Eva. 'Pray you, use your patience: in good time. Caius. By gar, you are de coward, de Jack dog, John ape.

Eva. 'Pray you, let us not be laughing-stogs to other men's humours; I desire you in friendship, and I will one way or other make you amends :-I will knog your urinals about your knave's cogs-combs, for missing your meetings and appointments. [They fight. Caius. Diable!-Jack Rugby-mine Host de Jurterre-have I not stay for him, to kill him? have I not, at de place I did appoint?

Eva. As I am a christians soul, now, look you, this is the place appointed; I'll be judgment by mine host of the Garter.

Host. Peace, I say, Gallia and Gaul, French and Welsh, soul-curer and body-curer.

Caius. Ay, dat is very good! excellent!

Host. Peace, I say; hear mine host of the Garter. Am I politic? am I subtle? Shall I lose my doctor? no; he gives me the potions. Shall I lose my parson? no; he gives me the pro-verbs and the no-verbs. Give me thy hand, terrestrial; [To CAIUS.] So:-Give me thy hand, celestial; [To EVA.] so. Boys of art, I have deceiv'd you both; I have directed you to wrong places your hearts are mighty, your skins are whole, and let burnt sack be the issue. Come, lay their swords to_pawn:-Follow me, lad of peace; follow, follow,

follow.

Shal. Trust me, a mad host. Follow, gentlemen, follow.

Slen. O, sweet Anne Page!

[Exeunt HosT, SHALLOW, PAGE, SIMPLE, and SLENDER, L.

Caius. Ha! do I perceive dat? have you make-a de sot of us? ha, ha!

Eva. This is well; he has made us his vlouting-stog. I desire you, that we may be friends: and let us knog our prains together, to be revenge on this same scall, scurvy, cogging companion, the host of the Garter.

Caius. By gar, vit all my heart; he promise to bring me vere is Anne Page: by gar, he deceive me too. Eva. Well, I will smite his noddles ;-'Pray you follow. [They embrace, and exeunt, L.

SCENE II-A Road, with large Oak Tree.

Enter ROBIN and MRS. PAGE, L.

Mrs. Puge. Nay, keep your way, little gallant: you were wont to be a follower, but now you are a leader : Whether had you rather lead, mine eyes, or eye your master's heels?

Rob. I had rather, forsooth, go before you like a man, than follow him like a dwarf.

Mrs. Page. O, you are a flattering boy; now I see you'll be a courtier. Well, to reward and to amuse thee on thy way, marry, I'll tell thee an old tale.

SONG.-MRS. PAGE.

It was a Lordling's daughter, the fairest one of three,
That liked of her master as well as well might be,
Till looking on an Englishman, the fairest eye could

see,

Her fancy fell a turning

Long was the combat doubtful, that love with love did fight,

To leave the master loveless, or kill the gallant knight. To put in practice either, alas! it was a spite,

Unto the silly damsel.

But one must be refus'd, more mickle was the pain, That nothing could be used, to turn them both to gain; For of the two the trusty knight was wounded with disdain.

Alas! she could not help it!

Thus art with arms contending, was victor of the day, Which by a gift of learning did bear the maid away, Then lullaby, the learned man has got the lady gay; For now my song is ended.

Enter FORD, L.

Ford. Well met, Mistress Page: whither go you? Mrs. Page. Truly, sir, to see your wife: Is she at home?

Ford. (L. c.) Ay; and as idle as she may hang together, for want of company: I think, if your husbands were dead, you two would marry.

Mrs. Page. (c.) Be sure of that two other husbands. Ford. Where had you this pretty weather-cock?

D

Mrs. Page. I cannot tell what the dickens his name is my husband had him of. What do you call your knight's name, sirrah?

Rob. Sir John Falstaff.

Ford. Sir John Falstaff!

Mrs. Page. He, he; I can never hit on's name.— There is such a league between my good man and he ! -Is your wife at home, indeed?

Ford. Indeed she is,

Mrs. Page. By your leave, sir; [Crosses to L.] I am sick till I see her.

[Exeunt MRS. PAGE and ROBIN, R. Ford. Has Page any brains? hath he any eyes? hath he any thinking? Sure, they sleep. Why, this boy will carry a letter twenty miles, as easy as. a cannon will shoot point-blank twelve score. He pieces out his wife's inclination; and now she's going to my wife, and Falstaff's boy with her. Good plots!-they are laid! and our revolted wives share damnation together. Well ; I will take him, then torture my wife; pluck the borrow'd veil of modesty from the so seeming Mistress Page; divulge Page himself for a secure and wilful Actæon. [The Clock strikes Ten.] The clock gives me my cue, and my assurance bids me search; there I shall find Falstaff. I shall be rather prais'd for this, than mock'd; for it is as positive as the earth is firm, that Falstaff is there.

Enter PAGE, SHALLOW, SLENDER, HOST, EVANS,

CAIUS, RUGBY, and SIMPLE, L.

Shal. (c.) Page, &c. Well met, Master Ford. Ford. Trust me, a good knot. I have good cheer at home; and, I pray you, all go with me.

Shal. I must excuse myself, Master Ford.

Slen. (L. c.) And so must I, sir; we have appointed to dine with Mistress Anne, and I would not break with her, for more money than I'll speak of. I hope, I have your good will, father Page.

Page. (c.) You have, master Slender; I stand wholly for you:-but my wife, master Doctor, is for you altogether.

Caius. (L.) Ay, by gar! and de maid is love-a me; my nursh-a Quickly tell me so mush.

Host. (L. C.) What say you to young master Fenton? he capers, he dances, he has eyes of youth; he writes verses, he speaks holiday; he smells April and May;

he will carry't, he will carry't; 'tis in his buttons; he will carry't.

Page. Not by my consent, I promise you.

Ford. (R.) I beseech you heartily, some of you go home with me to dinner; besides your cheer you shall have sport; I'll show you a monster. Master Doctor, you shall go;-so shall you, master Page;-and you, Sir Hugh.

Shal. Well, fare you well. We shall have the freer wooing at Master Page's.

[Exeunt SHALLOW, SLENDER, and SIMPLE, L. Host. Farewell, my hearts; I will to my honest knight Falstaff, and drink canary with him. [Exit, L. Ford. (R.) I think I shall drink in pipe-wine first with him; I'll make him dance. Will you go gentles? [Exeunt FORD, PAGE, and EVANS, R. Caius. (c.) Go home, John Rugby, I come anon. [Exeunt CAIUS, R. and RUGBY, L.

SCENE III.-Ford's House.-Door R. and L.

Enter MRS. FORD and MRS. PAGE, R.

Mrs. Ford. What, John! what, Robert!
Mrs. Page. Quickly, quickly ;-is the buck-basket-
Mrs. Ford. I warrant :- What, Robin, I say.

Enter JOHN and ROBERT, L. with a huge Buck-basket.

Mrs. Page. Come, come, come.

Mrs. Ford, Here, set it down.

[They place it in c. of Stage. Mrs. Page. Give your men the charge; we must be brief.

Mrs. Ford. Marry, as I told you before, John and Robert, be ready here hard-by in the brew-house; and, when I suddenly call you, come forth, and (without any pause or staggering) take this basket on your shoulders: that done, trudge with it in all haste, and carry it among the whitsters in Datchet-mead, and there empty it in the muddy ditch, close by the Thames' side. Mrs. Page. You will do it?

Mrs. Ford. I have told them over and over; they lack no direction. Be gone, and come when you are call'd. O, we'll teach him!

[Exeunt JoHN and ROBERT, R.

DUET.-MRS. FORD AND MRS. PAGE.

All that glitters is not gold,
Often you have heard that told,
Many a man his life has sold,

But lov'd mistress to behold

We'll leave a proof, by that which we shall do,
Wives may be merry, and yet honest too

Gilded wood may worms infold
Were our lover wise or bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old-
Yet we'd say, 66 your suit is cold."

We'll leave a proof, &c.

Mrs. Page. Here comes little Robin.

Enter ROBIN, L.

Mrs. Ford. How now, my eyas-musket? what news with you?

Rob. My master, Sir John, is come in at the back door, Mistress Ford, and requests your company.

Mrs. Page. You little Jack-a-lent, have you been true to us?

Rob. Ay, I'll be sworn. My master knows not of your being here; and hath threaten'd to put me into everlasting liberty, if I tell you of it; for he swears he'll turn me away.

Mrs. Page. Thou'rt a good boy: this secresy of thine shall be a tailor to thee, and shall make thee a new doublet and hose. I'll go hide me.

I am

Mrs. Ford. Do so:-Go and tell thy master, alone. [Exit ROBIN, R.] Mistress Page, remember you your cue,

me.

Mrs. Page. I warrant thee; if I do not act it, hiss [Exit, R. Mrs. Ford. Go to then ;-we'll use this unwholesome humidity, gross watery pumpion; we'll teach him to know turtles from jays.

Enter FALSTAFF, L.

Fal. Have I caught thee, my heavenly jewel?— Why, this is the period of my ambition: O, this blessed hour!

Mrs. Ford. O, sweet Sir John!