Illyria. 'Ay, very well,
madam,' replied the captain, 'for I was born not three hours' travel
from this place.' 'Who governs here?' said Viola. The captain told her,
Illyria was governed by Orsino, a duke noble in nature as well as
dignity. Viola said, she had heard her father speak of Orsino, and that
he was unmarried then. 'And he is so now,' said the captain; 'or was so
very lately, for, but a month ago, I went from here, and then it was
the general talk (as you know what great ones do, the people will
prattle of) that Orsino sought the love of fair Olivia, a virtuous
maid, the daughter of a count who died twelve months ago, leaving
Olivia to the protection of her brother, who shortly after died also;
and for the love of this dear brother, they say, she has abjured the
sight and company of men.' Viola, who was herself in such a sad
affliction for her brother's loss, wished she could live with this
lady, who so tenderly mourned a brother's death. She asked the captain
if he could introduce her to Olivia, saying she would willingly serve
this lady. But he replied, this would be a hard thing to accomplish,
because the lady Olivia would admit no person into her house since her
brother's death, not even the duke himself. Then Viola formed another
project in her mind, which was, in a man's habit, to serve the duke
Orsino as a page. It was a strange fancy in a young lady to put on male
attire, and pass for a boy; but the forlorn and unprotected state of
Viola, who was young and of uncommon beauty, alone, and in a foreign
land, must plead her excuse.

She having observed a fair behaviour in the captain, and that he showed
a friendly concern for her welfare, entrusted him with her design, and
he readily engaged to assist her. Viola gave him money, and directed
him to furnish her with suitable apparel, ordering her clothes to be
made of the same colour and in the same fashion her brother Sebastian
used to wear, and when she was dressed in her manly garb, she looked so
exactly like her brother that some strange errors happened by means of
their being mistaken for each other; for, as will afterwards appear,
Sebastian was also saved.

Viola's good friend, the captain, when he had transformed this pretty
lady into a gentleman, having some interest at court, got her presented
to Orsino under the feigned name of Cesario. The duke was wonderfully
pleased with the address and graceful deportment of this handsome
youth, and made Ces