Sometime a keeper here in Windfor foreft,
Doth all the winter-time at ftill of midnight
Walk round about an oak, with ragged horns ;
And there he blasts the tree, and takes the cattle;
And makes milch-kine yield blood, and shakes a chain
In a most hideous and dreadful manner.

You've heard of fuch a fpirit; and well you know,
The fuperftitious idle-headed Eld
Receiv'd, and did deliver to our age,

This tale of Herne the hunter for a truth.

Page. Why, yet there want not many, that do fear In deep of night to walk by this Herne's oak; But what of this?

Mrs. Ford. Marry, this is our device,

That Falstaff at that oak fhall meet with us.
We'll fend him word to meet us in the field,
Disguised like Herne, with huge horns on his head.
Page. Well, let it not be doubted, but he'll come.
And in this shape when you have brought him thither,
What fhall be done with him? what is your plot?
Mrs. Page. That likewife we have thought upon,
and thus:

Nan Page, (my daughter) and my little fon,
And three or four more of their growth, we'll dress
Like urchins, ouphes, and fairies, green and white,
With rounds of waxen tapers on their heads,
And rattles in their hands; upon a fudden,
As Falstaff, fhe, and I, are newly met,
Let them from forth a faw-pit rush at once
3 With fome diffused fong: upon their fight,
We two, in great amazednefs, will fly;
Then let them all encircle him about,

And fairy-like too, pinch the unclean knight;

3 With fome diffused fong:] A diffused fong fignifies a fong that ftrikes out into wild fentiments beyond the bounds of nature, fuch as thofe whofe fubject is fairy-land.

4 And fairy-like TO pinch the unclean Knight;] The Grammar requires us to read,

And fairy-like Too, pinch the unclean Knight.

And

And ask him, why, that hour of fairy Revel,
In their fo facred paths he dares to tread
In fhape prophane?

Mrs. Ford. And 'till he tell the truth,
Let the fuppofed fairies pinch him round,
And burn him with their tapers.

Mrs. Page. The truth being known,
We'll all prefent our felves; dif-horn the spirit,
And mock him home to Windfor.

Ford. The children must

Be practis'd well to this, or they'll ne'er do't.

Eva. I will teach the children their behaviours; and I will be like a jack-anapes alfo, to burn the knight with my taber.

Ford. This will be excellent. I'll go buy them vizards.

Mrs. Page. My Nan fhall be the Queen of all the fairies;

Finely attired in a robe of white.

Page. That filk will I go buy, and in that time Shall Mr. Slender fteal my Nan away, [Afide. And marry her at Eaton. Go, fend to Falstaff ftraight. Ford. Nay, I'll to him again in the name of Brook; he'll tell me all his purpose. Sure, he'll come.

Mrs. Page. Fear not you that; go get us properties and tricking for our fairies.

Eva. Let us about it, it is admirable pleasures, and ferry honeft knaveries. [Ex. Page, Ford and Evans.

Mrs. Page. Go, Mrs. Ford,

Send Quickly to Sir John, to know his mind.

[Exit Mrs. Ford. I'll to the doctor; he hath my good will,

5 That filk will I go buy, and in that time-] Mr. Theobald referring that time to the time of buying the filk, alters it to tire. But there is no need of any change: That time evidently relating to the time of the mask with which Falfaff was to be entertained, and which makes the whole fubject of this dialogue. Therefore the common reading is right.

And

And none but he, to marry with Nan Page.
That Slender, tho' well landed, is an Ideot;
And he my husband beft of all affects:

The doctor is well mony'd, and his friends
Potent at court; he, none but he shall have her;
Tho' twenty thousand worthier came to crave her.

SCENE

[Exit.

VIII.

Changes to the Garter-Inn.

Enter Hoft and Simple.

Hoft.WHAT would'ft thou have, boor? what,

thick-skin? fpeak, breathe, discuss; brief,

fhort, quick, fnap.

Simp. Marry, Sir, I come to speak with Sir John Falstaff, from Mr. Slender.

Hoft. There's his chamber, his houfe, his caftle, his ftanding-bed and truckle-bed; 'tis painted about with the story of the Prodigal, fresh and new; go, knock and call; he'll fpeak like an anthropophaginian unto thee: knock, I fay.

Simp. There's an old woman, a fat woman gone up into his chamber; I'll be fo bold as ftay, Sir, 'till fhe come down: I come to speak with her, indeed.

Hoft. Ha! a fat woman? the Knight may be robb'd: I'll call. Bully-Knight! Bully-Sir John! fpeak from thy lungs military: art thou there? it is thine Hoft, thine Ephefian calls.

Falstaff, above.

Fal. How now, mine Hoft ?

Hoft. Here's a Bohemian-Tartar tarries the coming down of thy fat woman: let her defcend, bully, let her defcend; my chambers are honourable. Fie, privacy?

fie!

Enter

Enter Falstaff.

Fal. There was, mine Hoft, an old fat woman even now with me, but fhe's gone.

Simp. Pray you, Sir, was't not the wife woman of Brainford?

Fal. Ay, marry was it, muffel-fhell, what would you with her?

Simp. My mafter, Sir, my mafter Slender fent to her, feeing her go thro' the street, to know, Sir, whether one Nym, Sir, that beguil'd him of a chain, had the chain, or no.

Fal. I fpake with the old woman about it.
Simp. And what fays fhe, I pray, Sir?

Fal. Marry, fhe fays, that the very fame man, that beguil'd mafter Slender of his chain, cozen'd him of it. Simp. I would, I could have fpoken with the woman 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, Sir.
Fal. Conceal them, or thou dy'st.

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

Fal. 'Tis, 'tis his fortune.

Simp. What, Sir?

Fal. To have her, or no: go; fay, the woman told

me fo.

Simp. May I be fo bold to say fo, Sir?

Fal. Ay, Sir; like who more bold.

Simp. I thank your worship: I fhall make my mafter glad with these tidings.

[Exit Simple.

Hoft. Thou art clarkly; thou art clarkly, Sir John:

was there a wife woman with thee?

Fal. Ay, that there was, mine Hoft; one, that hath

taught

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.

Bard. Out, alas, Sir, cozenage! meer cozenage! Hoft. Where be my horses, speak 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.

Hoft. They are gone but to meet the Duke; villain; do not fay, they are fled; Germans are honest men. Enter Evans.

Eva. Where is mine Hoft?

Hoft. What is the matter, Sir?

Eva. Have a care of your entertainments; there is a friend o' mine come to town, tells me, there is three cozen-jermans that has cozen'd all the Hofts of Reading, of Maidenhead, of Colebrook, of horses and mony. I tell you for good will, look you; you are wife, and full of gibes and vlouting-stocks, and 'tis not convenient you fhould be cozen'd; fare you well. [Exit. Enter Caius.

Caius. Ver' is mine Hoft de Fartere?

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 Jamany; but my trot, der is no Duke, dat the Court is know, to come: I tell you for good will; adieu.

[Exit. Hoft.