his belly, a'fhore at Windfor? how fhall I be reveng'd on him? I think, the best way were to entertain him with hope, 'till the wicked fire of luft have melted him in his own grease. Did you ever hear the like?

Mrs. Page. Letter for letter, but that the name of Page and Ford differs. To thy great comfort in this myftery of ill opinions, here's the twin brother of thy letter; but let thine inherit firft, for, I protest, mine never fhall. I warrant, he has a thoufand of these letters, writ with blank-fpace for different names; nay, more; and these are of the fecond edition: he will print them out of doubt, for he cares not what he puts into the prefs, when he would put us two. I had rather be a giantess, and lie under mount Pe lion. Well, I will find you twenty lafcivious turtles, ere one chafle man.

Mrs. Ford. Why, this is the very fame, the very hand, the very words; what doth he think of us?

Mrs. Page. Nay, I know not; it makes me almost ready to wrangle with mine own honefty. I'll entertain myself like one that I am not acquainted withal; for, fure, unless he knew some Strain in me, that I know not myself, he would never have boarded me in this fury.

Mrs. Ford. Boarding, call it you? I'll be fure to keep him above deck.

Mrs. Page. So will I; if he come under my hatches, I'll never to fea again. Let's be reveng'd on him; let's appoint him a meeting, give him a fhow of comfort in his fuit, and lead him on with a fine baited delay, till he hath pawn'd his horfes to mine Hoft of the Garter.

Mrs. Ford. Nay, I will confent to act any villany against him, that may not fully the charinefs of our honefty: oh, that my husband faw this letter! it would give eternal food to his jealoufy.

Mrs. Page. Why, look, where he comes, good man too; he's as far from jealousy, VOL. I

M

and my

as I am

from

from giving him cause; and that, I hope, is an unmeasurable diftance.

Mrs. Ford. You are the happier woman.

Mrs. Page. Let's confult together againft this greafy Knight. Come hither.

Ford.

SCENE

[They retire.

III.

Enter Ford with Piftol, Page with Nym.
ELL, I hope, it be not fo.

WE

Pift. Hope is a curtal-dog in some affairs.

Sir John affects thy wife.

Ford. Why, Sir, my wife is not young.

Pift. He wooes both high and low, both rich and
poor,

Both young and old, one with another, Ford;
He loves thy gally-mawfry, Ford, perpend.
Ford. Love my wife?

Pift. With liver burning hot: prevent, or go thou, like Sir Acteon, he, with Ring-wood at thy heels-O, odious is the name.

Ford. What name, Sir?

Pift. The horn, I fay: farewel.

Take heed, have open eye; for thieves do foot by night. Take heed ere fummer comes, or cuckoo-birds af

fright.

Away, Sir corporal Nym.

Believe it, Page, he fpeaks fenfe.

[Exit Piftol. Ford. I will be patient; I will find out this.

Nym. And this is true: I like not the humour of lying; he hath wrong'd me in some humours: I fhould have borne the humour'd letter to her; but I have a sword, and it shall bite upon my neceffity. He loves your wife; there's the short and the long. My name is Corporal Nym; I fpeak, and I avouch; 'tis true: my name is Nym, and Falstaff loves your Wife. Adieu; I love not the humour of bread and cheese: adieu. [Exit Nym.

Page.

Page. The humour of it, quoth 'a! here's a fellow, frights humour out of its wits.

Ford. I will feek out Falstaff.

Page. I never heard fuch a drawling, affecting rogue. Ford, If I do find it: well.

Page. I will not believe fuch a Cataian, tho' the prieft o'th' town commended him for a true man. Ford. 'Twas a good fenfible fellow: well.

SCENE

IV.

Mrs. Page and Mrs. Ford come forwards.

OW now, Meg?

[you.

Page.H Mrs. Page. Whither go you, George? hark

Mrs. Ford. How now, fweet Frank, why art thou melancholy?

Ford. I melancholy! I am not melancholy. Get you home, go.

Mrs. Ford. Faith, thou haft some crotchets in thy head. Now, will you go, mistress Page?

Mrs. Page. Have with you.

You'll come to dinner, George? Look, who comes yonder; fhe fhall be our meffenger to this paultry Knight.

Enter Mistress Quickly.

Mrs. Ford. Trust me, I thought on her, fhe'll fit it. Mrs. Page. You are come to fee my daughter Anne? Quic. Ay, forfooth; and, I pray, how does good mistress Anne?

Mrs. Page. Go in with us, and fee; we have an hour's talk with you.

[Ex. Mrs. Page, Mrs. Ford, and Mrs. Quickly.

Page.

H

Ford. You heard what this knave told me, did you not?

M 2

Page.

Page. Yes; and you heard what the other told me ? Ford. Do you think there is truth in them?

Page. Hang 'em, flaves; I do not think, the Knight would offer it; but thefe, that accufe him in his intent towards our wives, are a yoak of his discarded men; very rogues, now they be out of service. Ford. Were they is men?

Page. Marry, were they.

Ford. I like it never the better for that. Does he lie at the Garter?

Page. Ay, marry, does he. If he should intend his voyage towards my wife, I would turn her loose to him; and what he gets more of her than sharp words, let it lie on my head.

Ford. I do not misdoubt my wife, but I would be loth to turn them together; a man may be too confident; I would have nothing lie on my head; I cannot be thus fatisfy'd.

Page. Look, where my ranting Hoft of the Garter comes; there is either liquor in his pate, or money in his purse, when he looks fo merrily. How now, mine Hoft?

Hoft.

How
H

OW now, bully Rock? thou'rt a gentleman; cavaliero-juftice, I fay. Shal. I follow, mine Hoft, I follow.

Good even, and twenty, good mafter Page. Master Page, will you go with us? we have fport in hand.

Hoft. Tell him, cavaliero-juftice; tell him, bully Rock.

Shal. Sir, there is a fray to be fought between Sir Hugh the Welch prieft, and Caius the French doctor. Ford. Good mine Hoft o'th' Garter, a word with you.

Hoft.

Hoft. What fay'ft thou, bully Rock?

Shal. Will you go with us to behold it? my merry Hoft hath had the measuring of their weapons, and, I think, he hath appointed them contrary places; for, believe me, I hear, the parfon is no jefter. Hark, I will tell you what our sport shall be.

Hoft. Haft thou no fuit against my Knight, my gueft-cavalier?

Ford. None, I proteft; but I'll give you a pottle of burnt fack to give me recourse to him, and tell him, my name is Brook; only for a jeft.

Hoft. My hand, bully: thou fhalt have egrefs and regrefs; faid I well? and thy name fhall be Brook. It is a merry Knight. Will you go no, Heris? Shal. Have with you, mine hoft.

*

Page. I have heard, the Frenchman hath good skill in his rapier.

Shal. Tut, Sir, I could have told you more; in these times you stand on distance, your paffes, ftoccado's, and I know not what: 'tis the heart, mafter Page; 'tis here, 'tis here. I have feen the time, with my long fword, I would have made you four tall follows skip like rats.

Hoft. Here, boys, here, here: fhall we wag?

Page. Have with you; I had rather hear them fcold than fight. [Exeunt Hoft, Shallow and Page.

Ford. Tho' Page be a fecure fool, and ftand fo firmly on his wife's frailty, yet I cannot put off my opinion fo easily. She was in his company at Page's house; and what they made there, I know not. Well, I will look further into't; and I have a disguise to found Falstaff: if I find her honest, I lose not my labour; if he be otherwise, 'tis labour well beftow'd.

Exit.

Will you go an Heirs?] This Nonfence is spoken to Shallow. We should read, Will you go on, Heris?

i. e. Will you go on, Mafter. Heris, an old Scotch Word for Master.