Vio. The captain, that did bring me firft on shore, Hath my maids garments: he upon some action Is now in durance, at Malvolio's fuit,

A gentleman and follower of my Lady's.

Öli. He fhall enlarge him: fetch Mal-volio hither. And yet, alas, now I remember me,

They fay, poor gentleman, he's much distract.

Enter the Clown with a letter, and Fabian.

A most extracting frenzy of mine own
From my remembrance clearly banish'd his.
How does he, firrah?

Clo. Truly, Madam, he holds Belzebub at the ftave's end, as well as a man in his case may do; h'as here writ a letter to you, I should have giv'n it you to-day morning. But as a mad-man's epiftles are no gospels, fo it fkills not much, when they are deliver❜d.

Oli. Open't, and read it.

Clo. Look then to be well edify'd, when the fool delivers the mad-man-By the Lord, Madam,- [Reads Cli. How now, art mad?

Clo. No, Madam, I do but read madnefs: an your Ladyship will have it as it ought to be, you must allow Vox.

Oli. Pr'ythee, read it, i'thy right wits.

Clo. So I do, Madona; but to read his right wits is to read thus therefore perpend, my Princefs, and. give ear.

Oli. Read it you, firrah.

I

[To Fabian. Fab. [Reads.] By the Lord, Madam, you wrong mex and the world ball know it: though you have put me into darkness, and given your drunken uncle rule over me, yet bave I the benefit of my fenfes as well as your Ladyship. have your own letter, that induced me to the femblance I put on; with the which, I doubt not, but to do myjelf much right, or you much shame think of me as yout pleafe: I leave my duty a little unthought of, and speak out of my injury, The madly us'd Malvolio..

Oli. Did he write this?
Clo. Ay, Madam,

Duke.

Duke. This favours not much of distraction.

Oli. See him deliver'd, Fabian; bring him hither. My Lord, fo please you, these things further thought on, To think me as well a fifter, as a wife;

One day fhall crown th' alliance on't, fo please you,
Here at my house, and at my proper coft.

[To Viol

Duke. Madam, I am moft apt t'embrace your offer. Your mafter quits you; and for your service done him, So much against the metal of your fex, So far beneath your foft and tender breeding; (And fince you call'd me mafter for fo long,) Here is my hand, you shall from this time be Your mafter's mistress.

Enter Malvolio.

Duke. Is this the madman?

Oli. Ay, my Lord, the fame: how now, Malvolie?
Mal. Madam, you have done me wrong, notorious
Oli. Have I, Malvolio? no.
[wrong.
Mal. Lady, you have; pray you perufe that letter.
You must not now deny it is your hand.
Write from it if you can, in hand or phrafe;
Or fay, 'tis not your feal, nor your invention;
You can fay none of this. Well, grant it then;
And tell me in the modefty of honour,

Why you have given me fuch clear lights of favour,
Bade me come fmiling, and crofs-garter'd to you
To put on yellow ftockings, and to frown
Upon Sir Toby, and the lighter people:
And acting this in an obedient hope,
Why have you fuffer'd me to be imprison'd,
Kept in a dark house, vifited by the priest,
And made the most notorious geck, and gull,
That e'er invention plaid on? tell me, why?
Oli. Alas, Malvolio, this is not my writing,
Tho', I confefs, much like the character:
But, out of queftion, 'tis Maria's hand.
And now I do bethink me, it was fhe

First told me, thou waft mad; then cam'ft thou smiling,

H 6

And

And in fuch forms which here were presuppos'd
Upon thee in the letter: pr'ythee, be content;
This practice hath moft fhrewdly paft upon thee;
But when we know the grounds, and authors of it,
Thou shalt be both the plaintiff and the judge
Of thine own cause.

Fab. Good Madam, hear me fpeak;
And let no quarrel, nor no brawl to come,
Taint the condition of this present hour,
Which I have wondred at. In hope it fhall not,
Moft freely I confefs, myfelf and Sir Toby
Set this device against Malvolio here,
Upon fome stubborn and uncourteous parts
We had conceiv'd against him. Maria writ
The letter, at Sir Toby's great importance;
In recompence whereof, he hath married her.
How with a sportful malice it was follow'd,
May rather pluck on laughter than revenge;
If that the injuries be justly weigh'd,

That have on both fides paft.

Oli. Alas, poor fool! how have they baffled thee? Clo. Why, fome are born great, fome atchieve greatness, and fome have greatness thrust upon them. I was one, Sir, in this interlude; one Sir Topas, Sir: but that's all one: - by the Lord, fool, I am not mad; but do you remember, Madam, -why laugh you at fuch a tarren rafcal? an you smile not, he's gagg'd: and thus the whirl-gigg of time brings in his revenges.

Mal. I'll be reveng'd on the whole pack of you. [Exit.
Oli. He hath been most notoriously abus'd.
Duke. Purfue him, and intreat him to a peace:
He hath not told us of the captain yet;

When that is known, and golden time convents,
A folemn combination fhall be made

Of our dear fouls. Mean time, sweet sister,
We will not part from hence.-Cefario, come;
(For fo you fhall be, while you are a man ;)
But when in other habits you are seen,
Orfino's mistress, and his fancy's queen.

[Exeunt.

Clown

Clown fings.

When that I was an a little tiny boy,

With hey, ho, the wind and the rain: A foolish thing was but a toy,

For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I came to man's eftate,

With hey, ho, &c.

'Gainft knaves and thieves men fhut their gate,

For the rain, &c.

But when I came, alas! to wive,
With hey, ho, &c.

By fwaggering could I never thrive,
For the rain, &c.

But when I came unto my beds,
With hey, ho, &c.

With tofs-pots ftill had drunken heads,
For the rain, &c.

A great while ago the world begun,
With hey, ho, &c.

But that's all one, our Play is done;

And we'll ftrive to please you every day.

+

[Exit.

THE