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- TWELFTH NIGHT
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- Act 2 Scene 5
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- (Enter Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Fabian)
- l1l Sir Toby Come thy ways, Signor Fabian.
- l2l Fabian Nay, IÆll come. If I lose a scruple of this sport let
- l3l me be boiled to death with melancholy.
- l4l Sir Toby Wouldst thou not be glad to have the niggardly
- l5l rascally sheep-biter come by some notable shame?
- l6l Fabian I would exult, man. You know he brought me
- l7l out oÆ favour with my lady about a bear-baiting here.
- l8l Sir Toby To anger him weÆll have the bear again, and
- l9l we will fool him black and blue, shall we not, Sir
- l10l Andrew?
- l11l Sir Andrew An we do not, it is pity of our lives.
- (Enter Maria with a letter)
- l12l Sir Toby Here comes the little villain. How now, my metal
- l13l of India?
- l14l Maria Get ye all three into the box-tree. MalvolioÆs
- l15l coming down this walk. He has been yonder iÆ the sun
- l16l practising behaviour to his own shadow this half-hour.
- l17l Observe him, for the love of mockery, for I know this
- l18l letter will make a contemplative idiot of him. Close, in
- l19l the name of jesting!
- (The men hide. Maria places the letter)
- l20l Lie thou there, for here comes the trout that must be
- l21l caught with tickling.
- (Exit)
- (Enter Malvolio)
- l22l Malvolio ÆTis but fortune, all is fortune. Maria once told
- l23l me she did affect me, and I have heard herself come
- l24l thus near, that should she fancy it should be one of
- l25l my complexion. Besides, she uses me with a more
- l26l exalted respect than anyone else that follows her. What
- l27l should I think on Æt?
- l28l Sir Toby HereÆs an overweening rogue.
- l29l Fabian O, peace! Contemplation makes a rare turkeycock
- l30l of himùhow he jets under his advanced plumes!
- l31l Sir Andrew ÆSlight, I could so beat the rogue.
- l32l Sir Toby Peace, I say.
- l33l Malvolio To be Count Malvolio!
- l34l Sir Toby Ah, rogue.
- l35l Sir Andrew Pistol him, pistol him.
- l36l Sir Toby Peace, peace.
- l37l Malvolio There is example for Æt: the Lady of the Strachey
- l38l married the yeoman of the wardrobe.
- l39l Sir Andrew Fie on him, Jezebel.
- l40l Fabian O peace, now heÆs deeply in. Look how imagination
- l41l blows him.
- l42l Malvolio Having been three months married to her,
- l43l sitting in my stateù
- l44l Sir Toby O for a stone-bow to hit him in the eye!
- l45l Malvolio Calling my officers about me, in my branched
- l46l velvet gown, having come from a day-bed where I have
- l47l left Olivia sleepingù
- l48l Sir Toby Fire and brimstone!
- l49l Fabian O peace, peace.
- l50l Malvolio And then to have the humour of state andù
- l51l after a demure travel of regard, telling them I know
- l52l my place, as I would they should do theirsùto ask for
- l53l my kinsman Toby.
- l54l Sir Toby Bolts and shackles!
- l55l Fabian O peace, peace, peace, now, now.
- l56l Malvolio Seven of my people with an obedient start
- l57l make out for him. I frown the while, and perchance
- l58l wind up my watch, or play with myù (touching his
- l59l chain) some rich jewel. Toby approaches; curtsies there
- l60l to me.
- l61l Sir Toby Shall this fellow live?
- l62l Fabian Though our silence be drawn from us with cars,
- l63l yet peace.
- l64l Malvolio I extend my hand to him thus, quenching my
- l65l familiar smile with an austere regard of controlù
- l66l Sir Toby And does not Toby take you a blow oÆ the lips,
- l67l then?
- l68l Malvolio Saying ôCousin Toby, my fortunes, having cast
- l69l me on your niece, give me this prerogative of speechöù
- l70l Sir Toby What, what!
- l71l Malvolio ôYou must amend your drunkenness.ö
- l72l Sir Toby Out, scab.
- l73l Fabian Nay, patience, or we break the sinews of our plot.
- l74l Malvolio ôBesides, you waste the treasure of your time
- l75l with a foolish knightöù
- l76l Sir Andrew ThatÆs me, I warrant you.
- l77l Malvolio ôOne Sir Andrew.ö
- l78l Sir Andrew I knew Ætwas I, for many do call me fool.
- l79l Malvolio (seeing the letter) What employment have we
- l80l here?
- l81l Fabian Now is the woodcock near the gin.
- l82l Sir Toby O peace, and the spirit of humours intimate
- l83l reading aloud to him.
- l84l Malvolio (taking up the letter) By my life, this is my ladyÆs
- l85l hand. These be her very cÆs, her uÆs, and her tÆs, and
- l86l thus makes she her great PÆs. It is in contempt of
- l87l question her hand.
- l88l Sir Andrew Her cÆs, her uÆs, and her tÆs? Why that?
- l89l Malvolio (reads) ôTo the unknown beloved, this, and my
- l90l good wishes.ö Her very phrases! (Opening the letter) By
- l91l your leave, waxùsoft, and the impressure her Lucrece,
- l92l with which she uses to sealùÆtis my lady. To whom
- l93l should this be?
- l94l Fabian This wins him, liver and all.
- l95l Malvolio ôJove knows I love,
- l96l But who?
- l97l Lips do not move,
- l98l No man must know.ö
- l99l ôNo man must know.ö What follows? The numbers
- l100l altered. ôNo man must know.ö If this should be thee,
- l101l Malvolio?
- l102l Sir Toby Marry, hang thee, brock.
- l103l Malvolio ôI may command where I adore,
- l104l But silence like a Lucrece knife
- l105l With bloodless stroke my heart doth gore.
- l106l M.O.A.I. doth sway my life.ö
- l107l Fabian A fustian riddle.
- l108l Sir Toby Excellent wench, say I.
- l109l Malvolio ôM.O.A.I. doth sway my life.ö Nay, but first let
- l110l me see, let me see, let me see.
- l111l Fabian What dish oÆ poison has she dressed him!
- l112l Sir Toby And with what wing the staniel checks at it!
- l113l Malvolio ôI may command where I adore.ö Why, she
- l114l may command me. I serve her, she is my lady. Why,
- l115l this is evident to any formal capacity. There is no
- l116l obstruction in this. And the endùwhat should that
- l117l alphabetical position portend? If I could make that
- l118l resemble something in me. SoftlyùôM.O.A.I.ö
- l119l Sir Toby O ay, make up that, he is now at a cold scent.
- l120l Fabian Sowter will cry upon Æt for all this, though it be
- l121l as rank as a fox.
- l122l Malvolio ôM.ö MalvolioùôMöùwhy, that begins my
- l123l name.
- l124l Fabian Did not I say he would work it out? The cur is
- l125l excellent at faults.
- l126l Malvolio ôM.ö But then there is no consonancy in the
- l127l sequel. That suffers under probation. ôAö should follow,
- l128l but ôOö does.
- l129l Fabian And ôOö shall end, I hope.
- l130l Sir Toby Ay, or IÆll cudgel him, and make him cry ôO!ö
- l131l Malvolio And then ôIö comes behind.
- l132l Fabian Ay, an you had any eye behind you you might
- l133l see more detraction at your heels than fortunes before
- l134l you.
- l135l Malvolio ôM.O.A.I.ö This simulation is not as the former;
- l136l and yet to crush this a little, it would bow to me, for
- l137l every one of these letters are in my name. Soft, here
- l138l follows prose: ôIf this fall into thy hand, revolve. In my
- l139l stars I am above thee, but be not afraid of greatness.
- l140l Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some
- l141l have greatness thrust upon Æem. Thy fates open their
- l142l hands, let thy blood and spirit embrace them, and to
- l143l inure thyself to what thou art like to be, cast thy
- l144l humble slough, and appear fresh. Be opposite with a
- l145l kinsman, surly with servants. Let thy tongue tang
- l146l arguments of state; put thyself into the trick of
- l147l singularity. She thus advises thee that sighs for thee.
- l148l Remember who commended thy yellow stockings, and
- l149l wished to see thee ever cross-gartered. I say remember,
- l150l go to, thou art made if thou desirest to be so; if not,
- l151l let me see thee a steward still, the fellow of servants,
- l152l and not worthy to touch FortuneÆs fingers. Farewell.
- l153l She that would alter services with thee,
- l154l The Fortunate-Unhappy.ö
- l155l Daylight and champaign discovers not more. This is
- l156l open. I will be proud, I will read politic authors, I will
- l157l baffle Sir Toby, I will wash off gross acquaintance, I
- l158l will be point-device the very man. I do not now fool
- l159l myself, to let imagination jade me; for every reason
- l160l excites to this, that my lady loves me. She did commend
- l161l my yellow stockings of late, she did praise my leg,
- l162l being cross-gartered, and in this she manifests herself
- l163l to my love, and with a kind of injunction drives me to
- l164l these habits of her liking. I thank my stars, I am happy.
- l165l I will be strange, stout, in yellow stockings, and cross-
- l166l gartered, even with the swiftness of putting on. Jove
- l167l and my stars be praised. Here is yet a postscript. ôThou
- l168l canst not choose but know who I am. If thou
- l169l entertainest my love, let it appear in thy smiling, thy
- l170l smiles become thee well. Therefore in my presence still
- l171l smile, dear my sweet, I prithee.ö Jove, I thank thee. I
- l172l will smile, I will do everything that thou wilt have me.
- (Exit)
- (Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Fabian come from hiding)
- l173l Fabian I will not give my part of this sport for a pension
- l174l of thousands to be paid from the Sophy.
- l175l Sir Toby I could marry this wench for this device.
- l176l Sir Andrew So could I, too.
- l177l Sir Toby And ask no other dowry with her but such
- l178l another jest.
- (Enter Maria)
- l179l Sir Andrew Nor I neither.
- l180l Fabian Here comes my noble gull-catcher.
- l181l Sir Toby (to Maria) Wilt thou set thy foot oÆ my neck?
- l182l Sir Andrew (to Maria) Or oÆ mine either?
- l183l Sir Toby (to Maria) Shall I play my freedom at tray-trip,
- l184l and become thy bondslave?
- l185l Sir Andrew (to Maria) IÆ faith, or I either?
- l186l Sir Toby (to Maria) Why, thou hast put him in such a
- l187l dream that when the image of it leaves him, he must
- l188l run mad.
- l189l Maria Nay, but say true, does it work upon him?
- l190l Sir Toby Like aqua vitae with a midwife.
- l191l Maria If you will then see the fruits of the sport, mark
- l192l his first approach before my lady. He will come to her
- l193l in yellow stockings, and Ætis a colour she abhors, and
- l194l cross-gartered, a fashion she detests; and he will smile
- l195l upon her, which will now be so unsuitable to her
- l196l disposition, being addicted to a melancholy as she is,
- l197l that it cannot but turn him into a notable contempt.
- l198l If you will see it, follow me.
- l199l Sir Toby To the gates of Tartar, thou most excellent devil
- l200l of wit.
- l201l Sir Andrew IÆll make one, too.
- (Exeunt)
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