Mar. Ay, but you must confine yourself within the modeft limits of order.

Sir To. Confine? I'll confine myfelf no finer than I am: these clothes are good enough to drink in, and fo be these boots too; an they be not, let them hang themselves in their own ftraps.

Mar. That quaffing and drinking will undo you: I heard my lady talk of it yesterday; and of a foolish knight, that you brought in one night here, to be her wooer. Sir To. Who? Sir Andrew Ague-cheek?

Mar. Ay, he.

Sir To. He's as " tall a man as any's in Illyria.
Mar. What's that to the purpose ?

Sir To. Why, he has three thousand ducats a year. Mar. Ay, but he'll have but a year in all these ducats; he's a very fool, and a prodigal.

Sir To. Fie, that you'll say so! he plays o'th' ' viol-degambo, and fpeaks three or four languages word for word without book, and hath all the good gifts of nature.

Mar. He hath, indeed,- almost natural: for, befides that he's a fool, he's a great quarreller; and, but that he hath a gift of a coward to allay the guft he hath in quarrelling, 'tis thought among the prudent, he would quickly have the gift of a grave.

Sir To. By this hand they are fcoundrels, and fubtractors, that fay fo of him. Who are they?

Mar. They that add moreover, he's drunk nightly in your company.

Sir To. With drinking healths to my niece; I'll drink to her, as long as there's a paffage in my throat, and drink in Illyria: He's a coward, and a coyftril, that will not drink to my niece, till his brains turn o'the toe like a

n tall]-proper. Pall, most natural.

• viol-de-gambo,]-bafe viol.
a conftril,]-fcoundrel.

parish

'parish-top. What, wench? Caftiliano volto, for here comes Sir Andrew Ague-face.

Enter Sir Andrew.

Sir And. Sir Toby Belch! how now, Sir Toby Belch? Sir To. Sweet fir Andrew!

Sir And. Bless you, fair fhrew.

Mar. And you too, fir.

Sir To. Accoft, fir Andrew, accost.

Sir And. What's that?

Sir To. My niece's chamber-maid.

Sir And. Good mistress Accoft, I defire better acquaint

ance.

Mar. My name is Mary, fir.

Sir And. Good Mrs. Mary Accost-

Sir To. You mistake, knight: accoft, is, front her, board her, woo her, affail her.

Sir And. By my troth, I would not undertake her in this company. Is that the meaning of accost?

Mar. Fare you well, gentlemen.

Sir To. An thou let part fo, fir Andrew, would thou might'ft never draw fword again.

Sir And. An you part so, mistress, I would I might never draw fword again; Fair lady, do you think you have fools in hand?

Mar. Sir, I have not you by the hand.

Sir And. Marry, but you fhall have; and here's my hand.

Mar. Now, fir, thought is free: I pray you, bring your hand to the buttery-bar, and let it drink.

parish-top.]-a large one, kept formerly in moft villages for the exercife of the peasants, in frofty weather, when they could not work: hence the proverb, "To fleep like a town-top."

8

Caftiliano volto ;]-Put on your beft looks, bridle, hold up your head. bring your hand to the buttery-bar, and let it drink.]-a proverbial

expreffion, meaning, give me a kifs, and make me a prefent.

Sir And.

Sir And. Wherefore, fweet heart? what's your metaphor?

Mar. "It's dry, fir.

Sir And. Why, I think fo; I am not fuch an afs, but I can keep my hand dry. But what's your jest?

Mar. A dry jeft, fir.

Sir And. Are you full of them?

Mar. Ay, fir; I have them at my fingers' ends: marry, now I let go your hand, I am barren. [Exit Maria. Sir To. O knight, thou lack'ft a cup of canary; When did I fee thee fo put down?

Sir And. Never in your life, I think; unless you see ca ́nary put me down: Methinks, fometimes I have no more wit than a christian, or an ordinary man has: but I am a great eater of beef, and, I believe, that does harm to my wit.

Sir To. No queftion.

Sir And. An I thought that, I'd forfwear it. I'll ride home to-morrow, fir Toby.

Sir To. Pourquoy, my dear knight?

Sir And. What is pourquoy? do or not do? I would I had bestowed that time in the tongues, that I have in fencing, dancing, and bear-baiting: O, had I but followed the arts!

Sir To. Then hadst thou had an excellent head of hair. Sir And. Why, would that have mended my hair? Sir To. Paft queftion; for thou feeft, it will not curl by " nature.

W

Sir And. But it becomes me well enough, does't not? Sir To. Excellent! it hangs like flax on a distaff; and

" It's dry, fir.]—a fign of frigidity and avarice.

W

"If an oily palm be not a fruitful prognostication,

"I cannot fcratch my ear."

ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA, A&t I, Sc. 2. Char.

by nature.]-without tongs. (a pun.)

I hope to see a housewife take thee between her legs, and fpin it off.

Sir And. 'Faith, I'll home to-morrow, fir Toby: your niece will not be feen; or, if fhe be, it's four to one the'll none of me: the count himself, here hard by, wooes her.

Sir To. She'll none o'the count; fhe'll not match above her degree, neither in estate, years, nor wit; I have heard her fwear it. Tut, there's life in't, man.

Sir And. I'll stay a month longer. I am a fellow o'the ftrangeft mind i'the world; I delight in mafques and revels fometimes altogether.

Sir To. Art thou good at these kick-shaws, knight?

Sir And. As any man in Illyria, whatsoever he be, under the degree of my betters; and yet I will not* compare with an old man.

Sir To. What is thy excellence? in a galliard, knight? Sir And. 'Faith, I can cut a caper.

Sir To. And I can cut the mutton to't.

Sir And. And, I think, I have the back-trick, fimply as ftrong as any man in Illyria.

y

Sir To. Wherefore are these things hid? wherefore have these gifts a curtain before them? are they like to take duft, like mistress Mall's picture? why doft thou not go to church in a galliard, and come home in a coranto? my very walk should be a jig; I would not fo much as make water but in a fink-a-pace. What doft thou mean? is it a world to hide virtues in? I did think, by the excellent conftitution of thy leg, it was form'd under the star of a galliard.

x

compare with an old man. 7.]—rank myself among the old folk; put myself in competition with the men of old time.

Y miftrefs Mall's picture?]-Mary Frith's, a famous impoftor of thofe days, who paffed for an Hermaphrodite.

2

fink-a-pace.]-cinque-pace; a dance regulated by the number five. VOL. II. I i

Sir

Sir And. Ay, 'tis ftrong, and it does indifferent well in a flame-colour'da ftock. Shall we fet about fome revels? Sir To. What fhall we do else? were we not born under Taurus?

b

Sir And. Taurus? that's fides and heart.

Sir To. No, fir; it is legs and thighs. Let me fee thee caper ha! higher: ha, ha!——excellent !

SCENE

The Palace.

IV.

Enter Valentine, and Viola in man's attire.

[Exeunt.

Val. If the duke continue thefe favours towards you, Cefario, you are like to be much advanc'd; he hath known you but three days, and already you are no stranger.

Vio. You either fear his humour, or my negligence, that you call in queftion the continuance of his love: Is he inconftant, fir, in his favours?

Val. No, believe me.

Enter Duke, Curio, and Attendants.

Vio. I thank you. Here comes the count.
Duke. Who faw Cefario? ho!

Vio. On your attendance, my lord; here.
Duke. Stand you a-while aloof-Cefario,
Thou know'ft no lefs but all; I have unclafp'd
To thee the book even of my fecret foul:

C

Therefore, good youth, addrefs thy gait unto her;

Be not deny'd accefs, ftand at her doors,

And tell them, there thy fixed foot fhall grow, 'Till thou have audience.

aftock.]-ftocking.

fides and heart.]—alluding to the figure of a man in the almanack.

gait-steps.