but women, indeed, cannot abide 'em; they are very ill-favoured rough things. Re-enter PAGE. Page. Come, gentle master Slender, come; we stay for you. Slen. I'll eat nothing; I thank you, sir. Page. By cock and pye, you shall not choose, sir; come, come. Slen. Nay, pray you, lead the way. Page. Come on, sir. Slen. Mistress Anne, yourself shall go first. Slen. Truly, I will not go first; truly, la; I will not do you that wrong. Anne. I pray you, sir. Slen. I'll rather be unmannerly than troublesome; you do yourself wrong, indeed, la. [Exeunt. SCENE II. The same. Enter Sir HUGH EVANS and SIMPLE. Eva. Go your ways, and ask of Doctor Caius' house, which is the way: and there dwells one mistress Quickly, which is in the manner of his nurse, or his dry nurse, or his cook, or his laundry, his washer, and his wringer. Sim. Well, sir. Eva. Nay, it is petter yet:give her this letter; for it is a 'oman that altogether's acquaintance with mistress Anne Page; and the letter is, to desire and require her to solicit your master's desires to mistress Anne Page: I pray you be gone; I will make an end of my dinner; there's pippins and cheese to come. [Exeunt. SCENE III A room in the Garter Inn. Enter FALSTAFF, HOST, BARDOLPH, NYM, Fal. Mine host of the Garter, Host. What says my bully-rook? Speak scholarly, and wisely. Fal. Truly, mine Host, I must turn away some of my followers. Host. Discard, bully Hercules; cashier : let them wag; trot, trot. Fal. I sit at ten pounds a week. Host. Thou art an emperor, Cæsar, Keisar, and Pheezar. I will entertain Bardolph; he shall draw, he shall tap: said I well, bully Hector? Fal. Do so, good mine host. Host. I have spoke; let him follow: Let me see thee froth, and lime: I am at a word; follow. [Exit HOST. Fal. Bardolph, follow him; a tapster is a good trade: An old cloak makes a new jerkin; a withered servingman, a fresh tapster; Go, adieu. Bard. It is a life that I have desired; I will thrive. [Exit BARD. Pist. O base Gongarian wight! wilt thou the spigot wield? 4 Nym. His mind is not heroick, and there's the humour of it. Fal. I am glad, I am so acquit of this tinderbox; his thefts were too open: his filching was like an unskilful singer, he kept not time. Nym. The good humour is, to steal at a minute's rest. 4 For Hungarian. VOL. I. Pist. Convey, the wise it call: Steal! foh, a fico for the phrase! Fal. Well, sirs, I am almost out at heels. Fal. There is no remedy; I must shift. Fal. Which of you know Ford of this town? Pist. Two yards, and more. Fal. No quips now, Pistol ; indeed I am in the waist two yards about: but I am now about no waste; I am about thrift. Briefly, I do mean to make love to Ford's wife; I spy entertainment in her; she discourses, she carves, she gives the leer of invitation; I can construe the action of her familiar style; and the hardest voice of her behaviour, to be English'd rightly, is, I am sir John Falstaffs. Pist. He hath studied her well, and translated her well; out of honesty into English. Nym. The anchor is deep: will that humour pass? Fal. Now, the report goes, she has all the rule of her husband's purse. Pist. To her, boy, say I. Nym. The humour rises; it is good. Fal. I have writ me here a letter to her: and here another to Page's wife; who even now gave me good eyes too: she bears the purse too; she is a region in Guiana, all gold and bounty. I will be cheater to them both, and they shall be exchequers to me; they shall be my East and West Indies, and I will trade to them both. Go, bear thou this letter to mistress Page; and thou this to mistress Ford: we will thrive, lads, we will thrive. $ Fig. 6 Escheatour, an officer in the Exchequer. Pist. Shall I sir Pandarus of Troy become, And by my side wear steel? then, Lucifer take all! Nym. I will run no base humour; here, take the humour letter; I will keep the 'haviour of reputation. Fal. Hold, sirrah, [To ROB.] bear you these letters tightly;? Sail like my pinnace to these golden shores.Rogues, hence avaunt! vanish like hail-stones, go; Trudge, plod, away, o' the hoof; seek shelter, pack! Falstaff will learn the humour of this age, French thrift, you rogues; myself, and skirted page. [Exeunt FALSTAFF and ROBIN. Pist. Let vultures gripe thee, for gourd and fullam holds, 8 And high and low beguile the rich and poor: Tester I'll have in pouch, when thou shalt lack, Base Phrygian Turk! Nym. I have operations in my head, which be humours of revenge. Pist. Wilt thou revenge? Nym. By welkin, and her star! Pist. With wit, or steel? Nym. With both the humours, I: I will discuss the humour of this love to Page. How Falstaff, varlet vile, His dove will prove, his gold will hold, And his soft couch defile. Nym. My humour shall not cool: I will incense Page to deal with poison; I will possess him with yellowness', for the revolt of mien is dangerous: that is my true humour. Pist. Thou art the Mars of malcontents: I second thee; troop on.. [Exeunt. 9 Sixpence I'll have in pocket. 2 Jealousy. 7 Cleverly. 8 False dice. I 1 Instigate. Pist. Convey, the wise it call: Steal! foh, a fico for the phrase! Fal. Well, sirs, I am almost out at heels. Fal. There is no remedy; I must shift. Fal. Which of you know Ford of this town? Pist. Two yards, and more. Fal. No quips now, Pistol; indeed I am in the waist two yards about: but I am now about no waste; I am about thrift. Briefly, I do mean to make love to Ford's wife; I spy entertainment in her; she discourses, she carves, she gives the leer of invitation; I can construe the action of her familiar style; and the hardest voice of her behaviour, to be English'd rightly, is, I am sir John Falstaff's. Pist. He hath studied her well, and translated her well; out of honesty into English. Nym. The anchor is deep: will that humour pass? Fal. Now, the report goes, she has all the rule of her husband's purse. Pist. To her, boy, say I. Nym. The humour rises; it is good. Fal. I have writ me here a letter to her: and here another to Page's wife; who even now gave me good eyes too she bears the purse too; she is a region in Guiana, all gold and bounty. I will be cheater" to them both, and they shall be exchequers to me; they shall be my East and West Indies, and I will trade to them both. Go, bear thou this letter to mistress Page; and thou this to mistress Ford: we will thrive, lads, we will thrive. 5 Fig. 6 Eschealour, an officer in the Exchequer. |