Rv. He is wife, fir; he knew, your worship would kill him, if he came. Cal. By gar, de herring is no dead, fo as I vill kill him. Take your rapier, Jack; I vill tell you how I vill kill him. Rag. Alas, fir, I cannot fence. Enter Hoff, Shailrw, Stender, and Page. Hafl. 'Blefs thee, bully doctor. Caius. Vat be all you, one, two, tree, four, come for? |a wife and patient churchman: you must go... with me, mafter doctor. Hoft. Pardon, guest justice :-A word, monfieur mock-water 7. Caius. Mock-vater! vat is dat? Hyl. Mock-water, in our English tongue, is valour, bully. Caius. By gar, then I have as much mock-vater as de Englishman :--Scurvy-jack-dog-prieft! by gar, me vill cut his ears. Hoff. He will clapper-claw thee tightly, bully. Hoft. And I will provoke him to 't, or let him wag. Caius. Me tank you for dat. Haft. To fee thee fight, to fee thee foin, to fee thee traverse, to fee thee here, to fee thee there; to fee thee pafs thy punto, thy ftock 2, thy reverfe, thy diftance, thy montant. Is he dead, my Ethiopian?| Hoft. And moreover, bully,-But first, master is he dead, my Francifco? ha, bully! What fays gueft, and maiter Page, and eke cavalero Slender, my Efculapius? my Galen? my heart of elder 3?go you through the town to Frogmore. ha' is he dead, bully Stale 4? is he dead? Catas. By gar, he is de coward Jack priest of the vorld; he is not fhew his face. Hot. Thou art a Caftilian 5 king, Urinal! Hector of Greece, my boy! Cars. I pray you bear vitness that me have stay fix or feven, two, tree hours for him, and he is no come. Soal. He is the wifer man, master doctor: he is a curer of fouls, and you a curer of bodies; if you should fight, you go against the hair of your profeffions: is it not true, mafter Page? Page. Mafter Shallow, you have yourfelf been a great fighter, though now a man of peace. Stal. Body-kins, matter Page, though I now be old, and of the peace, if I fee a fword out, my finger itches to make one: though we are justices, 21 doctors, and churchmen, mafter Page, we have fome falt of our youth in us; we are the fons of women, matter Page. Page. 'Tis true, maiter Shallow. Shal. It will be found fo, mafter Page. Mafter doctor Caius, I am come to fetch you home. I am fworn of the peace: you have fhew'd yourself a wife phyfician, and fir Hugh hath fhewn himself [Afide to them. Page. Sir Hugh is there, is he? Hol. He is there: fee what humour he is in and I will bring the doctor about the fields: will it do well? Shri. We will do it. All. Adieu, good mafter doctor. [Excunt Page, Shallow, and Slender, Caius. By gar, me vill kill de priest; for he speak for a jack-a-nape to Anne Page. Haft. Let him die: but, first, fheath thy impatience; throw cold water on thy choler: go about the fields with me through Frogmore; I will bring thee where mistress Anne Page is, at a farmhouse a feasting; and thou shalt woo her: Cry'd game 8, faid 1 well? Caius. By gar, me tank you for dat: by gar, I love you; and I fhall procure-a you de good guest, de earl, de knight, de lords, de gentlemen, my patients. Hoft. For the which, I will be thy adversary to ward Anne Page; faid I well? Caius. By gar, 'tis good; vell faid. Hoft. Let us wag then. Caius. Come at my heels, Jack Rugby. [Exeunt. 1 To foin, was the ancient term for making a thruft in fencing, or tilting. 2 Stock is a corruption of fiocata, Ital. from which language the technical terms that follow, are alfo adopted. 3 We must remember, to make this joke relifh, that the elder tree has no heart. Probably this expreffion was made ufe of in oppofition to the common one, heart of oak. 4 The reafon for calling Caus bully Stale, and afterwards Urinal, must be fuficiently obvious to every reader. 5 Caftilian and Ethiopian, like Cataian, appear in our author's time to have been cant terms. 6 This is a prover bial phrafe, and is taken from ftroking the hair of animals a contrary way to that in which it grows, and is of fimilar import with that now in ufe, against the grain. 7 Perhaps by mock-water, is meant counterfeit. The water of a gem is a technical term. Dr. Warburton thinks it thould be read thus, CRY AIM, fuid I well? i. e. consent to it, approve of it. Have not I made a good propofal? for to cry air fignifies to confent to, or approve of any thing. The phrafe was taken originally from archery. Mr. Steevens defends, however, the prefent reading, and conje&tures, that cry'd game might mean in those days-a profefs'd buck, one who was as well known by the report of is gallantry, as he could have been by proclamation, Аст PRAY you now, good mafter Slender's ferving-man, and friend Simple by your name, which way have you looked for mafter Caius, that calls himfelf Doctor of Phyfick? Simp. Marry, fir, the Pitty-wary, the Parkward, every way; old Windfor way, and every way but the town way. Eva. I moft fehemently defire you, you will alfo look that way. Sim. I will, fir. Eva. 'Plefs my foul! how full of cholers I am, and trempling of mind!-I fhall be glad. if he have deceiv'd me how melancholies I am!I will knog his urinals about his krave's coftard, when I have good opportunities for the 'ork :-plefs my foul ! By shallow rivers, to whofe falls By joallow [Sings. Mercy on me! I have a great difpofitions to cry. When as I fot in Babylon→→→→ By fallone III. fon, is at moft odds with his own gravity and pa tience, that ever you few. Shal. I have liv'd fourfcore years, and upward; I never heard a man of his place, gravity, and learning, fo wide of his own refpect. Eva. What is he? Page. I think you know him; mafter doctor Caius, the renowned French phyfician. Eva. Got's will, and his paffion o' my heart! I had as lief you would tell me of a mefs of porridge, Page. Why? Eva. He has no more knowledge in Hibocrates and Galen,-and he is a knave befides; a cowardly knave, as you would defires to be acquainted withal. Page. I warrant you, he's the man should fight with him. Slen. O, fweet Anne Page! Enter Haf, Caius, and Rugby. Shal. It appears fo, by his weapons:-Keep them afunder ;-here comes doctor Caius. Page. Nay, good mafter parion, keep in your weapon. Shal. So do you, good mafter doctor. Hal. Difarm them, and let them question; Jet them keep their limbs whole, and hack our English. Caius. I pray you, let-a me fpeak a word vit your ear: Verefore vill you not meet-a me ? Fea. Pray you, ufe your patience: In good time, Geius. By gar, you are de coward, de Jack dog, Simp. Yonder he is coming, this way, fir Hagh. John ape. By fhallow rivers, to whole falls Foa. Pray you, let us not he laughing-stogs to other men's humours; I defire you in friendship, Heaven profper the right !-What weapons is he? and will one way or other make yon amends :---I Simp. No weapons, fir: There comes my maf-will knog your urinals about your knave's cogs ter, mafter Shallow, and another gentleman from combs, for milling your meetings and appointFrogmore, over the ftile, this way. Eva. Pray you, give me my gown; or elfe keep it in your arms. ments. Caius. Diable!-Jack Rugby-mine Hoft de Jarterre, have I not ftay for him, to kill him? have I not, at de place I did appoint? Eva. As I am a chriftians foul, now, look you, this is the place appointed; I'll be judgment by Enter Page, Shallow, and Slender. Shal. How now, mafter parfon ? Good-morrow, good fir Hugh. Keep a gamester from the dice, and a good student from his book, and it is won-mine hoft of the Garter. derful. Sin. Ah fweet Anne Page! Page. Save you, good fir Hugh! Fva. 'Pless you from his mercy fake, all of you! Shal. What the fword and the word! do you tudy them both, mafter parfon ? Hoft. Peace, I fay, Gallia and Gaul, French and Welch, foul-curer and body-curer. Caius. Ay, dat is very good! excellent! Hoft. Peace, I fay; hear mine host of the Garter. Am I politick? am I fubtle ? am I a Machiavel? Shall I lofe my doctor? no; he gives me Page. And youthful ftill, in your doublet and the potions, and the motions. Shall I lofe my parhofe, this raw rheumatick day? Eva. There is reafons and causes for it, fon? my prieft? my fir Hugh? no; he gives me the pro-verbs, and the no verbs. Give me thy Page. We are come to you, to do a good office, hand, terreftrial; fo :-Give me thy hand, celeftial: mafter parfon. Eva. Fery well: What is it? Page. Yonder is a most reverend gentleman, who, belike, having receiv'd wrong by fome per fo.-Boys of art, I have deceiv'd you both; I have directed you to wrong places: your hearts are mighty, your fkins are whole, and let burnt fack be the iffue.--Come, lay their swords to pawn ;— The old editions read, the Pittie-ward, the modern editors, the Pitty-wary, There are now no places answering to either of thefe names at Windfor, Follow Sts. O, fweet Anne Page! [Exeunt Shal. Slen. Page, and Haft. Caius. Ha! do I perceive dat? have you make2 de fot of us? ha! ha! 2 Follow me, lad of peace; follow, follow, follow.,he gives her folly motion, and advantage; and now Shal. Traft me, a mad hoft.-Follow, gentle-he's going to my wife, and Falftaff's boy with her. men, follow. A man may hear this thower fing in the wind!and Falitaff's boy with her!- -Good plots!they are laid; and our revolted wives thare damnation together. Well; I will take him, then torture my wife, pluck the borrow'd veil of modetty from the fo feeming mittrefs Page, divulge Page himfelf for a fecure and wilful Acteon; and to these violent proceedings all my neighbours fhall cry aim 3. The clock gives me my cue, and my allurance bids me fearch; there I fhall find Falftaff: I fhall be rather prais'd for this, than mock'd; for it is as pofitive as the earth is firm, that Falstaff is there: I will go.. Eva. This is well : he has made us his vloutingfrog.-I delire you, that we may be friends; and let us knog our prains together, to be revenge on this fame feald 1, fcurvy, cogging companion, the host of the Garter. Caiar. By gar, vit all my heart; he promife to bring me vere is Anne Page: by gar, he deceive me too. Ema. Well, I will finite his noddles:-Pray Enter Page, Shallow, Slender, Hoff, Evans, and Caius, you follow. Mr. Page. Be fure of that,-two other huf-, Lands. Shal. Page, &c. Weil met, mafter Ford. Ford. Trust me, a good knot: I have good cheer at home; and, I pray you, all go with me. Shal. I mult excufe myfelf, mafter Ford. Sten. And fo muft 1, fir; we have appointed to dine with miftrefs Anne, and I would not break with her for more money than I'll speak of. Shal. We have linger'd about a match between Anne Page and my coufin Slender, and this day we thall have our answer. Sien. I hope, I have your good-will, father Page.. Page. You have, mafter Slender; I ftand wholly for you:--but my wife, matter doctor, is for you altogether. Caius. Ay, by gar, and de maid is love-a-me; my nurth-a Quickly tell me fo much. Hoff. What lay you to young mafter Fenton ? he capers, he dances, he has eyes of youth, he writes verfes, he speaks holy-day, he fmells April and May: he will carry 't, he will carry't; 'tis in his buttons 5; he will carry 't. Page. Not by my confent, I promife you. The Ford. Where had you this pretty weather-cock gentleman is of no having: he kept company with Mrs. Page. I cannot tell what the dickens his the wild prince and Poins; he is of too high a rename is my husband had him of: What do you callgion, he knows too much. No, he thall not knit a your knight's name, firrahı ? Rob. Sir John Falstatf. Ford. Sir John Falstaff! Mrs. Page. He, he! I can never hit on's name. There is fuch a league between my good man and he!-Is your wife at home, indeed? ̧ Ford. Indeed the is. Mrs. Page. By your leave, fir;-I am fick 'till I fee her. [Exeunt Mrs. Page and Robin. Iord. Has Page any brains? hath he any eyes? hath he any thinking? fure they fleep; he hath no ufe of them, Why, this hey will carry a letter twenty miles, as eafy as a cannon will shoot point blank twelve fcore. He pieces-out his wife's inclination; knot in his fortunes with the finger of my fubftance: if he take her, let him take her fimply; the wealth I have waits on my content, and my confent goes not that way. Ford. Ibefeech you, heartily, fome of you go home with me to dinner: befides your cheer, you shall have fport; I will fhew you a monfter.-Master doctor, you shall go;-fo fhall you, matter Page ;--and you ir Hugh. Sbal. Well, fare you well :-we fhall have the freer wooing at mafter Page's. Caius. Go home, John Rugby; I come anon. Hoft. Farewell, my hearts: I will to my honest knight Falstaff, and drink canary with him. 1 Scall was an old word of reproach, as fab was afterwards. 2 Seeming is fpecious. 3 That is. fhall encourage. 4 That is, in an high-flown, fuftian ftyle. It was called a holy-day ftyle, from the old cuitom of acting their farces of the myfleries and moralities, which were turgid and bombaft, os holy-days. 5 This alludes to an old cultom among the country fellows, of trying whether they thould fucceed with their millrefles, by carrying the batchelor's buttons (a plant whole flowers refemble a coat-button) in their pockets; and they judged of their good or bad fuccefs, by their growing, or their not growing there. • Having is the laine as eftate or fortune. Ford. Ford. [Afide. I think, I fhall drink in pipewine firit with him; I'll make him dance. Will you go, gentles? Fal. Miftrefs Ford, I cannot cog, I cannot prate, mifire's Ford. Now fhall I fin in my with: I would thy hufband were dead; I'll fpeak it before All. Have with you, to fee this monster. [Exeunt. the bait lord, I would make thee my lady. Mrs. Ford. I your lady, fir John! alas, I fhould be a pitiful lady. Fal. Let the court of France fhew me fuch ano Enter Mrs. Ford, Mrs. Page, and fervants with a ther; I fee how thine eye would emulate the dia basket. Mrs. Ford. What, John! what, Robert! Mrs. Ford. 1 warrant : --What, Robin, I fay. Mrs. Page. Give your men the charge; we muft mond: Thou haft the right arched bent of the brow, that becomes the ship-tire, the tire-valiant, or any tire of Venetian admittance 4. Mrs. Ford. A plain kerchief, fir John: my brows become nothing else; nor that well neither. Fal. Thou art a traitor 5 to lay fo; thou would't make an abfolute courtier; and the firm fixture of thy foot would give an excellent motion to thy gait, in a femi-circled farthingale. 1 fee what thou wert, Mrs. Ford. Marry, as I told you before, John, if fortune thy foe were not; nature is thy friend: and Robert, be ready here hard by in the brew-Come, thou canft not hide it. houfe; and when I fuddenly call on you, come Mrs. Ford. Believe me, there's no fuch thing forth, and (without any paufe, or staggering) take in me. be brief. this basket on your fhoulders: that done, trudge Fal. What made me love thee? let that perwith it in all hafte, and carry it among the whit-fuade thee, there's fomething extraordinary in fters in Datchet mead, and there empty it in the thee. Come, I cannot cog, and say, thou art this muddy ditch, clofe by the Thames fide. Mrs. Page. You will do it? Mrs. Ford. I have told them over and over; they lack no direction: Be gone, and come when you are cali'd. [Exeunt Servants. Mrs. Page. Here comes little Robin. Enter Robin. Mrs. Ford. How now, my eyas-musket ? what rews with you? Rob. My mafter fir John is come in at your back-door, mittreis Ford; and requests your company. Mrs. Page. You little Jack-a-lent 3, have you been true to us? Rob. Ay, I'll be sworn: My mafter knows not of your being here; and hath threaten'd to put me into e. erlafting liberty, if I tell you of it; for, he fwears, he'll turn me away. Mrs. Pag, Thou 'rt a good boy; this fecrecy of thine shall be a tailor to thee, and fhall make thee a new doublet and hose.—I'll go hide me. Mrs. Ford. Do fo: Go tell thy mafter, I am alone. Mistress Page, remember you your cue. [Exit Robin. Mrs. Page. I warrant thee; if I do not act it, hifs me. [Exit Mrs. Page. Mrs. Fard. Go to then ;—we'll use this unwholfome humidity, this grofs watry pumpion ;--we'll teach him to know turtles from jays. Enter Faiftaff. and that, like a many of thefe lifping haw-thorn buds, that come like women in men's apparel, and imell like Bucklers-bury in fimple time; I cannot; but I love thee; none but thee; and thou deferveft it. Mrs. Ford. Do not betray me, fir; I fear you love mittreis Page. Fal. Thou might it as well fay I love to walk by the Counter-gate; which is as hateful to me as the reek of a lime-kiln. Mrs. Ford. Well, heaven knows how I love you; and you fhall one day find it. Fal. Keep in that mind; I'll deferve it. Mrs. Ford. Nay, I must tell you, so you do ; or else I could not be in that mind, Rob. [Within.] Mitrels Ford, miftress Ford! here's mittrefs Page at the door, fweating, and blowing, and looking wildly, and would needs fpeak with you prefently. Fal. She fhall not fee me; I will enfconce me behind the arras. Mrs. Ford. Pray you, do fo; fhe's a very tattling woman.➖➖➖➖➖ [Falta bides himjif. Enter Mifirefs Page. What's the matter? how now? Mrs. Page. O miftrefs Ford, what have you done? you're sham'd, you are overthrown, you arẹ undone for ever. Mrs. Ford. What's the matter, good mistress Fal. Have I caught thee, my beavenly jewel? Why, now let me die, for I have liv'd long enough; | Page? this is the period of my ambition: O this bleifed hour! Mrs. Ford. O fweet fir John! Mrs. Page. O well-a-day, mistress Ford! having an honest man to your huiband, to give him fuch caufe of fufpicion! Pipe is known to be a veffel of wine, now containing two hogheads. Pipe wine is therefore wine, not from the bottle, but the pipe; and the text confiits in the ambiguity of the word, which fignifies both a cask of wine, and a musical inftrument. 2 Eyas-mufket is the fame as infot Lilliputian, A Jack o' lent was a puppet thrown at in Lent, like shrove-cocks. 4 The speaker here tells his mitrefs, the had a face that would become all the head-drelles in fashion. 5 That is, to thy Bucklers-bury, in the time of Shakspcare, was chiefly inhabited by druggilts, who fold all kinds of herbs, green as well as dry. own merit. Mrs. Toda Mrs. Ford. What caufe of fufpicion ? Mrs. Page. What cause of fufpicion ?-Out upon you!-how am I miftook in you? Ford. Buck? I would I could wash myself of the buck! Buck, buck, buck? Ay, buck; I warrant you, buck; and of the feafon too, it shall apMrs. Ford. Why, alas! what's the matter? pear. [Exeunt Servants with the basket.] GentieMrs. Page. Your hutband's coming hither, wo-men, I have dreani'd to-night; I'll tell you my man, with all the officers in Windfor, to fearch dream. Here, here, here be my keys: afcend for a gentleman, that, he fays, is here now in the my chambers, fearch, feek, find out: I'll warhoufe, by your confent, to take an ill advantage of rant, we'll unkennel the fox-Let me ftop this way firft:-So, now uncape 2. his abfence: You are undone. Mrs. Ford. Speak louder.-[fide.] "Tis not fo, I hope. Mrs. Page. Pray heaven it be not so, that you have fuch a man here; but 'tis molt certain your bufband's coming with half Windfor at his heels, to fearch for fuch a one. I come before to tell you: If you know yourfelf clear, why I am glad of it: but if you have a friend here, convey him, convey Be not amaz'd; call all your fenfes to you; defend your reputation, or bid farewell to your good life for ever. him out. Mrs. Ford. What thall I do?-There is a gentleman, my dear friend; and I fear not mine own fhame, fo much as his peril: I had rather than a thousand pound, he were out of the house. Mrs. Page. For fhame, never ftand you bud rather, and you bad rather; your hufband's here at hand, bethink you of fome conveyance: in the houfe you cannot hide him.-Oh, how have you deceived me !-Look, here is a basket; if he be of any reasonable stature, he may creep in here; and throw foul linen upon him, as if it were going to bucking: Or, it is whiting-time, fend him by your two men to Datchet mead. Mrs. Ford. He's too big to go in there: What Shall I do? Re-enter Falfaff. Fal. Let me fee 't, let me fee't! Olet me fee't! Tin, I'll in ;-follow your friend's counfel;-I'll Mrs. Page. What! fir John Falstaff? Are thefe your letters, knight? Fal. I love thee,-help me away: let me creep in here; I'll never-- [He goes into the basket, they cover him with foul linen. Page. Good matter Ford, be contented: you wrong yourfelf too much. Ford. True, mafter Page.-Up, gentlemen; you fhall fee fport anon: follow me, gentlemen. [Exit. Eva. This is fery fantastical humours, and jea loufies. is Caias. By gar, 'tis no de fashion of France: it not jealous in France. Page. Nay, follow him, gentlemen; fee the iffue of his fearch. [Exeunt. Mrs. Page. Is there not a double excellency in this? Mrs. Ford. I know not which pleafes me better, that my husband is deceiv'd, or fir John. Mrs. Page. What a taking was he in, when your husband afk'd who was in the basket! Mrs. Ford. I am half afraid, he will have need of washing; fo throwing him into the water will do him a benefit. Mrs. Page. Hang him, dishonest rafcal! I would all of the fame ftrain were in the fame distress. Ms. Ford. I think, my husband hath fome fpecial fufpicion of Falftarf's being here; for I never faw him to grofs in his jealoufy till now. Ms. Page. I will lay a plot to try that: And we will yet have more tricks with Falftaff: his diffolute difeafe will fcarce obey this medicine. Ms. Ford. Shall we fend that foolith carrion, miftrefs Quickly, to him, and excufe his throwing into the water; and give him another hope, to burray him to another punishment? Mrs. Page. We'll do it; let him be fent for tomorrow, eight o'clock, to have amends. Re-enter Ford, Page, and the reft at a distance. Mrs. Page. Help to cover your master, boy: Mrs. Ford. What, John, Robert, John! Go, take up these clothes here, quickly; Where's the cowl-ftaff? look, how you drumble: carry them to the laundrefs in Datchet mead; quickly, come. Enter Ford, Page, Calus, and Sir Hugh Emans. Ford. Pray you, come near: if I fufpect without caufe, why then make froit at me, then let me be your jeft, I deforve it.-How now? whither bear you this? Serv. To the laundref, forfooth. Mrs. Page. Heard you that? Mrs. Ford. I, I, peace master Ford, do you? Ford. Ay, I do fo. -You ufe me well, Mrs. Ford. Heaven make you better than your thoughts! Ford. Amen. Mrs. Page. You do yourself mighty wrong, maf ter Ford. Fed. Ay, ay; I must bear it. Fea. If there be any pody in the house, and in Mrs. Ford. Why, what have you to do whither the chambers, and in the coffers, and in the proffes, they bar is? you were but meddle with buck-heaven forgive my fins at the day of judgment! wathing. Galas. By ger, nor I too; dere is no bodies. 1 Look how you dramble, means, Ice confufed you are. In the North, drumbled ale, means muddy ¿ftaro'd ale. 21. s alludes to the topping every hole at which a fox could enter, before they uncape or turn him out of the bag in which he was brought. Every one has heard of a bag-fox. Page |