morrow, good sir Hugh, Keep a gamester Slen. Ab, sweet Anne Page! Era. 'Pless you from his mercy sake, all of you! Shal, What! the sword and the word! you study them both, master parson? Caius. Ay, dat is very good! excellent! Host. Peace, Isay; hear mine host of the Garter. Am I politic? am I subtle? am I a Machiavel? Shall I lose my doctor? no; he gives me the potions, and the motions. Shall lose my parson? my priest? my sir Hugh? no he gives me the proverbs and the no-verbs. do-Give me thy hand, terrestrial; so Give me thy hand, celestial; so:-Boys of art, -I have deceived you both; I have directed you to wrong places: your hearts are mighty, your skins are whole, and Jet burnt sack be the issue. Page. And youthful still, in your doublet and hose, this raw rheumatic day? Eva. There is reasons and causes for it. Page. We are come to yon, to do a good-Come, lay their swords to pawn:Follow office, master parson. Eva. Fery well: What is it? me, lad of peace; follow, follow, follow. Shal. Trust me, a mad host:-Follow, gen.. tlemen, follow. Page. Yonder is a most reverend gentleman, who belike, having received wrong by some person, is at most odds with his own gravity. and patience, that ever you saw. Slen. O, sweet Anne Page! [Exeunt SHAL. SLEN. PAGE, and Host. Cuius. Ha! do I perceive dat?! have you Shal. I have lived fourscore years and up-make-a de sot* of us? ha, haf got Page. I think you know him; master dod- ! Eva, He has no more knowledge in Hibo crates and Galen,—and he is a knave besides; a cowardly knave, as you would desires to be acquainted withal. Page. I warrant you, he's the man should fight with him. دارد Sleni sweet Anne Page1 Shal. It appears so, by his weapons:-Keep them asunder;-here comes doctor Caius. Enter Host, Cards, and Rugby.'' Page. Nay, good master parson, keep in your weapon. 401 contain proobo on 1 Shal. So do you, good master doctor. Host. Disaran them, and let them question; let them keep their limbs whole, and hack our English. Caius. By gar, you are de coward, de Jack dog, John ape., Eva. Pray you, let us not be laughing-slogs 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 cogscomb, for missing your meetings and appointments. i Catus. Diable Jack Rugby,minine Host de Jarterre, 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 of JT Host Peace, I say, Guallia and Gaul, French and Welsh; soul-curer and body-curer. Eva. This is well; he has made us his vlouting-stogt.-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. ... Eretunts SCENE II. The Street in Windsor. Enter Mrs. PAGE and ROBIN. Mrs. Page. Nay, keep your way, little gal lant; 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? I Rob. I had rather, forsooth, go before you like a man, than follow him like a dwarfed Mrs. Page. 0 you are a flattening boy now, I see, you'll be a courtier..! - prej ni volta Mrs. Page. Truly, sir, to see your wife: Is she at home Ford. 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. Be sure of that, two other husbands. Ford. Where had you this pretty ( weathercockati nyt! 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 & orton op 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. 1 Mrs. Page. By your leave, sir; I am sick, till I see her. [Exeunt Mrs. PAGE and ROBIN Ford. Has Page any brains? hath he any dah joy soltero unos od? to 100% 29.95 Hrd2 + .a.ruiosq2 * Fool.1 ni in wooq Flouting. stock.ens gavoŋ A P 2 [Exit Host. Ford. [Aside.] I think, 1 shalt drink in pipewine first with him; I'll make him dance. Will you go, gentles? Frog I All. Have with you, to see this monster. [Exeunt. SCENE! III. "A Room in Ford's House. Enter Mrs. FORD and Mrs. PAGE. eyes? hath he any thinking? Sure, they sleep; Host. Farewell, my hearts: I will to my he hath no use of them. Why, this boy will honest knight Falstaff, and drink canary with carry a letter twenty miles, as easy as a can-him. non will shoot point-blank twelve score. He pieces-out his wife's inclination; he gives her folly motion and advantage: and now she's going to my wife, and Falstaff's boy with her. "A man may hear this shower sing in the wind!! and Falstaff's boy with her!Good plots! they are laid; and our revolted wives share one r damnation together. Well; I will take him, then torture my wife, pluck the borrowed veil of modesty from the so seeming * mistress Page, divulge Page himself for a secure and wilful Action; and to these violent proceed-basketings all my neighbours shall cry aimt. [Clock strikes.] The clock gives me my cue, and my assurance bids me search; there I shall find Falstaff: I shall be rather praised for this, than mocked; for it is as positive as the earth is firm, that Falstaff is there: I will go. Enter PAGE, SHALLOW, SLENDER, Host, Sir HUGH EVANS, CAIUS, and RUGBY.. Shal. 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. 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. Shat. We have lingered about a match between Anne Page and my cousin Slender, and this day we shall have our answer. Sten. I hope, have your good-will, father Page.uti Page. You have, master Stender; I stand wholly for you:-but my wife, master doctor, is for you altogether. Enter Servants with a basket. Mrs. Ford. Marry, as I told you before, John, and Robert, be ready here hard by in the brewhouse; 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. Pagė. You will do it? yl Mrs. Ford. I have told them over and over; they lack no direction: Be gone, and come when you are called. [Exeunt Servants. Mrs. Page. Here comes little Robin. Enter ROBIN. Mrs. Ford. How now, my eyas-musket ¶? what news with you? Rob. My master sir John is come in at your back-door, mistress Ford; and requests your Caius. Ay, by gar; and de maid is love a me; my nursh-a Quickly tell me so mush. Host. What say you to young master Fen-company. ton? he capers, he dances, he has eyes of youth, he writes verses, he speaks holyday, he smells April and May: he will carry't, he will carry't; 'tis in his buttons; he will carry't. is Page. Not by my consent, I promise you. The gentleman is of no having: he kept company with the wild Prince and Poins; he is of too high a region, he knows too much. No, he shall not knit a knot in his fortunes with the finger of my substance: if he take her, let him take her simply; the wealth I have waits on my consent, and my consent goes not that way. Ford. 'I beseech you, heartily, some of you go home with me to dinner: besides your cheer, you shall have sport; I will shew you a monster.Master doctor, you shall go;-so shall you, master Page; and you, sir Hugh. 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 threatened 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 secrecy of thine shall be a tailor to thee, and shall make thee a new doublet and hose.Pll go hide me. Touko 271 PG Mrs. Ford. Do so:-Go tell thy master, I am alone. Mistress Page, remeniber you your cue.Zavodun Roy Body Exit ROBIN. Mrs. Page. I warrant thee; if I do not act it, hiss me. [Exit Mrs. PAGE. Mrs. Ford. Go to then; we'll use this unwholesome humidity,this gross watry pumpion; we'll teach him to know turtles from jays. luci 7 6511 Enter FALSTAFF Shal. Well, fare you well: we shall have the freer wooing at master Page's.lion pr [Exeunt SHALLOW and SLENDER. Caius. Go home, John Rugby; I come [Exit RUGBY. jewel? Why, anon. • Specious. + Shall encourage. A young small hawk. Fal. Have I caught thee, my heavenly now let me die, for I have lived 1 ... 4 Out of the common style. Not rich. || Bleachers of linen. ** A puppet thrown at in Lent, like shrove-cocks. 1 long enough; this is the period of my ambition; O this blessed hour! Mrs. Ford. O sweet sir John! Fal. Mistress Ford, I cannot cog, I cannot prate, mistress Ford. Now shall I sin in my wish I would thy husband were dead: I'll speak it before the best lord, I would make thee my lady. Mrs. Ford. I your lady, sir John! alas, I should be a pitiful lady. Fal. Let the court of France shew me such another; I see how thine eye would emulate the diamond: Thou hast the right arched bent of the brow, that becomes the ship-tire, the tirevaliant, or any tire of Venetian admittance. Mrs. Ford. A plain kerchief, sir John: my brows become nothing else; nor that well neither. Fal. Thou art a traitor, to say so: thou would'st make an absolute courtier; and the firm fixture of thy foot would give an excellent motion to thy gait, in a semi-circled farthingale I see what thou wert, if fortune thy foe were Mrs. Ford. Believe me, there's no such thing in me. Fal. What made me love thee? let that persuade thee, there's something extraordinary in thee. Come, I cannot cog, and say, thou art this and that, like a many of these lisping haw-thorn buds, that come like women in men's apparel, and smell like Bucklers-bury † in simple-time; I cannot: but I love thee; none but thee; and thou deservest it. Mrs. Ford. Do not betray me, sir; I fear, you love mistress Page, Fal. Thou might'st as well say, I love to walk by the Counter-gate; which is as hateful to me as the reek of a lime,kiln. / Mrs. Ford. Well, heaven knows, how I love you; and you shall one day find it. Fal. Keep in that mind; Pll deserve it. Mrs. Ford. Nay, I must tell you, so you do; or else I could not be in that mind. Rob.[within.] Mistress Ford, mistress Ford! here's mistress Page at the door, sweating, and blowing, and looking wildly, and would needs speak with you presently..02 Fal. She shall not see me; I will ensconce me behind the arras 1 .toobly, ittiha Mrs. Ford. Pray you, do so; she's a very tattling woman. [FALSTAFF hides himself. Enter Mrs. PAGE and ROBIN. What's the matter? how now? Mrs. Page. O mistress Ford, what have you done? You're shamed, you are overthrown, you are undone for ever. Mrs. Ford. What's the matter, good mistress Page? Mrs. Page. O. well-a-day, mistress Ford! having an honest man to your husband, to give him such cause of suspicion! Mrs. Ford. What cause of suspicion? Mrs. Page. What cause of suspicion!-Out upon you! how am I mistook in you?. Mrs. Ford. Why, alas! what's the matter? Mrs. Page. Your husband's coming hither, woman, with all the officers in Windsor, to search for a gentleman, that, he says, is here now in the house, by your consent, to take an ill advantage of his absence: You are undone. Mrs. Ford. Speak louder. [Aside] -'Tis not so, I hope. Mrs. Puge, Pray heaven it be not so, that you have such a man here, but 'tis most certain your husband's coming with half Windsor at his heels, to search for such a one. I come before to tell you; If you know yourself clear, why I am glad of it: but if you have a friend here, convey, convey him out. Be not amazed; call all your senses to you; defend your repur tation, or bid farewell to your good life for ever. Mrs. gentle Ford. What shall I do ?—There is a my dear friend and I fear not mine own shame so much as his peril: I had rather than a thousand pound, he were out of the house. ། ད Mrs. Page. For shame, never stand you had rather, and you had rather your hus band's here at hand, bethink you of some conveyance: in the house you cannot hide him. O, how have you deceived me!-Look, here is a basket; if he be of any reasonable stature, he may creep in here; and throw foul linen, upon him, as if it were going to bucking: Or, it is whiting-time, send him by your two men to Datchet mead. Mrs. Ford. He's too big to go in there: What shall I do?, Re-enter FALSTAFF. 99 Fal. Let me see't, let me be me see't! O let me see't! I'll in, I'll in;—follow your friend's counsel;-I'll in. sir John Falstaff! Are Mrs. Page. Y night these your Fal. I love thee, and none but thee; help me away: let me creep in here; I'll never[Hes es into the basket they cover him foul linen. Mrs. Page, I Help to cover your master,, boy: Call your men, mistress Ford:-You dissembling knight! "Mrs. Ford. What, John, Robert, John! [Exit Robin; Re-enter Servants.] Go take up these clothes bere, quickly; Where's the cowl-staff **? look, how you drumblett: carry them to the laundress in Datchet mead; quickly, come, quos fon bimo od tod to be Enter FORD, PACE, CAIUS, and Sir HUGH HỂ." EVANS .bro'lat Ford. Pray you, come near If I suspect without cause, why then make sport at me, then let me be your jest; I deserve it. How now? whither bear you this? Serv. To the laundress, forsooth. • Venetian fashions. + Formerly chiefly nihabited by druggists. + Prison. ་་ ་་ ་ Hide. || Tapestry. ¶ Bleaching time. ** A staff for carrying large tub or basket. # Drone. Mrs. Ford. Why, what have you to do whither they bear it? You were best meddle with buck-washing. Ford. Buck? I would I could wash myself of the buck! Back, buck, buck?" Ay, buck; I warrant you, buck; and of the season too, it shall appear. [Exeunt Servants with the basket.] Gentlemen, I have dreamed to-night; I'H tell you my dream. Here, here, here be my keys: ascend my chambers, search, seek, find out I'll warrant, we'll unkennel the fox: -Let me stop this way first:-So, now uncape*. Page, Good master Ford, be contented: you wrong yourself too much. Ford. True, master Page Up, gentlemen; you shall see sport anon: follow me, gentleExit. Eva. This is fery fantastical humours, and jealousies.. men.' Cuius. By gar, 'tis no de fashion of France: it is not jealous in France. Page. Nay, follow him, gentlemen; see the issue of his search. [Exeunt EVANS, PAGE, and CATUS. Mrs.Page. Is there not a double excellency in this? Mrs. Ford. I know not which pleases me better, that my husband is deceived, or sir John. t Mrs.Page. What a taking was he in, when your husband asked whot was in the basket! Mrs. Ford. I am balf afraid he will have need of washing; so throwing him into the water will do him a benefit. Mrs. Page. Hang him, dishonest rascal! I would, all of the same strain were in the same distress. Ford, I think, my husband hath some special suspicion of Fa Falstaff's being here; for I never saw him so gross in his jealousy till now. Mrs. Page. I will lay a plot to try that: And we will yet have more tricks with Falstaff his dissolute disease will scarce obey this medicine. Mrs. Ford. Shall we send that foolish carrion, Ford. Ay, ay; I must bear it. Eva. If there be any pody in the house, and in the chambers, and in the coffers, and in the presses, heaven forgive my sins at the day of judgment ! Caius. By gar, nor I too; dere is no bodies. Page. Fie, fie, master Ford! are you not ashamed? What spirit, what devit suggests this imagination? I would not have your distemper in this kind, for the wealth of Windsor Castle. Ford. Tis my fault, master Page: I suffer for it. Eva. You suffer for a pad conscience: your wife is as honest a 'omans, as I will desires among five thousand, and five hundred too. Caius. By gar, I see 'tis an honest woman. Ford. Well;-I promised you a dinner:→ Come, come, walk in the park: I pray you, pardon me; I will hereafter make known to you, why I have done this.-Come, wife;come, mistress Page; I pray you, pardon me; pray heartily, parden me. Page. Let's go in, gentlemen; but, trust me, we'll mock him. I do invite you to-morrow morning to my house to breakfast; after, we'll a birding together; I have a fine hawk for the bush: Shall it be so? Saltbark Ford. Any thing. Eva. If there is one, I shall make two in the company... Caius. If there be one or two, I shall make a de turd. Eva. In your teeth: for shame. Eva. I pray you now, remembrance tomorrow on the lousy knave, mine host. Caius. Dat is good; by gar, vit all my heart." Eva, A lousy knave; to have his gibes and his mockeries. Wh [Exeunt. SCENE IV. A Room in Page's House. Enter FENTON, and Mistress ANNE PAGE. Fent. I see, I cannot get thy father's love; the mistress Quickly, to him, and excuse his Therefore, no more turn me to him, sweet Nan. into the water; and give him another hope, to betray him to another punishment? Mrs. Page. We'll do it; let him be sent for to-morrow eight o'clock, to have amends. Re-enter FORD, PAGE, CAIUS, and Sir HUGH EVANS. Ford. I cannot find him: may be the knave bragged of that he could not compass. Mrs. Page. Heard you that? Mrs. Ford. Ay, ay, peace:-You use me well, master Ford, do you? Ford. Ay, 1 do so. Anne. Alas! how then?" Fent. Why, thou must be thyself. He doth object, I am too great of birth; And that, my state being galled with my exI seek to heal it only by his wealth: [pence, Besides these, other bars he lays before me,My riots past, my wild societies; And tells me, 'tis a thing impossible I should love thee, but as a property. Anne. May be, he tells you true.. Fent. No, heaven so speed me in my time to come! Albeit, 1 will confess, thy father's wealth Mrs. Ford. Heaven make you better than Was the first motive that I woo'd thee, Anne: your thoughts! Ford. Amen. Yet, wooing thee, I found thee of more valne Mrs. Page. You do yourself mighty wrong, And 'tis the very riches of thyself" master Ford. That now I aim at. Anne. Gentle master Fenton, Yet seek my father's love: still seek it, sir: If opportunity and humblest suit Cannot attain it, why then.-Hark you hither. [They converse apart. Enter SHALLOW, SLENDER, and Mrs. QUICKLY. Shal. Break their talk, mistress Quickly; my kinsman shall speak for himself, Sten. I'll make a shaft or a bolt on't*: slid, 'tis but venturing. Shal. Be not dismay'd. Slen. No, she shall not dismay me: I care not for that, but that I am afeard. Quick. Hark ye; master Slender would speak a word with you. Anne. I come to him.-This is my father's choice. O, what a world of vile ill-favour'd faults Looks handsome in three hundred pounds ayear! [Aside. Quick. And how does good master Fenton ? Pray you, a word with you. Shal. She's coming; to her, coz. O boy, thou hadst a father? Slen. I had a father, mistress Anne ;-my uncle can tell you good jests of him:-Pray you, uncle, tell mistress Anne the jest, how my father stole two geese out of a pen, good uncle. Shal. Mistress Anne, my cousin loves you, Slen. Ay, that I do; as well as I love any woman in Glocestershire. Shal. He will maintain you like a gentle. woman. Slen. Ay, that I will, come cut and long tailt, under the degree of a 'squire. Shal. He will make you a hundred and fifty pounds jointure. Anne. Good master Shallow, let him woo for himself. Shal. Marry, I thank you for it; I thank you for that good comfort. She calls you, coz: PI leave you. Anne. Now, master Slender, Slen. My will? od's heartlings, that's a pretty jest, indeed! I ne'er made my will yet, I thank heaven; I am not such a sickly creature, I give heaven praise. Anne. I mean, master Slender, what would you with me? Slen. Truly, for mine own part, I would little or nothing with you: Your father, and my uncle, have made motions: if it be my lack, so if not, happy man be his dole ! They can tell you how things go, better than I can: You may ask your father; here he comes. Enter PAGE, and Mistress PAGE. Page. Now, master Slender: Love him, daughter Anne. Why, how now! what does master Fenton Page. She is no match for you. No, good master Fenton. Come, master Shallow: come, son Slender; in :[Fenton. Knowing my mind, you wrong me, master [Exeunt PAGE, SHALLOW, and SLENDER. Quick. Speak to mistress Page. Fent. Good mistress Page, for that I love your daughter In such a righteous fashion as I do, Perforce, against all checks, rebukes, and manners, I must advance the colours of my love, And not retire: Let me have your good will. Anne. Good mother, do not marry me to yond' fool. Mrs. Page. I mean it not; I seek you a better husband. [Exeunt Mrs. PAGE and ANNE. Fent. Farewell, gentle mistress; farewell, Nan. Quick. This is my doing now;-Nay, said I, will you cast away your child on a fool, and a physician? Look on, master Fenton:this is my doing. Fent. I thank thee; and I pray thee, once to-night Give my sweet Nan this ring: There's for thy [Exit. pains. Quick. Now heaven send thee good fortune! A kind heart he hath: a woman would run through fire and water for such a kind heart. But yet, I would my master had mistress Anne; or I would master Slender had her; or, in sooth, I would master Fenton had her: I will do what I can for them all three; for so I have promised, and I'll be as good as my word; but specionsly for master Fenton. Well, I must of another errand to sir John Falstaff from my two mistresses: What a beast am I to slack | it! [Exit. * A proverb-a shaft was a long arrow, + Come, poor or rich. + Lot. SCENE V. |