guest, and master Page, and eke cavalero Slender, go you through the town to Frogmore. [Aside to them. Page. Sir Hugh is there, is he? Host. He is there: see what humour he is in ; and I will bring the doctor about by the fields: will it do well? Shal. We will do it. Eva. Pray you, give me my gown; or else keep it in your arms. Enter Page, Shallow, and Slender. Shal. How now, master parson? Good morrow, good sir Hugh. Keep a gamester from the dice, Jand a good student from his book, and it is won Slen. Ah, sweet Anne Page! Page, Shal. and Slen. Adieu, good master doctor.derful. [Exeunt Page, Shallow, and Slender. Caius. By gar, me vill kill de priest; for he speak for a jack-an-ape to Anne Page. Host. Let him die: but, first, sheath thy impatience; throw cold water on thy choler: go about the belds with me through Frogmore; I will bring thee where Mrs. Anne Page is, at a farm-house a feasting; and thou shalt woo her: Cry'd game, said I well? Caius. By gar, me tank you for dat; by gar, I love you; and I shall procure-a you de good guest, de earl, de knight, de lords, de gentlemen, my patients. Host. For the which, I will be thy adversary towards Anne Page; said I well? Caius. By gar, 'tis good; vell said. Caius. Come at my heels, Jack Rugby. АСТ III. [Exeunt. Era. 'Pless my soul! how full of cholers I am, To shallow rivers, to whose falls To shallow Eva. 'Pless you from his mercy sake, all of you! Shal. What! the sword and the world! do you study them both, master parson? 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 you, to do a good office, master parson. Eva. Fery well: what is it? 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. Shal. I have lived fourscore years and upward; I never heard a man of his place, gravity, and learning, so wide of his own respect. Eva. What is he? Page. I think you know him; master doctor Caius, the renowned French physician. Eva. Got's will, and his passion of my heart! I had as lief you would tell me of a mess of por ridge. Page. Why? Eva. He has no more knowledge in Hibocrates 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. Slen. O, sweet Anne Page! Shal. It appears so, by his weapons:-Keep them asunder;-here comes doctor Caius. Enter Host, Caius, and Rugby. Page. Nay, good master parson, keep in your weapon. Shal. So do you, good master doctor. Eva. Pray you, use your patience: In good time. John ape. Eva. Pray you, let us not be laughing-stogs to other men's humours; I desire you in friendship, Mercy on me! I have a great dispositions to cry. and I will one way or other make you amends: Melodious birds sing madrigals ;— When as I sat in Pabylon,2 And a thousand fragrant posies. To shallow I will knog your urinals about your knave's cogscomb, for missing your meetings and appoint. ments. Caius. Diable!-Jack Rugby,-mine Host de Jarterre, have I not stay for him, to kill him? have Sim. Yonder he is coming, this way, sir Hugh. I not, at de place I did appoint? Eva. He's welcome: To shallow rivers, to whose falls Heaven prosper the right!-What weapons is he? Sim. No weapons, sir: There comes my master, master Shallow, and another gentleman from Frogmore, over the stilc, this way. (1) Head. 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. Host. Peace, I say, Guallia and Gaul, French and Welsh; soul-curer and body-curer. Caius. Ay, dat is very good! excellent! Host. Peace, I say; hear mine host of the Gar ter. Am I politic? am I subtle? am I a Machia (2) Babylon, the first line of the 137th Psalm. H vel? Shall I lose my doctor? no; he gives me the plots !-they are laid; and our revolted wives potions, and the motions. Shall I lose my parson? share damnation together. Well; I will take him, my priest? my sir Hugh? no; he gives me the then torture my wife, pluck the borrowed veil of pro-verbs and the no-verbs.-Give me thy hand, modesty from the so seeming mistress Page, diterrestrial; so:-Give me thy hand, celestial; so. vulge Page himself for a secure and wilful Action; -Boys of art, I have deceived you both; I have and to these violent proceedings all my neighbours directed you to wrong places: your hearts are shall cry aim. (Clock strikes.] The clock gives mighty, your skins are whole, and let burnt sack me my cue, and my assurance bids me search be the issue.-Come, lay their swords to pawn:-there I shall find Falstaff: I shall be rather praised Follow me, lad of peace; follow, follow, follow. for this, than mocked; for it is as positive as the Shal. Trust me, a mad host:-Follow, gentle-earth is firm, that Falstaff is there: I will go. men, follow. Slen. O, sweet Anne Page! [Exeunt Shal. Slen. Page, and Host. Caius. Ha! do I perceive dat? have you makea de sot of us? ha, ha! Eva. This is well; he has made us his vloutingstog.-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. Enter Page, Shallow, Slender, Host, Sir Hugh Shal. Page, &c. Well met, 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. Caius. By gar, vit all my heart; he promise to bring me vere is Anne Page: by gar, he deShal. We have linger'd about a match between ceive me too. Anne Page and my cousin Slender, and this day Eva. Well, I will smite his noddles:-Pray we shall have our answer. you, follow. [Exeunt. 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. 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 eyes? hath he any thinking? Sure, they sleep; he hath no use of them. Why, this boy will carry a letter twenty miles, as easy as a cannon will shoot pointblank 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 Doy with her. A man may hear this shower sing in the wind!-and Falstaff's boy with her!-Good (1) Fool. (2) Flouting-stock. (3) Specious. (4) Shall encourage. Slen. I hope, I have your good-will, father Page. Page. You have, master Slender; I stand wholly for you:-but my wife, master doctor, is for you altogether. 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 Fenton ? he capers, he dances, he has eyes of youth, he writes verses, he speaks holiday, he smells April and May: he will carry't, he will carry't; 'tis in his buttons; he will carry't. Page. Not by my consent, I promise you. The gentlemen 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 show you a monster.Master doctor, you shall go ;-so shall you, master Page;-and you, sir Hugh. Shal. Well, fare you well:-we shall have the freer wooing at master Page's. [Exeunt Shallow and Slender. Caius. Go home, John Rugby; I come anon. [Exit Rugby. Host. Farewell, my hearts: I will to my honest knight Falstaff, and drink canary with him. [Erit Host. Ford. [Aside.] I think, I shall drink in pipe wine first with him; I'll make him dance. Will you go, gentles? All. Have with you, to see this monster. [Exeunt. SCENE III-A room in Ford's house. Enter Mrs. Ford. What, John! what, Robert! Mrs. Ford. I warrant :-what, Robin, I say. (5) Out of the common style. (6) Not rich. Enter Servants with a basket. must be brief. 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 hawthorn buds, that' come like women in men's apparel, and smell like Bucklersbury in simple-time; I cannot: but love thee; none but thee; and thou deservest it. Mrs. Ford. Do not betray me, sir; I fear, you love mistress Page. I 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 Fal. Thou might'st as well say, I love to walk Datchet Mead, and there empty it in the muddy by the Counter-gate; which is as hateful to me as ditch, close by the Thames' side. Mrs. Page. You will do it? Mrs. Ford. I have told them over and over; they lack no direction: be gone, and come when [Exeunt Servants. you are called. Mrs. Page. Here comes little Robin. 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.-I'll go hide me. Mrs. Ford. Do so:-Go tell thy master, I am alone. Mrs. Page, remember you your cue. [Exit Robin. Mre. Page. I warrant thee; if I do not act it, his 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. Enter Falstaff. Fal. Have I caught thee, my heavenly jewel? Why, now let me die, for I have lived long enough; this is the period of my ambition: O this blessed hour! 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; I'll 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. Fal. She shall not see me; I will ensconce me behind the arras. Mrs. Ford. Pray you, do so; she's a very tat[Falstaff hides himself. tling woman.— Enter Mistress 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. Fors. 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 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. Ford. O sweet sir John! Mrs. Page. Pray heaven it be not so, that you Fal. Mistress Ford, I cannot cog, I cannot prate, have such a man here; but 'tis most certain your Mistress Ford. Now shall I sin in my wish: I husband's coming, with half Windsor at his heels, I come before to tell would thy husband were dead: I'll speak it before to search for such a one. the best lord, I would make thee my lady. you: if you know yourself clear, why I am glad Mrs. Ford. I your lady, sir John! alas, I should of it: but if you have a friend here, convey, conbe a pitiful lady. vey him out. Be not amazed; call all your senses Fal. Let the court of France show me such ano-to you; defend your reputation, or bid farewell to ther; I see how thine eyes would emulate the your good life forever. diamond: thou hast the right arched bent of the Mrs. Ford. What shall I do?-There is a genbrow, that becomes the ship-tire, the tire-valiant, tleman, my dear friend; and I fear not mine own or any tire of Venetian admittance.+ shame, so much as his peril: I had rather than a Mrs. Ford. A plain kerchief, sir John: my thousand pound, he were out of the house. brows become nothing else; nor that well neither. Mrs. Page. For shame, never stand you had Fal. Thou art a traitor to say so: thou would'st rather, and you had rather; your husband's here make an absolute courtier; and the firm fixture of at hand, bethink you of some conveyance: in the thy foot would give an excellent motion to thy gait, house you cannot hide him.-0, how have you dein a semi-circled farthingale. I see what thou ceived me!-Look, here is a basket; if he he of wert, if fortune thy foe were not; nature is thy any reasonable stature, he may creep in here; and friend: come, thou canst not hide it. throw foul linen upon him, as if it were going to (1) Bleachers of linen. (2) A young small hawk. (4) Venetian fashions. (5) Formerly chiefly inhabited by druggists. (3) A puppet thrown at in Lent, like shrove-cocks. (6) Prison. vel? Shall I lose my doctor? no; he gives me the plots !-they are laid; and our revolted wives potions, and the motions. Shall I lose my parson? share damnation together. Well; I will take him, my priest? my sir Hugh? no; he gives me the then torture my wife, pluck the borrowed veil of pro-verbs and the no-verbs.-Give me thy hand, modesty from the so seeming mistress Page, diterrestrial; so:-Give me thy hand, celestial; so. vulge Page himself for a secure and wilful Action; -Boys of art, I have deceived you both; I have and to these violent proceedings all my neighbours directed you to wrong places: your hearts are shall ery aim.* [Clock strikes.] The clock gives mighty, your skins are whole, and let burnt sack me my cue, and my assurance bids me search be the issue.-Come, lay their swords to pawn:- there I shall find Falstaff: I shall be rather praised Follow me, lad of peace; follow, follow, follow. for this, than mocked; for it is as positive as the Shal. Trust me, a mad host:-Follow, gentle-earth is firm, that Falstaff is there: I will go. men, follow. Enter Page, Shallow, Slender, Host, Sir Hugh Evans, Caius, and Rugby. Slen. O, sweet Anne Page! [Exeunt Shal. Slen. Page, and Host. Caius. Ha! do I perceive dat? have you makea de sot' of us? ha, ha! Eva. This is well; he has made us his vloutingstog. 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. 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. Sten. 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. Shal. We have linger'd about a match between Anne Page and my cousin Slender, and this day Eva. Well, I will smite his noddles:-Pray we shall have our answer. you, follow. SCENE II.-The Street in Windsor. [Exeunt. 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 eyes?. hath he any thinking? Sure, they sleep; he hath Slen. I hope, I have your good-will, father Page. 1 Page. You have, master Slender; I stand wholly for you:-but my wife, master doctor, is for you altogether. 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 Fenton? he capers, he dances, he has eyes of youth, he writes verses, he speaks holiday, he smells April his buttons; he will carry't. and May: he will carry't, he will carry't; 'tis in Page. Not by my consent, I promise you. The gentlemen is of no having: he kept company with the wild Prince and Poins; he is of too high a reknot in his fortunes with the finger of my subgion, he knows too much. No, he shall not knit a stance: 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 show you a monster.Master doctor, you shall go ;-so shall you, master Page;-and you, sir Hugh. freer wooing at master Page's. [Exeunt Shallow and Slender. All. Have with you, to see this monster. Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page. [Exeunt. no use of them. Why, this boy will carry a letter SCENE III-A room in Ford's house. Enter twenty miles, as easy as a cannon will shoot pointblank 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 Doy with her. A man may hear this shower sing in the wind!-and Falstaff's boy with her!-Good (1) Fool. (2) Flouting-stock. (3) Specious. Shall encourage. Mrs. Ford. What, John! what, Robert! basket Mrs. Ford. I warrant :-what, Robin, I say. (6) (5) Out of the common style. Fal. Have I caught thee, my hear Why, now let me die, for I have lived ge this is the period of my ambition: 0 the te hour! Mrs. Ford. O sweet sir John! Fal. Mistress Ford, I cannot cog, I camer would thy husband were dead: I'll speaí - Fal. Let the court of France show me suci ase Mrs. Ford. A plain kerchief, sir Jun brows become nothing else; nor that well Fal. Thou art a traitor to say so: thou w make an absolute courtier; and the firm f thy foot would give an excellent motion to do in a semi-circled farthingale. I see wert, if fortune thy foe were not; nat friend: come, thou canst not hide Bleachers of linen. A young small hawk 3) A puppet thrown A. (4) Specially. |