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man herself; I had other things to have spoken with

her too, from him.

Fal. What are they? let us know.

Hoft. Ay, come; quick.

Simp. I may not conceal them, fir.
Fal. Conceal them, or thou dy'st.

Simp. Why, fir, they were nothing but about miftrefs Anne Page; to know, if it were my mafter's fortune to have her, or no,

Fal. 'Tis, 'tis his fortune.

Simp. What, fir?

Fal. To have her-or no: Go; fay the woman told me fo.

Simp. May I be fo bold to fay fo, fir'?

Fal. Ay, fir Tike; like who more bold. Simp. I thank your worship: I fhall make my mafter glad with thefe tidings. [Exit Simple. Hoft. Thou art clerkly, thou art clerkly, fir John: Was there a wife woman with thee?

Fal. Ay, that there was, mine hoft; one, that hath taught me more wit than ever I learn'd before in my life and I paid nothing for it neither, but was paid for my learning 3.

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Enter Bardolph.

Bard. Out, alas, fir! cozenage! meer cozenage!

Simple. May I be fo bold to fay fo, fir?

Falstaff. Ay, fir, like who more bold.] In the first edition, the latter fpeech ftands:

I Tike, who more bolde. read here, Ay, fir Tike, &c.

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FARMER.

And should plainly be

—clerkly,—] i. e. fcholar-like. So, in the Two Gentlemen of

Verona :

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-'Tis very clerkly done. STEEVENS.

-I paid nothing for it neither, but was paid for my learning.] He alludes to the beating which he had just received. The fame play on words occurs in Cymbeline, act V. you have paid too much, and forry that you are paid too much."

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-forry

STEEVENS.

Hoft.

Hoft. Where be my horfes? fpeak well of them, varletto.

Bard. Run away with the cozeners: for fo foon as I came beyond Eaton, they threw me off, from behind one of them, in a flough of mire; and fet fpurs, and away, like three German devils, three Doctor Fauftus's 4.

Hoft. They are gone but to meet the duke, villain : do not fay, they are fled; Germans are honeft men, Enter Sir Hugh Evans.

Eva. Where is mine hoft?
Hoft. What is the matter, fir?

Eva. Have a care of your entertainments: there is a friend of mine come to town, tells me, there is three couzin-germans, that has cozen'd all the hofts of Readings, of Maidenhead, of Colebrook, of horfes and money. I tell you for good will, look you: you are wife, and full of gibes and vlouting-ftogs; and 'tis not convenient you should be cozen'd: Fare you well, [Exit,

Enter Caius.

Caius. Vere is mine Hoft de Farterre?

Hoft. Here, mafter doctor, in perplexity, and doubtful dilemma.

Caius. I cannot tell vat is dat: But it is tell-a-me, dat you make a grand preparation for a duke de Famany: by my trot, dere is no duke, dat the court is know, to come: I tell you for good vill: adieu.

[Exit. Hoft. Hue and cry, villain, go! affift me, knight; I am undone :-fly, run, hue and cry, villain! I am [Exit, Fal. I would all the world might be cozen'd; for

undone !

+-three German devils, three Doctor Fauftus's.] John Fanfi, commonly called Doctor Fauftus, was a German. STEEVENS.

I have been cozen'd, and beaten too. If it fhould come to the ear of the court, how I have been tranfform'd, and how my transformation hath been wash'd and cudgel'd, they would melt me out of my fat, drop by drop, and liquor fishermens' boots with me; I warrant, they would whip me with their fine wits, till I were as creft-faln as a dry'd pear. I never profper'd fince I forefwore myself at Primero. Well, if my wind were but long enough to fay my prayers, I would repent.

Enter Mistress Quickly.

Now! whence come you ?

Quic. From the two parties, forfooth.

Fal. The devil take one party, and his dam the other, and fo they fhall be both beftow'd! I have fuffer'd more for their fakes, more, than the villainous inconftancy of man's difpofition is able to bear.

Quic. And have not they fuffer'd? yes, I warrant ; fpeciously one of them; mistress Ford, good heart, is beaten black and blue, that you cannot fee a white spot about her.

Fal. What tell'ft thou me of black and blue? I was beaten myself into all the colours of the rainbow; and I was like to be apprehended for the witch of Brentford; but that my admirable dexterity of wit, counterfeiting the action of an old woman, deliver'd

5 Primero.] A game at cards. JOHNSON.

me,

fince I forefwore myself at Primero.] Primero was in Shakefpeare's time the fashionable game. In the Earl of Northumberland's letters about the powder plot, Jofc. Percy was playing at Primero on Sunday, when his uncle, the confpirator, called on him at Effex Houfe. This game is again mentioned in our author's Hen. VIII. PERCY.

-action of an old woman, -] What! was it any dexterity of wit in Sir John Falstaff to counterfeit the action of an old woman, in order to escape being apprehended for a witch? Surely, one would imagine, this was the readieft means to bring him into fuch a fcrape: for none but old women have ever been fufpected of being witches. The text must certainly be restor'd, a wood woman,

a crazy,

me, the knave conftable had fet me i' the ftocks, i'the common stocks, for a witch.

Quic. Sir, let me speak with you in your chamber : you fhall hear how things go; and, I warrant, to your content. Here is a letter will fay fomewhat. Good hearts, what ado is here to bring you together! fure, one of you does not ferve heaven well, that 'you are fo crofs'd.

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Hoft. Mafter Fenton, talk not to me; my mind is heavy, I will give over all.

Fent. Yet hear me fpeak: Affift me in my purpose, And, as I am a gentleman, I'll give thee A hundred pound in gold, more than

your lofs. Hoft. I will hear you, mafter Fenton; and I will, at the leaft, keep your counfel.

Fent. From time to time I have acquainted you
With the dear love I bear to fair Anne Page;
Who, mutually, hath anfwer'd my affection
(So far forth as herself might be her chufer)

a crazy, frantick woman; one too wild, and filly, and unmeaning, to have either the malice, or mischievous fubtlety of a witch in her. THEOBALD.

This emendation is received by Sir Thomas Hanmer, but rejected by Dr. Warburton. To me it appears reasonable enough. JOHNSON.

I am not certain that this change is neceffary. Falstaff, by counterfeiting fuch weakness and infirmity, as would naturally be pitied in an old woman, averted the punishment to which he would otherwise have been fubjected, on the fuppofition that he was a witch. STEEVENS.

7 what ado is here to bring you together!] The great fault of this play is the frequency of expreffions fo profane, that no neceffity of preferving character can juftify them. There are laws of higher authority than thofe of criticifm. JOHNSON.

Even to my wifh: I have a letter from her
Of fuch contents as you will wonder at ;
The mirth whereof's fo larded with my matter,
That neither, fingly, can be manifefted,
Without the fhew of both: Fat fir John Falstaff
Hath a great scene; the image of the jeft

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[Shewing a letter.
I'll fhew you here at large. Hark, good mine hoft:
To-night at Herne's oak, juft 'twixt twelve and one,
Muft my sweet Nan prefent the fairy queen;
The purpose why, is here?; in which disguise,
While other jefts are fomething rank on foot',
Her father hath commanded her to flip
Away with Slender, and with him at Eaton
Immediately to marry: fhe hath confented: now, fir,
Her mother, even strong against that match",
And firm for doctor Caius, hath appointed
That he fhall likewife fhuffle her away,

While other sports are tasking of their minds 3,
And at the deanery, where a priest attends,
Straight marry her: to this her mother's plot
She, feemingly obedient, likewise hath

Made promise to the doctor :-Now, thus it refts;
Her father means fhe fhall be all in white;
And in that habit, when Slender fees his time

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the image of the jeft] Image is reprefentation. So, in K. Rich. III:

"And liv'd by looking on his images." STEEVENS. 9 -is here; ]i. e. in the letter. STEEVENS.

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are fomewhat rank on foot,] i. e. while they are hotly pursuing other merriment of their own. STEEVENS.

even strong against that match,] Thus the old copies. The modern editors read ever, but perhaps without neceflity. Even strong, is as ftrong, with a fimilar degree of ftrength. So, in Hamlet: " even chriftian" is fellow chriftian. STEEVENS. -tasking of their minds,] So, in another play of our

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author:

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"That task our thoughts concerning us and France."

STEEVENS.

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