wait on myself, must I? You have not The Book of | peace sometime may be beholden to his friend for a Riddles about you, have you? man:-1 keep but three men and a boy yet, till my Sim. Book of Riddles! why, did not you lend it mother be dead: But what though? yet I live like to Alice Shortcake upon Allhallowmas last, a fort-a poor gentleman born. night afore Michaelmas? Shal. Come, coz; come, coz; we stay for you. A word with you, coz: marry, this, coz; There is, as 'twere, a tender, a kind of tender, made afar off by sir Hugh here;-Do you understand me? Slen. Ay, sir, you shall find me reasonable; if it be so, I shall do that that is reason. Shal. Nay, but understand me. Slen. So I do, sir. Eva. Give ear to his motions, master Slender: I will description the matter to you, if you be capa city of it. Slen. Nay, I will do as my cousin Shallow says; I pray you, pardon me; he's a justice of peace in his country, simple though I stand here. Era. But this is not the question; the question is concerning your marriage. Shat. Ay, there's the point, sir. Eve. Marry, is it; the very point of it; to mistress Anne Page. Slen. Why, if it be so, I will marry her, upon any reasonable demands. Ecan. But can you affection the 'oman? Let us command to know that of your mouth, or of your hips; for divers philosophers hold, that the lips is parcel of the mouth;-Therefore, precisely, can you carry your good will to the maid? Shal. Cousin Abraham Slender, can you love her? Sen. I hope, sir,--I will do, as it shall become one that would do reason. Fea. Nay, Got's lords and his ladies, you must speak possitable, if you can carry her your desires towards her? Shal. That you must: Will you, upon good dowry, marry her? Sten. I will do a greater thing than that, upon your request, cousin, in any reason. Sal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, sweet coz; what I do, is to pleasure you, coz: Can you love the maid? bien. I will marry her, sir, at your request; but if there be no great love in the beginning, yet heaven may decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are married, and have more occasion to know one another: I hope, upon familiarity will grow more contempt: but if you say, marry her, I will marry her, that I am freely dissolved, and dissolutely. Era. It is a fery discretion answer; save, the faul' is in the 'ort dissolutely: the 'ort is, according to our meaning, resolutely;—his meaning is good. Shal. Ay, I think my cousin meant well. Sten. Ay, or else I would I might be hanged, la. Re-enter ANNE PAGE. Shal. Here comes fair mistress Anne :-Would I were young, for your sake, mistress Anne! Anne. The dinner is on the table; my father desires your worships' company. Shal. I will wait on him, fair mistress Anne. Era. Od's plessed will! I will not be absence at the grace. [Exeunt SHALLOW and Sir H. EVANS. Anne. Will't please your worship to come in, sir? Sten. No, I thank you, forsooth, heartily; I am very well. Anne. The dinner attends you, sir. Sien. I am not a-hungry, I thank you, forsooth. Go, sirrah, for all you are my man, go, wait upon my cousin Shallow: [Erit SIMPLE.] A justice of Anne. I may not go in without your worship: they will not sit, till you come. Šlen. I'faith, I'll eat nothing: I thank you as much as though I did. Anne. I pray you, sir, walk in. Slen. I had rather walk here, I thank you; I bruised my shin the other day with playing at sword and dagger with a master of fence, three veneys for a dish of stewed prunes; and, by my troth, I cannot abide the smell of hot meat since. Why do your dogs bark so? be there bears i' the town. Anne. I think there are, sir; I heard them talked of. Slen. I love the sport well; but I shall as soon quarrel at it, as any man in England:-You are afraid, if you see the bear loose, are you not? Anne. Ay, indeed, sir. Slen. That's meat and drink to me now: I have seen Sackerson loose twenty times; and have taken him by the chain: but, I warrant you, the women have so cried and shriek'd at it, that it pass'd:-but women, indeed, cannot abide 'em; they are very ill favoured rough things. Host. Thou'rt an emperor, Cæsar, Keisar, and : 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 and an old cloak makes a new jerkin; a withered serving-man, a fresh tapster: Go; adieu. Burd. It is a life that I have desired: I will thrive. [Exit BARD. Pist. O base Gongarian wight! wilt thou the spigot wield? Nym. He was gotten in drink: Is not the humour conceited? His mind is not heroic, and there's the humour of it. Fal. I am glad, I am so acquit of this tinder-box; 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. Pist. Convey, the wise it call: Steal! foh; a fico for the phrase! Fal. Well, sirs, I almost out at heels. Pist. Why then, let kibes ensue. Fal. Hold, sirrah, [to RoB.] bear you these letters Sail like my pinnace to these golden shores.-- And high and low beguile the rich and poor; Nym. I have operations in my head, which be humours of revenge. Pist. Wilt thou revenge? Nym. By welkin, and her star! 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, Nym. My humour shall not cool: I will incense Fal. There is no remedy; I must coney catch; yellowness, for the revolt of mien is dangerous: that I must shift. Pist. Young ravens must have food. 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; she hath legions of angels. Pist. As many devils entertain; and, To her, boy, say I. Nym. The humour rises; it is good: humour me the angels. 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, examined my parts with most judicious eyliads: sometimes the beam of her view gilded my foot, sometimes my portly belly. eye Pist. Then did the sun on dunghill shine. Pist. Shall I sir Pandarus of Troy become, is my true humour. Pist. Thou art the Mars of malcontents: I second thee; troop on. [Exeunt. SCENE IV.--A Room in Dr. Caius's House. Enter Mrs. QUICKLY, SIMPLE, and RUGBY. Quick. What: John Rugby!-I pray thee, go to the casement, and see if you can see my master, master Doctor Caius, coming: if he do, i'faith, and find any body in the house, here will be an old abusing of God's patience, and the king's English. Rug. I'll go watch. [Exit RUGBY. Quick. Go; and we'll have a posset for 't soon at night, in faith, at the latter end of a sea coal fire. An honest, willing, kind fellow, as ever servant shall come in house withal; and, I warrant you, no tell-tale, nor no breed-bate: his worst fault is, that he is given to prayer; he is something peevish that way; but nobody but has his fault-but let that pass. Peter Simple, you say your name is? Sim. Ay, for fault of a better. a Quick. And master Slender's your master? Quick. Does he not wear a great round beard, like Sim. No, forsooth: he hath but a little wee face, with a little yellow beard; a Cain-coloured beard. Quick. A softly-sprighted man, is he not? Sim. Ay, forsooth: but he is as tall a man of his hands, as any is between this and his head; he hath fought with a warrener. Quick. How say you?-O, I should remember him; Does he not hold up his head, as it were? and strut in his gait? Sim. Yes, indeed, does he. Quick. Well, heaven send Anne Page no worse fortune! Tell master parson Evans, I will do what I can for your master: Anne is a good girl, and I wish- Re-enter RUGEY. Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master. Quick. We shall all be shent: Run in here, good young man; go into this closet [Shuts SIMPLE in [the closet.] He will not stay long-What, John Rugby! John, what John, I say!-Go, John, go inquire for my master; I doubt, he be not well, that be comes not home :—and down, down, adown-a, &c. [Sings. Enter Doctor CAIUS. Caius. Vat is you sing? I do not like dese toys; Pray you, go and vetch me in my closet un boitier terd; a box, a green-a box; Do intend vat I speak? a green-a box. Quick. Ay, forsooth, I'll fetch it you. I am glad he went not in himself: if he had found the young man, he would have been horn-mad. [Aside. Caius. Fe, fe, fe, fe! ma foi, il fait fort chaud. Je m'en vais à la cour,-la grande affaire. Quick. Is it this, sir? Caius. Ouy; mette le au mon pocket; Depêche, Catus. You are John Rugby, and you are Jack Rugby: Come, take-a your rapier, and come after my heel to de court. Rug. 'Tis ready, sir, here in the porch. Caius. By my trot, I tarry too long: Od's me! Qu'ay j'oublié ? here is some simples in my closet, dat I vill not for the varld I shall leave behind. Quick. Ah me! he'll find the young man there, and be mad! Caius. O diable, diable! vat is in my closet?Villany! larron! [pulling SIMPLE out.] Rugby, my Sim. Ay, forsooth, to desire her to- Cars. Peace-a your tongue :-Speak-a your tale. Sim. To desire this honest gentlewoman, your maid, to speak a good word to Mrs. Anne Page for my master, in the way of marriage. Quick. This is all, indeed, la; but I'll ne'er put my anger in the fire, and need not. priest to meddle or make :-you may be gone; it is Quick. 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 de court vit me :-By gar, if I have not Anne Page, I shall turn your head out of my door--Follow my heels, Rugby. [Exeunt CAIUS and RUGBY. Quick. You shall have An fools-head of your own. No, I know Anne's mind for that: never a woman in Windsor knows more of Anne's mind, than I do: nor can do more than I do with her, I thank heaven. Fent. [Within.] Who's within there? ho! Quick. Who's there, I trow? Come near the house, I pray you. Enter FENTON. Fent. How now, good woman; how dost thou ? Quick. The better, that it pleases your good worship to ask. Fent. What news? how does pretty mistress Anne? Quick. In truth, sir, and she is pretty, and honest, and gentle; and one that is your friend, I can tell you that by the way; I praise heaven for it. Fent. Shall I do any good, thinkest thou? Shall I not lose my suit? Quick. Troth, sir, all is in his hands above: but notwithstanding, master Fenton, I'll be sworn on a book, she loves you :-Have not your worship a wart above your eye? Fent. Yes, marry, have I; what of that? Quick. Well, thereby hangs a tale ;-good faith, it is such another Nan;-but, I detest, an honest maid as ever broke bread: We had an hour's talk of that wart :-I shall never laugh but in that maid's company! But, indeed, she is given too much to allicholly, and musing: But for you-Well, go to. Fent. Well, I shall see her to-day; Hold, there's money for thee; let me have thy voice in my behalf: if thou seest her before me, commend me- Quick. Will I? i'faith, that we will; and I will tell your worship more of the wart, the next time we have confidence; and of other wooers. Cars. Sir Hugh send-a you?-Rugby, baillez me some paper: Tarry you a little-a while. [Writes. Quick. I am glad he is so quiet: if he had been thoroughly moved, you should have heard him so Fent. Well, farewell; I am in great haste now. loud, and so melancholy;- But notwithstanding, [Exit. man, I'll do your master what good I can: and the Quick. Farewell to your worship.-Truly, an hovery yea and the no is, the French doctor, my mas-nest gentleman; but Anne loves him not; for I know ter,—I may call him my master, lock you, for I keep Anne's mind as well as another does :-Out upon't! his house; and I wash, wring, brew, bake, scour, what have I forgot? dress meat and drink, make the beds, and do all myself: Sam. Tis a great charge, to come under one body's band. I Quick. Are you avis'd o'that? you shall find it a great charge: and to be up early and down late ;but notwithstanding, (to tell you in your ear; would have no words of it;) my master himself is in love with mistress Anne Page: but notwithstanding that-I know Anne's mind,—that's neither here nor there. Caius. You Jack'nape; give a dis letter to sir Hugh; by gar, it is a shallenge; I vill cut his troat in de park; and I vill teach a scurvy jack-a-nape ACT II. SCENE I.-Before Page's House. [Exit. Ask me no reason why I love you; for though love use reason for his precisian, he admits him not for his counsellor: You are not young, no more am 1; go to |