715 5

deliver'd me, the knave conftable had fet me i'th flocks, common flocks for a witch.

i'

Quic, Sir, let me fpeak with you in your chamber; you thall hear how things go, and, I warrant, to your content. Here is a letter will lay fomewhat) Good hearts, what ado is here to bring you together fure, one of you does not ferve heav'n well, that you are fo crofs'd. Fal. Come up into my chamber. qiaw LinExeunta su dew good y mod.anoupil bas, gors Bond Disqo Enter Fenton and

• I

Hoft. Master

Hoft.

heavy, I will Fenton, talk not to me, my mind is

over all.

Fent. Yet hear me speak; affist me in my purpose, And, as I am a gentleman, I'll give thee for wor A hundred poun in gold gold more than your loss. St Hoft. I will bear you, mafter Fenton ; and I will, at the leaft, keep your ce counfel. Fent. From time to time I have acquainted you b Layor of bas, taite With the dear love I bear to fair, Ann Page; onsbacaan Who, mutually, hath anfwer'd my affection, A (So far forth as herself might be her chufer) vuoise? Ev'n to my with. I have a letter from herulo 91890 Of fuch contents, as you will wonder at

1900s fod, The mirth whereof's fo larded with my matter, That neither fingly can be manifefted,

Without the few of both. Fat Sir John Falstaff!
Hath a great fcene, the image of the jeft

I'll thew you here at large, Hark, good mine Hoft
To-night at Herne's oak, juft 'twixt twelve and one,
Muft my fweet Nan prefeat the fairy Queen;
The purpose why, is here; in which difguile,.
While other jefts are fomething rank on foot,b và,
Her father hath commanded her to flip

Away with Slender, and with him at Eaton

Immediately to marry; the hath confented. Now, Sir,
Her mother, ever ftrong against that match,
And firm for Doctor Caius, hath appointed
That he hall likewife fhuffle her away,

While other sports are tasking of their minds;
O 2

And

And at the Deanry, where a prieft attends,
Straight marry her; to this her mother's plot,
She, feemingly obedient, likewife hath

Made promife to the Doctor.-Now, thus it refls;
Her father means the fhall be all in white,
And in that drefs when Slender fees his time
To take her by the hand, and bid her go,

She thall go with him.Her mother hath intended,
The better to devote her to the Doctor,

For they must all be mask'd and vizarded)
That, quaint in green, fhe fhall be loose enrob'd,
With ribbands pendent, flaring 'bout her head;
And when the Doctor fpies his vantage ripe,
To pinch her by the hand, and on that token,
The maid hath given confent to go with him.

Hoft. Which means the to deceive father or mother?
Fent. Both, my good Hofl, to go along with me;
And here it refts, that you'll procure the Vicar 01
To stay for me at church, 'twixt twelve and one,"
And in the lawful name of marrying,

To give our hearts united ceremony.

Hoft. Well, hufband your device; I'll to the Vicar. Bring you the maid, you shall not lack a priest. Fent. So fhall I evermore be bound to thee; Befide, I'll make a prefent recompence.

Re-enter Falstaff and Mistress Quickly.

[Exeunt.

Fal. Pr'ythee, no more pratling; go, I'll hold. This is the third time; I hope, good luck lies in odd numbers; away, go; they fay, there is divinity in odd 1 numbers, either in nativity, chance or death; away. Quic. I'll provide you a chain, and I'll do what I can to get you a pair of horns. [Exit Mrs. Quickly. Fal. Away, I fay, time wears: hold up your head and mince.

Enter Ford.

How now, mafter Brook? mafter Brook, the matter will be known to-night, or never. Be you in the park about mid-night, at Herne's oak, and you shall fee wonders.

Ford.

The Merry Wives of WINDSOR. 293 Ford. Went you not to her yesterday, Sir, as you told me you had appointed?

Fal. I went to her, mafter Brook, as you fee, like a poor old man; but I came from her, mafter Brook, like a poor old woman. That fame knave, Ford her hufband, hath the finest mad devil of jealoufy in him, mafter Brook, that ever govern'd frenzy. I will tell you; he beat me grievously, in the fhape of a woman; for in the thape of a man, mafter Brook, I fear not Goliah with a weaver's beam; because I know alfo, life is a fhuttle; I am in halte, go along with me, I'll tell you all, mafter Brook. Since I pluckt geefe, play'd truant and whipt top, I knew not what 'twas to be beaten, till lately. Follow me, I'll tell you ftrange things of this knave Ford, on whom to-night I will be reveng'd, and I will deliver his wife into your hand. Follow; ftrange things in hand, mafter Brook! follow. [Exeunt

ENKOENDEILDOFYLDENLDELKO

191164

ACT V.

SCENE, Windfor-Park, a

T Enter Page, Shallow, and Slender.

C

YOME, come: we'll couch i' th' caftle-ditch, 'till we fee the light of our faires. Remember, fon Slender, my daughter.

Slen. Ay, forfooth, I have fpoke with her, and we, have a nay-word how to know one another. I come to her in white, and cry, mum; the cries, budget; and by that we know one another.

Shal. That's good too; but what needs either your mum, or her budget; the white will decipher her well enough. It hath ftruck ten o'clock.

0 3

Page

Page. The night is dark, light and fpirits will become it well; heav'n profper our fport! No man means evil but the devil, and we fhall know him by his horns. Let's away; follow me. [Exeunt. Enter Miftrefs Page, Miftrefs Ford and Caius. Mis. Page. Mr. Doctor, my daughter is in green; when you tee your time, take her by the hand, away with her to the Deanry, and difpatch it quickly; go. before into the Park: we two must go together. Caius, I know vat I have to do; adieu, Exit. Mrs. Page. Fare you well, Sir. My husband will not rejoice fo much at the abuse of Falstaff, as he will chafe at the Doctor's marrying my daughter; but 'tis no matter; better a little chiding, than a great deal of heart-break.

Mrs. Ford. Where is Nan now, and her troop of fairies, (27) and the Welch devil Evans?

Mrs. Page. They are all couch'd in a pit hard by Herne's oak, with obfcur'd lights; which, at the very infant of Falfaf's and our meeting, they will at once difplay to the night.

Mrs. Ford. That cannot chufe but amaze him.

Mrs. Page. If he be not amaz'd, he will be mock'd; if he be amaz'd, he will every way be mock'd. Mrs. Ford. We'll betray him finely.

Mrs. Page. Against fuch lewdfters, and their lechery. Thofe, that betray them, do no treachery.

Mrs. Ford. The hour draws on; to the oak, to the

oak.

Enter Evans and Fairies.

[Exeunt.

Eva. Trib, trib, fairies; come, and remember your parts: be pold, I pray you; follow me into the pit

(27) And the Welch, devil Herne?] Thus all the impreffions have blunder'd after each other; but Faiftaff was to reprefent Herne, and he was no Welchman. Where was the attention, or fagacity, of our Editors, not to observe that Mrs. Ford is inquiring for Evans by the name of the Welch devil? The mistake, of the word Herne getting into the text, might easily happen by the inadvertence of Tranfcribers, who threw their eyes too hastily on the fucceeding line, where the word again occurs. Dr. Thirlby likewife difcover'd the blunder of this pallage.

and