Quic. Sir, let me speak with you in your chamber; you shall hear how things go, and, I warrant, to your content. Here is a letter will fay fomewhat. Good hearts, what ado is here to bring you together! fure, one of you does not serve heav'n well, that you are so cross'd.

Fal. Come up into my chamber.

[Exeunt.

Hoft. Master Fenton, talk not to me, my mind is heavy, I will give over all.

Fent. Yet hear me fpeak; affift me in my purpose,

And, as I am a gentleman, I'll give thee

A hundred pound in gold more than your loss.

Hoft. I will hear you, master Fenton; and I will, at the least, keep your counsel.

Fent. From time to time I have acquainted you
With the dear love I bear to fair Anne Page,
Who, mutually, hath answer'd my affection,
(So far forth as herself might be her choofer)
Ev'n to my wish. I have a letter from her
Of fuch contents, as you will wonder at;
The mirth whereof's fo larded with my matter,
That neither fingly can be manifefted,

Without the show of both. Fat fir John Falstaff
Hath a great scene; the image of the jest

I'll show you here at large. Hark, good mine host;
To-night at Herne's oak, juft 'twixt twelve and one,
Muft my sweet Nan prefent the fairy queen;
The purpose why, is here; in which disguise,
While other jefts are fomething rank on foot,
Her father hath commanded her to flip
Away with Slender, and with him at Eaton
Immediately to marry; fhe hath confented. Now, fir,
Her mother, ever strong against that match,
VOL. I.

N n

And

1

And firm for doctor Caius, hath appointed
That he shall likewife fhuffle her away,
While other sports are tasking of their minds,
And at the deanery, where a priest attends,
Straight marry her; to this her mother's plot
She, seemingly obedient, likewise hath
Made promise to the doctor.

Now, thus it rests;
Her father means fhe fhall be all in white;
And in that drefs when Slender fees his time
To take her by the hand, and bid her go,
She shall go with him.
with him. Her mother hath intended,
The better to devote her to the doctor,

(For they must all be mask'd and vizarded)
That, quaint in green, fhe fhall be loose enrob'd,
With ribbands-pendent, flaring 'bout her head;
And when the doctor fpies his vantage ripe
To pinch her by the hand, upon that token
The maid hath given confent to go with him.

Hoft. Which means fhe to deceive? father, or mother?
Fent. Both, my good hoft, to go along with me;

And here it refts, that you'll procure the vicar

To stay for me at church, 'twixt twelve and one,
And in the lawful name of marrying,

To give our hearts united ceremony.

Hoft. Well, husband your device; I'll to the vicar.

Bring you the maid, you shall not lack a priest.
Fent. So fhall I evermore be bound to thee;
Beside, I'll make a present recompence.

SCENE XII.

Re-enter Falstaff, and mistress Quickly.

[Exeunt.

Fal. Pr'ythee, no more pratling; go, I'll hold. This is the third time; I hope, good luck lyes in odd numbers; away, go; they say, there is divinity in odd numbers, either in nativity, chance, or death; away.

Quic. I'll provide you a chain, and I'll do what I can to get you a pair of horns. [Exit Mrs. Quickly. Fal. Away, I fay; time wears: hold up your head, and mince.

Enter Ford.

How now, master Brook? master Brook, the matter will be known to-night, or never. Be you in the park about mid-night at Herne's oak, and you shall fee wonders.

Ford. Went you not to her yesterday, fir, as you told me you had appointed?

Fal. I went to her, mafter Brook, as you fee, like a poor old man; but I came from her, mafter Brook, like a poor old woman. That fame knave, Ford her husband, hath the finest mad devil of jealoufy in him, master Brook, that ever govern'd frenzy. I will tell you; he beat me grievously, in the shape of a woman: for in the shape of a man, mafter Brook, I fear not Goliah with a weaver's beam; because I know also, life is a fhuttle: I am in hafte; go along with me, I'll tell you all, master Brook. Since I pluck'd geefe, play'd truant, and whipt top, I knew not what 'twas to be beaten, 'till lately. Follow me, I'll tell you strange things of this knave Ford, on whom to-night I will be reveng'd, and I will deliver his wife into your hand. Follow; ftrange things in hand, mafter Brook! follow.

[Exeunt.

C

ACT V. SCENE I.

Windfor-Park.

Enter Page, Shallow, and Slender.

PAGE.

NOME, come; we'll couch i' th' caftle-ditch, 'till we see the light of our fairies. Remember, fon Slender, my daughter. Slen. Ay, forfooth, I have spoke with her, and we have a nay-word how to know one another. I come to her in white

and cry, mum, fhe cries, budget; and by that we know one another.

Shal. That's good too; but what needs either your mum, or her budget? the white will decipher her well enough. It hath ftruck ten o'clock.

Page. The night is dark; light and fpirits will become it well: heav'n profper our fport! No one means evil but the devil, and we fhall know him by his horns. Let's away; follow me.

SCENE II.

Enter miftrefs Page, mistress Ford, and Caius.

[Exeunt.

Mrs. Page. Mafter doctor, my daughter is in green: when you fee your time, take her by the hand, away with her to the deanery, and dispatch it quickly; go before into the park; we two must go together.

Caius. I know vat I have to do; adieu.

[Exit.

Mrs. Page. Fare you well, fir. My husband will not rejoice so much at the abuse of Falstaff, as he will chafe at the doctor's marrying my daughter: but 'tis no matter; better a little chiding, than a great deal of heart-break.

Mrs. Ford. Where is Nan now, and her troop of fairies, and the Welch devil Evans?

Mrs. Page. They are all couch'd in a pit hard by Herne's oak, with obfcur'd lights; which, at the very inftant of Falstaff's and our meeting, they will at once difplay to the night.

Mrs. Ford. That cannot choose but amaze him.

Mrs. Page. If he be not amaz'd he will be mock'd; if he be amaz'd he will be mock'd.

Mrs. Ford. We'll betray him finely.

Mrs. Page. Against fuch lewdsters, and their lechery,

Those that betray them do no treachery.

Mrs. Ford. The hour draws on; to the oak, to the oak. [Exeunt.

Enter Evans, and Fairies.

Eva. Trib, trib, fairies; come, and remember your parts: be

pold

pold, I pray you, follow me into the pit, and when I give the watch-'ords do as I pid you: come, come; trib, trib. [Exeunt.

Enter Falstaff, with a buck's head on.

Fal. The Windfor bell hath ftruck twelve; the minute draws now the hot-blooded gods affist me! remember, Jove, thou wast a bull for thy Europa; love fet on thy horns: o powerful love! that, in some respects, makes a beast a man; in some other, a man a beast. You were also, Jupiter, a swan, for the love of Leda: o omnipotent love! how near the god drew to the complexion of a goofe! A fault done firft in the form of a beaft, o Jove, a beaftly fault; and then another fault in the femblance of a fowl; think on't, Jove, a foul fault. When gods have hot backs, what fhall poor men do? for me, I am here a Windsor stag, and the fattest, I think, i' th' forest. Send me a cool rut-time, Jove, or who can blame me to pifs my tallow? who comes here? my doe?

Enter mistress Ford, and mistress Page. Mrs. Ford. Sir John? art thou there, my deer? my male-deer? Fal. My doe with the black fcut? let the fky rain potatoes; let it thunder to the tune of green-fleeves; hail kiffing-comfits, and fnow eringoes; let there come a tempeft of provocation, I will shelter me here.

Mrs. Ford. Miftrefs Page is come with me, fweet heart.

Fal. Divide me like a bribe-buck, each a haunch; I will keep my fides to myself, my shoulders for the fellow of this walk, and my horns I bequeath your husbands. Am I a woodman, ha? Speak I like Herne the hunter? why, now is Cupid a child of conscience; he makes reftitution. As I am a true fpirit, welcome. [noife within.

Mrs. Page. Alas! what noise?
Mrs. Ford. Heav'n forgive our fins!
Fal. What fhould this be?

Mrs.