Hoft. Difarm them, and let them queftion; let them keep their limbs whole, and hack our English.

Caius. I pray you, let-a me speak a vord vith your ear: verfore vill you not meet-a me?

Eva. Pray you use your patience in good time. Caius. By gar, you are de coward, de Jack dog, John ape.

Eva. Pray you, let us not be laughing-stocks to other mens humours: I defire you in friendíhip, and will one way or other make you amends I will knog your urinal about your knave's cogs-comb for miffing your meetings and appointments.

Caius. Diable! Jack Rugby, mine Hoft de Jerterre, have I not stay for him to kill him; have I not, at de place I did appoint?

Eva. As I am a Chriftian's foul, now look you, this is the place appointed; I'll be judgment by mine Hoft of the Garter.

Hoft Peace, I fay, Gallia and Gaul, French and Welch, foul-curer and body-curer.

Caius Ay, dat is very good, excellent.

Hoft. Peace, I fay; hear mine Hoft of the Garter. Am I politic am I fubtle am I a Machiavel fhall I lose my Doctor no; he gives me the potions and the motions. Shall I lofe my Parfon my Priest my Sir Hugh no, he gives me the proverbs and the no verbs. Give me thy hand, terreftrial; fo. Give me thy hand, celeftial; fo. Boys of art, I have deceiv'd you both. I have directed you to wrong places. Your hearts are mighty, your fkins are whole, and let burnt fack be the iffue Come, lay their fwords to pawn. Follow me, lads of peace, follow, follow, follow. Shal. Trust me, a mad hoft. Follow, gentlemen, follow.

Slen. O fweet Anne Page?

[Exeunt Shal. Slen. Page, and Hoft. Caius. Ha! do I perceive dat? have you make a-defot of us, ha, ha?

Eva This is well, he has made us his vlouting-ftog. I defire you, that we may be friends; and let us knog our prains together to be revenge on this fame fcaldfcurvy-cogging companion, the riot of the Garter.

Caius By gar, vith all my heart; he promise to bring me ver is inne Page; by gar, he deceive me

too.

Eva. Well, I will fmite his noddles; pray you fol

low.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. The Street in Windsor.

Enter Mistress Page, and Robin.

Mrs. Page. Nay, keep your way, little gallant; you were wont to be a follower, but now you are a leader. Whether had you rather lead mine eyes, or eye your mafter's heels?

Rob. I had rather, forfooth, go before you like a man, than follow him like a dwarf.

Mrs. Page O you are a flattering boy; now, I fee you'll be a courtier.

Enter Ford.

Ford Well met, Miftrefs Page; whither go you? Mrs. Page. Truly, Sir, to fee your wife; is the at home?

Ford y; and as idle as the 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 weather-cock? 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?

Rob Sir John Falitaff.

Ford. Sir John Falstaff?

Wirs. Page. He, he: I can never hit on's name; there is fuch a league between my good man and he. Is your wife at home, indeed?

Ford Indeed, the is.

Mrs. Page. By your leave, Sir: I am fick, till I fee her. [Exeunt Mrs. Page and Robin.

Ford. Has Page any brains? hath he any eyes? hath he any thinking? fure, they fleep; he hath no ufe of

them.

them. Why, this boy will carry a letter twenty miles, as eafy as a cannon will fhoot point-blank twelve fcore; he pieces out his wife's inclination; he gives her folly motion and advantage; and now fhe's going to my wife, and Falftaff's boy with her. A man may hear this fhower fing in the wind: and Falftaff's boy with her! good plots; they are laid, and our revolted wives fhare damnation together. Well, I will take him, then torture my wife; pluck the borrow'd veil of modesty from the fo feeming Miftrefs Page, divulge Page himfelf for a fecure and wilful Acteon, and to these violent proceedings all my neighbours fhall cry aim. The clock gives me my cue, and my affurance bids me fearch; there I fhall find Falftaff: 1 fhall be rather praised for this, than mocked; for it is as pofitive as the earth is firm, that Falstaff is there: I will go.

To him, Enter Page, Shallow, Slender, Hoft, Evans, and Caius.

Shal. Page, &c. Well met, Mr. Ford.

Ford. Trust me, a good knot: I have good cheer at home, and I pray you, all go with me.

Shal. I must excufe myself, Mr. Ford.

Slen. And fo muft I, Sir; we have appointed to dine with Mrs. 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 coufin Slender, and this day we fhall have our anfwer.

Slen. I hope I have your good-will, father Page. Page. You have, Mr. Slender; I ftand wholly foryou; but my wife, Master Doctor, is for you altogether.

Caius. Ay, by gar, and de maid is love-a-me: my Aurth-a Quickly tell me fo mush.

Hoft. What fay you to young Mr. Fenton? he capers, he dances, he has eyes of youth, he writes verfes, he fpeaks holy-day, he fmells April and May; he will carry't; he will carry't; 'tis in his buttons, he will carry't.

Page Not by my confent, I promise you. The gentleman is of no having; he kept company with the wild Prince and Poinz: he is of too high a region, he knows too much; no, he fhall not knit a knot in his fortunes with the finger of my substance. If he take her, let him take her fimply; the wealth I have waits on my confent, and my confent goes not that way Ford. I beseech you, heartily, fome of you go with me to dinner; befides your cheer, you fport; I will thew you a monster. fhall go; fo fhall you, Mr Page; and you, Sir Hugh. Shal. Well, fare you well, we fhall have the freer wooing at Mr. Page's.

home

fhall have Mr. Doctor, you

Caius. Go home, John Rugby, I come anon.

Hoft Farewel, my hearts; I will to my honest Knight Falstaff, and drink canary with him.

Ford. I think I fhall 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 VII. Changes to Ford's house.

Enter Mrs. Ford, Mrs. Page, and fervants, with a baskets

Mrs. Ford. What, John! what, Robert?

Mrs. Page. Quickly, quickly: is the buck-basketMrs. Ford. I warrant What, Robin, I say.

Mrs. Page. Come, come, come.

Mrs. Ford. Here, fet it down.

Mrs. Page. Give your men the charge, we must be brief.

Mrs. Ford. Marry, as I told you before, John and Robert, be ready here hard by in the brew-houfe, and when I fuddenly call on you, come forth, and without any pause or staggering take this basket on your fhoulders; that done, trudge with it in all haste, and carry it among the whitfters in Datchet-mead, and there empty it in the muddy ditch clofe by the Thames fide. Mrs. Page. You will do it?

Mrs. Ford. I ha' told them over and over; they lack no direction. Be gone, and come when you are call'd.

Mrs. Page. Here comes little Robin.

VOL. I.

E e

Enter

Enter Robin.

Mrs. Ford. How now, my eyes-musket, what news with you?

Rob. My mafter Sir John is come in at your backdoor, Mrs Ford, and requests your company.

Mrs. Page. You little Jack-a-lent, have you been

true to us

Rob Ay, I'll be fworn; my mafter knows not of your being here, and hath threaten'd to put me into eveflailing liberty, if I tell you of it; for he fwears he'll turn me away.

Mrs. Page Thou'rt a good boy: this fecrecy of thine fhall be a tailor to thee, and fhall make thee a new doublet and hofe. I'll go hide me.

Mrs. Ford. Do fo; go tell thy master, I am alone : Mistress Page, remember you your cue.

me.

[Exit Robin Mrs. Page. I warrant thee; if I do not act it, hifs [Exit Mirs. Page. Mrs. Ford. Go to then; we'll use this unwholsome humidity, this grofs watry pumpion - we'll teach him to know turtles from jays.

SCENE VIII. Enter Falstaff.

Fal. Have I caught thee, my heav'nly jewel? why, now let me die; for I have liv'd long enough: this is the period of my ambition: O this bleffed hour!

Mrs. Ford. O fweet Sir John !

Fal. Mrs. Ford, I cannot cog; I cannot prate, Miftrefs Ford; now fhall I fin in my wifh. I would thy husband were dead; I'll speak it before the best Lord, I would make thee my Lady.

Mrs Ford your Lady, Sir John? Alas! I fhould be a pitiful Lady.

Fal. Let the court of France fhew me fuch another : I fee how thine eye would emulate the diamond; thou haft the right arched bent of the brow, that becomes the fhip-tire, the tire- vailant, or any 'tire of Venetian admittance *.

Mrs.

The hip.tire was an open head-drefs, with a kind of fea depending