on myself, muft I? you have not the book of riddles about you, have you?

3

Simp. Book of riddles ! why, did you not lend it to Alice Shortcake upon Allballowmas laft, a fortnight afore Michaelmas ?

Sbal. Come, coz; come, coz; we ftay for you: a word with you, coz: marry this, coz, there is, as 'twere, a tender, a kind of tender, made afar off by Sir Hugh here; do you understand me?

Slen. Ay, Sir, you fhall find me reasonable: if it be fo, I fhall do that that is reason.

Shal. Nay, but understand me.

Slen. So I do, Sir.

Eva. Give ear to his motions, Mr. Slender: I will defcription the matter to you, if you be capacity of it. Sten. Nay, I will do as my coufin Shallow fays: I pray you pardon me; he's a Juftice of he's a Justice of peace in his country, fimple tho' I ftand here.

Eva. But that is not the queftion; the queftion is concerning your marriage.

́Shal Ay, there's the point, Sir.

Eva. Marry, is it; the very point of it, to Mrs. Anne Page.

Slen. Why, if it be fo, I will marry her upon any reasonable demands.

Eva. But can you affection the 'oman ? let us command to know that of your mouth, or of your lips; for divers philofophers hold, that the lips is parcel of

3-upon Allhallowmas laft, a fortnight afore Michaelmas.] Sure, Simple's a little out in his Reckoning. Allhallows is almost five Weeks after Michael mas. But may it not be urg'd it is defign'd Simple fhould appear thus ignorant, to keep up Character I think, not. The fimpleft Creatures (nay,even Naturals) generally are very precife in the Knowledge of Festivals,

and marking how the Seafons run: and therefore I have ventur'd to fufpect our Poet wrote Martlemas, as the Vulgar call it: which is near a fortnight after All Saints Day, i. e. eleven Days, both inclufive.

THEOBALD.

This correction, thus seriously, and wifely enforced, is received by Sir Tho. Hanmer, but probably Shakespeare intended a blunder.

the

the mind, therefore precifely, can you carry your good Will to the maid?

Shal. Coufin Abraham Slender, can you love her? Slen. I hope, Sir, I will do, as it fhall become one that would do reafon.

Eva. Nay, Got's lords and his ladies, you must speak poffitable, if you can carry her your defires towards her.

Skal. That marry her?

you muft: will you, upon good dowry,

Slen. I will do a greater thing than that upon your request, coufin, in any reafon...

Shal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, fweet coz; what I do, is to pleasure you, coz; can you love the maid?

Slen. I will marry her, Sir, at your request: but if there be no great love in the beginning, yet heav'n may decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are marry'd, and have more occafion to know one another: I hope, upon familiarity will grow more contempt: but if you fay, marry her, I will marry her, that I am freely diffolved, and diffolutely.

Eva. It is a ferry difcretion anfwer, fave, the fall is in th'ort diffolutely; the ort is, according to our meaning, refolutely; his meaning is good.

4

Shal. Ay, I think, my coufin meant well.

Slen. Ay, or elfe. I would I might be hang'd, la.

་་་

I hope upon Familiarity will grow more Content:] Certainly, the Editors in their Sagacity have murder'd a Jeft here. It is defign'd, no doubt, that Slender fhould fay decreafe, inftead of increase; and diffolved, diffolutely, inftead of refolved and

refolutely: but to make him say, on the prefent Occafion, that upon Familiarity will grow more Content, inftead of Contempt, is difarming the Sentiment of all its Salt and Humour, and disappointing the Audience of a reafonable Caufe for Laughter.

THEOBALD.

SCENE

SCENE V.

Enter Mrs. Anne Page.

Shal. Here comes fair mistress Anne: 'would, I were young for your fake, mistress Anne!

Anne. The dinner is on the table; my father defires your worship's company.

Shal. I will wait on him, fair mistress Anne.

the Grace.

Eva. Od's pleffed will, I will not be abfence at [Ex. Shallow and Evans. Anne. Will't please your worship to come in, Sir? Slen. No, I thank you, forfooth, heartily; I am very well.

Anne. The dinner attends you, Sir. Slen. I am not a-hungry, I thank you, forfooth. Go, Sirrah, for all you are my man, go wait upon my coufin Shallow: [Ex. Simple.] A Juftice of peace fometime may be beholden to his friend for a man. I keep but three men and a boy yet, 'till my mother be dead; but what though, yet I live like a poor gentleman born.

Anne. I may not go in without your worship; they will not fit, 'till you come.

Slen. I'faith, I'll eat nothing: I thank you as much as though I did.

Anne. I pray you, Sir, walk in.

Slen. I had rather walk here, I thank you: I bruis'd my fhin th❜other day with playing at fword and dagger with a master of fence, three veneys for a difh of ftew'd prunes; and, by my troth, I cannot abide the fmell of hot meat fince. Why do your dogs bark fo? be there bears i'th' town?

Anne. I think, there are, Sir; I heard them talk'd of.

Slen. I love the fport well, but I fhall as foon quar

rel

rel at it as any man in England. You are afraid, if you fee the bear loofe, are you not?

Anne. Ay, indeed, Şir..

Slen. That's meat and drink to me now; I have feen Sackerfon loose twenty times, and have taken him by the chain; but I warrant you, the women have fo cry'd and shriek'd at it, that it past: but women, indeed, cannot abide 'em, they are very ill-favour'd rough things.

Enter Mr. Page.

Page. Come, gentle Mr. Slender, come; we stay for

you.

Slen. I'll eat nothing, I thank you, Sir.

Page. By cock and pye, you shall not chufe, Sir; come; come.

do

Slen. Nay, pray you, lead the way.

Page. Come on, Sir.

Slen. Mistress Anne, yourself shall

go firft.

Anne. Not I, Sir; pray you, keep on.

Slen. Truly, I will not go first, truly-la: I will not you that wrong.

Anne. I pray you, Sir.

Slen. I'd rather be unmannerly, than troublesome; you do yourself wrong, indeed-la.

[Exeunt.

Re-enter Evans and Simple.

Eva. Go your ways, and afk of Doctor Caius' house which is the way; and there dwells one miftrefs Quickly, which is in the manner of his nurse, or his dry

5 that it paft:-] It paft, or this paffes, was a way of fpeaking cuftomary heretofore, to fignify the excefs, or extraordinary degree of any thing. The

fentence completed would be, This paffes all expreffion, or perhaps, This paffes all things. We ftill use paffing well, paling ftrange. WARBURTON.

nurfe,

nurfe, or his cook, or his laundry, his washer, and his wringer.

Simp. Well, Sir.

Eva. Nay, it is petter yet; give her this letter; for it is a 'oman that altogethers acquaintance with mif trefs Anne Page; and the letter is to defire and require her to follicit your mafter's defires to mistress Anne Page; I pray you be gone; I will make an end of my dinner; there's pippins and cheese to come. [Exeunt feverally.

SCENE VII.

Changes to the Garter-Inn.

Enter Falstaff, Hoft, Bardolph, Nym, Pistol and Robin

Fal.

INE hoft of the garter.

MIN

Hoft. What fays my bully Rock? speak fchollarly, and wifely.

Fal. Truly, mine hoft, I must turn away fome of my followers.

Hoft. Discard, bully Hercules, cafhier; let them wag trot, trot.

Fal. I fit at ten pounds a week.

Hoft. Thou'rt an Emperor, Cafar, Keifar, and Pheazar. I will entertain Bardolph, he fhall draw, he fhall tap: faid I well, bully Heater?

Fal. Do fo, good mine host.

Hoft. I have spoke, let him follow; let me fee thee froth, and live: I am at a word; follow. [Exit Hoft. Fal. Bardolph, follow him; a tapfter is a good trade: an old cloak makes a new jerkin; a wither'd servingman, a fresh tapfter; go, adieu.

Bard. It is a life that I have defir'd: I will thrive, [Exit Bard. Pift. O bafe Hungarian wight, wilt thou the fpigot

wield?

Nym.