SCENE V. The Garter inn. Enter Hoft and Simple. Hoft. What would'st thou have, boor? what, thickfkin fpeak, breathe, difcufs; brief, fhort, quick, fnap. Simp. Marry, fir, I come to fpeak with fir John Falstaff from mafter Slender. Hoft. There's his chamber, his house, his castle, his ftanding-bed, and truckle-bed; 'tis painted about with the ftory of the prodigal, fresh and new: Go, knock and call; he'll fpeak like an Anthropophaginian' unto thee: Knock, I say. Simp. There's an old woman, a fat woman gone up into his chamber; I'll be fo bold as stay, fir, 'till the 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 fir John! fpeak 5 —what, thick-fkin?] I meet with this term of abuse in Warner's Albions England, 1602, book vi. chap. 30: "That he fo foul a thick-fkin fhould fo fair a lady catch." STEEVENS. flanding-bed, and truckle-bed; -] The ufual furniture of chambers in that time was a standing-bed, under which was a trochle, truckle, or running bed. In the ftanding-bed lay the mafter, and in the truckle-bed the fervant. So, in Hall's "Account of a Servile Tutor: "He lieth in the truckle-bed, "While his young mafter lieth o'er his head." JOHNSON. So, in the Return from Parnaffus, 1606: "When I lay in a trundle-bed under my tutor." And here the tutor has the upper bed. Again, in Heywood's Royal King, &c. 1637: fhew thefe gentlemen into a close room with a ftanding-bed in't, and a truckle too." STEEVENS. Anthropophaginian] i. e. a canibal. See Othello, act I. fc. iii. It is here ufed as a founding word to aftonish Simple. Ephefian, which follows, has no more meaning. STEEVENS. 7 from from thy lungs military: Art thou there? it is thine hoft, thine Ephefian, calls. Falstaff above. Fal. How now, mine host? 8 Hoft. Here's a Bohemian-Tartar tarries the coming down of thy fat woman: Let her defcend, bully, let her defçend; my chambers are honourable: Fie! privacy? fie! Enter Falstaff. Fal. There was, mine hoft, an old fat woman even now with me; but she's gone. Simp. Pray you, fir, was't not the wife woman of Brentford ? Fal. Ay, marry was it, muffel-fhell; What would you with her? Simp. My mafter, fir, mafter Slender fent to her, feeing her go through the street, to know, fir, whether one Nym, fir, that beguil'd him of a chain, had the chain, or no. Fal. I fpake with the old woman about it. Fal. Marry, fhe says, that the very fame man, that beguil'd mafter Slender of his chain, cozen'd him of it. Simp. I would I could have spoken with the wo 8 -Bohemian-Tartar-] The French call a Bohemian what we call a Gypfey; but I believe the Hoft means nothing more than, by a wild appellation, to infinuate that Simple makes a strange appearance. JOHNSON. In Germany, there were feveral companies of vagabonds, &c. called Tartars and Zigens. "These were the fame in my opinion," fays Mezeray," as those the French call Bohemians, and the English Gypfies." Bulteel's Tranflation of Mezeray's Hiftory of France, under the year 1417. TOLLET. 9 muffel-shell;-] He calls poor Simple muffel-stell, becaufe he stands with his mouth open. JOHNSON. man man herself; I had other things to have spoken with her too, from him. Fal. What are they? let us know. Simp. I may not conceal them, fir. 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 say so, 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. 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. And should plainly be read here, Ay, fir Tike, &c. FARMER. 2clerkly, i. e. fcholar-like. So, in the Two Gentlemen of Verona : 3 66 -"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. “————forry you have paid too much, and forry that you are paid too much." 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 horses 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 undone ! [Exit. Fal. I would all the world might be cozen'd; for 4-three German devils, three Doctor Fauftus's.] John Farf, commonly called Doctor Fauftus, was a German. STEEVENS. I have been cozen'd, and beaten too. If it should 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 Miftrefs Quickly. Now! whence come you? 5 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; fpecioufly one of them; miftrefs 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 Northumber land'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 readiest means to bring him into fuch a fcrape for none but old women have ever been fufpected of being witches. The text muft certainly be reftor'd, a wood woman, a crazy, |