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  • Title: Twelfth Night (Folio 1, 1623)
  • Editors: David Carnegie, Mark Houlahan

    • ISBN: 978-1-55058-372-4

    Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editors: David Carnegie, Mark Houlahan
    Peer Reviewed

    Twelfth Night (Folio 1, 1623)

    Twelfe Night, or, What you will. 261
    725for thy Lemon, hadst it?
    Clo. I did impeticos thy gratillity: for Maluolios nose
    is no Whip-stocke. My Lady has a white hand, and the
    Mermidons are no bottle-ale houses.
    An. Excellent: Why this is the best fooling, when
    730all is done. Now a song.
    To. Come on, there is sixe pence for you. Let's haue
    a song.
    An. There's a testrill of me too: if one knight giue a
    Clo. Would you haue a loue-song, or a song of good
    735life?
    To. A loue song, a loue song.
    An. I, I. I care not for good life.
    Clowne sings.

    O Mistris mine where are you roming:
    740O stay and heare, your true loues coming,
    That can sing both high and low.
    Trip no further prettie sweeting.
    Iourneys end in louers meeting,
    Euery wise mans sonne doth know.
    745An. Excellent good, ifaith.
    To. Good, good.
    Clo.
    What is loue, tis not heereafter,
    Present mirth, hath present laughter:
    What's to come, is still vnsure.
    750In delay there lies no plentie,
    Then come kisse me sweet and twentie:
    Youths a stuffe will not endure.
    An. A mellifluous voyce, as I am true knight.
    To. A contagious breath.
    755An. Very sweet, and contagious ifaith.
    To. To heare by the nose, it is dulcet in contagion.
    But shall we make the Welkin dance indeed? Shall wee
    rowze the night-Owle in a Catch, that will drawe three
    soules out of one Weauer? Shall we do that?
    760And. And you loue me, let's doo't: I am dogge at a
    Catch.
    Clo. Byrlady sir, and some dogs will catch well.
    An. Most certaine: Let our Catch be, Thou Knaue.
    Clo. Hold thy peace, thou Knaue knight. I shall be con-
    765strain'd in't, to call thee knaue, Knight.
    An. 'Tis not the first time I haue constrained one to
    call me knaue. Begin foole: it begins, Hold thy peace.
    Clo. I shall neuer begin if I hold my peace.
    An. Good ifaith: Come begin. Catch sung
    770Enter Maria.
    Mar. What a catterwalling doe you keepe heere? If
    my Ladie haue not call'd vp her Steward Maluolio, and
    bid him turne you out of doores, neuer trust me.
    To, My Lady's a Catayan, we are politicians, Maluolios
    775a Peg-a-ramsie, and Three merry men be wee. Am not I
    consanguinious? Am I not of her blood: tilly vally. La-
    die, There dwelt a man in Babylon, Lady, Lady.
    Clo. Beshrew me, the knights in admirable fooling.
    An. I, he do's well enough if he be dispos'd, and so
    780do I too: he does it with a better grace, but I do it more
    naturall.
    To. O the twelfe day of December.
    Mar. For the loue o'God peace.
    Enter Maluolio.
    785Mal. My masters are you mad? Or what are you?
    Haue you no wit, manners, nor honestie, but to gabble
    like Tinkers at this time of night? Do yee make an Ale-
    house of my Ladies house, that ye squeak out your Cozi-
    ers Catches without any mitigation or remorse of voice?
    790Is there no respect of place, persons, nor time in you?
    To. We did keepe time sir in our Catches. Snecke v p.
    Mal. Sir Toby, I must be round with you. My Lady
    bad me tell you, that though she harbors you as her kins-
    man, she's nothing ally'd to your disorders. If you can
    795separate your selfe and your misdemeanors, you are wel-
    come to the house: if not, and it would please you to take
    leaue of her, she is very willing to bid you farewell.
    To. Farewell deere heart, since I must needs be gone.
    Mar. Nay good Sir Toby.
    800Clo. His eyes do shew his dayes are almost done.
    Mal. Is't euen so?
    To. But I will neuer dye.
    Clo. Sir Toby there you lye.
    Mal. This is much credit to you.
    805To. Shall I bid him go.
    Clo. What and if you do?
    To. Shall I bid him go, and spare not?
    Clo. O no, no, no, no, you dare not.
    To. Out o'tune sir, ye lye: Art any more then a Stew-
    810ard? Dost thou thinke because thou art vertuous, there
    shall be no more Cakes and Ale?
    Clo. Yes by S. Anne, and Ginger shall bee hotte y'th
    mouth too.
    To. Th'art i'th right. Goe sir, rub your Chaine with
    815crums. A stope of Wine Maria.
    Mal. Mistris Mary, if you priz'd my Ladies fauour
    at any thing more then contempt, you would not giue
    meanes for this vnciuill rule; she shall know of it by this
    hand. Exit
    820Mar. Go shake your eares.
    An. 'Twere as good a deede as to drink when a mans
    a hungrie, to challenge him the field, and then to breake
    promise with him, and make a foole of him.
    To. Doo't knight, Ile write thee a Challenge: or Ile
    825deliuer thy indignation to him by word of mouth.
    Mar. Sweet Sir Toby be patient for to night: Since
    the youth of the Counts was to day with my Lady, she is
    much out of quiet. For Monsieur Maluolio, let me alone
    with him: If I do not gull him into an ayword, and make
    830him a common recreation, do not thinke I haue witte e-
    nough to lye straight in my bed: I know I can do it.
    To. Possesse vs, possesse vs, tell vs something of him.
    Mar. Marrie sir, sometimes he is a kinde of Puritane.
    An. O, if I thought that, Ide beate him like a dogge.
    835To. What for being a Puritan, thy exquisite reason,
    deere knight.
    An. I haue no exquisite reason for't, but I haue reason
    good enough.
    Mar. The diu'll a Puritane that hee is, or any thing
    840constantly but a time-pleaser, an affection'd Asse, that
    cons State without booke, and vtters it by great swarths.
    The best perswaded of himselfe: so cram'd (as he thinkes)
    with excellencies, that it is his grounds of faith, that all
    that looke on him, loue him: and on that vice in him, will
    845my reuenge finde notable cause to worke.
    To. What wilt thou do?
    Mar. I will drop in his way some obscure Epistles of
    loue, wherein by the colour of his beard, the shape of his
    legge, the manner of his gate, the expressure of his eye,
    850forehead, and complection, he shall finde himselfe most
    feelingly personated. I can write very like my Ladie
    your Neece, on a forgotten matter wee can hardly make
    distinction of our hands.
    To. Excellent, I smell a deuice.
    855An. I hau't in my nose too.
    To. He shall thinke by the Letters that thou wilt drop
    that
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