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MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Windsor. Before PAGE's house. Enter Justice SHALLOW, SLENDER, and Sir HUGH EVANS.

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Shallow.

SIR Hugh, persuade me not; I will make a Star-chamber matter of it: If he were twenty sir John Falstaffs, he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, Esquire.

Slen. In the county of Gloster, justice of peace, and

coram.

Shal. Ay, cousin Slender, and Cust-alorum.

Slen. Ay, and ratolorum too; and a gentleman born, master parson; who writes himself armigero; in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, armigero.

Shal. Ay, that I do; and have done any time these three hundred years.

Slem. All his successors, gone before him, have done't; and all his ancestors, that come after him, may they may give the dozen white luces in their coat.

Shal. It is an old coat.

Eva. The dozen white louses do become an old coat well; it agrees well, passant: it is a familiar beast to man, and signifies-love.

Shal. The luce is the fresh fish; the salt fish is an old coat.1

Slen. I may quarter, coz ?

Shal. You may, by marrying.

[1] Our author here alludes to the arms of Sir Thomas Lucy, who is said to have prosecuted him in the younger part of his life for a misdemeanor, and who is supposed to be pointed at under the character of Justice Shallow. The text, however, by some carelesness of the printer or transcriber, has been so corrupted, that the passage, as it stands at present, seems inexplicable. MALONE.

Mr. William Oldys (Norroy King at Arms, and well known from the share he had in compiling the Biographia Britannica, among the collections which he left for a Life of Shakespeare) observes, that there was a very aged gentleman living in the neighbourhood of Stratford, (where he died fifty years since) who had not only heard, from several old people in that town, of Shakespeare's transgression, but could

Eva. It is marring, indeed, if he quarter it.
Shal. Not a whit.

Eva. Yes, py'r-lady; if he has a quarter of your coat, there is but three skirts for yourself, in my simple conjectures but this is all one: If sir John Falstaff have committed disparagements unto you, I am of the church, and will be glad to do my benevolence, to make atonements and compromises between you.

Shal. The council shall hear it; it is a riot.

Eva. It is not meet the council hear a riot; there is no fear of Got in a riot: the council, look you, shall desire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear a riot; take your vizaments in that.

Shal. Ha! o' my life, if I were young again, the sword should end it.

Eva. It is petter that friends is the sword, and end it : and there is also another device in my prain, which, peradventure, prings goot discretions with it: There is Anne Page, which is daughter to master George Page, which is pretty virginity.

Slen. Mistress Anne Page? she has brown hair, and speaks small like a woman.

Eva. It is that fery person for all the 'orld, as just as you will desire; and seven hundred pounds of monies, and gold, and silver, is her grandsire, upon his death's bed (Got deliver to a joyful resurrections!) give, when she is able to overtake seventeen years old: it were a goot motion, if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and

remember the first stanza of the bitter ballad, which, repeating to one of his acquaintance, he preserved it in writing; and here it is, neither better nor worse, but faithfully transcribed from the copy which his relation very courteously com municated to me:

"A parliement member, a justice of peace,

"At home a poor scare-crowe, at London an asse,
"If lowsie is Lucy, as some folkemiscalle it,

"Then Lucy is lowsie whatever befall it :

"He thinks himselfe greate,

"Yet an asse in his state,

"We allow by his ears but with asses to mate.

If Lucy is lowsie, as some volke miscalle it, "Sing lowsie Lucy, whatever befall it."

"Contemptible as this performance must now appear, at the time when it was written it might have bad sufficient power to irritate a vain, weak, and vindictive magistrate; especially as it was affixed to several of his park-gates, and consequently published among his neighbours. It may be remarked likewise, that the jingle on which it turns, occurs in the first scene of the Merry Wives of Windsor." I may add, that the veracity of the late Mr. Oldys has never been impeached; and it is not very probable that a ballad should be forged, from which an undiscovered wag could derive no triumph over antiquarian credulity. STEEV

desire a marriage between master Abraham, and mistress

Anne Page.

Shal. Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred pound?

Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny. Shal. I know the young gentlewoman; she has good gifts. Eva. Seven hundred pounds, and possibilities, is goot gifts.

Shal. Well, let us see honest master Page: Is Falstaff there?

Eva. Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar, as I do despise one that is false; or, as I despise one that is not true. The knight, sir John, is there; and, I beseech you, be ruled by your well-willers. I will peat the door [knocks] for master Page.-What, hoa! Got pless your house here!

Page. Who's there?

:

Enter PAGE.

Eva. Here is Got's plessing, and your friend, and justice Shallow and here young master Slender; that, peradventures, shall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings.

Page. I am glad to see your worships well: I thank you for my venison, master Shallow.

Shal. Master Page, I am glad to see you; Much good do it your good heart! I wished your venison better; it was ill kill'd:-How doth good mistress Page ?—and I thank you always with my heart, la; with my heart. Page. Sir, I thank

you.

Shal. Sir, I thank you; by yea and no, I do.

Page. I am glad to see you, good master Slender.
Slen. How does your fallow greyhound, sir? I heard

say, he was outrun on Cotsale.

Page. It could not be judg'd, sir.

Slen. You'll not confess, you'll not confess.

Shal. That he will not ;-'tis

your fault, 'tis

your

fault:

'Tis a good dog.

Page. A cur, sir.

Shal. Sir, he's a good dog, and a fair dog: Can there be more said? he is good, and fair.-Is sir John Falstaff here ? Page. Sir, he is within; and I would I could do a good office between you.

Eva. It is spoke as a Christian ought to speak.

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