If music be the food of love , play on ; Give me excess of it , that , surfeiting , The appetite may sicken and so die . That strain again ! It had a dying fall ; O , it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound That breathes upon a bank of violets , Stealing and giving odour ! Enough ; no more ; ‘ T is not so sweet now as it was before . O spirit of love , how quick and fresh art thou ! That , notwithstanding thy capacity Receiveth as the sea , nought enters there , Of what validity and pitch soe'er , But falls into abatement and low price , Even in a minute ! so full of shapes is fancy That it alone is high fantastical . What , Curio ? Why , so I do , the noblest that I have . O , when mine eyes did see Olivia first , Methought she purg 'd the air of pestilence ! That instant was I turn 'd into a hart ; And my desires , like fell and cruel hounds , E'er since pursue me . How now ! what news from her ? O , she that hath a heart of that fine frame To pay this debt of love but to a brother , How will she love when the rich golden shaft Hath kill 'd the flock of all affections else That live in her ; when liver , brain , and heart , These sovereign thrones , are all supplied , and fill 'd — Her sweet perfections — with one self king ! Away before me to sweet beds of flow'rs ; Love-thoughts lie rich when canopied with bow'rs . Who saw Cesario , ho ? Stand you awhile aloof . Cesario , Thou know'st no less but all ; I have unclasp 'd To thee the book even of my secret soul . Therefore , good youth , address thy gait unto her ; Be not denied access , stand at her doors , And tell them , there thy fixed foot shall grow Till thou have audience . Be clamorous and leap all civil bounds Rather than make unprofited return . O , then unfold the passion of my love , Surprise her with discourse of my dear faith ! It shall become thee well to act my woes ; She will attend it better in thy youth Than in a nuncio 's of more grave aspect . Dear lad , believe it ; For they shall yet belie thy happy years , That say thou art a man : Diana 's lip Is not more smooth and rubious ; thy small pipe Is as the maiden 's organ , shrill and sound , And all is semblative a woman 's part . I know thy constellation is right apt For this affair . Some four or five attend him ; All , if you will ; for I myself am best When least in company . Prosper well in this , And thou shalt live as freely as thy lord , To call his fortunes thine . Give me some music . Now , good morrow , friends . Now , good Cesario , but that piece of song , That old and antique song we heard last night ; Methought it did relieve my passion much , More than light airs and recollected terms Of these most brisk and giddy-paced times . Come , but one verse . Who was it ? Go seek him out , and play the tune the while . Come hither , boy . If ever thou shalt love , In the sweet pangs of it remember me ; For such as I am all true lovers are , Unstaid and skittish in all motions else , Save in the constant image of the creature That is belov 'd . How dost thou like this tune ? Thou dost speak masterly : My life upon ‘ t , young though thou art , thine eye Hath stay 'd upon some favour that it loves ; Hath it not , boy ? What kind of woman is ‘ t ? She is not worth thee , then . What years , i ’ faith ? Too old , by heaven ! let still the woman take An elder than herself ; so wears she to him , So sways she level in her husband 's heart : For , boy , however we do praise ourselves , Our fancies are more giddy and unfirm , More longing , wavering , sooner lost and worn , Than women 's are . Then let thy love be younger than thyself , Or thy affection cannot hold the bent ; For women are as roses , whose fair flower , Being once display 'd , doth fall that very hour . O , fellow , come , the song we had last night . Mark it , Cesario , it is old and plain ; The spinsters and the knitters in the sun , And the free maids that weave their thread with bones , Do use to chant it : it is silly sooth , And dallies with the innocence of love , Like the old age . Ay ; prithee , sing . There ‘ s for thy pains . I ‘ ll pay thy pleasure , then . Give me now leave to leave thee . Let all the rest give place . Once more , Cesario , Get thee to yond same sovereign cruelty . Tell her my love , more noble than the world , Prizes not quantity of dirty lands ; The parts that fortune hath bestow 'd upon her , Tell her , I hold as giddily as fortune ; But ‘ t is that miracle and queen of gems That Nature pranks her in attracts my soul . I cannot be so answer 'd . There is no woman 's sides Can bide the beating of so strong a passion As love doth give my heart ; no woman 's heart So big to hold so much ; they lack retention . Alas , their love may be call 'd appetite — No motion of the liver , but the palate — That suffer surfeit , cloyment , and revolt ; But mine is all as hungry as the sea , And can digest as much . Make no compare Between that love a woman can bear me And that I owe Olivia . What dost thou know ? And what 's her history ? But died thy sister of her love , my boy ? Ay , that 's the theme . To her in haste ; give her this jewel ; say , My love can give no place , bide no denay . Belong you to the Lady Olivia , friends ? I know thee well ; how dost thou , my good fellow ? Just the contrary ; the better for thy friends . How can that be ? Why , this is excellent . Thou shalt not be the worse for me ; there 's gold . O , you give me ill counsel . Well , I will be so much a sinner to be a double-dealer ; there 's another . You can fool no more money out of me at this throw ; if you will let your lady know I am here to speak with her , and bring her along with you , it may awake my bounty further . That face of his I do remember well ; Yet , when I saw it last , it was besmear 'd As black as Vulcan in the smoke of war . A baubling vessel was he captain of , For shallow draught and bulk unprizable ; With which such scathful grapple did he make With the most noble bottom of our fleet That very envy and the tongue of loss Cried fame and honour on him . What ‘ s the matter ? Notable pirate ! thou salt-water thief ! What foolish boldness brought thee to their mercies , Whom thou , in terms so bloody and so dear , Hast made thine enemies ? When came he to this town ? Here comes the countess ; now heaven walks on earth . But for thee , fellow ,— fellow , thy words are madness ; Three months this youth hath tended upon me ; But more of that anon . Take him aside . Gracious Olivia ,— Still so cruel ? What , to perverseness ? you uncivil lady , To whose ingrate and unauspicious altars My soul the faithfull'st off'rings have breath 'd out That e'er devotion tender 'd ! What shall I do ? Why should I not , had I the heart to do it , Like to th ’ Egyptian thief at point of death , Kill what I love ?— a savage jealousy That sometime savours nobly . But hear me this : Since you to non-regardance cast my faith , And that I partly know the instrument That screws me from my true place in your favour , Live you the marble-breasted tyrant still ; But this your minion , whom I know you love , And whom , by heaven I swear , I tender dearly , Him will I tear out of that cruel eye , Where he sits crowned in his master 's spite . Come , boy , with me ; my thoughts are ripe in mischief ; I ‘ ll sacrifice the lamb that I do love , To spite a raven 's heart within a dove . Come , away ! Husband ! Her husband , sirrah ! O thou dissembling cub ! what wilt thou be When time hath sow 'd a grizzle on thy case ? Or will not else thy craft so quickly grow That thine own trip shall be thine overthrow ? Farewell , and take her ; but direct thy feet Where thou and I henceforth may never meet . My gentleman Cesario ? How now , gentleman ! how is ‘ t with you ? One face , one voice , one habit , and two persons , A natural perspective , that is and is not ! Be not amaz 'd ; right noble is his blood . If this be so , as yet the glass seems true , I shall have share in this most happy wreck . Boy , thou hast said to me a thousand times Thou never shouldst love woman like to me . Give me thy hand ; And let me see thee in thy woman 's weeds . This savours not much of distraction . Madam , I am most apt t ’ embrace your offer . Your master quits you ; and , for your service done him , So much against the mettle of your sex , So far beneath your soft and tender breeding , And since you call 'd me master for so long , Here is my hand ; you shall from this time be Your master 's mistress . Is this the madman ? Pursue him , and entreat him to a peace . He hath not told us of the captain yet ; When that is known , and golden time convents , A solemn combination shall be made Of our dear souls . Meantime , sweet sister , We will not part from hence . Cesario , come ; For so you shall be , while you are a man ; But , when in other habits you are seen , Orsino 's mistress and his fancy 's queen .