1 ТНЕ MERRY WIVES of Windfor. ACTI. SCENE I The SCENE before Page's House in Windsor. of Enter Juftice Shallow, Slender, and Sir Hugh Evans. SHALLOW. IR Hugh, perfwade me not; I will make a Slen. In the county of Gloucefter, Juftice peace, and Coram, Shal. Ay, coufin Slender, and Cuftalorum. Slen. Ay, and Rato-lorum too; and a gentleman born, mafter parfon, who writes. himself Armigero in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation; Armigero. P 3 Shal. (a) This Play was written in the Author's beft and ripeft years, after Henry the Fourth, by the command of Queen Elizabeth. There is tradition that it was compos'd at a fortnight's warning. But that must be meant only of the first imperfect sketch of this Comedy, which is yet extant in an old Quarto edition, printed in 1619. This which we here have, was alter'd and improv'd by the Author almost in every Speech. Pope. Shal. Ay, that I do, and have done any time these three hundred years. Slen. Áll his fucceffors, gone before him, have don't; and all his ancestors that come after him may; they may give the dozen white luces in their coat. Shal. It is an old coat. Eva. The dozen white lowfes do become an old coat well; it agrees well paffant; it is a familiar beast to man, and fignifies love. Shal. The luce is the fresh-fish, the falt-fifh is an old coat. Slen. I may quarter, coz. Shal. You may, by marrying. Eva. It is marring indeed, if he quarter it. Shal. Not a whit. Eva. Yes, per-lady; if he has a quarter of your coat, there is but three skirts for your felf, in my fimple conjectures; but that is all one: if Sir John Falstaff have committed difparagements upon you, I am of the church, and will be glad to do my benevolence, to make atonements and compromises between you. Shal. The council fhall hear it; it is a riot. Eva. It is not meet the council hear of a riot; there is no fear of Got in a riot: the council, look you, fhall defire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear a riot; take you viza-ments in that. Shal. Ha! o' my life, if I were young again, the fword should end it. Eva. It is petter that friends is the fword that end it; and there is also another device in my prain, which peradventure prings good difcretions with it: there is Anne Page, which is daughter to mafter 'George Page, which is pretty virginity. Slen. Miftrefs Anne Page? fhe has brown hair, and fpeaks like a woman. Eva. It is that ferry perfon for all the orld, as just as you will defire; and feven hundred pounds of monies, 1 Thomas old edit. Theob. emend. ... and and gold and filver, is her grand-fire upon his death's-bed (Got deliver to a joyful refurrections) give when she is able to overtake feventeen years old: it were a good motion, if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and defire a marriage between mafter Abraham and mistress Anne Page. Slen. Did her grand-fire leave her feven hundred pound? Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny. Slen. I know the young gentlewoman; fhe has good gifts. Eva. Seven hundred pounds, and poffibility, is goot gifts. Shal. Well; let us fee honeft Mr. Page: is Falstaff there? Eva. Shall I tell you a lie? I do defpife a liar as I do defpife one that is falfe; or as I defpife one that is not true. The Knight Sir John is there; and I beseech you, be ruled by your well-wishers. I will peat the door [Knocks.] for mafter Page. What, hoa? Got blefs your house here. SCENE II. Enter Mr. Page. Page. Who's there? Eva. Here is Got's pleffing, and your friend, and Justice Shallow; and here's young mafter Slender; that peradventures shall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings. Page. I am glad to fee your worfhips well. I thank you for my venison, master Shallow. Shal. Mafter Page, I am glad to fee you; much good do it your good heart: I wifh'd your venifon better; it was ill kill'd. How doth good miftrefs Page? and I thank you always with my heart, la; with my heart. Page. Sir, I thank you. Shal. Sir, I thank you; by yea and no, I do. Page. I am glad to fee you, good mafter Slender. Slen. How do's your fallow greyhound, Sir? I heard fay, he was out-run on Cotfale. Page. It could not be judg'd, Sir. Slen. You'll not confefs, you'll not confefs. Shal. That he will not; 'tis your fault, 'tis your fault; 'tis a good dog. Page. A cur, Sir.. Shal. Sir, he's a good dog, and a fair dog; can there be more faid? he is good and fair. Is Sir John Falstaff here? Page. Sir, he is within; and I would I could do a good office between you. Eva. It is fpoke as a chriftians ought to speak. Page. Sir, he doth in fome fort confefs it. Shal. If it be confefs'd, it is not redress'd; is not that fo, mafter Page? he hath wrong'd me; indeed he hath ; at a word he hath; believe me, Robert Shallow Efquire faith, he is wrong'd. Page. Here comes Sir John. SCENE III. Enter Sir John Falstaff, Bardolph, Nym and Pistol. Fal. Now, mafter Shallow, you'll complain of me to the king? Shal. Knight, you have beaten my men, kill'd my deer, and broke open my lodge. Fal. But not kifs'd your keeper's daughter. Shal. Tut, a pin; this fhall be answer❜d. Fal. I will answer it ftrait: I have done all this. That is now anfwer'd. Shal. The council fhall know this. Fal. 'Twere better for you if 'twere not known in council; you'll be laugh'd at. Eva. Pauca verba, Sir John, good worts. Fal. Good worts? good cabbage. Slender, I broke your head what matter have you against me? Slen. Marry, Sir, I have matter in my head against you, and against your cony-catching rafcals, Bardolpb, Nym and Piftol. Bar. You Banbury cheese! Slen. Ay, it is no matter. Pift. How now, Mephoftophilus? Slen. Ay, it is no matter. Nym. Slice, I fay, pauca, pauca: fice, that's my hu- . mour. Slen. Where's Simple my man? can you tell, coufin? Eva. Peace: I pray you: now let us understand; there is three umpires in this matter, as I underftand; that is, mafler Page, fidelicet mafter Page; and there is my felf, fidelicet my felf; and the third party is, laftly and finally, mine hoft of the garter. Page. We three to hear it, and end it between them. Eva. Ferry goot; I will make a prief of it in my notebook, and we will afterwards ork upon the caufe with as great difcretions as we can. Fal. Piftol! Pift. He hears with ears. Eva. The tevil and his tam! what phrafe is this, he hears with ear? why, it is affectations. Fal. Piftol, did you pick mafter Slender's purfe? Slen. Ay, by thefe gloves, did he, or I would I might never come in mine own great chamber again elfe, of feven groats in mill-fixpences, and two Edward fhovel-boards, that coft me two fhilling and two pence a-piece, of read Miller; by thefe gloves. Fal. Is this true, Pistol? Eva. No; it is falfe, if it is a pick-purse. [mine, Pift. Ha, thou mountain-foreigner! Sir John, and mafter I combat challenge of this latten bilboe: Word of denial in thy Labras here; Word of denial; froth and fcum, thou lieft. Nym. Be advis'd, Sir, and pafs good humours: I will Lay marry trap with you, if you run the mour on me; that is the very note of it. nuthooks-hu Slen. (a) Nathook was a word of reproach in the vulgar way and in the Cant firain. In the fecond Part of Hen. 4. Dol Tearsheet fays to the Beadle, Nuthook, Nuthook! you lie. Probably it was a name given to a Bayliff or Catchpole, very odious to the common people. |