Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Act 1 - Scene 2
The sea-coast.
Viola : What country, friends, is this?
Captain : This is Illyria, lady.
Viola : And what should I do in Illyria?
[p]My brother he is in
Elysium.
[p]Perchance he is not drown'd: what think you, sailors?
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,
[p]Assure yourself,
after our ship did split,
[p]When you and those poor number saved with
you
[p]Hung on our driving boat, I saw your brother,
[p]Most provident
in peril, bind himself,
[p]Courage and hope both teaching him the
practise,
[p]To a strong mast that lived upon the sea;
[p]Where, like
Arion on the dolphin's back,
[p]I saw him hold acquaintance with the
waves
[p]So long as I could see.
Viola : For saying so, there's gold:
[p]Mine own escape unfoldeth to my
hope,
[p]Whereto thy speech serves for authority,
[p]The like of him.
Know'st thou this country?
Captain : Ay, madam, well; for I was bred and born
[p]Not three hours' travel
from this very place.
Viola : Who governs here?
Captain : A noble duke, in nature as in name.
Viola : What is the name?
Captain : Orsino.
Viola : Orsino! I have heard my father name him:
[p]He was a bachelor then.
Captain : And so is now, or was so very late;
[p]For but a month ago I went from
hence,
[p]And then 'twas fresh in murmur,--as, you know,
[p]What great
ones do the less will prattle of,--
[p]That he did seek the love of
fair Olivia.
Viola : What's she?
Captain : A virtuous maid, the daughter of a count
[p]That died some twelvemonth
since, then leaving her
[p]In the protection of his son, her
brother,
[p]Who shortly also died: for whose dear love,
[p]They say,
she hath abjured the company
[p]And sight of men.
Viola : O that I served that lady
[p]And might not be delivered to the
world,
[p]Till I had made mine own occasion mellow,
[p]What my estate
is!
Captain : That were hard to compass;
[p]Because she will admit no kind of
suit,
[p]No, not the duke's.
Viola : There is a fair behavior in thee, captain;
[p]And though that nature
with a beauteous wall
[p]Doth oft close in pollution, yet of thee
[p]I
will believe thou hast a mind that suits
[p]With this thy fair and
outward character.
[p]I prithee, and I'll pay thee
bounteously,
[p]Conceal me what I am, and be my aid
[p]For such
disguise as haply shall become
[p]The form of my intent. I'll serve
this duke:
[p]Thou shall present me as an eunuch to him:
[p]It may be
worth thy pains; for I can sing
[p]And speak to him in many sorts of
music
[p]That will allow me very worth his service.
[p]What else may
hap to time I will commit;
[p]Only shape thou thy silence to my wit.
Captain : Be you his eunuch, and your mute I'll be:
[p]When my tongue blabs,
then let mine eyes not see.
Viola : I thank thee: lead me on.
Previous: Act 1 - Scene 1
Next: Act 1 - Scene 3
