SCENE VII. Changes to the Garter-inn. Enter Falstaff, Hoft, Bardolph, Nym, Pistol, and Robin. Fal. Mine host of the garter,

Hoft. What fays my bully rock? fpeak scholarly, and wifely.

Fal. Truly, mine hoft, I must turn away fome of my followers.

Hoft. Difcard, bully Hercules, cafhier; let them wag; trot, trot.

Fal. I fit at ten pounds a-week.

Hoft. Thou'rt an Emperor, Cæfar, Keifar, and Pheazar. I will entertain Bardolph, he shall draw, he fhall tap; faid I well, bully Hector?

Fal. Do fo, good mine hoft.

Hoft. I have fpoke, let him follow; let me fee thee froth, and live: I am at a word; follow. [Exit Host. Fal. Bardolph, follow him; a tapfter is a good trade; an old cloak makes a new jerkin; a wither'd fervingman, a fresh tapfter; go, adieu

Bard It is a life that I have defir'd: I will thrive. [Exit Bard. Pift. O bafe Hungarian wight, wilt thou the fpigot wield?

Nym. He was gotten in drink, is not the humour conceited? His mind is not heroic, and there's the humour of it.

Fal. I am glad I am fo quit of this tinder-box; his thefts were too open; his filching was like an unskilful finger, he kept not time.

Nym. The good humour is to steal at a minute's reft. Pift. Convey, the wife it call: fteal? foh; a fico for the phrafe !

Fal. Well, Sirs, I am almost out at heels.

Pift. Why then, let kibes enfue.

Fal. There is no remedy: I must conycatch, I must fhift.

Pift. Young ravens must have food.

Fal. Which of you know Ford of this town?
Pist. I ken the weight, he is of fubstance good.

Eal.

Fal. My honeft lads, I will tell you what I am about.

Pift. Two yards and more

Fal. No quips now, Piitol: indeed I am in the waste two yards about; but I am now about no wafte, I am about thrift. Briefly, I do mean to make love to Ford's wife: I fpy entertainment in her; the difcourfes, The carves, the gives the leer of invitation; I can conftrue the action of her familiar flyle, and the hardest voice of her behaviour, to be English'd right, is, I am Sir John Falfaff's.

Pift He hath study'd her well, and tranflated her out of honesty into English

Nym. The anchor is deep: will that humour pass? Fal. Now, the report goes, the has all the rule of her husband's purfe the hath a legion of angels. fift. As many devils entertain; and to her, boy, fay 1.

.

Nym. The humour rifes: it is good; humour me the angels.

Fal. I have writ me here a letter to her and here another to Page's wif. who even now gave me good eyes too, examin'd my parts with most judicious oeil lads; and fometimes the beam of her view gilded my foot. fometimes my portly belly.

Pift Then did the fun on dunghill shine. [Afide. 27. thank thee for that humour.

Fal. O the did fo court c'er ny exteriors with fuch a greedy intention, that the appetite of her eye did seem to fcorch me up like a burning-glafs. Here's another letter to her; fhe bears the purse too; fhe is a region in Guiana, all gold and bounty. I will be cheater to them both, and they thall be exchequers to me they fhall be my Eaft and West Indies, and I will trade to them both Go, bear thou this letter to Miftrefs Page, and thou this to Mistress Ford: we will thrive. lads, we will thrive.

Pift. Shall 1 Sir Pandarus of Troy become, And by my fide wear teel Then Lucifer take all ! Nym. I will run no base humour; here, take the humour letter, I will keep the haviour of reputation. Fal. Hold, firrah, bear you thefe letters tightly,

Sail like my pinance to these golden fhores [To Robin. Rogues, hence, avaunt! vanith like hailftones, go; Trudge, plod away o' th' hoof, feek fhelter, pack! Falstaff will learn the humour of the age,

French thrift, you rogues; myself, and skirted page. [Exeunt. Falltaff and Boy.

S CENE VIII.

Pift. Let vultures gripe thy guts; for gord and
Fulham holds:

And high and low beguiles the rich and poor.
Tester I'll have in pouch, when thou fhalt lack,
Bafe Phrygian Turk!

Nym. I have operations in my head, which be hu mours of revenge.

Pift. Wilt thou revenge?

Nym. By welkin, and her ftar.

Pift. With wit, or steel?

Nym. With both the humours, I.

I will difcufs the humour of this love to Ford.
Pift. And I to Page fhall eke unfold,

How Falstaff, varlet vile,

His dove will prove, his gold will hold,
And his foft couch defile.

Nym. My humour thall not cool; I will incenfe Ford to deal with poifon; I will poffefs him with yellownefs; for the revolt of mien is dang'rous: that is my true humour.

Pift. Thou art the Mars of malecontents. I fecond thee; troop on.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IX. Changes to Dr. Caius's house. Enter Mistress Quickly, Simple, and John Rugby.

Quic. What, John Rugby! I pray thee go to the cafement, and fee if you can fee my matter, Mafter Doctor Caius, coming; if he do, i'faith, and find any body in the house, here will be old abufing of God's patience, and the King's English. Rug I'll go watch.

[Exit Rugby. Quic. Go, and we'll have a poffet for't foon at night,

in

in faith, at the latter end of a fea-coal fire. An honest, willing, kind fellow, as ever fervant fhall come in house withal; and, I warrant you, no tell-tale, nor no breedbate his worst fault is, that he is given to pray'r; he is fomething peevish that way; but no body but has his fault; but let that pafs. Peter Simple, you fay, your name is.

Sim. Ay, for fault of a better.

Quic. And Master Slender's your
Sim. Ay, forfooth.

mafter?

Quic. Does he not wear a great round beard, like a glover's pairing-knife?

Sim. No, forfooth; he hath but a little wee-face, with a little yellow beard, a Cain colour'd beard. Quic. A foftly-fprighted man, is he not?

Sim. Ay, forfooth; but he is as tall a man of his hands as any is between this and his head. He hath fought with a warrener.

Quic. How fay you? oh, I fhould remember him; does he not hold up his head, as it were? and ftrut in his gate?

Sim Yes, indeed, does he.

Quic. Well, heav'n fend Anne Page no worse fortune! Tell Mafter Parfon Evans, I'll do what I can for your master. Anne is a good girl, and 1 with

Enter Rugby.

Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master.

Quic. We fhall all be fhent; run in here, good young man; go into this clofet; [Shuts Simple in the closet]. He will not ftay long. What, John Rugby! John! what, John, I fay; go, John, go inquire for my mafter; I doubt he be not well, that he comes not home: and down, down, a-down-a, &c. [Sings,

SCENE X. Enter Doctor Caius. Caius. Vat is you fing? I do not like des toys; pray you, go and vetch me in my clofet un boitier verd; a box, a green-a box; do intend vat I fpeak a green-a

box.

Quic Ay, forfooth. I'll fetch it you.

I am glad he went not in himfelf; if he had found the

young

young man, he would have been horn-mad. [Afide. Caius. Fe, fe, fe, fe, ma foi, il fait fort chaud; je m'en vais à la cour-la grande affaire.

Quic. Is it this, Sir?

Caius Duy, mettez le au mon pocket; depéchez,quickly; ver is dat knave Rugby!

Quic. What, John Rugby! John!

Rug. Here, Sir.

Caius. You are John Rugby, and you are Jack Rugby; come, take-a your rapier, and come after my heel to the court.

Rug. 'Tis ready, Sir, here in the porch.

Caius. By my trot I tarry too long: od's me! Qu'ay je oublié dere is fome fimples in my closet, dat I vill not for the varld I fhall leave behind.

Quic. Ay-me, he'll find the young man there, and be mad.

Gaius. O Diable, Diable! vat is in my closet ? villaine, Larron! Rugby, my rapier.

[Pulls Simple out of the clofet.

Quic. Good mafter, be content.

Caius. Verfore fhall I be content-a?

Quic. The young man is an honest man.

Caius. Vat fhall de honeft man do in my closet ? dere is no honeft man dat fhall

come in my closet. Quic. I beseech you be not fo flegmatic; hear the truth of it. He came of an errand to me from Parfon Hugh.

Caius. Vell.

Sim. Ay, forfooth, to defire her to

Quic. Peace, I pray you.

Caius. Peace a-your tongue, fpeak-a your tale. Sim. To defire this honelt gentlewoman your maid, to fpeak a good word to Mistress Anne Page for my mafter in the way of marriage.

Quic. This is all, indeed-la; but I'll never put my finger in the fire, and need not.

Caius. Sir Hugh fend a-you? Rugby, baillez me fome paper; tarry you a little-a-while.

Quic. I am glad he is fo quiet. If he had been thoroughly moved, you fhould have heard him fo loud, and fo melancholy but notwithstanding, man, I'll do før VOL. I.

R

your