Hoft. 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?

Shal. Will you go with us to behold it? my merry Hoft hath had the measuring 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 sport shall be.

Hoft. Haft thou no fuit against my Knight, my guestcavalier?

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.

Hoft. My hand, bully: thou fhalt have egrefs and regrefs; faid I well and thy name fhall be Brook. It is a merry Knight. (14) Will you go an-heirs?

Shal. Have with you, mine Hoft.

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

(13) And tell bim, my name is Brook ;] Thus both the old Quartes; and thus most certainly the Poet wrote. We need no better evidence, than the pun that Falstaff anon makes on the name, when Brook fends him fome burnt fack.

Such Brooks are welcome to me, that overflow with such liquor. The Players, in their editions, alter'd the name to Broom: But how far that name will fort with that jeft, is fubmitted to common fenfe. Their fucceffors; however, of the stage (like the old priest, who had read mumpfimus in his breviary, inftead of fumpfimus, too long to think of altering it;) continue to this day to call him, master Broom.

(14) Will you go an-heirs?] I 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 fhould think, the Hoft meant to fay, either,

Will you go on bere?

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

Will you go, myn-beers?

i. e. my masters; 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 these times you stand on distance, your paffes, ftoccados, and I know not what: 'tis the heart, mafter Page; 'tis here, 'tis here. I have feen the time, with my long fword, I would have made you four tall fellows skip like råts.

Hoft. Here, boys, here, here: fhall we wag?

Page. Have with you; I had rather hear them fcold than fight. [Exeunt Hoft, 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 fo 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 to found Falstaff: If I find her honeft, I lofe not my labour; if the be otherwife, 'tis labour well bestow'd. [Exit.

Fal.

SCENE changes to the Garter-Inn.

I

Enter Falstaff and Pistol.

Will not lend thee

a-penny.

Pift. Why then the world's mine oyster, which I with fword will open. I will retort the fum in equipage.

Fal. Not a penny. I have been content, Sir, you fhould 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 friends, you were good foldiers, and tall fellows. And when miftrefs Bridget loft the handle of her fan, I took't upon mine honour, thou hadft it not.

Pift. Didst thou not share ? hadft thou not fifteen pence?

(15) And fand fo firmly on his wife's frailty,] No, furely; Page ftood tightly to the opinion of her honefty, and would not entertain a thought of her being frail. I have therefore ventur'd to fubftitute a word correfpondent to the fenfe requir'd; and one, which our Poet frequently ufes, to fignify conjugal faith.

M 3

Fal,

Fal. Reason, you rogue, reason: think'ft thou, I'll endanger my foul gratis? At a word, hang no more about me, I am no gibbet for you: (16) go, a fhort knife, and a throng, to your manor of Pickt hatch; go, you'll not bear a letter for me, you rogue! you ftand upon your honour! why, thou unconfinable bafeness, it is as much as I can do to keep the term of my honour precife. I, I, I myself sometimes, leaving the fear of heaven on the left hand, and hiding mine honour in my neceffity, am fain to fhuffle, to hedge and to lurch; and yet you rogue will enfconce your rags, your cat a-mountain looks, your red-lettice phrafes, and your bold-beating oaths, under the fhelser of your honour! you will not do it, you!

Pift. I do relent; what wouldst thou more of man ?

Enter Robin.

Rob. Sir, here's a woman would speak with you,
Fal.. Let her approach.

Enter Miftrefs Quickly.

Quic. Give your worship good morrow.
Fal. Good morrow, good wife.

Quic. Not fo, an't pleafe your worship.

Fal. Good maid, then.

Quic. I'll be fworn, as my mother was, the firå hour I was born.

Fal. I do believe the fwearer: what with me?

Quic. Shall I vouchfafe your worship a word or two? Fal. Two thoufand, fair woman, and I'll vouchfafe thee the hearing.

Quic. There is one mistress Ford, Sir: I pray, come a little nearer this ways: I myself dwell with Mr. Doctor Caius.

Fal. Well, on: mistress Ford, you say,

old copies have it'

(16) Gs, a fhort knife, and a thong,] All the throng: as I believe, the Author defign'd; i. e. a fhort knive and a croud, the two requifites for a pick-pocket. Pickt-batch, as we may find by many places in Ben Johnson, was a noted harbour for thieves and ftrumfels..

Quic. Your worship fays very true: I pray your worship, come a little nearer this ways.

Fal. I warrant thee, no body hears: mine own people, mine own people.

Quic. Are they fo? heav'n blefs them, and make them his fervants.

Fal. Well: mistress Ford, what of her?

Quie. Why, Sir, fhe's a good creature. Lord, Lord, your worship's a wanton; well, heav'n forgive you, and all of us, I pray

Fal. Miltrels Ford, come miftrefs Ford

Quic. Marry, this is the fhort and the long of it; you have brought her into fuch a canaries, as 'tis wonderful: the best courtier of them all, when the court lay at Windfor, could never have brought her to fuch a canary. Yet there has been Knights, and Lords, and Gentlemen, with their coaches; I warrant you, coach after coach, letter after letter, gift after gift, fmelling fo fweetly; all mufk; and fo rufsling, I warrant you, in filk, and gold, and in fuch alligant terms, and in fuch wine and sugar of the best, and the faireft, that would have won any woman's heart; and I warrant you, they could never get an eye-wink of her. I had myfelf twenty angels given me this morning: but I defy all angels, in any fuch fort, as they fay, but in the way of honefty; and I warrant you, they could never get her fo much as fip on a cup with the proudest of them all; and yet there has been Earls, nay, which is more, Penfioners; but, I warrant you, all is one with her.

Fal. But what fays fhe to me? be brief, my good She-Mercury.

Quic. Marry, fhe hath receiv'd your letter, for the which she thanks you a thousand times; and fhe gives you to notify, that her husband will be abfence from his houfe between ten and eleven.

Fal. Ten and Eleven.

Quic. Ay, forfooth; and then you may come and fee the picture, fhe fays, that you wot of: mafter Ford, her husband, will be from home. Alas! the fweet

woman leads an ill life with him, he's a very jealoufy man; fhe leads a very frampold life with him, good heart.

Fal. Ten and Eleven: woman, commend me to her, I will not fail her.

Quic. Why, you fay well: But I have another meffenger to your worship; mistress Page has her hearty commendations to you too; and let me tell you in your ear, fhe's a fartuous a civil modeft wife, and one (I tell you,) that will not mifs you morning nor evening prayer, as any is in Windfor, whoe'er be the other; and the bade me tell your worship, that her husband is feldom from home, but, fhe hopes, there will come a time. I never knew a woman fo doat upon a' man; furely, I think you have charms, la; yes, in truth.

Fal. Not I, I affure thee; fetting the attraction of my good parts afide, I have no other charms.

Quic. Bleffing on your heart for't.

Fal. But I pray thee, tell me this; has Ford's wife, and Page's wife, acquainted each other how they love

me?

Quic. That were a jeft, indeed; they have not fo little grace,. I hope; that were a trick, indeed! but miftrefs Page would defire you to fend her your little page, of all loves: her husband has a marvellous inction to the little page; and, truly, mafter Page is an honeft man. Never a wife in Windfor leads a better life, than fhe does; do what he will, fay what she will, take all, pay all, go to bed when the lift, rife when she lift, all is as the will; and, truly fhe deferves it; for if there be a kind woman in Windsor, truly, she is one. You must fend her your page; no remedy. Fal. Why, I will.

Quic. Nay, but do fo then; and, look you, he come and go between you both, and in any cafe have a nay-word, that you may know one another's mind: and the boy never need to understand any thing; for 'tis not good, that children fhould know any wickednefs: old folks, you know, have difcretion, as they fay, and know the world.

Fal.