A great while ago the world begun, But that's all one, our play is done; This play is in the graver part elegant and eafy, and in fome of the lighter fcenes exquifitely humorous. Ague-cheek is drawn with great propriety, but his character is, in a great measure, that of natural fatuity, and is therefore not the proper prey of a fatirift. The foliloquy of Malvolio is truly comick; he is betrayed to ridicule merely by his pride. The marriage of Olivia, and the fucceeding perplexity, though well enough contrived to divert on the ftage, wants credibility, and fails to produce the proper inftruction required in the drama, as it exhibits no juft picture of life. THE Dramatis Perfonæ. SIR John Falstaff. Fenton. Shallow, a Country Justice. Mr. Ford, } two Gentlemen, dwelling at Windfor. Sir Hugh Evans, a Welch Parfon. Dr. Caius, a French Doctor. Hoft of the Garter.' Bardolph. Nym. Robin, Page to Falstaff. William Page, a Boy, Son to Mr. Page. Simple, Servant to Slender. Rugby, Servant to Dr. Caius. Mrs. Page. Mrs. Ford. Mrs. Ann Page, Daughter to Mr. Pağe, in Love with Fenton. Mrs. Quickly, Servant to Dr. Caius. Servants to Page, Ford, &c. SCENE, Windfor; and the Parts adjacent. THE 'MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. ACT I. SCENE I. Before Page's Houfe in Windfor. Enter Justice Shallow, Slender, and Sir Hugh Evans. S SHALLOW. IR Hugh, perfuade me not. I will make a StarChamber matter of it. If he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs, he fhall not abufe Robert ShalJow, Efq; The Merry Wives of Windfor.] Queen Elizabeth was fo well pleased with the admirable Character of Falstaff in the two Parts of Henry IV, that, as Mr. Rowe informs us, She com Slen. manded Shakespeare to continue it for one Play more, and to fhew him in Love. To this Command we owe the Merry Wives of Windfor: which, Mr. Gildon fays, he was very well af Gg 2 fured, Slen. In the county of Gloucester, juftice of peace, and Coram. Shal. Ay, coufin Slender, and Cuftalorum. Slen. Ay, and Rato-lorum too; and a gentleman born, master parfon, who writes himself Armigero in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation; Armigero. Shal. Ay, that I do, and have done any time thefe three hundred years. Slen. All his fucceffors, gone before him, have don't; and all his ancestors, that come after him, may; they may give the dozen white luces in their Coat. Shal. It is an old Coat. Eva. The dozen white lowfes do become an old coat well; it agrees well, paffant; it is a familiar beaft to man, and fignifies love. Shal. The luce is the fresh fish, the falt-fish is an old Coat. Slen. I may quarter, coz. Shal. You may by marrying. Eva. It is marring, indeed, if he quarter it. Eva. Yes, per-lady; if he has a quarter of your coat, there is but three skirts for yourself, in my fimple conjectures. But that is all one; if Sir John Faltaff have committed difparagements upon you, I am fured, our Author finifh'd in a Fortnight. But this must be meant only of the firft imperfect Sketch of this Comedy, an old Quarto Edition whereof I have feen, printed in 1602; which fays in the Title-page-As it bath been divers times afted both before her Majesty and elferwhere. POPE. THEOBALD. Cuftalorum.] This is, I fuppofe, intended for a corruption of Cuftos Rotulorum. The miftake was hardly defigned by the Author, who, though he 2 gives Shallow folly enough,makes him rather pedantick than illiterate. If we read : Shal. Ay, coufin Slender, and Slen. Ay, and Ratulorum too. |