Vio. What is his name?
Cap. Orsino
Vio. Orsino: I haue heard my father name him.
He was a Batch.e.l.lor then
Cap. And so is now, or was so very late: For but a month ago I went from hence, And then "twas fresh in murmure (as you know What great ones do, the lesse will prattle of,) That he did seeke the loue of faire Oliuia
Vio. What"s shee?
Cap. A vertuous maid, the daughter of a Count That dide some tweluemonth since, then leauing her In the protection of his sonne, her brother, Who shortly also dide: for whose deere loue (They say) she hath abiur"d the sight And company of men
Vio. O that I seru"d that Lady, And might not be deliuered to the world Till I had made mine owne occasion mellow What my estate is
Cap. That were hard to compa.s.se, Because she will admit no kinde of suite, No, not the Dukes
Vio. There is a faire behauiour in thee Captaine, And though that nature, with a beauteous wall Doth oft close in pollution: yet of thee I will beleeue thou hast a minde that suites With this thy faire and outward charracter.
I prethee (and Ile pay thee bounteously) Conceale me what I am, and be my ayde, For such disguise as haply shall become The forme of my intent. Ile serue this Duke, Thou shalt present me as an Eunuch to him, It may be worth thy paines: for I can sing, And speake to him in many sorts of Musicke, That will allow me very worth his seruice.
What else may hap, to time I will commit, Onely shape thou thy silence to my wit
Cap. Be you his Eunuch, and your Mute Ile bee, When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not see
Vio. I thanke thee: Lead me on.
Exeunt.
Scaena Tertia.
Enter Sir Toby, and Maria.
Sir To. What a plague meanes my Neece to take the death of her brother thus? I am sure care"s an enemie to life
Mar. By my troth sir Toby, you must come in earlyer a nights: your Cosin, my Lady, takes great exceptions to your ill houres
To. Why let her except, before excepted
Ma. I, but you must confine your selfe within the modest limits of order
To. Confine? Ile confine my selfe no finer then I am: these cloathes are good enough to drinke in, and so bee these boots too: and they be not, let them hang themselues in their owne straps
Ma. That quaffing and drinking will vndoe you: I heard my Lady talke of it yesterday: and of a foolish knight that you brought in one night here, to be hir woer To. Who, Sir Andrew Ague-cheeke?
Ma. I he
To. He"s as tall a man as any"s in Illyria
Ma. What"s that to th" purpose?
To. Why he ha"s three thousand ducates a yeare
Ma. I, but hee"l haue but a yeare in all these ducates: He"s a very foole, and a prodigall
To. Fie, that you"l say so: he playes o"th Viol-de-gamboys, and speaks three or four languages word for word without booke, & hath all the good gifts of nature
Ma. He hath indeed, almost naturall: for besides that he"s a foole, he"s a great quarreller: and but that hee hath the gift of a Coward, to allay the gust he hath in quarrelling, "tis thought among the prudent, he would quickely haue the gift of a graue
Tob. By this hand they are scoundrels and substractors that say so of him. Who are they?
Ma. They that adde moreour, hee"s drunke nightly in your company
To. With drinking healths to my Neece: Ile drinke to her as long as there is a pa.s.sage in my throat, & drinke in Illyria: he"s a Coward and a Coystrill that will not drinke to my Neece, till his braines turne o"th toe, like a parish top. What wench? Castiliano vulgo: for here coms Sir Andrew Agueface.
Enter Sir Andrew.
And. Sir Toby Belch. How now sir Toby Belch?
To. Sweet sir Andrew
And. Blesse you faire Shrew
Mar. And you too sir
Tob. Accost Sir Andrew, accost
And. What"s that?
To. My Neeces Chamber-maid
Ma. Good Mistris accost, I desire better acquaintance Ma. My name is Mary sir
And. Good mistris Mary, accost
To, You mistake knight: Accost, is front her, boord her, woe her, a.s.sayle her
And. By my troth I would not vndertake her in this company. Is that the meaning of Accost?
Ma. Far you well Gentlemen
To. And thou let part so Sir Andrew, would thou mightst neuer draw sword agen
And. And you part so mistris, I would I might neuer draw sword agen: Faire Lady, doe you thinke you haue fooles in hand?
Ma. Sir, I haue not you by"th hand
An. Marry but you shall haue, and heeres my hand
Ma. Now sir, thought is free: I pray you bring your hand to"th b.u.t.try barre, and let it drinke
An. Wherefore (sweet-heart?) What"s your Metaphor?
Ma. It"s dry sir
And. Why I thinke so: I am not such an a.s.se, but I can keepe my hand dry. But what"s your iest?
Ma. A dry iest Sir
And. Are you full of them?
Ma. I Sir, I haue them at my fingers ends: marry now I let go your hand, I am barren.
Exit Maria