that I am no fox; but he will not pafs his word for two pence that you are no fool.

Oli. How fay you to that, Malvolio?

Mal. I marvel your ladyfhip takes delight in fuch a barren rascal; I faw him put down the other day with an ordinary fool, that has no more brain than a ftone: Look you now, he's out of his guard already; unless you laugh and minifter occafion to him, he is gagg'd. I proteft, I take these wife men, that crow fo at these fet kind of fools, no better than the fools' zanies.

Oli. O, you are fick of felf love, Malvolio, and tafte with a diftemper'd appetite: to be generous, guiltlefs, and of free difpofition, is to take those things for bird-bolts, that you deem cannon-bullets: There is no flander in an allow'd fool, though he do nothing but rail; nor no railing in a known difcreet man, though he do nothing but reprove.

Clo. Now Mercury indue thee with leafing, for thou speak'ft well of fools!

Enter Maria

Mar. Madam, there is at the gate a young gentleman, much defires to speak with you..

Oli. From the count Orfino, is it?

Now Mercury indue thee with leafing, for thon Speak ft well of fools!].This is a ftupid blunder. We fhould read, with pleafing, i. e. with eloquence, make thee a gracious and powerful fpeaker, for Mercury was the god of orators as well as cheats. But the firit editors, who did not understand the phrafe, indue thee with pleafing, made this foolish correction; more excufable, however, than the laft editor's, who, when this emendation was pointed out to him, would make one of his own; and fo, in his Oxford edition, reads, with learning; without troubling himself to fatisfy the reader how the first editor fhould blunder in a word fo eafy to be. understood as learning, though they well might in the word pleafing, as it is ufed in this place. WARBURTON.

I think the prefent reading more humourous. May Mercury teach thee to lic, fince thou lieft in favour of fools. JOHNSON.

Mar.

Mar. I know not, madam; 'tis a fair young man, and well attended.

Oli. Who of my people hold him in delay?
Mar. Sir Toby, madam, your kinsman.

Oli. Fetch him off, I pray you; he speaks nothing but madman; Fie on him! Go you, Malvolio: if it be a fuit from the count, I am fick, or not at home; what you will, to difmifs it. [Exit Malvolio.] Now you see, fir, how your fooling grows old, and people diflike it.

Clo. Thou haft fpoke for us, Madonna, as if thy eldeft fon fhould be a fool: whofe fcull Jove cram with brains, for here comes one of thy kin has a most weak pia mater!

Enter Sir Toby.

Óli. By mine honour, half drunk.-What is he at the gate, coufin?

Sir To. A gentleman.

Oli. A gentleman? What gentleman ?

Sir To. 'Tis a gentleman here-A plague o'these pickle-herring!-How now, fot?

Clo. Good Sir Toby,

Oli. Coufin, coufin, how have you come fo early by this lethargy?

2 'Tis a gentleman. Here] He had before said it was a gentleman. He was afked what gentleman? and he makes this reply; which, it is plain, is corrupt, and fhould be read thus:: 'Tis a gentleman-heir.

i. e. fome lady's eldest fon just come out of the nursery; for this was the appearance Viola made in men's clothes. See the character Malvolio draws of him presently after. WARBURTON.

Can any thing be plainer than that Sir Toby was going to defcribe the gentleman, but was interrupted by the effects of his pickle-herring? I would print it as an imperfect fentence. Mr. Edwards has the fame obfervation. STEEVENS.

Mr. Steevens's interpretation may be right: yet Dr Warburton's reading is not fo ftrange, as it has been reprefented. In Broome's Jovial Crew, Scentwell fays to the gypfies: "We must find a young gentlewoman-heir among you.' FARMER.

Sir To. Lechery! I defy lechery: There's one at

the gate.

Oli. Ay, marry; what is he?

Sir To. Let him be the devil, an he will, I care not give me faith, fay I. Well, it's all one. [Exit. Oli. What's a drunken man like, fool?

3

Clo. Like a drown'd man, a fool, and a madman: one draught above heat makes him a fool; the fecond mads him; and a third drowns him.

Oli. Go thou and feek the coroner, and let him fit

o' my coz ; for he's in the third degree of drink, he's drown'd: go, look after him.

Clo. He is but mad yet, Madonna; and the fool fhall look to the madman. [Exit Clown.

Re-enter Malvolio.

Mal. Madam, yond young fellow fwears he will speak with you. I told him you were fick; he takes on him to understand so much, and therefore comes to speak with you: I told him you were afleep; he seems to have a fore-knowledge of that too, and therefore comes to speak with you. What is to be faid to him, lady? he's fortified against any denial.

Oli. Tell him, he fhall not fpeak with me.
Mal. He has been told fo; and he says, he'll stand

at

3 above heat- -] i. e. above the state of being warm in a proper degree. STEEVENS.

4

-ftand at your door like a fheriff's poft,] It was the cuftom for that officer to have large pofts fet up at his door, as an indication of his office. The original of which was, that the king's proclamations, and other public acts, might be affixed thereon by way of publication, So, Jonfon's Every Man out of his Humour put off

66

"To the lord Chancellor's tomb, or the Shrives pofts." So again, in the old play called Lingua:

"Knows he how to become a fearlet gown, hath he a pair of

fresh posts at his door?" WARBURTON.

Dr. Letherland was of opinion, that "by this poft is meant a

poft,

at your door like a fheriff's poft, and be the fupporter to a bench, but he'll speak with you.

Oli. What kind of man is he?

Mal. Why, of man kind.

Oli. What manner of man?

Mal. Of very ill manner; he'll speak with you, will you, or no.

Oli. Of what perfonage, and years, is he?

Mal. Not yet old enough for a man, nor young enough for a boy; as a fquafh is before 'tis a peafcod, or a codling when 'tis almost an apple: 'tis with him e'en standing water, between boy and man. He is very well-favour'd, and he speaks very fhrewifhly; one would think, his mother's milk were scarce out of him.

Oli. Let him approach: Call in my gentlewoman. Mal. Gentlewoman, my lady calls.

Re-enter Maria.

[Exit

Oli. Give me my veil: come, throw it o'er my face; We'll once more hear Orfino's embaffy.

Enter Viola.

Vio. The honourable lady of the house, which is fhe?

poft to mount his horfe from, a horfeblock, which, by the custom of the city, is ftill placed at the sheriff's door."

In the Contention for Honour and Riches, a mafque by Shirly, 1633, one of the competitors fwears

"By the Shrieve's poft, &c."

Again, in A Woman never vex'd, Com. by Rowley, 1632: "If e'er I live to fee thee heriff of London,

"I'll gild thy painted pofts cum privilegio."

Again, in Cynthia's Revels, by B. Jonfon:

"The provident painting of his pofts, against he should have been prætor.

Again, in Heywood's English Traveller, 1633:

"What brave carv'd pofts? who knows but here
"In time, fir, you may keep your fhrivalty ?"

STEEVENS.

4

Oli. Speak to me, I fhall anfwer for her; Your will?

Vio. Moft radiant, exquifite, and unmatchable beauty, I pray you, tell me, if this be the lady of the houfe, for I never faw her: I would be loth to cast away my fpeech; for, befides that it is excellently well penn'd, I have taken great pains to con it. Good beauties, let me fuftain no fcorn; I am very comptible, even to the leaft finifter ufage.

Oli. Whence came you, fir?.

Vio. I can fay little more than I have ftudied, and that queftion's out of my part. Good gentle one, give me modest affurance, if you be the lady of the houfe, that I may proceed in my speech.

Oli. Are you a comedian?

:

Vio. No, my profound heart and yet, by the very fangs of malice, I fwear, I am not that I play. Are you the lady of the house?

Oli. If I do not ufurp myfelf, I am.

Vio. Moft certain, if you are fhe, you do ufurp yourfelf; for what is yours to beftów, is not yours to referve. But this is from my commiffion: I will on with my fpeech in your praife, and then fhew you the heart of my meffage.

Oli. Come to what is important in't: I forgive you the praife.

Vio. Alas, I took great pains to study it, and 'tis poetical.

Oli. It is the more like to be feign'd; I pray you, keep it in. I heard, you were faucy at my gates; and allow'd your approach, rather to wonder at you than to hear you. If you be not mad, be gone; if you

5-I am very comptible,] Comptible for ready to call to account. WARBURTON.

Viola feems to mean juft the contrary. She begs the may not be treated with fcorn, because she is very fubmiffive, even to Eghter marks of reprehenfion. STEEVENS.

VOL. IV.

N

have