come thus near, that, should she fancy, it should be one of my complexion. Besides, she uses me with a more exalted respect, than any one else that follows her. What should I think on't ? Sir To. Here's an over-weening rogue ! Fab. O, peace! Contemplation makes a rare turkeycock of him : how he jets' under his advanced plumes ! Sir And. 'Slight, I could so beat the rogue:- Mal. There is example for't; the lady of the strachy married the yeoman of the wardrobe. Sir And. Fie on him, Jezebel ! Fab. O, peace! now he's deeply in ; look, how imagination blows him. Mal. Having been three months married to her, sitting in my state', Sir To. O, for a stone-bow, to hit him in the eye! Mal. Calling my officers about me, in my branched velvet gown ; having come from a day-bed", where I left Olivia sleeping. Sir To. Fire and brimstone! Fab. O, peace, peace! Mal. And then to have the humour of state: and after a demure travel of regard, -telling them, I know my place, as I would they should do theirs,—to ask for my kinsman Toby! Sir To. Bolts and shackles ! 6- how he jets – ] To jet is to strut. 6 — the lady of the strachy –] No probable meaning has been discovered for this word by the commentators. — my state,-) A state, in ancient language, signifies a chair with a canopy over it. 8 - come from a day-bed,] i.e. a couch. Mal. Seven of my people, with an obedient start, make out for him: I frown the while ; and, perchance, wind up my watch, or play with some rich jewel. Toby approaches ; court’sies there to me: Sir To. Shall this fellow live? Fab. Though our silence be drawn from us with cars', yet peace. Mal. I extend my hand to him thus, quenching my familiar smile with an austere regard of control : Sir To. And does not Toby take you a blow o’the lips then ? Mal. Saying, Cousin Toby, my fortunes having cast me on your niece, give me this prerogative of speech : Sir To. What, what ? Fab. Nay, patience, or we break the sinews of our plot. Mal. Besides, you waste the treasure of your time with a foolish knight; Sir And. That's me, I warrant you. [Taking up the letter. Fab. Now is the woodcock near the gin. Sir To. 0, peace! and the spirit of humours intimate reading aloud to him ! Mal. By my life, this is my lady's hand: these be her very C's, her U's, and her T's; and thus makes she her great P's. It is, in contempt of question, her hand. Sir And. Her C's, her U's, and her T's: Why that? Mal. [reads.] To the unknown beloved, this, and my good wishes : her very phrases !—By your leave, wax. -Soft !-and the impressure her Lucrece, with which • Though our silence be drawn from us with cars,] i.e. though it is the greatest pain to us to keep silence. she uses to seal: ’tis my lady. To whom should this be? Fab. This wins him, liver and all." But who ? No man must know. Sir To. Marry, hang thee, brock'! But silence, like a Lucrece knife, M, O, A, I, doth sway my life. Fab. What a dish of poison has she dressed him! Sir To. And with what wing the stannyel’ checks at it! Mal. I may command where I adore. Why, she may command me; I serve her, she is my lady. Why, this is evident to any formal capacity. There is no obstruction in this ;–And the end, - What should that alphabetical position portend ? If I could make that resemble something in me,-Softly !—M, 0, A, 1. Sir To. O, ay! make up that:-he is now at a cold scent. Fab. Sowter 4 will cry upon't, for all this, though it be as rank as a fox. 1-- brock !] i. e. badger; a term of contempt. ? — stannyel -] The stannyel is the common stone-hawk, which inhabits old buildings and rocks. 3- formal capacity.] i. e. any one whose capacity is not out of form. Sowter – ] Sowter is here perhaps the name of a hound. Mal. M, - Malvolio; — M, - why, that begins my name. Fab. Did not I say, he would work it out? the cur is excellent at faults. Mal. M,—But then there is no consonancy in the sequel ; that suffers under probation: A should follow, but o does. Fab. And 0 shall end, I hope. Fab. Ay, an you had any eye behind you, you might see more detraction at your heels, than fortunes before you. Mal. M, 0, A, I;—This simulation is not as the former:-and yet, to crush this a little, it would bow to me, for every one of these letters are in my name. Soft ; here follows prose.—If this fall into thy hand, revolve. In my stars I am above thee; but be not afraid of greatness : Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. Thy fates open their hands ; let thy blood and spirit embrace them. And, to inure thyself to what thou art like to be, cast thy humble slough, and appear fresh. Be opposite with a kinsman, surly with servants: let thy tongue tang arguments of state; put thyself into the trick of singularity: She thus advises thee, that sighs for thee. Remember who commended thy yellow stockings; and wished to see thee ever cross-gartered : I say, remember. Go to; thou art made, if thou desirest to be so; if not, let me see thee a steward still, the fellow of servants, and not worthy to touch fortune's fingers. Farewell. She that would alter services with thee, The fortunate-unhappy. Day-light and champiano discovers not more: this is open. I will be proud, I will read politick authors, I will baffle sir Toby, I will wash off gross acquaintance, 5 Be opposite - ] That is, be adverse, hostile. • Day-light and champian - ] i. e. broad day and an open country. I.will be point-de-vice?, the very man. I do not now fool myself, to let imagination jade me; for every reason excites to this, that my lady loves me. She did commend my yellow stockings of late, she did praise my leg being cross-gartered; and in this she manifests herself to my love, and with a kind of injunction, drives me to these habits of her liking. I thank my stars, I am happy. I will be strange, stout, in yellow stockings, and cross-gartered, even with the swiftness of putting on. Jove, and my stars, be praised !-Here is yet a postscript. Thou canst not choose but know who I am. If thou entertainest my love, let it appear in thy smiling ; thy smiles become thee well; therefore in my presence still smile, dear my sweet, I pr’ythee. Jove, I thank thee. — I will smile; I will do every thing that thou wilt have me. [Erit. Fab. I will not give my part of this sport for a pension of thousands to be paid from the Sophy. Sir To. I could marry this wench for this device: Sir To. And ask no other dowry with her, but such another jest. Enter Maria. Sir To. Shall I play my freedom at tray-trip'? and become thy bond-slave ? Sir And. I'faith, or I either. 7 — I will be point-de-vice,] i. e. with the utmost possible exactness. 6 -- a pension of thousands to be paid from the Sophy.] Alluding, as Dr. Farmer observes, to Sir Robert Shirley, who was ju-t returved in the character of embassador from the Sophy. He boasted of the great rewards he had received, and lived in London with the utmost splendour. 9- tray-trip?] Some kind of game. |