Take heed, ere summer comes, or cuckoo-birds do sing. Away, sir corporal Nym. Believe it, Page; he speaks sense. [Exit Pistol. Ford. I will be patient; I will find out this. Nym. And this is true: [to Page.] I like not the humor of lying. He hath wronged me in some humors: I should have borne the humored letter to her; but I have a sword, and it shall bite upon my necessity. He loves your wife; there's the short and the long. My name is corporal Nym; I speak, and I avouch. 'Tis true:-my name is Nym, and Falstaff loves your wife.-Adieu; I love not the humor of bread and cheese; and there's the humor of it. [Exit Nym. Page. The humor of it,' quoth 'a! here's a fellow frights humor out of his wits. Adieu. Ford. I will seek out Falstaff. Page. I never heard such a drawling, affecting rogue. Ford. If I do find it, well. Page. I will not believe such a Cataian, though the priest o' the town commended him for a true man. Ford. 'Twas a good sensible fellow. Well. 1 My sword shall bite when my need drives me to unlawful expedients. 2 The Chinese, anciently called Cataians, were expert sharpers. Mrs. Page. Whither go you, George?-Hark you. Mrs. Ford. How now, sweet Frank! why art thou melancholy? Ford. I melancholy! I am not melancholy.-Get you home, go. Mrs. Ford. 'Faith, thou hast some crotchets 1 in thy head now.-Will you go, mistress Page? Mrs. Page. Have with you.-You'll come to dinner, George ?-Look, who comes yonder: she shall be our messenger to this paltry knight. [aside to Mrs. Ford. Enter MRS. QUICKLY. Mrs. Ford. Trust me, I thought on her: she'll fit it. Mrs. Page. You are come to see my daughter Anne ? Mrs. Quick. Ay, forsooth; and, I pray, how does good mistress Anne ? Mrs. Page. Go in with us, and see; we have an hour's talk with you. [Exeunt Mrs. Page, Mrs. Ford, and Mrs. Quickly. Page. How now, master Ford? Ford. You heard what this knave told me ; did you not? Page. Yes; and you heard what the other told me ? 1 Conceits. Ford. Do you think there is truth in them? Page. Hang 'em, slaves! I do not think the knight would offer it: but these that accuse him in his intent towards our wives, are a yoke of his discarded men; very rogues, now they be out of service. Ford. Were they his men? Page. Marry, were they. Ford. I like it never the better for that.-Does he lie at the Garter? Page. Ay, marry, does he. If he should intend this voyage towards my wife, I would turn her loose to him; and what he gets more of her than sharp words, let it lie on my head. Ford. I do not misdoubt my wife; but I would be loath to turn them together. A man may be too confident: I would have nothing lie on my head:1 I cannot be thus satisfied. Page. Look, where my ranting host of the Garter comes: there is either liquor in his pate, or money in his purse, when he looks so merrily.-How now, mine host? Enter HOST and SHALLOW. Host. How now, bully-rook? thou 'rt a gentleman: cavalero-justice, I say. Shal. I follow, mine host, I follow.-Good even, : 1 In allusion to the cuckold's horns. 2 Shallow was a justice of peace. and twenty, good master Page! Master Page, will you go with us? we have sport in hand. Host. Tell him, cavalero-justice; tell him, bullyrook. Shal. Sir, there is a fray to be fought, between sir Hugh the Welsh priest, and Caius the French doctor. Ford. Good mine host o' the Garter, a word with you. Host. What say'st thou, bully-rook? [they go aside. Shal. Will you [to Page] go with us to behold it? My merry host hath had the measuring of their weapons; and, I think, he hath appointed them contrary places: for, believe me, I hear, the parson is no jester. Hark, I will tell you what our sport shall be. Host. Hast thou no suit against my knight, my guest-cavalier? Ford. None, I protest: but I'll give you a pottle of burnt sack to give me recourse to him, and tell him, my name is Brook; only for a jest. Host. My hand, bully: thou shalt have egress and regress; said I well? and thy name shall be Brook. It is a merry knight.-Will you go, Anheires ? 1 Shal. Have with you, mine host. Page. I have heard, the Frenchman hath good skill in his rapier. 'Probably, Will you go, and hear us?'—Malone. Shal. Tut, sir, I could have told you more. In these times you stand on distance, your passes, stoccadoes, and I know not what: 'tis the heart, master Page; 'tis here, 'tis here. I have seen the time, with my long sword, I would have made you four tall fellows skip like rats. Host. Here, boys, here, here! shall we wag ? Page. Have with you :-I had rather hear them scold than fight. [Exeunt Host, Shallow, and Page. Ford. Though Page be a secure fool, and stands so firmly on his wife's frailty, yet I cannot put off my opinion so easily: she was in his company at Page's house; and, what they made 1 there, I know not. Well, I will look farther into 't; and I have a disguise to sound Falstaff: if I find her honest, I lose not my labor; if she be otherwise, 'tis labor well bestowed. [Exit. SCENE II. A room in the Garter Inn. Enter FALSTAFF and PISTOL. Fal. I will not lend thee a penny. I will retort the sum in equipage. 2 Fal. Not a penny. I have been content, sir, you should lay my countenance to pawn: I have grated 1 Did. 2 I will pay you again in stolen goods. |