Bolts and shackles ! Fab. O peace, peace, peace! now, now. Mal. Seven of my people, with an obedient start, make out for him: I frown the while and 54. branched, with designs of flowers and twigs. 54. day-bed, sofa. 59. travel of regard, movement of the eye. 65. make out for him, start to fetch him. perchance wind up my watch, or play with my— some rich jewel. Toby approaches; courtesies there to me,— Sir To. Shall this fellow live? Fab. Though our silence be drawn from us with cars, yet peace. Mal. I extend my hand to him thus, quenching my familiar smile with an austere regard of control, Sir To. And does not Toby take you a blow o' the lips then? Mal. Saying, 'Cousin Toby, my fortunes having cast me on your niece give me this prerogative of speech,' Sir To. What, what? Mal. 'You must amend your drunkenness.' Fab. Nay, patience, or we break the sinews of our plot. Mal. 'Besides, 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. Mal. What employment have we here? [Taking up the letter. Fab. Now is the woodcock near the gin. Sir To. O, peace! and 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 66. play with my-some rich jewel; he was about to refer to his steward's chain (cf. ii. 3. 128). Ff print the words without any break; Collier first sugVOL. II 401 70 80 90 gested this interpretation and introduced the '-' 75. take, give. 92. woodcock, regarded as a foolish bird. 2 D makes she 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. [Reads] To the unknown beloved, this, and my good wishes:'-her very phrases! By your leave, wax. Soft! and the impressure her Lucrece, with which she uses to seal : 'tis my lady. To whom should this be? Fab. This wins him, liver and all Mal. [Reads] Jove knows I love: But who? 100 Lips, do not move; 'No man must No man must know. know.' What follows? the num bers altered! 'No man must know:' if this should be thee, Malvolio? Sir To. Marry, hang thee, brock! Mal. [Reads] I may command where I adore ; But silence, like a Lucrece knife, With bloodless stroke my heart doth gore : Fab. A fustian riddle ! Sir To. Excellent wench, say I. Mal. 'M, O, A, I, doth sway my life.' Nay, but first, let me see, let me see, let me see. Fab. What dish o' poison has she dressed him! Sir To. And with what wing the staniel checks at it ! Mal. I may command where I adore.' Why, 97. in contempt of question, beyond all doubt. 103. impressure, impression. ib. her Lucrece, her seal, bearing the figure of Lucrece. 114. brock, badger. ΙΙΟ 120 124. staniel, kestrel. Hanmer's correction of Ff, stallion. she may command me: I serve her; she is my lady. Why, this is evident to any formal capacity; there is no obstruction in this: and the end,-what should that alphabetical position por- 130 tend? If I could make that resemble something in me,-Softly! M, O, A, I, Sir To. O, ay, make up that: he is now at a cold scent. Fab. Sowter will cry upon 't for all this, though it be as rank as a fox. Mal. M,-Malvolio; M,-why, that begins my name. Fab. Did not I say he would work it out? the cur is excellent at faults. Mal. M,-but then there is no consonancy in the sequel; that suffers under probation: A should follow, but O does. Fab. And O shall 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 simulation is not as the former and yet, to crush this a little, it would bow to me, for every one of these letters are in my name. Soft! here follows prose. [Reads] If this fall into thy hand, revolve. 128. formal, ordinary, common; cf. Ant. and Cleo. ii. 5. 41. 133. make up that, explain that. 135. Sowter, a name for a dog; literally 'cobbler' (with the sub-sense 'bungler'). In 140 150 135. cry upon 't, a hunting phrase referring to the cry of the dogs when the scent is found. He will recover it, though your "cold" scent be as unmistakable as a fox's.' 144. O, i.e. a halter. my stars I am above thee; but be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em. Thy Fates open their hands; let thy blood and spirit embrace them; and, to inure thyself to 160 what thou art like to be, cast thy humble slough and appear fresh. Be opposite with a kinsman, surly with servants; let thy tongue tang arguments of state; put thyself into the trick of singularity she thus advises thee that sighs for thee. Remember who commended thy yellow stockings, and wished to see thee ever cross-gartered: I say, remember. Go to, thou art made, if thou desirest to be so; if not, let me see thee a steward still, the fellow of servants, and not worthy to touch 170 Fortune's fingers. Farewell. She that would alter services with thee, THE FORTUNATE-UNHAPPY.' Daylight and champain discovers not more: this is open. I will be proud, I will read politic authors, I will baffle Sir Toby, I will wash off gross acquaintance, I will be point-devise the very man. I do not now fool myself, to let imagination jade me; for every reason excites to this, that my lady loves me. She did commend my 180 yellow stockings of late, she did praise my leg being cross-gartered; and in this she manifests herself to my love, and with a kind of injunction drives me to these habits of her liking. I thank my stars I am happy. I will be strange, stout, in yellow stockings, and cross-gartered, 162. opposite, quarrelsome. later characteristic of Puritan 163. tang, loudly declaim. dress. 167. cross-gartered. The garters were worn above and below the knee, crossing behind. This was a new fashion; it was 174. champain, open country. 175. politic, political. 177. point - devise, in every respect, absolutely. |