Sim. No, forfooth; he hath but a little wee-face, with a little yellow beard, (9) a Cain-colour'd beard. Quic. A foftly-fprighted man, is he not? Sim. Ay, forfooth; but he is as tall a man of his hands, as any between this and his head: he hath fought with a warrener. Quic. How fay you? oh, I fhould remember him; does he not hold up his head, as it were? and ftrut in his gate? Sim. Yes, indeed, does he. Quic. Well, heav'n fend Ann Page no worse fortune! Tell mafter parfon Evans, I will do what I can for your mafter: Ann is a good girl, and I wish Enter Rugby. Rug. Out, alas: here comes my master. Quic. We fhall all be fhent; run in here, good young man; go into this clofet; [buts Simple in the clofet. He will not ftay long. What, John Rugby! John! what, John, I fay; go, John, go enquire for my mafter; I doubt, he be not well, that he comes not home: and down, down, a-down-a, &c. [Sings. Enter Doctor Caius. Caius. Vat is you fing? I do not like des toys; pray you, go and vetch me in my clofet un boitier verd; a box, a green-a box; do intend vat I speak? a-green-a box. Quick. Ay, forfooth, I'll fetch it you. I am glad, he went not in himself; if he had found the man, he would have been horn-mad. [Afide. Caius. Fe, fe, fe, fe, mai foi, il fait fort chaud; je me'n vai à la cour-la grande affaire. Quic. Is it this, Sir? Caius. Ouy, mettez le au mon pocket; Depechez, quickly; ver is dat knave Rugby? (9) A cane-colour'd beard.] Thus the latter Editions. I have reftor'd with the old copies. Cain and Judas, in the tapestries and pictures of old, were reprefented with yellow beards. Quic. What, John Rugby! John! Rug. Here, Sir. Caius. You are John Rugby, and you are Jack Rugby; come, take-a your rapier, and come after my heel to the court, Rug. "Tis ready, Sir, here in the porch. Caius. By my trot, I tarry too long: od's me: Que ay je oublié ? dere is fome fimples in my closet, dat I will not for the varld I fhall leave behind. Quic. Ay-me, he'll find the young man there, and be mad. Caius. O diable, diable! vat is in my clofet? villaine, Larron! Rugby, my rapier. [Pulls Simple out of the clofet. Quic. Good mafter, be content. Caius. Wherefore fhall I be content-a? Caius. What fhall de honeft man do in my clofet? dere is no honeft man, dat fhall come in my closet. Quic. I befeech you, be not fo flegmatick; hear the truth of it. He came of an errand to me from parfon Hugh. Caius. Vell. Sim, Ay, forfooth, to defire her to- Caius. Peace-a your tongue, speak-a your tale. Sim. To defire this honeft gentlewoman, your maid, to speak a good word to mistress Ann Page for my mafter in the way of marriage. Quic. This is all, indeed-la; but I'll ne'er put my finger in the fire, and need not. Caius. Sir Hugh fend-a you? Rugby, (10) baillez me fome paper; tarry you a little-a-while. (10) Ballow me fome paper;] Thus all the editions hitherto and, I fuppofe, the Editors thought this a defign'd corruption of the word borrow. But are we to imagine the Poet's doctor had not a fcrap of paper in his houfe, but muft send out to borrow fome? As Caius is reprefented a Frenchman, and generally speaks half French, half Englib, it is much more probable to believe our Author wrote, baillez me fome paper, i. e. fetch, bring, give me fome. So the French fay, baillez la main, give me your hand; bailler, une oeillade, to give one the wink, &c. Quic. I am glad, he is fo quiet; if he had been thoroughly moved, you should have heard him fo loud, and fo melancholly: but notwithstanding, man, I'll do for your master what good 1 can; and the very yea and the no is, the French Doctor my mafter, (I may call him my master, look you, for I keep his house, and I wash, wring, brew, bake, fcour, drefs meat and drink, make the beds, and do all myself.) Simp. "Tis a great charge to come under one body's hand. Quic. Are you a-vis'd o' that? you fhall find it a great charge; and to be up early and down late. But notwithstanding, to tell you in your ear, I would have no words of it, my mafter himself is in love with mistrefs Ann Page; but, notwithstanding that, I know Ann's mind, that's neither here nor there. Caius. You jack'nape; give a this letter to Sir Hugh; by gar, it is a fhallenge: I will cut his troat in de parke, and I will teach a fcurvy jack-a-nape priest to meddle or make you may be gone; it is not good you tarry here; by gar, I will cut all his two stones; by gar he fhall not have a ftone to trow at his dog. [Exit Simple. Quic. Alas, he speaks but for his friend. Caius. It is no matter'a ver dat: do you not tell-ame, dat I fhall have Ann Page for myfelf? by gar, I vill kill de jack prieft; and I have appointed mine hoft of de Jarterre to measure our weapon; by gar, will myself have Ann Page. I Quic. Sir, the maid loves you, and all shall be well: we must give folks leave to prate: what, the good-jer! Caius. Rugby, come to the court with me;- -by gar, if I have not Ann Page, I fhall turn your head out of my door;-follow my heels, Rugby. [Exe. Caius and Rugby. Quic. You fhall have An fools-head of your own. No, I know Ann's mind for that; never a woman in Windfor knows more of Ann's mind than I do, nor can do more than I do with her, I thank heav'n. Fent. [within] Who's within there, hoa? Quic. Who's there, I trow? come near the house, I pray you. Enter Mr. Fenton. Fent. How now, good woman, how doft thou? to ask. Fent. What news? how does pretty miftrefs Ann? Quic. In truth, Sir, and fhe is pretty, and honeft, and gentle; and one that is your friend, I can tell you that by the way, I praise heav'n for it. Fent. Shall I do any good, think'ft thou? shall I not lofe my fuit ? Quic. Troth, Sir, all is in his hands above; but notwithstanding, mafter Fenton, I'll be fworn on a book, she loves you: have not your worship a wart-above your eye? Fent. Yes, marry, have I; and what of that? Quic. Well, thereby hangs a tale; good faith, it is fuch another Nan; but, I detest, an honest maid as ever broke bread; we had an hour's talk of that wart: I fhall never laugh but in that maid's company! but, indeed, she is given too much to allicholly and mufing; but for you- -Well go to Fent. Well, I fhall fee her to-day; hold, there's money for thee: let me have thy voice in my behalf; if thou feeft her before me, commend me Quic. Will I ay, faith, that we will: and I will tell your worship more of the wart, the next time we have confidence, and of other wooers. Fent. Well, farewel, I am in great hafte now. [Exit. Quic. Farewel to your worship. Truly, an honeft gentleman, but Ann loves him not; I know Ann's ́ mind as well as another does. Out upon't, what have I forgot? [Exit. ACT ACT II. SCENE, before Page's Houfe. Enter Mrs. Page, with a letter. Mrs. PAGE. HAT, have I 'fcap'd love-letters in the holyday-time of my beauty, and am I now a fubject for them? let me fee: Afk me no reason, why I love you; for tho' love use reason for his precisian, he admits him not for his counsellor: you are not young, no more am I; go to then, there's fympathy: you are merry, fo am I; ha! ha! then there's more fympathy; you love fack, and fo do I; would you defire better fympathy? let it fuffice thee, miftrefs Page, at the leaft if the love of a foldier can fuffice, that I love thee. I will not fay, pity me, 'tis not a foldier-like phrase; but I fay, love me: By me, thine own true Knight, by day or night, For thee to fight. What a Herod of Jury is this? O wicked, wicked world! one that is well nigh worn to pieces with age, to fhew himself a young gallant! what unweigh'd behaviour hath this Flemish drunkard pick't, i'th'devil's name, out of my converfation, that he dares in this manner affay me? why, he hath not been thrice in my company: what should I fay to him? I was then frugal of my mirth, heav'n forgive me: why, I'll exhibit (11) a bill in the parliament for the putting down of fat (11) a bill in the parliament for the putting down of men: :] What, Mrs. Page, put down the whole fpecies unius ob noxam, for a fingle offender's |