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The First Web Folio Edition of Shakespeare's Works
| The sea-coast. |
| [Enter VIOLA, a Captain, and Sailors] |
| VIOLA | What country, friends, is this? |
| Captain | This is Illyria, lady. |
| VIOLA | And what should I do in Illyria? | ||
| My brother he is in Elysium. | |||
| Perchance he is not drown'd: what think you, sailors? | 5 |
| Captain | It is perchance that you yourself were saved. |
| VIOLA | O my poor brother! and so perchance may he be. |
| Captain | True, madam: and, to comfort you with chance, | ||
| Assure yourself, after our ship did split, | |||
| When you and those poor number saved with you | 10 | ||
| Hung on our driving boat, I saw your brother, | |||
| Most provident in peril, bind himself, | |||
| Courage and hope both teaching him the practise, | |||
| To a strong mast that lived upon the sea; | |||
| Where, like Arion on the dolphin's back, | 15 | ||
| I saw him hold acquaintance with the waves | |||
| So long as I could see. |
| VIOLA | For saying so, there's gold: | ||
| Mine own escape unfoldeth to my hope, | |||
| Whereto thy speech serves for authority, | 20 | ||
| The like of him. Know'st thou this country? |
| Captain | Ay, madam, well; for I was bred and born | ||
| Not three hours' travel from this very place. |
| VIOLA | Who governs here? |
| Captain | A noble duke, in nature as in name. | 25 |
| VIOLA | What is the name? |
| Captain | Orsino. |
| VIOLA | Orsino! I have heard my father name him: | ||
| He was a bachelor then. |
| Captain | And so is now, or was so very late; | 30 | |
| For but a month ago I went from hence, | |||
| And then 'twas fresh in murmur,--as, you know, | |||
| What great ones do the less will prattle of,-- | |||
| That he did seek the love of fair Olivia. |
| VIOLA | What's she? | 35 |
| Captain | A virtuous maid, the daughter of a count | ||
| That died some twelvemonth since, then leaving her | |||
| In the protection of his son, her brother, | |||
| Who shortly also died: for whose dear love, | |||
| They say, she hath abjured the company | 40 | ||
| And sight of men. |
| VIOLA | O that I served that lady | ||
| And might not be delivered to the world, | |||
| Till I had made mine own occasion mellow, | |||
| What my estate is! |
| Captain | That were hard to compass; | 45 | |
| Because she will admit no kind of suit, | |||
| No, not the duke's. |
| VIOLA | There is a fair behavior in thee, captain; | ||
| And though that nature with a beauteous wall | |||
| Doth oft close in pollution, yet of thee | 50 | ||
| I will believe thou hast a mind that suits | |||
| With this thy fair and outward character. | |||
| I prithee, and I'll pay thee bounteously, | |||
| Conceal me what I am, and be my aid | |||
| For such disguise as haply shall become | 55 | ||
| The form of my intent. I'll serve this duke: | |||
| Thou shall present me as an eunuch to him: | |||
| It may be worth thy pains; for I can sing | |||
| And speak to him in many sorts of music | |||
| That will allow me very worth his service. | 60 | ||
| What else may hap to time I will commit; | |||
| Only shape thou thy silence to my wit. |
| Captain | Be you his eunuch, and your mute I'll be: | ||
| When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not see. |
| VIOLA | I thank thee: lead me on. | 65 | |
| [Exeunt] |
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