Evans. It is not meet the council hear a riot; there is no fear of Got in a riot. The council, look you, shall desire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear a riot. Take your vizaments in that.

Shal. Ha! O' my life, if I were young again, the sword should end it."

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Evans. It is petter that friends is the sword, and end it; and there is also another device in my prain, which peradventure prings goot [44 discretions with it: there is Anne Page, which is daughter to Master George Page, which is pretty virginity.

Slen. Mistress Anne Page? She has brown hair, and speaks small like a woman.

Evans. It is that fery person for all the orld, as just as you will desire; and seven [50 hundred pounds of moneys, and gold and silver, is her grandsire upon his death's-bed - Got deliver to a joyful resurrections!-give, when she is able to overtake seventeen years old. It were a goot motion if we leave our pribbles [55 and prabbles, and desire a marriage between Master Abraham and Mistress Anne Page.

Shal. Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred pound?

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Evans. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny.

Shal. I know the young gentlewoman; she has good gifts.

Evans. Seven hundred pounds and possibilities is goot gifts.

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Shal. Well, let us see honest Master Page. Is Falstaff there?

Evans. Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar as I do despise one that is false, or as I despise one that is not true. The knight, Sir [70 John, is there; and, I beseech you, be ruled by your well-willers. I will peat the door for Master Page. [Knocks.] What, hoa! Got pless your house here!

Page. [Within.] Who's there?

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[Enter PAGE.]

Evans. Here is Got's plessing, and your friend, and Justice Shallow; and here young Master Slender, that peradventures shall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings.

Page. I am glad to see your worships well. I thank you for my venison, Master Shallow. 81 Shal. Master Page, I am glad to see you. Much good do it your good heart! I wish'd your venison better; it was ill kill'd. How doth good Mistress Page? - and I thank you always with my heart, la! with my heart. Page. Sir, I thank you.

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Shal. Sir, I thank you; by yea and no, I do.

Page. I am glad to see you, good Master Slender.

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Slen. How does your fallow greyhound, sir? I heard say he was outrun on Cotsall.

Page. It could not be judg'd, sir.

Slen. You'll not confess, you'll not confess.

Shal. That he will not. "T is your fault, 't is your fault; 't is a good dog.

Page. A cur, sir.

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Shal. Sir, he's a good dog, and a fair dog; can there be more said? He is good and fair. Is Sir John Falstaff here?

100

Page. Sir, he is within; and I would I could do a good office between you.

Evans. It is spoke as a Christians ought to speak.

Shal. He hath wrong'd me, Master Page. 105 Page. Sir, he doth in some sort confess it. Shal. If it be confessed, it is not redressed. Is not that so, Master Page? He hath wrong'd me; indeed he hath; at a word, he hath. Believe me, Robert Shallow, esquire, saith he is wrong'd.

Page. Here comes Sir John.

110

Slen. Ay, it is no matter.

Pist. How now, Mephostophilus! Slen. Ay, it is no matter.

Nym. Slice, I say! pauca, pauca. Slice that's my humour.

Slen. Where's Simple, my man? Can yo tell, cousin?

Evans. Peace, I pray you. Now let us under stand. There is three umpires in this matter as I understand; that is, Master Page, fide licet Master Page; and there is myself, fidelicet myself; and the three party is, lastly an finally, mine host of the Garter.

Page. We three to hear it and end it betwee them.

Evans. Fery goot. I will make a prief of in my note-book, and we will afterwards or upon the cause with as great discreetly as w

Fal. Pistol, did you pick Master Slender purse?

Slen. Ay, by these gloves, did he, or would I might never come in mine own gres chamber again else, of seven groats in mill-si pences, and two Edward shovel-boards, the cost me two shilling and two pence a-piece Yead Miller, by these gloves.

Fal. Is this true, Pistol?

Evans. No; it is false, if it is a pick-purse
Pist. Ha, thou mountain-foreigner! S
John and master mine,

I combat challenge of this latten bilbo.
Word of denial in thy labras here!
Word of denial! Froth and scum, thou liest
Slen. By these gloves, then, 't was he.

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Nym. Be avis'd, sir, and pass good h mours. I will say marry trap with you, you run the nuthook's humour on me. That is the very note of it.

Slen. By this hat, then, he in the red fa had it; for though I cannot remember wha did when you made me drunk, yet I am not together an ass.

Fal. What say you, Scarlet and John? Bard. Why, sir, for my part, I say the g tleman had drunk himself out of his five s tences.

Evans. It is his five senses. Fie, what ignorance is!

Bard. And being fap, sir, was, as they s cashier'd; and so conclusions pass'd the

reers.

Slen. Ay, you spake in Latin then too. 1 'tis no matter; I'll ne'er be drunk whils live again, but in honest, civil, godly compa for this trick. If I be drunk, I'll be dri with those that have the fear of God, and with drunken knaves.

Evans. So Got udge me, that is a virtu mind.

Fal. You hear all these matters deni'd, § tlemen; you hear it.

w now, Simple! where have you been? I wait on myself, must I? You have not Book of Riddles about you, have you? 200 a. Book of Riddles! Why, did you not it to Alice Shortcake upon All-hallowmas a fortnight afore Michaelmas ?

a. Come, coz; come, coz; we stay for you. 1wed with you, coz; marry, this, coz: there At were, a tender, a kind of tender, de afar off by Sir Hugh here. Do you understand me?

216

coz; what I do is to pleasure you, coz. Can you love the maid?

Slen. 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 [255 more occasion to know one another. I hope, upon familiarity will grow more content. But if you say, "Marry her," I will marry her; that I am freely dissolved, and dissolutely. 200 Evans. It is a fery discretion answer, save the fall is in the ort "dissolutely." The ort is, according to our meaning, "resolutely." His meaning is good.

la!

Shal. Ay, I think my cousin meant well. 265 Slen. Ay, or else I would I might be hang'd,

Shal. Here comes fair Mistress Anne. [Re-enter ANNE PAGE.]

Would I were young for your sake, Mistress Anne!

Anne. The dinner is on the table. My father desires your worships' company.

271

Shal. I will wait on him, fair Mistress Anne. Evans. Od's plessed will, I will not be absence at the grace.

276

[Exeunt Shallow and Evans.] Anne. Will 't please your worship to come in, sir? Slen. No, I thank you, forsooth, heartily; I am very well.

Anne. The dinner attends you, sir.

Slen. I am not a-hungry; I thank you, [280 forsooth. Go, sirrah, for all you are my man, go wait upon my cousin Shallow. [Exit Simple.] A justice of peace sometime may be beholding to his friend for a man. I keep but three men and a boy yet, till my mother be dead. But [285 what though? Yet I live like a poor gentleman born.

Anne. I may not go in without your worship. They will not sit till you come.

Slen. I' faith, I'll eat nothing. I thank you as much as though I did.

Anne. I pray you, sir, walk in.

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Slen. I had rather walk here, I thank you. I bruis'd my shin the other day with playing at sword and dagger with a master of fence; three veneys for a dish of stew'd prunes; [295 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 talk'd of.

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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?

SCENE III. [A room in the Garter Inn.] Enter FALSTAFF, HOST, BARDOLPH, NYM, PISTOL, and page [ROBIN].

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.

5

Host. Discard, bully Hercules; cashier. Let them wag. Trot, trot.

Fal. I sit at ten pounds a week.

Host. Thou 'rt an emperor, Cæsar, Keisar, and Pheezar. I will entertain Bardolph; he [10 shall draw, he shall tap. Said I well, bully Hector?

Fal. Do so, good mine host.

Host. I have spoke; let him follow. [To Bard.] Let me see thee froth and lime. I am at a word; follow. [Exit.] 15

Fal. Bardolph, follow him. A tapster is a good trade. An old cloak makes a new jerkin; a wither'd serving-man a fresh tapster. Go; adieu.

20

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 am almost out at heels. Pist. Why, then, let kibes ensue. Fal. There is no remedy; I must cony-catch I must shift.

Pist. Young ravens must have food.

Fal. Which of you know Ford of this town' Pist. I ken the wight; he is of substance good.

Fal. My honest lads, I will tell you what am about.

Pist. Two yards, and more.

Fal. No quips now, Pistol! Indeed, I am in the waist two yards about; but I am now abou no waste, I am about thrift. Briefly, I do meas to make love to Ford's wife. I spy entertain ment in her. She discourses, she carves, sh gives the leer of invitation. I can construe th 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 tran lated her will out of honesty into English. Nym. The anchor is deep. Will that humou pass?

Fal. Now, the report goes she has all th rule of her husband's purse. He hath a legio of angels.

Pist. As many devils entertain; and "T her, boy," say I.

Nym. The humour rises; it is good. H mour me the angels.

Fal. I have writ me here a letter to he and here another to Page's wife, who ev now gave me good eyes too, examin'd my par with most judicious œillades; sometimes th beam of her view gilded my foot, sometim my portly belly.

Pist. Then did the sun on dunghill shine. Num. I thank thee for that humour.

Fal. O, she did so course o'er my exteri with such a greedy intention, that the appeti of her eye did seem to scorch me up like burning-glass! Here's another letter to h She bears the purse too; she is a region in Guiana, all gold and bounty. I will be cheat to them both, and they shall be exchequers me. They shall be my East and West Indi and I will trade to them both. Go bear th this letter to Mistress Page; and thou this to Mistress Ford. We will thrive, lads, will thrive.

Pist. Shall I Sir Pandarus of Troy becom And by my side wear steel? Then, Luci take all!

Nym. I will run no base humour. He take the humour-letter; I will keep the viour of reputation.

Fal. To Robin.] Hold, sirrah, bear: these letters tightly; Sail like my pinnace to these golden shores

I will discuss the humour of this love to Page. Pist. And I to Ford shall eke unfold

How Falstaff, varlet vile,

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His dove will prove, his gold will hold,
And his soft couch defile.

Nya. My humour shall not cool. I will inPage to deal with poison; I will possess [110 with yellowness, for the revolt of mine is s. That is my true humour. Fist. Thou art the Mars of malcontents. I wond thee; troop on. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV. [A room in Doctor Caius's house.] Ester MISTRESS QUICKLY, SIMPLE, and JOHN RUGBY.

Q. What, John Rugby! I pray thee, go the casement, and see if you can see my Caster Master Doctor Caius, coming. If he

faith, and find any body in the house, here be an old abusing of God's patience and the King's English.

Bag I'll go watch.

6

Go; and we'll have a posset for 't at night, in faith, at the latter end of a wl fire. Erit Rugby.] An honest, willing, fellow, as ever servant shall come in [10 withal, and, I warrant you, no tell-tale 10 breed-bate. His worst fault is, that he

to prayer. He is something peevish way; but nobody but has his fault. But hat pass. Peter Simple, you say your name

Ay, for fault of a better.

k. And Master Slender 's your master? Ay, forsooth.

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ark Does he not wear a great round beard, a glover's paring-knife?

21

No, forsooth; he hath but a little wee with a little yellow beard, a Cain-colour'd

. A softly-sprighted man, is he not? 25 Ay, forsooth; but he is as tall a man hands as any is between this and his He hath fought with a warrener.

How say you? O, I should remember Dos he not hold up his head, as it were, crat in his gait?

31

Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master. Quick. We shall all be shent. Run in here, good young man; go into this closet. He will not stay long. [Shuts Simple in the closet.] What, John Rugby! John! what, John, I [40 say! Go, John, go inquire for my master; I doubt he be not well, that he comes not home.

[Singing.] And down, down, adown-a, etc.

[Enter DOCTOR CAIUS.]

Caius. Vat is you sing? I do not like dese [45 toys. Pray you, go and vetch me in my closet une boite en verde, a box, a green-a box. Do intend vat I speak? A green-a box.

Quick. Ay, forsooth; I'll fetch it you. [Aside.] I am glad he went not in himself; if he had found the young man, he would have [50 been horn-mad.

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?

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Caius. Oui; mette le au mon pocket; dépêche, quickly. Vere is dat knave Rugby? Quick. What, John Rugby! John! Rug. Here, sir!

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Carus. 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! Qu'ai-'oublié? Dere is some simples in my closet, dat I vill not for the varld I shall [65 leave behind.

Quick. Ay me, he 'll find the young man there, and be mad!

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Caius. O diable, diable! vat is in my closet? Villainy! Laron! [Pulling Simple out.] Rugby, my rapier!

Quick. Good master, be content.

Caius. Wherefore shall I be content-a? Quick. The young man is an honest man. Caius. What shall de honest man do in my closet? Dere is no honest man dat shall come in my closet.

Quick. I beseech you, be not so phlegmatic. Hear the truth of it: he came of an errand to me from Parson Hugh.

Caius. Vell?

Sim. Ay, forsooth; to desire her toQuick. Peace, I pray you.

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Caius. Peace-a your tongue. Speak-a your