that I may pass with a reproof the easier, sith you yourself know, how easy it is to be fuch an offender. Fal. Very well: Sir, proceed:

Ford. There is a gentlewoman in this town, her husband's name is Ford.

Fal. Well, Sir.

Ford. I have long lov'd her; and, I protest to you, bestow'd much on her; follow'd her with a doating obfervance; engross'd opportunities to meet her; fee'd every flight occafion, that could but niggardly give me fight of her; not only bought many presents to give her, but have given largely to many, to know what the would have given: briefly, I have purfued her, as love hath pursu'd me, which hath been on the wing of all occafions. But whatfoever I have merited, either in my mind, or in my means; meed, I am fure, I have received none; unless experience be a jewel; That I have purchas'd at an infinite rate, and That hath taught me to say this;

“ Love like a shadow flies, when substance love pur

fues;

" Pursuing That that flies, and flying what pursues. Fal. Have you receiv'd no promife of fatisfaction at her hands?

Ford. Never.

Fal. Have you importun'd her to fuch a purposfe?
Ford. Never.

Fal. Of what quality was your love then?

Ford. Like a fair house built upon another man's ground; so that I have lost my edifice, by mistaking the place where I have erected it.

Fal. To what purpose have you unfolded this to me?

Ford. When I have told you that, I have told you all. Some fay, that tho' the appear honeft to me, yet in other places she enlargeth her mirth so far, that there is shrewd construction made of her. Now, Sir John, here is the heart of my purpose: You are a gentleman

of

of excellent breeding, admirable discourse, of great admittance, authentick in your place and perfon, generally allow'd for your many war-like, court-like, and learned preparations.

Fal. O Sir!

Ford. Believe it, for you know it: there is mony, fpend it, spend it; spend more, spend all I have, only give me fo much of your time in exchange of it, as to lay an amiable siege to the honesty of this Ford's wife; ufe your art of wooing, win her to confent to you; if any man may, you may as foon as any.

Fal. Would it apply well to the vehemence of your affection, that I should win what you would enjoy? methinks, you prescribe to yourself very preposteroufly.

Ford. O, understand my drift; she dwells fo fccurely on the excellency of her honour, that the folly of my foul dares not present itself; she is too bright to be look'd against. Now, could I come to her with any detection in my hand, my defires had instance and argument to commend themselves; I could drive her then from the ward of her purity, her reputation, her marriage-vow, and a thousand other her defences, which now are too strongly embattel'd against me. What fay you to't, Sir John?

Fal. Master Brook, I will first make bold with your mony; next, give me your hand; and laft, as I am a gentleman, you shall, if you will, enjoy Ford's wife. Ford. O good Sir!

Fal. Master Brook, I fay you shall.

Ford. Want no mony, Sir John, you shall want

none.

Fal. Want no mistress Ford, master Brook, you shall want none. I shall be with her, I may tell you, by her own appointment. Even as you came in to me, her afsistant, or go-between, parted from me; I'

1 Instance and argument.] Instance is example.

say, I shall be with her between ten and eleven; for at that time the jealous rascally knave, her husband, will be forth. Come you to me at night, you shall know how I speed.

Ford. I am blest in your acquaintance. Do you know Ford, Sir?

Fal. Hang him, poor cuckoldly knave, I know him not: yet I wrong him, to call him poor; they say, the jealous wittolly knave hath masses of mony, for the which his wife seems to be well-favour'd. I will use her as the key of the cuckoldly-rogue's coffer; and there's my harvest-home.

Ford. I would you knew Ford, Sir, that you might avoid him, if you faw him.

Fal. Hang him, mechanical falt-butter rogue: I will ftare him out of his wits; I will awe him with my cudgel; it shall hang like a meteor o'er the Cuckold's horns. Master Brook, thou shall know, I will predominate over the peasant; and thou shalt lye with his wife. Come to me foon at night. Ford's a knave, and I will aggravate his stile: thou, master Brook, shalt know him for knave and cuckold. - Come to me foon at night. [Exit.

SCENE X.

Ford. What a damn'd Epicurean rascal is this! my heart is ready to crack with impatience. Who fays, this is improvident jealousy? my wife hath fent to him, the hour is fixt, the match is made; would any man have thought this? fee the hell of having a false woman! my bed shall be abus'd, my coffers ransack'd, my reputation gnawn at; and I shall not only receive this villainous wrong, but stand under the adoption of abominable terms, and by him that does me the wrong. Terms, names; Amaimon founds well; Lucifer, well; Barbajon, well; yet they are devils' additions, the

names of fiends: but cuckold, wittol, cuckold! the devil himself hath not fuch a name. Page is an ass, a secure ass, he will trust his wife; he will not be jealous: I will rather trust a Fleming with my butter, parfon Hugh the Welchman with my cheese, an Irishman with my Aquavita bottle, or a thief to walk my ambling gelding, than my wife with herself: then she plots, then the ruminates, then she devises: and what they think in their hearts they may effect, they will break their hearts but they will effect. Heav'n be prais'd for my jealoufy! Eleven o'clock the hour-I will prevent this, detect my wife, be reveng'd on Falstaff, and laugh at Page. I will about it better three hours too foon, than a minute too late. Fie, fie, fie; cuckold, cuckold, cuckold! [Exit.

Caius.

J

SCENE XI.

Changes to Windsor Park.

Enter Caius and Rugby.

ACK Rugby?
Rug. Sir.

Caius. Vat is de clock, Jack ?
Rug. 'Tis paft the hour, Sir, that Sir Hugh pro-

mis'd to meet.

Caius. By gar, he has fave his foul, dat he is no come; he has pray his Bible well, dat he is no come : by gar, Jack Rugby, he is dead already, if he be

come.

Rug. He is wife, Sir: he knew, your worship would kill him, if he came. Caius. By gar, de herring is not so dead as me vill make him. Take your rapier, Jack; I vill tell you how I vill kil him.

Rug. Alas, Sir, I cannot fence.

Caius. Villan-a, take your rapier.

Rug. Forbear; here's company.

Enter Hoft, Shallow, Slender and Page.

Hoft. 'Blefs thee, bully Doctor.

Shal. 'Save you, Mr. Doctor Caius.

Page. Now, good Mr. Doctor.
Slen. Give you good-morrow, Sir.

Caius. Vat be all you, one, two, tree, four, come for?

Hoft. To fee thee fight, to fee thee foin, to fee thee traverse, to fee thee here, to fee thee there, to fee thee pass thy punto, thy stock, thy reverfe, thy diftance, thy montant. Is he dead, my Ethiopian? Is he dead, my Francisco? ha, bully? what says my Afculapius? my Galen? my heart of elder? ha? is he dead, bully-ftale? is he dead?

Caius. By gar, he is de coward Jack Priest of de vorld; he is not show his face.

I

Hoft. Thou art a Castalian-king-Urinal: Hector of Greece, my boy.

Caius. I pray you bear witness, that me have stay fix or seven, two, tree hours for him, and he is no

come.

Shal. He is the wifer man, Mr. Doctor; he is a curer of fouls, and you a curer of bodies: if you should fight, you go against the hair of your profeffions: Is it not true, mafter Page?

Page. Master Shallow, you have yourself been a great fighter, tho' now a man of peace.

Shal. Body-kins, Mr. Page, tho' I now be old, and of peace, if I fee a sword out, my finger itches to

Sir T. Hanmer reads Cardalian, as used corruptedly for Cœur de