when thou fpok'ft of Pigrogromitus, of the Vapians paffing the equinoctial of Queubus: 'twas very good, i' faith: (6) I fent thee fix-pence for thy Leman, had't it? Clo. I did impetticos thy gratillity; for Malvolio's nofe is no whip-ftock. My Lady has a white hand, and the Myrmidons are no bottle-ale houses. Sir And. Excellent: why, this is the beft fooling, when all is done. Now, a fong.. x-pence for you Let's Sir To. Come on, there's fixhave a fong. Sir And. There's a teftril of me too; if one Knight give a Clo. Would you have a love-fong, or a fong of good life? Sir To. A love-fong, a love-fong. Sir And. Ay, ay, I care not for good life. Clown fings. O Mistress mine, where are you roaming? Sir And. Excellent good, i' faith! Clo. What is love? 'tis not hereafter: 3 Prefent mirth hath prefent laughter: (6) I fent thee fix-pence for thy Lemon, bad'ft it.] But the Clown was neither pantler, nor butler The Poet's word was certainly miftaken by the ignorance of the Printers. I have reftored, leman, i. e. I fent thee fix-pence to spend on thy miftrefs. So, in Merry Wives of Windfor; " as jealous as Ford, that fearch'd a hollow wallnut for his wife's leman; 2 Henry IV. A cup of wine, that's brifk and fine, Anal And drink unto the leman mine; The word was used indifferently, to fignify, either a mifrefs, or gallent; as the word, lover, ftood for both fexes. F 3 What's What's to come, is ftill unfure; Then come kifs me, fweet, and twenty: Sir And. A mellifluous voice, as I am a true Knight. Sir And. Very fweet and contagious, ' faith. Sir To. To hear by the nofe, it is dulcet in contagion. But shall we make the welkin dance, indeed ? (7) Shall we rouze the night-owl in a catch, that will draw three fouls out of one weaver? fhall we do that? Sir And. An you love me, let's do't; I am a dog at a catch. Clo. By'r Lady, Sir, and fome dogs will catch well. (7)-Shall we rowze the night-owl in a catch, that will draw three fouls out of one weaver?] i. e. by which he shall be thrice tranfported, or equally tranfported with every one of us three fingers. As for drawing out the foul, this is a phrafe, which, as it feems, our author delights to ufe, to exprefs the ravishing power of mufick. Much Ado about Nothing. Now is his foul ravish'd. Is it not strange that sheep's guts should lale fouls out of men's bodies, &c. But, perhaps, by mentioning three fouls, Sir Toby may be hinting at the peripatetic philofophy (the learning then in vogue,) which very liberally gave to every man three fouls, the vegitative or flaftic, the amimal, and the rational. I would not imagine that Shakespeare had no further drift in this, than either to expose that system, or make a parade of his own knowledge. Thofe, who are converfant in him, can't but observe, that he takes delight on all occafions to display the 'great power and force of mufick. And here, in the most extraordiinary manner, he conveys to us the idea of that power in its full ex◄ tent as we receive it from poetical relations. For in fpeaking of it's power, to draw the three fouls out of a man, viz. the vegitative or plaftic, the fenfative or animal, and the rational or human, he would infinuate to us all thofe furprizing effects of mufick that the antients fpeak of, when they tell us of Amphion who mov'd ftones and trees; Or beus and Arion, who tam'd the favages; and Timotheus, who govern'd as he pleas'd the paffions of his human auditors, by the irrefiftible force of harmony. So noble and extraordinary an obfervation has our author cover'd under the ribaldry of a fantastick character. Mr. Warburton. Cl Clo. Hold thy peace, thou knave, Knight. I fhall be conftrain'd in't, to call the knave, Knight. Sir And. "Tis not the first time I have conftrain'd one to call me knave. Begin, fool; it begins, Hold thy peace, the Clo. I fhall never begin, if I hold my peace. Sir And. Good, i' faith: come, begin. Enter Maria. [They fing a catch. Mar. What a catterwauling do you keep here? if my Lady have not call'd up her fteward, Malvolio, and bid him turn you out of doors, never trust me. Sir To. My Lady's a catayan, we are politicians, Malvolio's a peg-a ramfey, and three merry men be we. Am not I confanguinious am I not of her blood? Tilly vally, Lady! there dwelt a man in Babylon, Lady, Lady. [Singing. Clo. Befhrew me, the Knight's in admirable fooling. Sir And. Ay, he does well enough if he be difpos'd, and fo do I too: he does it with a better grace, but I do it more natural. Sir To. O the twelfth day of December,- [Singing. Mar. For the love o' God, peace. Enter Malvolio. Mal. My Mafters, are you mad? or what are you? have you no wit, manners, nor honefty, but to gabble like tinkers at this time of night? do you make an alehoufe of my Lady's houfe, that ye fqueak out your coziers catches without any mitigation or remorse of voice? is there no refpect of place, perfons, nor time in you? Sir To. We did keep time, Sir, in our catches. Sneck up! [Hiccoughs. Mal. Sir Toby, I must be round with you. My Lady bade me tell you, that the harbours you as her uncle, he's nothing ally'd to your diforders. If you can feparate yourself and your misdemeanors, you are welcome to the houfe: if not, an it would please you to F 4 take take leave of her, fhe is very willing to bid you farewél. W Sir To. Farewel, dear heart, fince I must needs be gone. Clo. His eyes do fhew, his days are almost done. Mal. Is't even fo? Sir To. But I will never die." Clo. Sir Toby, there you lye. Mal. This is much credit to you. Sir To. Shall I bid him go? Clo. What, an if you do? Sir To. Shall I bid him go, and spare not? Clo. O no, no, no, you dare not. [Singing Sir To. Out o'time, Sir? ye lye: art thou any more than a steward? doft thou think, becaufe thou art virtuous, there fhall be no more cakes and ale? Clo. Yes, by faint Anne; and ginger fhall be hot -i'th' mouth too. " Sir To. Thou'rt i'th' right. Go, Sir, rub your chain with crums. A floop of wine, Maria.Mal. Miftrefs Mary, if you priz'd my Lady's favour at any thing more than contempt, you would not give means for this uncivil rule; the fhall know of it, by this hand. [Exit. Mar. Go, fhake your ears. Sir And. "Twere as good a deed as to drink when a man's a hungry, to challenge him to the field, and then to break promife with him, and make a fool of him. Sir To. Do't, Knight, I'll write thee a challenge: or I'll deliver thy indignation to him by word of mouth. Mar. Sweet Sir Toby, be patient for to-night; fince the youth of the Duke's was to-day with my Lady, fhe is much out of quiet. For Monfieur Malvolio, let me alone with him: if I do not gull him into a nayword, and make him a common recreation, do not think, I have wit enough to lie ftraight in my bed: I know, I can do it. Sir To. Poffefs us, poffefs us, tell us fomething of him. Mar. WHAT YOU WILL, 129 Mar. Marry, Sir, fometimes he is a kind of a Puritan. Sir And. O, if I thought that, I'd beat him like a dog. Sir To. What, for being a Puritan ? thy exquifite reafon, dear Knight. 3»། Sir And. I have no exquifite reafon for't, but I have reafon good enough. Mar. The devil a Puritan that he is, or any thing conftantly but a time-pleafer; an affection'd afs, that cons ftate without book, and utters it by great swarths. The best perfuaded of himself: fo cram'd, as he thinks, with excellencies, that it is his ground of faith, that all that look on him, love him; and on that vice in him will my revenge find notable caufe to work. Sir To. What wilt thou do ? Mar. I will drop in his way fome obfcure epiftles of love, wherein, by the colour of his beard, the fhape of his leg, the manner of his gate, the expreffure of his eye, forehead, and complexion, he shall find him-. felf moft feelingly perfonated. I can write very like my Lady your niece; on a forgotten matter we can hardly make diftinction of our hands. Sir To. Excellent, I fmell a device.. Sir To. He shall think by the letters, that thou wilt drop, that they come from my niece, and tha: the is in love with him. Mar. My purpofe is, indeed, a horse of that colour. Sir And. And your horse now would make him an afs. -Mar. Afs, I doubt not. Sir And. O, 'twill be admirable. Mar. Sport royal, I warrant you: Eknow, my phy fick will work with him. I will plant you two, and let the fool make a third, where he fhall find the letter obferve his construction of it: for this night to bed, and dream on the event. Farewel. Sir To. Good night, Peuthifilea.. Sir And. Before me, fhe's a good wench. F 5 [Exit |