Fal. I do believe the swearer; what with me? Quic. Shall I vouchsafe your worship a word or two? Fal. Two thousand, 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 fayQuic. Your worship says very true: I pray your worship, come a little nearer this ways. Fal. I warrant thee, nobody hears-mine own people, mine own people. Quic. Are they so? heav'n bless them, and make them his fervants! Fal. Well: mistress Ford, - what of her? Quic. Why, Sir, she's a good creature. Lord, lord, your worship's a wanton: well, heav'n forgive you, and all of us, I pray Fal. Mistress Ford, come, mistress Ford, Quic. Marry, this is the short and the long of it; you have brought her into such a canaries 4, 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, smelling so sweetly; all musk; and fo rusling, I warrant you, in filk and gold, and in fuch alligant terms, and in fuch wine and fugar 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 myself twenty angels given me this morning; but I defy all angels in any fuch fort as they say, but in the 4 Canary] This is the name in low language for any hurry or of a brifk light dance, and is perturbation. therefore properly enough used Ii 3 way way of honesty. 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 she to me? be brief, my good She Mercury. Quic. Marry, she hath receiv'd your letter, for the which the thanks you a thousand times; and the gives you to notify, that her husband will be abfence from his house between ten and eleven. Fal. Ten and eleven. Quic. Ay, forfooth; and then you may come and see the picture, the fays, that you wot of-master Ford, her husband, will be from home. Alas! the sweet woman leads an ill life with him, he's a very jealoufy man; she leads a very frampold life with him, good heart. 5 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, she's as fartuous a civil modeft wife, and one (I tell you) that will not miss you morning nor evening prayer, as any is in Windfor, whoe'er be the other; and the bad me tell your worship, that her husband is feldom from home, but, she hopes, there will come a time. I never knew a woman so 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, $ Frampold.] This word I Williams, where a frampul man have never feen elsewhere except fignifies a peevish troublesome in Dr. Hacket's life of Archbishop fellow. and 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 mistress Page would defire you to fend her your little page, of all loves: her husband has a marvellous infection to the little page; and, truly, master Page is an honest man. Never a wife in Windfor leads a better life, than she docs; do what she will, fay what she will, take all, pay all, go to bed when the lift, rife when she lift, all is as she will; and truly she deferves it; for if there be a kind woman in Windfor, truly, she is one. You must fend her your page; no remedy. Fal. Why, I will. Quic. Nay, but do so then; and look you, he may 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 should know any wickedness: old folks, you know, have difcretion, as they fay, and know the world. Fal. Fare thee well; commend me to them both: there's my purse, I am yet thy debtor-Boy, go along with this woman. -This news distracts me! [Exeunt Quickly and Robin. Pist. This pink is one of Cupid's carriers : • In former editions, This PUNK is one of Cupid's curriers, Clap on more fails; pursue; up with your fights, Give fire; she is my prize.) This punk is one of Cupid's carriers, is a plausible reading, yet abfurd on examination. For are not all punks Cupid's carriers? Shakespeare certainly wrote, Clap This PINK is one of Cupid's and then the sense is proper, and This 1 Clap on more fails; pursue; up with your fights; Give fire; she is my prize, or ocean whelm them all! [Exit Pistol. Fal. Say'st thou so, old Jack? go thy ways-I'll make more of thy old body, than I have done-will they yet look after thee? Wilt thou, after the expence of fo much mony, be now a gainer? Good body, I thank thee; let them say, 'tis grosly done; so it be fairly done, no matter. SCENE IX. Bard. Sir John, there's one master Brook below would fain fpeak with you, and be acquainted with you; and hath fent your worship a morning's draught of fack. Fal. Brook, is his name? Bard. Ay, Sir. Fal. Call him in; [Exit Bardolph.] such Brooks are welcome to me, that o'erflow with such liquor. Ah! ah! mistress Ford and mistress Page, have I encompafs'd you? go to, via! This PINK, this painted foift, this cockle boat, To bang her fights out, and de fy me, Friends! A well-known man of warAs to the word fights, both in the text and in the quotation, it was then, and, for aught I know, may be now, a common seaterm. Sir Richard Hawkins in his voyages, p. 66. says, For once we cleared her deck, and had we been able to have spared but a dozen men, doubtless we had done with her what we would; for the had no close FIGHTS, i. e. if I understand it right, no small So that by fights is meant any manner of detence, either fmall arms or cannon. So Dryden, in his tragedy of Amboyna, arms. Re-enter Bardolph, with Ford disguis'd. Ford. Bless you, Sir. Fal. And you, Sir; would you speak with me? Ford. I make bold to press with fo little preparation upon you. Fal. You're welcome; what's your will? give us leave, drawer. [Exit Bardolph. : Ford. Sir, I am a gentleman that have spent much; my name is Brook. Fal. Good master Brook, I defire more acquaintance of you. Ford. Good Sir John, I fue for yours; not to * charge you, for I must let you understand, I think myself in better plight for a lender than you are, the which hath fomething embolden'd me to this unseason'd intrufion; for they say, if mony go before, all ways do lye open. Fal. Mony is a good foldier, Sir, and will on. Ford. Troth, and I have a bag of mony, here, troubles me; if you will help me to bear it, Sir John, take all, or half, for easing me of the carriage. Fal. Sir, I know not how I may deserve to be your porter. Ford. I will tell you, Sir, if you will give me the hearing. Fal, Speak, good master Brook, I shall be glad to be your fervant. Ford. Sir, I hear, you are a scholar (I will be brief with you); and you have been a man long known to me, thơ' I had never fo good means, as defire, to make myself acquainted with you: I shall discover a thing to you, wherein I must very much lay open mine own imperfections; but good Sir John, as you have one eye upon my follies, as you hear them unfolded, turn another into the register of your own, * - not to charge you,] That ting you to expence, or being is, not with a purpose of put- burthenfome. that |