The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

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The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 533

by William Shakespeare


  40

  my bounty further.

  CLOWN Marry, sir, lullaby to your bounty till I come

  again. I go, sir, but I would not have you to think that

  my desire of having is the sin of covetousness: but as

  you say, sir, let your bounty take a nap, I will awake it

  45

  anon. Exit.

  Enter ANTONIO and Officers.

  VIOLA Here comes the man, sir, that did rescue me.

  ORSINO That face of his I do remember well;

  Yet when I saw it last, it was besmear’d

  As black as Vulcan, in the smoke of war.

  50

  A baubling vessel was he captain of,

  For shallow draught and bulk unprizable,

  With which such scathful grapple did he make

  With the most noble bottom of our fleet,

  That very envy and the tongue of loss

  55

  Cried fame and honour on him. What’s the matter?

  1OFFICER Orsino, this is that Antonio

  That took the Phoenix and her fraught from Candy,

  And this is he that did the Tiger board,

  When your young nephew Titus lost his leg.

  60

  Here in the streets, desperate of shame and state,

  In private brabble did we apprehend him.

  VIOLA He did me kindness, sir, drew on my side,

  But in conclusion put strange speech upon me,

  I know not what ’twas, but distraction.

  65

  ORSINO Notable pirate, thou salt-water thief,

  What foolish boldness brought thee to their mercies,

  Whom thou in terms so bloody and so dear

  Hast made thine enemies?

  ANTONIO Orsino, noble sir,

  Be pleas’d that I shake off these names you give me:

  70

  ANTONIO never yet was thief, or pirate,

  Though I confess, on base and ground enough,

  ORSINO’s enemy. A witchcraft drew me hither:

  That most ingrateful boy there by your side,

  From the rude sea’s enrag’d and foamy mouth

  75

  Did I redeem. A wrack past hope he was.

  His life I gave him, and did thereto add

  My love, without retention or restraint,

  All his in dedication. For his sake

  Did I expose myself (pure for his love)

  80

  Into the danger of this adverse town;

  Drew to defend him, when he was beset;

  Where being apprehended, his false cunning

  (Not meaning to partake with me in danger)

  Taught him to face me out of his acquaintance,

  85

  And grew a twenty years’ removed thing

  While one would wink; denied me mine own purse,

  Which I had recommended to his use

  Not half an hour before.

  VIOLA How can this be?

  ORSINO When came he to this town?

  90

  ANTONIO Today, my lord: and for three months before

  No int’rim, not a minute’s vacancy,

  Both day and night did we keep company.

  Enter OLIVIA and attendants.

  ORSINO

  Here comes the Countess: now heaven walks on earth.

  But for thee, fellow – fellow, thy words are madness.

  95

  Three months this youth hath tended upon me;

  But more of that anon. Take him aside.

  OLIVIA

  What would my lord, but that he may not have,

  Wherein Olivia may seem serviceable?

  Cesario, you do not keep promise with me.

  100

  VIOLA [speaking together] Madam

  ORSINO Gracious Olivia –

  OLIVIA What do you say, Cesario? Good my lord –

  VIOLA My lord would speak, my duty hushes me.

  OLIVIA If it be aught to the old tune, my lord,

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  It is as fat and fulsome to mine ear

  As howling after music.

  ORSINO Still so cruel?

  OLIVIA Still so constant, lord.

  ORSINO What, to perverseness? You uncivil lady,

  To whose ingrate and unauspicious altars

  110

  My soul the faithfull’st off ’rings hath breath’d out

  That e’er devotion tender’d – What shall I do?

  OLIVIA

  Even what it please my lord that shall become him.

  ORSINO Why should I not, had I the heart to do it,

  Like to th’Egyptian thief at point of death,

  115

  Kill what I love? – a savage jealousy

  That sometime savours nobly. But hear me this:

  Since you to non-regardance cast my faith,

  And that I partly know the instrument

  That screws me from my true place in your favour,

  120

  Live you the marble-breasted tyrant still.

  But this your minion, whom I know you love,

  And whom, by heaven, I swear I tender dearly,

  Him will I tear out of that cruel eye

  Where he sits crowned in his master’s spite.

  125

  Come, boy, with me; my thoughts are ripe in mischief:

  I’ll sacrifice the lamb that I do love,

  To spite a raven’s heart within a dove.

  VIOLA And I most jocund, apt, and willingly,

  To do you rest, a thousand deaths would die.

  130

  OLIVIA Where goes Cesario?

  VIOLA After him I love

  More than I love these eyes, more than my life,

  More, by all mores, than e’er I shall love wife.

  If I do feign, you witnesses above

  Punish my life, for tainting of my love.

  135

  OLIVIA Ay me detested! how am I beguil’d!

  VIOLA

  Who does beguile you? Who does do you wrong?

  OLIVIA Hast thou forgot thyself? Is it so long?

  Call forth the holy father. Exit an attendant.

  ORSINO Come, away!

  OLIVIA Whither, my lord? Cesario, husband, stay!

  140

  ORSINO Husband?

  OLIVIA Ay, husband. Can he that deny?

  ORSINO Her husband, sirrah?

  VIOLA No, my lord, not I.

  OLIVIA Alas, it is the baseness of thy fear

  That makes thee strangle thy propriety.

  Fear not, Cesario, take thy fortunes up,

  145

  Be that thou know’st thou art, and then thou art

  As great as that thou fear’st.

  Enter Priest.

  O welcome, father!

  Father, I charge thee by thy reverence

  Here to unfold – though lately we intended

  To keep in darkness what occasion now

  150

  Reveals before ’tis ripe – what thou dost know

  Hath newly pass’d between this youth and me.

  PRIEST A contract of eternal bond of love,

  Confirm’d by mutual joinder of your hands,

  Attested by the holy close of lips,

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  Strengthen’d by interchangement of your rings,

  And all the ceremony of this compact

  Seal’d in my function, by my testimony;

  Since when, my watch hath told me, toward my grave

  I have travell’d but two hours.

  160

  ORSINO O thou dissembling cub! What wilt thou be

  When time hath sow’d a grizzle on thy case?

  Or will not else thy craft so quickly grow

  That thine own trip shall be thine overthrow?

  Farewell, and take her, but direct thy feet

  165

  Where thou and I henceforth may never meet.

  VIOLA My lord, I do
protest –

  OLIVIA O do not swear!

  Hold little faith, though thou hast too much fear.

  Enter SIR ANDREW.

  SIR ANDREW For the love of God, a surgeon! Send one

  presently to Sir Toby.

  170

  OLIVIA What’s the matter?

  SIR ANDREW ’Has broke my head across, and has given Sir

  Toby a bloody coxcomb too. For the love of God, your

  help! I had rather than forty pound I were at home.

  OLIVIA Who has done this, Sir Andrew?

  175

  SIR ANDREW The Count’s gentleman, one Cesario. We

  took him for a coward, but he’s the very devil in-

  cardinate.

  ORSINO My gentleman, Cesario?

  SIR ANDREW ’Od’s lifelings, here he is! You broke my

  180

  head for nothing; and that that I did, I was set on to

  do’t by Sir Toby.

  VIOLA Why do you speak to me? I never hurt you:

  You drew your sword upon me without cause,

  But I bespake you fair, and hurt you not.

  185

  Enter SIR TOBY and Clown.

  SIR ANDREW If a bloody coxcomb be a hurt, you have

  hurt me: I think you set nothing by a bloody coxcomb.

  Here comes Sir Toby halting, you shall hear more: but

  if he had not been in drink, he would have tickled you

  othergates than he did.

  190

  ORSINO How now, gentleman? How is’t with you?

  SIR TOBY That’s all one, ’has hurt me, and there’s th’

  end on’t. Sot, didst see Dick Surgeon, sot?

  CLOWN O, he’s drunk, Sir Toby, an hour agone; his eyes

  were set at eight i’th’ morning.

  195

  SIR TOBY Then he’s a rogue, and a passy measures

  pavin: I hate a drunken rogue.

  OLIVIA Away with him! Who hath made this havoc with

  them?

  SIR ANDREW I’ll help you, Sir Toby, because we’ll be

  200

  dressed together.

  SIR TOBY Will you help? An ass-head, and a coxcomb,

  and a knave, a thin-faced knave, a gull?

  OLIVIA Get him to bed, and let his hurt be looked to.

  Exeunt Clown, Fabian, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew.

  Enter SEBASTIAN.

  SEBASTIAN

  I am sorry, madam, I have hurt your kinsman:

  205

  But had it been the brother of my blood,

  I must have done no less with wit and safety.

  You throw a strange regard upon me, and by that

  I do perceive it hath offended you:

  Pardon me, sweet one, even for the vows

  210

  We made each other but so late ago.

  ORSINO

  One face, one voice, one habit, and two persons!

  A natural perspective, that is, and is not!

  SEBASTIAN Antonio! O my dear Antonio,

  How have the hours rack’d and tortur’d me,

  215

  Since I have lost thee!

  ANTONIO Sebastian are you?

  SEBASTIAN Fear’st thou that, Antonio?

  ANTONIO How have you made division of yourself?

  An apple cleft in two is not more twin

  Than these two creatures. Which is Sebastian?

  220

  OLIVIA Most wonderful!

  SEBASTIAN Do I stand there? I never had a brother;

  Nor can there be that deity in my nature

  Of here and everywhere. I had a sister,

  Whom the blind waves and surges have devour’d:

  225

  Of charity, what kin are you to me?

  What countryman? What name? What parentage?

  VIOLA Of Messaline: Sebastian was my father;

  Such a Sebastian was my brother too:

  So went he suited to his watery tomb.

  230

  If spirits can assume both form and suit,

  You come to fright us.

  SEBASTIAN A spirit I am indeed,

  But am in that dimension grossly clad

  Which from the womb I did participate.

  Were you a woman, as the rest goes even,

  235

  I should my tears let fall upon your cheek,

  And say, ‘Thrice welcome, drowned Viola.’

  VIOLA My father had a mole upon his brow.

  SEBASTIAN And so had mine.

  VIOLA And died that day when Viola from her birth

  240

  Had number’d thirteen years.

  SEBASTIAN O, that record is lively in my soul!

  He finished indeed his mortal act

 

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