goes to them by his note; there is no hiding you in the house.

Fal. 'll go out then.

Mrs. Ford If you go out in your own femblance, you die, Sir John. unlets you go out difguis'd. How might we difguite him!

Mrs. Page Alas-the-day, I know not; there is no woman's gown big enough for him: otherwife he might. put on a hat, a muffler, and a kerchief, and so escape. Fal Good heart, devife fomething; any extremity rather than mischief.

Mrs. Ford. My maid's aunt, the fat woman of Brainford, has a gown above.

Mrs Page. On my word, it will ferve him: fhe's as big as he is, and there's her thrum hat, and her muffler too. Run up, Sir John.

Mrs Ford. Go, go, fweet Sir John; Miftrefs Page and I will look fome linen for your head

Mrs Page. Quick, quick, we'll come drefs you ftraight; put on the gown the while. [Exit Falitaff. Mrs. Ford I would my husband would meet him in this fhape; he cannot abide the old woman of Prainford; he fwears fhe's a witch, forbade her my house, and hath threatened to beat her.

Mrs. Page Heav'n guide him to thy husband's cudgel, and the devil guide his cudgel afterwards!

Mrs. Ford. But is my husband coming?

A

Mrs. Page. Ay, in good fadness, is he; and talks of the basket too, however he hath had intelligence. Mrs. Ford. We'll try that; for I'll appoint my men to carry the basket again, to meet him at the door with it, as they did last time.

Mrs. Page. Nay, but he'll be here presently; let's go drefs him like the witch of Brainford.

Mrs. Ford. I'll first direct my men, what they shalk do with the basket; go up, I'll bring linen for him ftraight.

Ms. Page. Hang him, dishonest varlet, we cannot mifufe him enough

We'll leave a proof, by that which we will do,

Wives may be merry, and yet

honest too.

We

We do not act, that often jeft and laugh :

'Tis old, but true. Still fwine eats all the draugh.

Mrs. Ford. Go firs, take the baiket again on your fhoulders your master is hard at door, if he bid you fet it down, obey him: quickly, dispatch.

[Exeunt Mrs. Page and Mrs. Ford.

Enter fervants with the basket.

1 Serv. Come, come, take up.

2 Serv. Pray heav'n, it be not full of the Knight again

1 Serv. I hope not. I had as lief bear so much lead,

Enter Ford, Shallow, Page, Caius, and Evans.

Ford. Ay, but if it prove true, Master Page, have you any way then to unfool me again? Set down the basket, villain; fomebody call my wife: youth in a basket! oh, you panderly rafcals! there's a knot, a gang, a pack, a confpiracy, against me: now shall the devil be fham'd. What, wife, I fay; come, come forth, behold what honeft cloaths you fend forth to bleaching.

Page. Why, this paffes*, Mafter Ford; you are not to go loofe any longer, you must be pinion'd. Eva. Why, this is lunatics; this is mad as a mad dog.

Enter Miftrefs Ford.

Shal. Indeed, Mafter Ford, this is not well, indeed. Ford. So fay I too, Sir Come hither, Mistress Ford; Mistress Ford, the honest woman, the modest wife, the virtuous creature, that hath the jealous fool to her hufband! I fufpect without caufe, Mistress, do I? Mrs. Ford. Heav'n be my witness you do, if you fufpect me in any difhonefty

Ford. Well faid, brazen-face; hold it out: come forth, Sirrah. [Pulls the cloaths out of the basket. Page. This paffes *

See the note, p. 188

Gg 2

Mrs.

Mrs. Ford. Are you not asham'd? let the cloaths alone.

Ford. I fhall find you anon.

Eva. 'Tis unreafonable; will you take up your wife's cloaths? come away.

Ford. Empty the basket, I fay.

Mrs. Ford. Why, man, why

Ford. Malter Page, as I am a man, there was one convey'd out of my house yesterday in this basket; why may not he be there again in my houfe I am sure he is; my intelligence is true, my jealoufy is reasonable; pluck me out all the linen.

Mrs. Ford. If you find a man there, he shall die a flea's death

Page. Here's no man.

Shal. By my fidelity, this is not well, Master Ford; this wrongs you

Eva. Malter Ford, you must pray, and not follow the imaginations of your own heart: this is jealoufies. Ford. Well, he's not here I feek for.

Page. No, nor no where else but in your brain.

Ford. Help to fearch my houfe this one time. If I find not what I feek, fhew no colour for my extremity; let me for ever be your table-sport; let them say of me, As jealous as Ford, that fearcheth a hollow wall-nut for his wife's leman. Satisfy me once more, once more fearch with me.

Mrs. Ford. What hoa, Miftrefs Page! come you, and the old woman down; my husband will come into the chamber.

Ford. Old woman! what old woman's that?

Mrs. Ford. Why, it is my maid's aunt of Brainford. Ford. A witch, a quean, an old cozening quean; have I not forbid her my houfe: fhe comes of errands, does the? We are fimple men, we do not know what's brought to pafs under the profeffion of fortune-telling. She works by charms, by fpells, by th' figure; and fuch dawbry as this is beyond our element; we know nothing Come down, you witch; you hag you, come down, I fay.

Mrs. Ford. Nay, good sweet husband'; good Gentlemen, let him not ttrike the old woman.

SCENE

SCENE V.

Enter Falstaff in women's cloaths, and Mrs. Page. Mrs. Page. Come, mother Prat, come give me your hand.

Ford. I'll Prat her. Out of my door, you witch! [Beats him ] you hag, you baggage, you poulcat, you runnion! out, out, out; I'll conjure you, I'll fortunetell you. [Exit Fal. Mrs. Page. Are you not asham'd? I think you have kill'd the poor woman.

Mrs. Ford. Nay, he will do it; 'tis a goodly credit for you?

Ford. Hang her, witch.

Eva. By yea and no, I think the 'oman is a witch indeed. I like not when a 'oman has a great peard; I ipy a great peard under her muffler

Ford. Will you follow, Gentlemen? I beseech you, follow; fee but the iffue of my jealoufy; if I cry out thus upon no trail, never trust me when I open again. Page. Let's obey his humour a little further; come, Gentlemen. [Exeunt. Mrs. Page Truft me, he beat him moft pitifully. Mrs Ford. Nay, by th' mafs, that he did not; he beat him most unpitifully, methought.

Mrs. Page I'll have the cudgel hallow'd, and hung o'er the altar; it hath done meritorious fervice.

Mrs. Ford. What think you may we, with the warrant of womanhood, and the witnefs of a good confcience, purfue him with any further revenge?

Mrs. Page The spirit of wantonnefs is, fure, fcar'd out of him; if the devil have him not in fee-fimple. with fine and recovery, he will never, I think, in the way of waste, attempt us again.

Mrs Ford. Shall we tell our husbands how we have ferved him?

Mrs Page. Yes, by all means; if it be but to fcrape the figures out of your husband's brain. If they can find in their hearts the poor unvirtuous fat Knight fhall further afflicted, we two will ftill be the mini

be any

fters.

Mrs. Ford. I'll warrant they'll have him publicly iham'd;

fham'd; and methinks there would be no period to the jeft, fhould he not be publicly sham'd.

Mrs. age. Come to the forge with it, then shape it : I would not have things cool.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI. Changes to the Garter-inn.

Enter Hoft and Bardolph.

Bard. Sir, the German defires to have three of your horfes; the Duke himself will be to-morrow at court, and they are going to meet him.

Hoft. What Duke fhould that be comes fo fecretly? I hear not of him in the court: let me fpeak with the gentlemen; they fpeak English?

Bard. Sir, I'll call them to you.

Hoft. They fhall have my horses, but I'll make them pay; I'll fawce them. They have had my house a week at command; I have turned away my other guests; they must compt off; I'll fauce them, come. [Exeunt.

SCENE VII. Changes to Ford's houfe. Enter Page, Ford, Mrs. Page, Mrs. Ford, and Evans.

Eva. 'Tis one of the best difcretions of 'oman, as ever I did look upon.

Page. And he did fend you both thefe letters at an inftant?

Mrs. Page. Within a quarter of an hour.
Ford. Pardon me, wife.

wilt;

Henceforth do what thou

I rather will fufpect the fun with cold,

Than thee with wantonnefs; thy honour ftands,
In him that was of late an heretic,

As firm as faith.

Page. 'Tis well, 'tis well; no more.

Be not as extreme in fubmiffion, as in offence;
But let our plot go forward: let our wives
Yet once again, to make us public fport,
Appoint a meeting with this old fat fellow,
Where we may take him, and difgrace him for it.

Ford. There is no better way than that they spoke of.

Page.