CLO. What is the opinion of Pythagoras, concerning wild-fowl?

MAL. That the soul of our grandam might haply inhabit a bird.

CLO. What thinkest thou of his opinion?

MAL. I think nobly of the soul, and no way approve his opinion.

CLO. Fare thee well: Remain thou still in darkness thou shalt hold the opinion of Pythagoras, ere I will allow of thy wits; and fear to kill a woodcock,' lest thou dispossess the soul of thy grandam. Fare thee well.

1

MAL. Sir Topas, sir Topas,

SIR TO. My most exquisite sir Topas !
CLO. Nay, I am for all waters.2

to kill a woodcock,] The Clown mentions a woodcock particularly, because that bird was supposed to have very little brains, and therefore was a proper ancestor for a man out of his wits. MALONE.

Nay, I am for all waters.] A phrase taken from the actor's ability of making the audience cry either with mirth or grief. WARBURTON.

I rather think this expression borrowed from sportsmen, and relating to the qualifications of a complete spaniel. JOHNSON.

A cloak for all kinds of knavery; taken from the Italian proverb, Tu hai mantillo da ogni acqua. SMITH.

Nay, I am for all waters.] I can turn my hand to any thing; I can assume any character I please; like a fish, I can swim equally well in all waters. Montaigne, speaking of Aristotle, says, that "he hath an oar in every water, and meddleth with all things." Florio's translation, 1603. In Florio's Second Fruites, 1591, I find an expression more nearly resembling that of the text: "I am a knight for all saddles." The equivoque suggested in the following note may, however, have been also in our author's thoughts. MALone.

The word water, as used by jewellers, denotes the colour and the lustre of diamonds, and from thence is applied, though with

MAR. Thou might'st have done this without thy beard, and gown; he sees thee not.

SIR TO. To him in thine own voice, and bring me word how thou findest him: I would, we were well rid of this knavery. If he may be conveniently delivered, I would he were ; for I am now so far in offence with my niece, that I cannot pursue with any safety this sport to the upshot. Come by and by to my chamber.

[Exeunt Sir TOBY and MARIA,

CLO. Hey Robin, jolly Robin,3
Tell me how thy lady does.

[Singing.

less propriety, to the colour and hue of other precious stones. I think that Shakspeare, in this place, alludes to this sense of the word water, not to those adopted either by Johnson or Warburton. The Clown is complimented by Sir Toby, for personating Sir Topas so exquisitely; to which he replies, that he can put on all colours, alluding to the word Topaz, which is the name of a jewel, and was also that of the Curate.

M. MASON.

Mr. Henley has adopted the same idea; and adds, that "the Clown in his reply plays upon the name of Topas, and intimates that he could sustain as well the character of another person, let him be called by what gem he might." STEEVENS.

Hey Robin, jolly Robin,] This song should certainly begin: "Hey, jolly Robin, tell to me

"How does thy lady do?"My lady is unkind, perdy.

"Alas, why is she so?" FARMER.

This ingenious emendation is now superseded by the proper readings of the old song itself, which is now printed from what appears the most ancient of Dr. Harrington's poetical MSS.The first stanza appears to be defective, and it should seem that a line is wanting, unless the four first words were lengthened in the tune. PERCY.

MAL. Fool,

CLO. My lady is unkind, perdy.

MAL. Fool,

CLO. Alas, why is she so?

MAL. Fool, I say ;

CLO. She loves another-Who calls, ha?

MAL. Good fool, as ever thou wilt deserve well at my hand, help me to a candle, and pen, ink, and paper; as I am a gentleman, I will live to be thankful to thee for't.

.. CLO. Master Malvolio!

MAL. Ay, good fool.

CLO. Alas, sir, how fell

you besides your five

wits? 4

"My lady is unkynde perde."
"Alack! why is she so?

"She loveth an other better than me;

"And yet she will say no." &c. &c.

See Percy's Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, fourth edit. Vol. I. p. 194.

I hope to be excused if I add, that I do not immediately perceive how the copy of a song so metrically imperfect as the foregoing, can be permitted to extinguish the emendation proposed by Dr. Farmer. STEEVens.

This song seems to be alluded to in the following passage of The Merchandises of Popish Priests, 4to. 1629, sign. F 2:"There is no one so lively and jolly as St. Mathurine. I can best describe you this arch singer, by such common phrase as we use of him whom we see very lively and pleasantly disposed, we say this, His head is full of jolly Robbins." REED.

-your five wits?] Thus the five senses were anciently called. So, in King Lear, Edgar says:

"Bless thy five wits! Tom's a cold."

Again, in the old Morality of Every Man: "And remember, beaute, fyve wittes, strength, and dyscrecyon." STEEVENS.

The wits, Dr. Johnson somewhere observes, were reckoned five, in analogy to the five senses. From Stephen Hawes's poem

MAL. Fool, there was never man so notoriously abused: I am as well in my wits, fool, as thou art. CLO. But as well? then you are mad, indeed, if you be no better in your wits than a fool.

5

MAL. They have here propertied me; keep me in darkness, send ministers to me, asses, and do all they can to face me out of my wits.

CLO. Advise you what you say; the minister is here.-Malvolio, Malvolio, thy wits the heavens restore! endeavour thyself to sleep, and leave thy vain bibble babble.

MAL. Sir Topas,

CLO. Maintain no words with him, good fellow.-Who, I, sir? not I, sir. God b'wi'you, good sir Topas.-Marry, amen.-I will, sir, I will. MAL. Fool, fool, fool, I say,

CLO. Alas, sir, be patient. What say you, sir? I am shent for speaking to you.

called Graunde Amoure, ch. xxiv. edit. 1554, it appears that the five wits were— common wit, imagination, fantasy, estimation, and memory.” Wit in our author's time was the general term for the intellectual power. MALONE.

5

♪ propertied me ;] They have taken possession of me, as of a man unable to look to himself. JOHNSON..

• Maintain no words with him,] Here the Clown in the dark acts two persons, and counterfeits, by variation of voice, a dialogue between himself and Sir Topas.-I will, sir, I will, is spoken after a pause, as if, in the mean time, Sir Topas had whispered. JOHNSON.

7 I am shent &c.] i. e. scolded, reproved. So, in Ascham's Report and Discourse: "A wonderfull follie in a great man himselfe, and some piece of miserie in a whole commonwealth, where fooles chiefly and flatterers may speak freely what they will; and wise men, and good men shall commonly be shent if they speak what they should." See also note on Hamlet, Act III. sc. ii. REED.

MAL. Good fool, help me to some light, and some paper; I tell thee, I am as well in my wits, as any man in Illyria.

CLO. Well-a-day,-that you were, sir!

MAL. By this hand, I am : Good fool, some ink, paper, and light, and convey what I will set down to my lady; it shall advantage thee more than ever the bearing of letter did.

CLO. I will help you to't. But tell me true, are you not mad indeed? or do you but counterfeit?"

MAL. Believe me, I am not; I tell thee true. CLO. Nay, I'll ne'er believe a madman, till I see his brains. I will fetch you light, and paper, and ink.

you

but

tell me true, are you not mad indeed? or do counterfeit?] If he was not mad, what did he counterfeit by declaring that he was not mad? The fool, who meant to insult him, I think, asks, are you mad, or do you but counterfeit? That is, you look like a madman, you talk like a madman. Is your madness real, or have you any secret design in it? This, to a man in poor Malvolio's state, was a severe taunt. JOHNSON. The meaning of this passage appears to me to be this. Malvolio had assured the Clown that he was as well in his senses as any man in Illyria; and the Clown in reply, asks him this provoking question: "Is it true that you are really not mad ?" that is, that you are really in your right senses, or do you only pretend to be so? M. MASON.

Dr. Johnson, in my apprehension, misinterprets the words, 66 - do but counterfeit ?" They surely mean, you "do you but counterfeit madness, or, in other words, "assume the appearance of a madman, though not one." Our author ought, I think, to have written, either, 66 -are you mad indeed, or do you but counterfeit?" or else, 66 are you not not mad indeed, and do you but counterfeit?" But I do not suspect any corruption; for the last I have no doubt was what he meant, though he has not expressed his meaning accurately. He is often careless in such minute matters. Mr. Mason's interpretation removes the difficulty; but, considering the words that immediately precede, is very harsh, and appears to be inadmissible. MALONE.