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Fal. But what says she to me? be brief, my| good she Mercury.

Quick. Marry, she hath received your letter; for the which she thanks you a thousand times: and she gives you to notify, that her husband will be absence from his house between ten and eleven. Fal. Ten and eleven?

Quick. Ay, forsooth; and then you may come and see the picture, she says, that you wot of;master Ford, her husband, will be from home. Alas! the sweet woman leads an ill life with him; he's a very jealousy man; she leads a very frampold' life with him, good heart.

Fal. Ten and eleven: Woman, commend me to her; I will not fail her.

Quick. Why, you say well: But I have another messenger to your worship: Mrs. Page hath her hearty commendations to you too ;-and let me tell you in your ear, she's as fartuous a civil modest wife, and one (I tell you) that will not miss you morning nor evening prayer, as any is in Windsor, whoe'er be the other: and she bade me tell your worship, that her husband is seldom from home; but she hopes, there will come a time. I never knew a woman so dote upon a man; surely, I think you have charms, la; yes, in truth.

Ful. Not I, I assure thee; setting the attraction of my good parts aside, I have no other charms. Quick. Blessing on your heart for't!

Fal. But, I pray thee, tell me this: has Ford's wife, and Page's wife, acquainted each other how they love me?

Quick. That were a jest, indeed!-they have not little grace, I hope :-that were a trick, indeed! But mistress Page would desire you to send her your little page of all loves; her husband has a marvellous infection to the little page; and, truly, master Page is an honest man. Never a wife in Windsor leads a better life than she does; do what she will, say what she will, take all, pay all, go to bed when she list, rise when she list, all is as she will; and, truly, she deserves it: for if there be a kind woman in Windsor, she is one. You must send her your page; no remedy.

Fal. Why, I will.

Enter BARDOLPH.

Bard. Sir John, there's one master Brook below would fain speak with you, and be acquainted with you and hath sent your worship a morning's draught of sack.

Fal. Brook is his name?
Bard. Ay, sir.

Fal. Call him in: [Exit BARDOLPH.] Such Brooks are welcome to me, that o'erflow such lihave I encompass'd you? go to; via!" quor. Ah! ha! mistress Ford and mistress Page,

Re-enter BARDOLPH, with FORD disguised. Ford. Bless sir. you,

Fal. And you, sir: Would you speak with me? Ford. I make bold to press with so little ration upon you.

prepa

Fal. You're welcome; What's your will? Give
us leave, drawer.
[Exit BARDOLPH.
much; my name is Brook.
Ford. Sir, I am a gentleman that have spent

ance of you.
Fal. Good master Brook, I desire more acquaint-

Ford. Good Sir John, I sue for yours: not to charge you; for I must let you understand, I think myself in better plight for a lender than you are: unseason'd intrusion; for they say, if money go bethe which hath something embolden'd me to this fore, all ways do lie open.

Fal. Money is a good soldier, sir, and will on. troubles ine: if you will help me to bear it, Sir Ford. Troth, and I have a bag of money here John, take all, or half, for easing me of the carriage.

Fal. Sir, I know not how I may deserve to be your porter.

Ford. I will tell you, sir, if you will give me the

hearing.

to be your servant.
Fal. Speak, good master Brook; I shall be glad

to be such an offender.

Fal. Very well, sir; proceed.

husband's name is Ford.
Ford. There is a gentlewoman in this town, her

brief with you ;Ford. Sir, I hear you are a scholar,-I will be known to me, though I had never so good means, and you have been a man long as desire, to make myself acquainted with you. shall discover a thing to you, wherein I must very Quick. Nay, but do so then: and, look you, he Sir John, as you have one eye upon my follies, as much lay open mine own imperfection: but, good may come and go between you both; and, in any you hear them unfolded, turn another into the recase, have a nay word, that you may know one gister of your own; that I may pass with a reproof another's mind, and the boy never need to under-the easier, sith you yourself know, how easy it is stand any thing; for 'tis not good that children should know any wickedness; old folks, you know, have discretion, as they say, and know the world. Fal. Fare thee well: commend me to them both: there's my purse; I am yet thy debtor.-Boy, go along with this woman.-This news distracts me! [Exeunt QUICKLY and ROBIN. Pist. This punk is one of Cupid's carriers :Clap on more sails; pursue, up with your fights; Give fire; she is my prize, or ocean whelm them [Exit PISTOL. Fal. Say'st thou so, old Jack? go thy ways; Pli make more of thy old body than I have done. Will they yet look after thee? Wilt thou, after the expense of so much money, be now a gainer? Good body, I thank thee: Let them say, 'tis grossly done; so it be fairly done, no matter.

all!

1 To wot is to know. So in K. Henry VIII. wot you what I found?

2 Frampold here means fretful, peevish, or veratious. This obsolete word is of uncertain etymology. 3 Of all loves, is an adjuration only, and signifies no more than by all means, for the sake of all love. It is again used in Othello and in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

4 A watchword.

5 Fights are the waist cloths which hang round about the ship to hinder men from being seen in fight; or any place wherein men may cover themselves, and yet use their arms.-Phillips' World of Words.

6 It seems to have been a common custom in taverns in Shakspeare's time, to send presents of wine from one room to another either as a memorial of friendship, or (as in the present instance) by way of introduction to

Fal. Well, sir.

Ford. I have long loved her, and, I protest to you, bestowed much on her; followed her with a meet her; fee'd every slight occasion, that could doting observance; engrossed opportunities to but niggardly give me sight of her; not only bought many, to know what she would have given: briefly, many presents to give her, but have given largely to I have pursued her, as love hath pursued me; which hath been on the wing of all occasions. But whatsoever I have merited, either in my mind or in my means, meed, I am sure, I have received none; unless experience be a jewel: that I have purchased the Restoration. In the Parliamentary History, vol. acquaintance. The practice was continued as late as xxii. p. 114, we have the following passage from The Life of General Monk, by Dr. Price. "I came to the Three Tuns, before Guildhall, where the general had quartered two nights before. I entered the tavern with a servant and portmanteau, and asked for a room, which I had scarce got into but wine followed me as a present from some citizens desiring leave to drink their morning's draught with me."

7 Via, an Italian word, which Florio explains:"an adverb of encouragement, on away, go to, away forward, go on, despatch." It appears to have been a renders it in Latin eja, age. common exclamation in Shakspeare's time. Antonini

8 Since.

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at an infinite rate; and that hath taught me to say
this:

Love like a shadow fiies, when substance love pursues;
Pursuing that that flies, and flying what pursues.
Fal. Have you received no promise of satisfac-

tion at her hands?

Ford. Never.

Fal. Have you importuned her to such a purpose?

Ford. Never.

Fal. Of what quality was your love then? Ford. Like a fair house, built upon another man's ground, so that I have lost my edifice, by mistaking the place where I erected it.

Fal. To what purpose have you unfolded this to

me?

Ford. I would you knew Ford, sir; that you might avoid him, if you saw him.

Who

Ford. When I have told you that, I have told you all. Some say, that though she appear honest to me, yet, in other places, she enlargeth her mirth so far, that there is shrewd construction made of her. Now, Sir John, here is the heart of my purpose: You are a gentleman of excellent breeding, admirable discourse, of great admittance,' authentic in your place and person, generally allowed' for your many warlike, courtlike, and learned preparations.

I will stare him out of his wits; I will awe him Fal. Hang him, mechanical salt-butter rogue! with my cudgel; it shall hang like a meteor o'er the cuckold's horns: master Brook, thou shalt know, I will predominate o'er the peasant, and thou shalt lie with his wife.-Come to me soon at night :-Ford's a knave, and I will aggravate his stile; thou, master Brook, shalt know him for a knave and cuckold:-come to me soon at night. [Erit. Ford. What a damned Epicurean rascal is this! My heart is ready to crack with impatience.says this is improvident jealousy ?-My wife hath sent to him, the hour is fixed, the match is made. Would any man have thought this?-See the hell of having a false woman! my bed shall be abused, my coffers ransacked, my reputation gnawn at; and I shall not only receive this villanous wrong, but stand under the adoption of abominable terms, and by him that does me this wrong. Terms! names! Amaimon sounds well; Lucifer, well Barbasen, well; yet they are devils' additions, the names of fiends: but cuckold! wittol" cuckold! the devil himself hath not such a name. Page is an ass, a secure ass; he will trust his wife, he will not be jealous: I will rather trust a Fleming with my Ford. Believe it, for you know it :-There is butter, parson Hugh the Welshman with my cheese, money; spend it, spend it, spend more; spend all an Irishman with my aqua-vita bottle, or a thief to I have; only give me so much of your time in ex-walk my ambling gelding, than my wife with herself; change of it, as to lay an amiable siege to the honesty of this Ford's wife: use your art of wooing, win her consent to you; if any man may, you may

Fal. O, sir!

as soon as any.

Fal. Would it apply well to the vehemency of your affection, that I should win what you would enjoy? Methinks you prescribe to yourself very preposterously.

Ford. O, understand my drift! she dwells so securely on the excellency of her honour, that the folly of my soul dares not present itself; she is too bright to be looked against. Now, could I come to her with any detection in my hand, my desires had instance and argument to commend themselves; I could drive her then from the ward of her purity, her reputation, her marriage-vow, and a thousand other her defences, which now are too strongly embattled against me: What say you to't, Sir John? Fal. Master Brook, I will first make bold with your money; next give me your hand; and last, as am a gentleman, you shall, if you will, enjoy Ford's wife.

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Ford. am blest in your acquaintance. know Ford, sir?

Do you

Fal. Hang him, poor cuckoldly knave! I know him not-yet I wrong him to call him poor; they say, the jealous wittolly knave hath masses of money; for the which his wife seems to me wellfavoured, I will use her as the key of the cuckoldly rogue's coffer; and there's my harvest-home.

11. c. admitted into all, or the greatest companies.
2 Allowed is approved. So in King Lear:
if your sweet sway
Allow obedience," &c.

3 i. e. defence.

then she plots, then she ruminates, then she devises: and what they think in their hearts they may effect, they will break their hearts but they will effect. Heaven be praised for my jealousy!-Eleven o'clock the hour-I will prevent this, defect my wife, be revenged on Falstaff, and laugh at Page. I will about it; better three hours too soon, than a minute too late. Fie, fie, fie! cuckold! cuckold! cuckold!

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[Ezil.

Enter CAIUS and

Rug. 'Tis past the hour, sir, that Sir Hugh promised to meet.

Caius. By gar, he has save his soul, dat he is no come: he has pray his Pible vell, dat he is no come by gar, Jack Rugby, he is dead already, if

he be come.

Rug. He is wise, sir; he knew your worship would kill him, if he came.

Caius. By gar, de herring is no dead, so as I vill kill him. Take your rapier, Jack; I vill tell you

how I vill kill him.

Rug. Alas, sir, I cannot fence.
Caius. Villany, take your rapier.
Rug. Forbear; here's company.

Enter HOST, SHALLOW, SLENDER, and PAGE.
Host. 'Bless thee, bully doctor.

Shal. Save you, master doctor Caius.
Page. Now, good master doctor!
Slen. Give you good-morrow, sir.

Caius. Vat be all you, one, too, tree, four, come

for?

Host. To see thee fight, to see thee foin," to see thee traverse, to see thee here, to see thee there; to see thee pass thy punto, thy stock, thy reverse, thy distance, thy montant. Is he dead, my Ethi opian? is he dead, my Francisco? ha, bully! a great countie or earle." But Randle Holme, in his Academy of Armory, informs us that "Amuymon is the chief whose dominion is on the north part of the in fernal gulf; and that Barbatos is like a Sagittarius, and has thirty legions under him."

4 This is a phrase from the Herald's Office. Falstaff 6 A tame contented cuckold knowing himself to be means that he will add more titles to those Ford is alone. From the Saxon wittan, to know. ready distinguished by.

5 Reginald Scout, in his Discovery of Witchcraft, may be consulted concerning these demons. "Amai. mon," he says, "was King of the East, and Barbatos

7 Usquebaugh.

8 The ancient term for making a thrust in fencing. 9 Terms in fencing. The stoccado, the reverso, &c. from the Italian.

What says my Esculapius? my Galen? my heart of elder ha! is he dead, bully Stale ? is he

dead?

Caius. By gar, he is de coward Jack priest of the world; he is not show his face. Host. Thou art a Castilian, king-urinal! Hector of Greece, my boy!

Caius. I pray you, bear vitness that me have stay six or seven, two, tree hours for him, and he is no

come.

Shal. He is the wiser man, master doctor: he is a curer of souls, and you a curer of bodies; if you should fight, you go against the hair of your professions: is it not true, master Page?

Page. Master Shallow, you have yourself been

a great fighter, though now a man of peace.

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HUGH EVANS and SIMPLE.

Shal. Bodykins, master Page, though I now be SCENE I. A Field near Frogmore. Enter SIR old, and of the peace, if I see a sword out, my finger itches to make one: though we are justices, and doctors, and churchmen, master Page, we have some salt of our youth in us; we are the sons of women, master Page.

Page. "Tis true, master Shallow.

Shal. It will be found so, master Page. Master doctor Caius, I am come to fetch you home. I am sworn of the peace; you have showed yourself a wise physician, and Sir Hugh hath shown himself a wise and patient churchman: you must go with me, master doctor.

Host. Pardon, guest justice:-A word, monsieur Muck-water."

Caius. Muck-vater; vat is dat?

Host. Muck-water, in our English tongue, is valour, bully.

Caius. By gar, then I have as much muck-vater as de Englishman :-Scurvy jack-dog priest; by gar, me vil cut his ears.

Host. He will clapper-claw thee tightly, bully.
Caius. Clapper-de-claw! wat is dat ?
Host. That is, he will make thee amends.
Caius. By gar, me do look, he shall clapper-de-
law me; for, by gar, me vill have it.

Host. And I will provoke him to't, or let him wag.
Caius. Me tank you for dat.

Host. And moreover, bully,-But first, master 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.

Page, Shal. and Slen. Adien, good master doctor. [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 fields with me through Frogmore; I will bring

of pith.

Eva. I pray you now, good master Slender's serving-man, and friend Simple by your name, which way have you looked for master Caius, that calls himself Doctor of Physic?

Sim. Marry, sir, the pittie-ward, the park-ward, every way; old Windsor way, and every way but the town way.

Eva. I most fehemently desire you, you will also look that way.

Sim. I will, sir.

Eva. 'Pless my soul! how full of cholers I am,
and trempling of mind!-I shall be glad, if he have
deceived me:-how melancholies I am!-I will
knog his urinals about his knave's costard, when I
have good opportunities for the 'ork:-'pless my
soul!
[Sings.

To shallow rivers, to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals;
There will we make our peds of roses,
And a thousand fragrant posics.

To shallow

'Mercy on me! I have a great dispositions to cry. Melodious birds sing madrigals;

When as I sat in Pabylon,'

And a thousand vagram posies.

To shallow

Sim. Yonder he is coming this way, Sir Hugh.
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 Frog-
more, over the stile, this way.

it

Eva. Pray you, give me my gown; or else keep in your arms.

Enter PAGE, SHALLOW, and SLENDER. Shal. How now, master parson? Good morrow, good Sir Hugh. Keep a gamester from the dice,

1 Heart of elder. The joke is that elder has a heart Helicon, 1600, it is attributed to Christopher Marlowe, and to it is subjoined an answer, called The Nymph's 9 Bully-stale and king-urinal, these epithets will be Reply,' signed Ignoto, which is thought to be the sig ciently obvious to those who recollect the prevalence nature of Sir Walter Raleigh. Walton has inserted of empirical water-doctors. Castilian, a cant word them both in his Complete Angler, under the character of (like Cataian and Ethiopian,) appears to have been ge- that smooth song which was made by Kit Marlowe, now nerally used as a term of reproach after the defeat of at least fifty years ago; and an answer to it, which was the Spanish Armada. The Host avails himself of the made by Sir Walter Raleigh in his younger days.poor doctor's ignorance of English phraseology in ap-misrecites the lines in his panic. The reader will be Old fashioned poetry but choicely good.' Sir Hugh plying to him these high-sounding opprobrious epithets; pleased to find them at the end of the play.

be here means to call him coward. 3 Drain of a dunghill.

4 Steevens tried to give some kind of meaning to this passage. "Cry'd game," says he, "might mean in those days a professed buck, who was well known by the report of his gallantry as he could have been by proclamation." Warburton conjectures that we should read Cry Aim, that is, "Encourage me, do I not deserve it! This suits the speaker and occasion, and is therefore very plausible. See the second scene of the third act of this play, where the phrase again occurs.

$ Head.

6 This is a part of a beautiful little pastoral, printed Among Shakspeare's Sonnets in 1599 but in England's

7 This line is from the old version of the 137th Psalm:

"When we did sit in Babylon,
The rivers round about,

Then the remembrance of Sion,
The tears for grief burst out."

The word rivers in the second line was probably
brought to Sir Hugh's thoughts by the line of the madri.
gal he had just repeated; and in his fright he blends
the sacred and profane songs together. The old quarto
has-There lived a man in Babylon,' which was the
first line of an old song mentioned in Twelfth Night;
but the other line is more in character

and a good student from his book, and it is won-
derful.

Slen. Ah, sweet Anne Page!
Page. Save you, good Sir Hugh!
Eva. 'Pless you from his mercy sake, all of you!
Shal. What! the sword and the word! 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?

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TRESS PAGE and ROBIN.

Page. Yonder is a most reverend gentleman, who SCENE II. The street in Windsor. Enter Misbe like, having received wrong by some person, is at most odds with his own gravity and patience, that ever you saw.

Mrs. Page. Nay, keep your way, little gallant; Shal. I have lived fourscore years and upward; you were wont to be a follower, but now you are a I never heard a man of his place, gravity, and learn-leader: Whether had you rather lead mine eyes, ing, so wide of his own respect. or eye your master's heels?

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 porridge.
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.

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

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

Enter FORD.

Ford. Well met, mistress Page: Whither go you? Mrs. Page. Truly, sir, to see your wife; Is she at home?

Ford. Ay; and as idle as she may hang toge ther, 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

Page. Nay, good master parson, keep in your call your knight's name, sirrah? weapon.

Shal. So do you, good master doctor.

Host. Disarm them, and let them question; let them keep their limbs whole, and hack our English. Caius. I pray you, let-a me speak a word vit your ear: Verefore 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.

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? Eva. Pray you, let us not be laughing-stogs to hath he any thinking? Sure, they sleep; he hath other men's humours; I desire you in friendship, no use of them. Why, this boy will carry a letter and I will one way or other make you amends: twenty miles, as easy as a cannon will shoot point I will knog your urinals about your knave's cogs-blank twelve score. He pieces-out his wife's inclicomb, for missing your meetings and appointments. Caius. Diable!-Jack Rugby,-mine 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.

Host. Peace, I say Guallia and Gaul, French and Welsh; soul-curer and body-curer.

ter.

Caius. Ay, dat is very good! excellent! Host. Peace, I say; hear mine host of the GarAm I politic? am I subtle? am I a Machiavel? Shall I lose my doctor? no; he gives me the potions, and the motions. Shall I lose my parson? my priest, my Sir Hugh? no; he gives me the proverbs and the no-verbs.-Give me thy hand, terrestial; 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 let burnt sack be the issue.-Come, lay their swords to pawn:Follow me, lad of peace; follow, follow, follow. Shal. Trust me, a mad host:-Follow, gentlemen, follow.

Slen. O, sweet Anne Page!

1 Fool.

nation; 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 dam nation 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 Actæon; and to these violent proceedings all my neighbours shall cry aim. [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: 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.

4 To cry aim, in archery was to encourage the archers by crying out aim when they were about to

[Exeunt SHAL. SLEN. PAGE, and HOST. shoot. Hence it came to be used for to applaud or en

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courage, in a general sense. It seems that the specta
tors in general cried aim occasionally, as a mere word
of encouragement or applause. Thus, in K. John, Act
ii. Sc. 1.
It ill beseems this presence to cry aim
To these ill tuned repetitions.'

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. Shal. We have lingered about a match between Anne Page and my cousin Slender, and this day we shall have our answer.

Sten. 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,

Caus. 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 holyday,' 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 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 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. Caus. 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.

[Exit Host. Ford. [Aside. I think, I shall drink in pipe-wine4 first with him; I'll make him dance. Will you go, gentles?

All. Have with you, to see this monster.

SCENE III. A Room in Ford's House. MRS. FORD and MRS. PAGE.

[Exeunt.

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

Enter

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. Page. You will do it?

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 has come in at your back door, mistress Ford; and requests your company,

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 art 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. Mistress Page, remember you your cue.

[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 watery 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!

Mrs. Ford. O sweet Sir John!

Fal. Mistress Ford, I cannot cog, I cannot prate, mistress Ford. Now shall I sin in my wish: 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 should be a pitiful lady.

Fal. Let the court of France show me such another; I see how thine eye would emulate the

Mrs. Page. Quickly! quickly: Is the buck-diamond: Thou hast the right arched bent1o of the basket

Mrs. Ford. I warrant :-What, Robin, I say.

Enter Servants with a basket.

Mrs Page. Come, come, come.
Mrs. Ford. Here, set it down.

Mrs Page. Give your men the charge; we must

be brief.

brow, that becomes the ship-tire, the tire-valiant, or any tire of Venetian admittance.11

Mrs Ford. A plain kerchief, Sir John: my brows become nothing else; nor that well neither.

Fal. By the Lord, 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 sec. Mr. Ford. Marry, as I told you before, John what thou wert, if fortune thy foe12 were not: naand Robert, be ready here hard by in the brew-ture is thy friend: Come, thou canst not hide it. house; and when I suddenly call you, come forth, Mrs. Ford. Believe me, there's no such thing and (without any pause, or staggering) take this in nie.

To speak out of the common style, superior to the vugar, in allusion to the better dress worn on holidays. Sin K. Henry IV. P. I.

"With many holiday and lady terms." Alluding to an ancient custom among rustics, of trying whether they should succeed with their mistresses by carrying the flower called bachelor's buttons in their pockets. They judged of their good or bad success by their growing or not growing there. Hence, to ar bachelor's buttons, seems to have grown into a phrase for being unmarried.

i. e. Fortune or possessions. So, in Twelfth Night:
-My having is not much;
I'll make division of my present with you:
Hold, there is half my coffer.'

Canary is the name of a dance as well as of wine. Pipe-icine is wine, not from the bottle but the pipe or cask. The jest consists in the ambiguity of the word, which signifies both a cask of wine and a musical instrument.—I'll give him pipe wine, which will make him dance.'

7 A stuffed puppet thrown at throughout lent, as cocks were at shrovetide. So, in The Weakest goes to the Wall,' 1600.

A mere anotomy a Jack of Lent. 8 i. e. honest women from loose ones. The word Putta in Italian signifies both a jay and a loose woman. So, in Cymbeline:

"some jay of Italy Whose mother was her painting," &c. 9 This is the first line in the second song of Sidney's Astrophel and Stella.

10 First folio:-beauty.

11 That is, any fanciful head-dress worn by the cele brated beauties of Venice, or approved by them. In how much request the Venetian tire or head-dress was formerly held, appears from Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, 1624. "Let her have the Spanish gait, the Venetian tire, Italian compliments and endowments."

12 Fortune my Foe is the beginning of a popular old ballad enumerating all the misfortunes that fall on mankind through the caprice of Fortune. The tune was the same with that of Death and the Lady,' to 6 Young sparrow-hawk, here used as a jocular term which the metrical lamentations of extraordinary cri

5 Bleachers of linen.

for a small child.

minals were chanted for two hundred years and more.

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