(6) he is a region in Guiana, all gold and bounty.^ L will be Cheater to them both, and they fhall be Exchequers to me; they fhall be my East 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 I Sir Pandarus of Troy become, A Nym. I will run no bafe humour, here, take the humour letter, I will keep the 'haviour of reputation. Fal. Hold, Sirrah, bear you thefe letters tightly, Sail-like my pinance to thefe golden fhores. [To Robin. Rogues, hence, avant! vanifh like hail-ftones, 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. [Exit Falstaff and Boy. Pift. Let vultures gripe thy guts; for gourd, and Fullam holds: And high and low beguiles the rich and poor. Nym. I have operations in my head, which be homours of revenge. Pift. Wilt thou revenge ? Nym. By welkin, and her star. Pift. With wit, or steel? (6) She is a Region in Guiana, all Gold and Bounty.] If the Tradition be true, (as I doubt not, but is; of this Play being wrote at Queen Elizabeth's Command; this Paffage, perhaps, may furnish a probable Conjecture that it could not appear 'till after the Year 1598. The mention of Guiana, then fo lately difcover'd to the English, was a very happy Compliment to Sir W. Raleigh, who did not begin his Expedition for fouth America till 1595, and return'd from it in 1596, with an advantageous Account of the great Wealth of Guiana. Such an Addrefs of the Poet was likely, I imagine, to have a proper Impreffion on the People, when the Intelligence of fuch a golden Country was fresh in their Minds, and gave them Expectations of immense Cain. Nym. With both the humours, I a. I will difcufs the humour of this love to Ford. His dove will prove, his gold will hold, Nym. My humour fhall not cool; I will incenfe Ford to deal with poifon; I will poffefs him with yellownels;. for the Revolt of Mien is dangerous that is my true humour. Pif. Thou art the Mars of male-contents I fecord thee; troop on. [Exeunt. SCENE changes to Dr. Caius's Houfe, Enter Mrs. Quickly, Simple, and John Rugby. Quick. W the cafement, and fee if you can fee my mafter, mafter Doctor Caius, coming; if he do, i'faith Arg. I'll go watch. Exit Rugby. Quirk. Go, and we'll have a poflet for't foon at night, in faith, at the latter end of a fea-coal fire. An honeft, willing, kind fellow, as ever fervant fhall come in houfe withal; and, I warrant you, no tell-tale, nor no treed-bate; his worft 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 país. Peter Simple, you fay your name is. Sim. Ay, for fault of a better. Quic. And mafter Slender's your master?, Quic. Does he not wear a great round beard, like glover's paring-knife? Sim. No, forfooth; he hath but a little wee-face, with a little yellow beard, (7) a Cain-colour'd beard. ~~(7) A cane-colour'd beard.] Thus the latter Editions. I have reftor'd with the old Copies. Cain and Judas, in the Tapefries, and Pictures of old, were reprefented with yellow Beards. 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. 1 Quic. Well, heav'n fend Anne Page no worfe fortune! Tell mafter parfon Evans, I'll do what I can for your master: Anne is a good girl, and I wish Enter Rugby. Rug. Out, alas! here comes my mafter. Quic. We fhall all be fhent; run in here, good young man, go into this clofet; [fouts Simple in the clafet.] He will not ftay long. What, John Rugby! Jobn! what, John, I fay; go, John, go enquire for my mafter; I doubt, he be not well, that he comes not home; and down, down, a down-a, &c. [Sings. 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 speak? a green-a box. Quic. Ay, forfooth, I'll fetch it you. I am glad, he went not in himself; if he had found the young man, he would have been horn-mad [Afide Caius, Fe, fe, fe, fe, ma foi, il fait fort chaud; je me'n vaie à la Courla grande affaire. Quic. Is it this, Sir? Caius. Quy, mettez le au mon pocket; Depêchez, 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 Caius. By my trot, I tarry too long: od's me! Que au je buble? dere is fome fimples in my clofet, dạt I, will not for the varld I fhall leave behind. Quic. Ay-me, he'll find the young man there, and be mad. Caius. Diable, Diable! vat is in my clofet? villaine, Larron! Rugby, my rapier [Pulls Simple out of the closet. Quie. Good mafter be content. Caius, Wherefore fhall I be content-a? Caius. What fhall de honeft man do in my clofet dere is no honeft man, dat fhall come in my closet. Quick, I beseech you, be not fo flegmatick bear the truth of it. He came of an errand to me from parfon Hugh. Caius. Vell. Sim. Ay, forfooth, to defire her to Quick. Peace, I pray you. Caius. Peace-a-your tongue, fpeak-a your tale, Sim. To defire this honelt gentlewoman, your maid, to speak a good word to mistress Anne Page for my master 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 më fome paper; tarry you a little while. Quie, 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, F'll do for your mafter what good I can: and the very yea and the no is, the French Doctor my mafter, (I may call him my mafter, look you, f for I keep his houfe, and I wah, wring, brew, bake, fcour, drefs meat and drink, make the beds, and do all myself.) Sim. 'Tis a great charge to come under one body's hand. Quick. Are you a-vis'do that? you shall find it a great charge; and to be up early and down late. But notwithstanding, to tell you in your ear, I would have no wo. ds of it, my mafter himfelf is in love with mif trefs trefs Anne Page; but, notwithstanding that, I know Anne's mind, that's neither here nor there. Caius. You jack'nape; give a this letter to Sir Hugh by gar, it is a fhallenge: I will cut his throat in de parke, and I will teach a fcurvy jack-a-nape prieft to meddle or make you may be gone; it is good you tarry here; by gar, I will cut all his two fone ftones; by gar, he fhall not have a ftone to trow at his dog. [Exit Simple. Quic. Alas, he fpeaks but for his friend. * Caius. It is no matter'a ver dat: do you not tell-a-me, dat I fhall have Anne Page for myfelf? by gar, I vilk kill de jack priest; and I have appointed mine hoft of de Farterre to measure our weapon; by gar, I will myfelf have Anne Page. Quic. Sir, the maid loves you, and all fhall be well we must give folks leave to prate; what, the good-jer! Caius. Rugby, come to the Court with me; by gar, if I have not Anne Page, I fhall turn your head out of my door; follow my heels, Rugby. [Ex. Caius and Rugby, Quick. You fhall have An fools-head of your own. No, I know Anne's mind for that; never a Woman in Windfor knows more of Anne's mind than I do, nor can do more than I do with her, I thank heav'n. ... Fent. (within.) Who's within there, hoa? Quic. Who's there, I trow? come near the house, I pray you, Enter Mr. Fenton. Fent. How now, good woman, how doft thou ? Quick. The better, that it pleases your good worship to ask. Fent. What news? how does pretty mistress Anne ? Quick. In truth, Sir, and he is pretty, and honeft, and gentle; and one that is your friend, I can tell you that by the way, I praise heav'n for it. Fent Shall I do any good, think'st thou ? shall I not lofe my fuit? Quick. Troth, Sir, all is in his hands above; but notwithstanding, maler Fenton, I'll be fworn on a book, fhe |