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- $Unique_ID{SSP03011}
- $Title{Twelfth Night: Act III, Scene I}
- $Author{Shakespeare, William}
- $Subject{}
- $Log{Dramatis Personae*03000.txt}
-
- Portions copyright (c) CMC ReSearch, Inc., 1989
-
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
-
- TWELFTH NIGHT
-
-
- ACT III
- ................................................................................
-
-
- SCENE I: OLIVIA's garden.
- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-
- {Enter VIOLA, and Clown with a tabour.}
-
- VIOLA: Save thee, friend, and thy music: dost thou live by
- thy tabour?
-
- Clown: No, sir, I live by the church.
-
- VIOLA: Art thou a churchman?
-
- Clown: No such matter, sir: I do live by the church; for
- I do live at my house, and my house doth stand by
- the church.
-
- VIOLA: So thou mayst say, the king lies by a beggar, if a
- beggar dwell near him; or, the church stands by thy
- tabour, if thy tabour stand by the church. 10
-
- Clown: You have said, sir. To see this age! A sentence is
- but a cheveril glove to a good wit: how quickly the
- wrong side may be turned outward!
-
- VIOLA: Nay, that's certain; they that dally nicely with
- words may quickly make them wanton.
-
- Clown: I would, therefore, my sister had had no name, sir.
-
- VIOLA: Why, man?
-
- Clown: Why, sir, her name's a word; and to dally with that
- word might make my sister wanton. But indeed words
- are very rascals since bonds disgraced them. 20
-
- VIOLA: Thy reason, man?
-
- Clown: Troth, sir, I can yield you none without words; and
- words are grown so false, I am loath to prove
- reason with them.
-
- VIOLA: I warrant thou art a merry fellow and carest for
- nothing.
-
- Clown: Not so, sir, I do care for something; but in my
- conscience, sir, I do not care for you: if that be
- to care for nothing, sir, I would it would make you
- invisible. 30
-
- VIOLA: Art not thou the Lady Olivia's fool?
-
- Clown: No, indeed, sir; the Lady Olivia has no folly: she
- will keep no fool, sir, till she be married; and
- fools are as like husbands as pilchards are to
- herrings; the husband's the bigger: I am indeed not
- her fool, but her corrupter of words.
-
- VIOLA: I saw thee late at the Count Orsino's.
-
- Clown: Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb like the sun,
- it shines every where. I would be sorry, sir, but
- the fool should be as oft with your master as with 40
- my mistress: I think I saw your wisdom there.
-
- VIOLA: Nay, an thou pass upon me, I'll no more with thee.
- Hold, there's expenses for thee.
-
- Clown: Now Jove, in his next commodity of hair, send thee
- a beard!
-
- VIOLA: By my troth, I'll tell thee, I am almost sick for
- one;
-
- [Aside.]
-
- though I would not have it grow on my chin. Is thy
- lady within?
-
- Clown: Would not a pair of these have bred, sir? 50
-
- VIOLA: Yes, being kept together and put to use.
-
- Clown: I would play Lord Pandarus of Phrygia, sir, to bring
- a Cressida to this Troilus.
-
- VIOLA: I understand you, sir; 'tis well begged.
-
- Clown: The matter, I hope, is not great, sir, begging but
- a beggar: Cressida was a beggar. My lady is
- within, sir. I will construe to them whence you
- come; who you are and what you would are out of my
- welkin, I might say 'element,' but the word is
- over-worn. 60
-
- [Exit.]
-
- VIOLA: This fellow is wise enough to play the fool;
- And to do that well craves a kind of wit:
- He must observe their mood on whom he jests,
- The quality of persons, and the time,
- And, like the haggard, cheque at every feather
- That comes before his eye. This is a practise
- As full of labour as a wise man's art
- For folly that he wisely shows is fit;
- But wise men, folly-fall'n, quite taint their wit.
-
- {Enter SIR TOBY BELCH, and SIR ANDREW.}
-
- SIR TOBY BELCH: Save you, gentleman. 70
-
- VIOLA: And you, sir.
-
- SIR ANDREW: Dieu vous garde, monsieur.
-
- VIOLA: Et vous aussi; votre serviteur.
-
- SIR ANDREW: I hope, sir, you are; and I am yours.
-
- SIR TOBY BELCH: Will you encounter the house? my niece is desirous
- you should enter, if your trade be to her.
-
- VIOLA: I am bound to your niece, sir; I mean, she is the
- list of my voyage.
-
- SIR TOBY BELCH: Taste your legs, sir; put them to motion.
-
- VIOLA: My legs do better understand me, sir, than I 80
- understand what you mean by bidding me taste my
- legs.
-
- SIR TOBY BELCH: I mean, to go, sir, to enter.
-
- VIOLA: I will answer you with gait and entrance. But we
- are prevented.
-
- {Enter OLIVIA and MARIA.}
-
- Most excellent accomplished lady, the heavens rain
- odours on you!
-
- SIR ANDREW: That youth's a rare courtier: 'Rain odours;' well.
-
- VIOLA: My matter hath no voice, to your own most pregnant
- and vouchsafed ear. 90
-
- SIR ANDREW: 'Odours,' 'pregnant' and 'vouchsafed:' I'll get 'em
- all three all ready.
-
- OLIVIA: Let the garden door be shut, and leave me to my
- hearing.
-
- [Exeunt SIR TOBY BELCH, SIR ANDREW, and MARIA.]
-
- Give me your hand, sir.
-
- VIOLA: My duty, madam, and most humble service.
-
- OLIVIA: What is your name?
-
- VIOLA: Cesario is your servant's name, fair princess.
-
- OLIVIA: My servant, sir! 'Twas never merry world
- Since lowly feigning was call'd compliment: 100
- You're servant to the Count Orsino, youth.
-
- VIOLA: And he is yours, and his must needs be yours:
- Your servant's servant is your servant, madam.
-
- OLIVIA: For him, I think not on him: for his thoughts,
- Would they were blanks, rather than fill'd with me!
-
- VIOLA: Madam, I come to whet your gentle thoughts
- On his behalf.
-
- OLIVIA: O, by your leave, I pray you,
- I bade you never speak again of him:
- But, would you undertake another suit,
- I had rather hear you to solicit that 110
- Than music from the spheres.
-
- VIOLA: Dear lady,--
-
- OLIVIA: Give me leave, beseech you. I did send,
- After the last enchantment you did here,
- A ring in chase of you: so did I abuse
- Myself, my servant and, I fear me, you:
- Under your hard construction must I sit,
- To force that on you, in a shameful cunning,
- Which you knew none of yours: what might you think?
- Have you not set mine honour at the stake
- And baited it with all the unmuzzled thoughts 120
- That tyrannous heart can think? To one of your
- receiving
- Enough is shown: a cypress, not a bosom,
- Hideth my heart. So, let me hear you speak.
-
- VIOLA: I pity you.
-
- OLIVIA: That's a degree to love.
-
- VIOLA: No, not a grize; for 'tis a vulgar proof,
- That very oft we pity enemies.
-
- OLIVIA: Why, then, methinks 'tis time to smile again.
- O, world, how apt the poor are to be proud!
- If one should be a prey, how much the better
- To fall before the lion than the wolf! 130
-
- [Clock strikes.]
-
- The clock upbraids me with the waste of time.
- Be not afraid, good youth, I will not have you:
- And yet, when wit and youth is come to harvest,
- Your were is alike to reap a proper man:
- There lies your way, due west.
-
- VIOLA: Then westward-ho! Grace and good disposition
- Attend your ladyship!
- You'll nothing, madam, to my lord by me?
-
- OLIVIA: Stay:
- I prithee, tell me what thou thinkest of me. 140
-
- VIOLA: That you do think you are not what you are.
-
- OLIVIA: If I think so, I think the same of you.
-
- VIOLA: Then think you right: I am not what I am.
-
- OLIVIA: I would you were as I would have you be!
-
- VIOLA: Would it be better, madam, than I am?
- I wish it might, for now I am your fool.
-
- OLIVIA: O, what a deal of scorn looks beautiful
- In the contempt and anger of his lip!
- A murderous guilt shows not itself more soon
- Than love that would seem hid: love's night is noon. 150
- Cesario, by the roses of the spring,
- By maidhood, honour, truth and every thing,
- I love thee so, that, maugre all thy pride,
- Nor wit nor reason can my passion hide.
- Do not extort thy reasons from this clause,
- For that I woo, thou therefore hast no cause,
- But rather reason thus with reason fetter,
- Love sought is good, but given unsought better.
-
- VIOLA: By innocence I swear, and by my youth
- I have one heart, one bosom and one truth, 160
- And that no woman has; nor never none
- Shall mistress be of it, save I alone.
- And so adieu, good madam: never more
- Will I my master's tears to you deplore.
-
- OLIVIA: Yet come again; for thou perhaps mayst move
- That heart, which now abhors, to like his love.
-
- [Exeunt.]
-