Shakespearean Breviates - 1882 Author:William Shakespeare Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: TWELFTH NIGHT. ACT I. Read Scene 1. Omit Scene 2. Conceive a shipwreck; and imagine two Of the passengers, with fractions of the crew, At several,... more » ventures on the Illyrian coast Escaped, each deeming that the other's lost. Twins are they, Greeks, a sister and a brother, So like you 'd scarce know either from the other. Sebastian, he; she, Viola; a pair Of gentle nurture, young and debonnair. Poor Viola, who deems herself alone, Without protector, among strangers thrown, To screen herself from insult, forms a plan : She's tall enough to personate a man: (Illyrian ladies, to your fancies look). She '11 to the court, and seek to serve the Duke. The friendly Captain favouring her design, She buys a suit befits a gallant fine; Colour and cut the same as, heretofore, Her lost Sebastian (as she thinks him) wore ; And, doffing for a while her woman's weeds, As young Cesario, to the court proceeds : Presents herself; is seen; is taken in ; Nor fails the favour of the Duke to win. Read Scenes 3, 4. Omit Scene 5 to " Enter Olivia and Malvolio." Countess Olivia, though she lives retired, Keeps up the state by wealthy rank required. Her steward of the household you shall know, A grave, prim fellow, called Malvolio. And, eke, her Fool, just now in some disgrace, For absence unpermitted from his place. Read thence Scene 5. ACT II. Omit Scene 1. Like Viola, Sebastian, 'scaped the wreck, (The self same fortune giving both her beck) Makes for the court. Constrain'd by friendship strong, A comrade, kind Antonio, goes along, With loyal love ; for in a risk he stands, If known, of danger at Orsino's hands. Read Scenes 2, 3, 4, 5. ACT III. Omit Scene 1 to " Enter Olivia and Maria." Again despa...« less