PERSONS REPRESENTED.

SIR JOHN FALSTAFF.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act II. sc. 2. Act III. sc. 3; sc. 5. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 5. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 5.

FENTON.

Appears, Act I. sc. 4. Act III. sc. 4. Act IV. sc. 6. Act V. sc. 5. SHALLOW, a country justice.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1.

Act II. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act III. sc. 1; Act IV. sc. 2. Act V. sc. 2.

sc. 2; sc. 4.

SLENDER, cousin to Shallow.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 3. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 2; sc. 5.

MR. FORD, a gentleman dwelling at Windsor.

Appears, Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2.

Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 4.

Act III. sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 5.
Act V. sc. 1; sc. 5.

MR. PAGE, a gentleman dwelling at Windsor. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 4. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 2; sc. 5. WILLIAM PAGE, a boy, son to Mr. Page.

Appears, Act IV. sc. 1.

SIR HUGH EVANS, a Welsh parson.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2.

Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3.

Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 5. Act V. sc. 4; sc. 5.

DR. CAIUS, a French physician.

Appears, Act I. sc. 4. Act II. sc. 3. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 5. Act V. sc. 3; sc. 5.

Host of the Garter Inn.

Appears, Act I. sc. 3. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 3; sc. 5; sc. 6.

BARDOLPH, a follower of Falstaff. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act II. sc. 2. Act III. sc. 5. Act IV. sc. 3; sc. 5.

NYм, a follower of Falstaff.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act II. sc. 1.
PISTOL, a follower of Falstaff.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act V. sc. 5.
ROBIN, page to Falstaff.

Appears, Act I. sc. 3. Act II. sc. 2. Act III. sc. 2; sc. 3.
SIMPLE, servant to Slender.

Appears, Act I. sc. I; sc. 2; sc. 4. Act III. se. 1.
Act IV. sc. 5.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1. Act III. sc. 3.

Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 4.

Act V. sc. 3; sc. 5.

MRS. PAGE.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1.
Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4.

Act III. sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 4.
Act V. sc. 3; sc. 5.

MRS. ANNE PAGE, daughter to Mrs. Page.
Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act III. sc. 4.

Act V. sc. 5.

MRS. QUICKLY, servant to Dr. Caius

Appears, Act I. sc. 4. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act III. sc. 4; sc. 5. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 5. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 5.

Servants to Page, Ford, &c.

SCENE, WINDSOR.

THE

MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Windsor. Garden Front of Page's

House.

Enter Justice SHALLOW, SLENDER, and SIR HUGH EVANS.

Shal. Sir Hugh,a persuade me not; I will make a Star-chamber matter of it: if he were twenty sir John Falstaffs, he shall not 'abuse Robert Shallow, esquire. Slen. In the county of Gloster, justice of peace, and

coram.

Shal. Ay, cousin Slender, and Cust-alorum.

Slen. Ay, and ratolorum too; and a gentleman born, master parson; who writes himself armigero; in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, armigero.c

Shal. Ay, that I do; and have doned any time these three hundred years.

Slen. All his successors, gone before him, have done 't; a We find several instances in Shakspere of a priest being called Sir; as, Sir Hugh in this comedy; Sir Oliver in As You Like It Sir Topas in Twelfth Night;' and Sir Nathaniel in 'Love's Labour's Lost."

b Cust-alorum is meant for an abridgment of Custos Rotulorum. Slender, not understanding the abbreviation, adds, "and ratolorum too."

The justice signed his attestations, "jurat' coram me, Roberto Shallow, armigero."

d Have done-we have done.

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 louses do become an old coat

well; it agrees well, passant: it is a familiar beast to man, and signifies love.

Shal. The luce is the fresh fish; the salt fish is an old coat.a

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, py 'r lady; if he has a quarter of your coat there is but three skirts for yourself, in my simple conjectures: but that is all one: If sir John Falstaff have committed disparagements unto you, I am of the church, and will be glad to do my benevolence, to make atonements and compromises between you.

Shal. The council shall hear it; it is a riot.

Eva. It is not meet the council hear a riot; there is no fear of Got in a riot: the council, look you, shall desire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear a riot; take your vizaments b in that.

Shal. Ha! o' my life, if I were young again the sword should end it.

Eva. It is petter that friends is the sword, and end it and there is also another device in my prain, which, peradventure, prings goot discretions with it: There is Anne Page, which is daughter to master George Page, which is pretty virginity.

a It is pretty clear that "the dozen white luces" apply to the arms of the Lucy family. In Ferne's Blazon of Gentry,' 1586, we have," signs of the coat should something agree with the name. It is the coat of Geffray Lord Lucy. He did bear gules, three lucies hariant argent." The luce is a pike," the fresh fish;" not the "familiar beast to man." So far is clear; but why"the salt fish is an old coat" is not so intelligible. b Vizaments-advisements.

Slen. Mistress Anne Page? She has brown hair, and speaks small like a woman.

Eva. It is that fery person for all the 'orld, as just as you will desire; and seven hundred pounds of moneys, and gold, and silver, is her grandsire upon his death'sbed (Got deliver to a joyful resurrections!) give, when she is able to overtake seventeen years old: it were a goot motion if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and desire a marriage between master Abraham and mistress Anne Page.

Shal. Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred pound?

Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny. Shal. I know the young gentlewoman; she has good gifts.

Eva. Seven hundred pounds, and possibilities, is goot gifts.

Shal. Well, let us see honest master Page: Is Falstaff there?

Eva. Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar as I do despise one that is false; or as I despise one that is not true. The knight, sir John, is there; and, I beseech you, be ruled by your well-willers. I will peat the door [knocks] for master Page. What, hoa! Got pless your house here!

Enter PAGE.

Page. Who's there?

:

Eva. Here is Got's plessing, and your friend, and justice Shallow and here young master Slender; that, peradventures, shall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings.

Page. I am glad to see your worships well: I thank you for my venison, master Shallow.

Shal. Master Page, I am glad to see you; Much good do it your good heart! I wished your venison better; it was ill killed:-How doth good mistress