Anne. I pray you, sir. Slen. I'll rather be unmannerly than troublesome : you do yourself wrong, indeed, la. [Exeunt. SCENE II. The same. Enter SIR HUGH EVANS and SIMPLE. Evans. Go your ways, and ask of Doctor Caius' house, which is the way: and there dwells one mistress Quickly, which is in the manner of his nurse, or his dry nurse, or his cook, or his laundry, his washer, and his wringer. Sim. Well, sir. Evans. Nay, it is petter yet :——give her this letter; for it is a 'oman that altogether's acquaintance with mistress Anne Page: and the letter is, to desire and require her to solicit your master's desires 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. SCENE III. A room in the Garter Inn. Enter FALSTAFF, HOST, BARDOLPH, NYM, PISTOL, and ROBIN. Fal. Mine host of the Garter, Host. What says my bully-rook?1 speak scholar ly, and wisely. Fal. Truly, mine host, I must turn away some of my followers. Host. Discard, bully Hercules; cashier; let them wag; trot, trot. Fal. I sit at ten pounds a week. Host. Thou 'rt an emperor, Cæsar, Keisar, and Pheezar.3 I will entertain Bardolph; he shall draw, he shall tap said I well, bully Hector? : Fal. Do so, good mine host. Host. I have spoke; let him follow. Let me see thee froth, and lime: 4 I am at a word; follow. [Exit Host. Fal. Bardolph, follow him; a tapster is a good trade. An old cloak makes a new jerkin; a withered servingman, a fresh tapster. Go; adieu. Bar. It is a life that I have desired; I will thrive. [Exit Bardolph. Pis. O base Gongarian 5 wight! wilt thou the spigot wield? The latter part of this compound title is taken from the rooks at the game of chess. 2 An emperor in Germany is named Keisar. 3 Pheezar is a made word from 'pheeze,' i. e. to curry, to fleece. I'll pheeze you,' says Sly to the hostess in The Taming of the Shrew. Frothing beer and liming sack were tricks practised in the time of Shakspeare: the first was done by putting soap into the bottom of the tankard when they drew the beer; the other, by mixing lime with the sack, to make it sparkle in the glass.'-Steevens. 5 For Hungarian. Nym. He was gotten in drink. Is not the humor conceited? His mind is not heroic, and there's the humor of it. Fal. I am glad, I am so acquit of this tinder-box : his thefts were too open his filching was like an unskilful singer, he kept not time. Nym. The good humor is, to steal at a minute's rest.1 Pis. Convey, the wise it call. fico for the phrase! Steal! foh; a Fal. Well, sirs, I am almost out at heels. Pis. Why, then, let kibes 3 ensue. Fal. There is no remedy; I must coney-catch; I must shift. Pis. Young ravens must have food. 4 Fal. Which of you know Ford of this town? Pis. I ken the wight; he is of substance good. Fal. My honest lads, I will tell you what I am about. Pis. Two yards, and more. Fal. No quips 5 now, Pistol; indeed I am in the waist two yards about: but I am now about no waste; I am about thrift. Briefly, I do mean to make love to Ford's wife: I spy entertainment in her; she discourses, she carves, she gives the leer of invitation: I can construe the action of her familiar When watchfulness is off its guard, and reposes but for a minute. 2 Fig. 3 Ulcerated chilblains. style; and the hardest voice of her behavior, to be Englished rightly, is, I am sir John Falstaff's.' Pis. He hath studied her well, and translated her well; out of honesty into English. Nym. The anchor is deep: 1 will that humor pass? Fal. Now, the report goes, she has all the rule of her husband's purse; she hath legions of angels. 2 Pis. As many devils entertain; 3 and, To her, boy,' say I. Nym. The humor rises; it is good: humor me the angels. Fal. I have writ me here a letter to her and here another to Page's wife; who even now gave me good eyes too, examined my parts with most judicious eyliads: sometimes the beam of her view gilded my foot, sometimes my portly belly. Pis. Then did the sun on dunghill shine.. Nym. I thank thee for that humor. Ful. O, she did so course o'er my exteriors with such a greedy intention, that the appetite of her eye did seem to scorch me up like a burning-glass! Here's another letter to her: she bears the purse too; she is a region in Guiana, all gold and bounty. I will be cheater 5 to them both, and they shall be 1 The scheme is well laid.. 2 A gold coin, impressed with an angel, rated at ten shillings. 3 Do you retain in your service as many devils as she has angels. 4 Eyelids. 5 Escheatour, an officer in the Exchequer. exchequers to me; they shall be my East and West Indies, and I will trade to them both. Go, bear thou this letter to mistress Page; and thou this to mistress Ford: we will thrive, lads, we will thrive. Pis. Shall I sir Pandarus of Troy become, And by my side wear steel? then, Lucifer take all! Nym. I will run no base humor: here, take the humor-letter; I will keep the 'havior of reputation. Fal. Hold, sirrah, [to Rob.] bear you these letters tightly; 1 Sail like my pinnace to these golden shores.- And high and low 3 beguile the rich and poor : Nym. I have operations in my head, which be humors of revenge. Pis, Wilt thou revenge? Nym. By welkin, and her star! Pis. With wit, or steel? 1 Cleverly, adroitly. 2 Certain false dice known by the name of gourd and fullam. 3 Dice called high men and low men. 4 Sixpence I'll have in my pocket, |