Mrs. Page. Why, look, where he comes, and my good man too; he's as far from jealoufy, as I am from

giving him caufe, and that, I hope, is an unmeafuráble distance.

Mrs. Ford. You are the happier woman.

Mrs. Page. Let's confult together against this greafy [They retires

Knight. Come hither.

335Enter Ford with Piftol, Page with Nym.

Ford. Well, I hope, it be not fo.

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

Sir John affects thy wife,

Ford Why, Sir, my wife is not young.

Pit. He woods 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?

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

Ford. What name, Sir?

Pist. The horn, I fay: farewel.

Take heed, have open eye; for thieves do foot by night. Take heed ere fummer comes, or cuckoo-birds affright." Away, Sir corporal Nym.

Believe it, Page, he speaks 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 fome humours: I fhould have borne the humour'd letter to her; but I' have a fword, and it fhall bite upon my neceffity. He loves your wife; there's the fhort 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. The humour of it, quoth a'! here's a fellow, frights humour out of its wits.

Ford. I will feek out for Falstaff.

Page. I never heard fuch a drawling, affecting rogue.

VOL, I.

M

Ford.

242 Wives S The Merry Wives of WINDSOR.

Ford. If I do find it: well.

E

Page. (12) I will not believe fuch a Cataian, tho the priest o' th' tov town commended him for a true man. Ford Twas a good fenfible fellow well.

Loog Mrs. Page and Mrs. Ford come forwards. 5.

Page. How now, Meg!
How whither go

w

21M

Mrs. Page. Whither go you, George? hark you. 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 fome crotchets in thy head. Now, will you go, miftrefs Page?

Mrs. Page. Have with you. You'll come to dinner, George? Look, who comes yonder; fhe shall be our meffenger to this paltry Knight.

(12) I will not believe such a Catalan, tho, &c.] This is a piece of fatire, that did not want its force at the time of the play's appearing; tho' the history, on which it is grounded, is become obfolete, and loft to general knowledge. In the year 1575, Captain Martin Tribisher (who was afterwards knighted, Spanish Armada;) being furnish'd with ad for fervices against the the project, fet out upon his difcovery of a paffage to Cardia, near China, by the North-weft feas Having fail'd fixty degrees North-weft beyond Friefland, he came to land upon a place inhabited by favages, from whence he brought a piece of black stone, like fea-coal, which, upon his return, being affayed by the goldfiniths, was judg'd to be very rich in gold-ore. This encourag'd him to a fecond voyage.thither the next feafon; when he freighted two veffels home with this black ftone and in 1578, his project was fo rifen in credit, that he fet faila third time with fifteen good fhips; and freighted them all, bomewards, out of the faid mines. But, to fee the odd fate that too often attends fuch difcoveries! Tho the

treafures was at firft fo plaufible, that 400s (Profpect of elle.

was

out

cer

Cainty, Cataia was Solomon's Opbir; yet, on a fevere trial, this Boafted gold- ore prov'd to be mere drofs: and that falling fhort of the expected value, and the adventurers of their expected gains, the project fell to low in repute, that Cataians and Frobishers became bywords for fuch vain boafters, as promis'd more than they could make out, and therefore deferv'd not to be credited.

low but ob III k

Enter Mitress Quickly (1)

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

Mrs. Page. Go in with us, and fees we have an

hour's talk with you. with as, and

[Exe. Mrs. Page, Mrs. Ford, and Mrs. Quic. Page. How now, mafter Ford?

Ford. You heard what this knave told me, did you not?
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 his difcarded men very rogues, now they be Ford. Were they his men ? Page, Marry, were they,

of fervice.

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

101

Page. Ay, marry, does he. If he fhould intend his voyage towards my wife, I would turn her loofe to him; and what he gets more of her than fharp words fecit lie on my head.

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

AsPage. Look, where my ranting Hoft of the Garter comes; there is either liquor in his pate, or money in his puife, when he looks fo merrily. How now, mine HOM I 9.3vt & no sy dg0 alo? erw sinta

.

ərt io rudi gailla Enter Hoft and Shallowing bro-blow bas

Hoft. How now, bully Rack ? thou'rt a gentleman, cavalerio-justice, I fay.

Shal. I follow, mine Hoft, I follow. Good even, and twenty, good mafter Page. Mafter Page, will you go with us? we have fport in hand.

1

F

Haft. Tell him, cavaliero-juftice; tell him, bully Rock. Shal. Sir, there is a fray to be fought between Sir Hugh the Welch priest, and Caius the French doctor. Ford. Good mine Hoft o' th' Garter, a word with you. Hoft. What fay'ft thou, bully Rock?

4

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

ལ

Heft. 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 recourfe to him, (13) and tell him my name is Brook only for a jeft.

Hof. My hand, bully thou shalt have egrefs and regrefs; faid I well and rhy name shall be Brook. It is a merry Knight. (14) Will you go an-heirs? Shal. Have with you, mine Hoft..

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

(13) And tell him, my name is Brook ;] Thus bath the old Quarto's & and thus moft certainly the Poet wrote. We need no better evidence, than the pun that Falfoff anon makes on the name, when Brock fends him fome burnt fack.

Such Brooks are welcome to me, that overflow with fach liquor. The Players, in air editions, alter'd the name to Broom: But how far that name ill fort w th that jeft, submitted to common fenfe. Their fuccetters; however, of the ftage (like the old priest, who had read mumplimus in his breviary, inflead of fimpfimus, 100 Jong to think of altering it ) continue to this day to call him, mafter Broom.

(14) Will you go an-heirs can make nothing of this reading, which hath poffels d all the editions. The word is not to be traced; and, confequently, I am apt to fufpect, must be corrupted, I should think, the Hoft meant to fay, either,

Will you go on, here?

Pointing out the way, which was to lead them to the combatants; as he afterwards fays, Here, boys here, bere: fhall we wag ? Or,

Will you go, myn-beers?

i. e. my mafters; both thefe make plain fenfe; and are not remote from the traces of the text: but, without fome fuch alteration, the paffage feems utterly unintelligible to me.

Shal.

Shal. Tut, Sir, I could have told you more; in thefe times you ftand on distance, your paffes, ftoccado's, and I know not what: 'tis the heart, maiter Page; 'tis here, 'tis here. I have feen the time, with my long fword, I would have made you four tall fellows skip like rats. 27 am on Fed did for Hoft. Here, boys, here, heres fhall we wag Page. Have with you; I had rather hear them fcold than fight. [Exeunt Hot, Shallow and Page. Ford. Tho' Page be a fecure fool, (15) and stand so firmly on his wife's fealty, yet I cannot put off my opinion to eafily. She was in his company at Page's houfe; and what they made there, I know not. Well, I will look further into't; and I have a difguife found Falfaff: if I find her honeft, I lofe not my labour; if the be otherwise, 'tis labour well bestow'd. 1 [Exit. SCENE changes to the Garter-Inn.

Enter Falstaff and Piftol.

Will not lend

to

Parif. Why then a Pe World's mine oyfter, which I with fword will open.—I will retort the fum in equipage..

Fal. Not a penny. I have been content, Sir, you should lay my countenance to pawn; I have grated upon my good friends for three reprieves for you, and your couch-fellow, Nim; or elfe you had look'd through the grate, like a geminy of baboons. I am damn'd in hell for fwearing to gentlemen, my frien is, you were good foldiers, and tall fellows. And when mitrels Bridget of the handle of her fan, I took't upon mine honour, thou hadst it not.

Pift.Didst thou not hare? hadit thou not fifteen pence?

(15) And fland so firmly on his wife's frailty,] No, furely; Page food tightly to the opinion of ber honefty, and would not entertain a thought of her being fail. I have therefore venturd to fubftitute. a word correspondent to the fenfe requir'd, and one, which our Paet frequently uses, to fignify conjugal faith.

M 3

Fal