Shakespeare Portal

Act 2, Scene 1

The sea-coast.

  1. [Enter ANTONIO and SEBASTIAN.]
  2. Antonio
  3. 546 Will you stay no longer; nor will you not that I go with you?
  4. Sebastian
  5. 547 By your patience, no; my stars shine darkly over me; the
  6. 548 malignancy of my fate might, perhaps, distemper yours; therefore
  7. 549 I shall crave of you your leave that I may bear my evils alone.
  8. 550 It were a bad recompense for your love, to lay any of them on
  9. 551 you.
  10. Antonio
  11. 552 Let me know of you whither you are bound.
  12. Sebastian
  13. 553 No, 'sooth, sir; my determinate voyage is mere
  14. 554 extravagancy. But I perceive in you so excellent a touch of
  15. 555 modesty, that you will not extort from me what I am willing to
  16. 556 keep in; therefore it charges me in manners the rather to express
  17. 557 myself. You must know of me then, Antonio, my name is Sebastian,
  18. 558 which I called Rodorigo; my father was that Sebastian of
  19. 559 Messaline whom I know you have heard of: he left behind him
  20. 560 myself and a sister, both born in an hour; if the heavens had
  21. 561 been pleased, would we had so ended! but you, sir, altered that;
  22. 562 for some hours before you took me from the breach of the sea was
  23. 563 my sister drowned.
  24. Antonio
  25. 564 Alas the day!
  26. Sebastian
  27. 565 A lady, sir, though it was said she much resembled me,
  28. 566 was yet of many accounted beautiful: but though I could not, with
  29. 567 such estimable wonder, overfar believe that, yet thus far I will
  30. 568 boldly publish her,—she bore mind that envy could not but call
  31. 569 fair. She is drowned already, sir, with salt water, though I seem
  32. 570 to drown her remembrance again with more.
  33. Antonio
  34. 571 Pardon me, sir, your bad entertainment.
  35. Sebastian
  36. 572 O, good Antonio, forgive me your trouble.
  37. Antonio
  38. 573 If you will not murder me for my love, let me be your servant.
  39. Sebastian
  40. 574 If you will not undo what you have done—that is, kill
  41. 575 him whom you have recovered—desire it not. Fare ye well at once;
  42. 576 my bosom is full of kindness; and I am yet so near the manners of
  43. 577 my mother that, upon the least occasion more, mine eyes will tell
  44. 578 tales of me. I am bound to the Count Orsino's court: farewell.
  45. [Exit.]
  46. Antonio
  47. 579 The gentleness of all the gods go with thee!
  48. 580 I have many cnemies in Orsino's court,
  49. 581 Else would I very shortly see thee there:
  50. 582 But come what may, I do adore thee so
  51. 583 That danger shall seem sport, and I will go.
  52. [Exit.]