sent me word to stay within. I like his
money well. O, here he comes.

Ford. Bless you, sir!

Enter Ford.

Fal. Now, Master Brook, you come to know what
hath pass'd between me and Ford's wife?

Ford. That, indeed, Sir John, is my business.
Fal. Master Brook, I will not lie to you. I was
at her house the hour she appointed me.

Ford. And sped you, sir?

Fal. Very ill-favouredly, Master Brook.
Ford. How so, sir? Did she change her deter-
mination ?

Fal. No, Master Brook; but the peaking cornuto
her husband, Master Brook, dwelling in a con-
tinual 'larum of jealousy, comes me in the in-
stant of our encounter, after we had embrae'd,
kiss'd, protested, and, as it were, spoke the
prologue of our comedy; and at his heels a
rabble of his companions, thither provoked
and instigated by his distemper, and, for-
sooth, to search his house for his wife's love.
Ford. What, while you were there?

Fal. While I was there.

Ford. And did he search for you, and could not

find you?

Fal. You shall hear. As good luck would have

60

65

70

75

80

it, comes in one Mistress Page; gives intel- 85 ligence of Ford's approach; and, in her invention and Ford's wife's distraction, they conveyed me into a buck-basket.

Ford. A buck-basket!

Fal. [By the Lord,] a buck-basket! Ramm'd 90 me in with foul shirts and smocks, socks, foul stockings, greasy napkins; that, Master Brook, there was the rankest compound of villanous smell that ever offended nostril.

95

Ford. And how long lay you there? Fal. Nay, you shall hear, Master Brook, what I have suffer'd to bring this woman to evil for your good. Being thus crammed in the basket, a couple of Ford's knaves, his hinds, were called forth by their mistress to carry me 100 in the name of foul clothes to Datchet-lane. They took me on their shoulders; met the jealous knave their master in the door, who ask'd them once or twice what they had in their basket. I quak'd for fear, lest the lunatic 105 knave would have search'd it; but fate, ordaining he should be a cuckold, held his hand. Well, on went he for a search, and away went I for foul clothes. But mark the sequel, Master Brook. I suffered the pangs of three several deaths; first, an intolerable fright, 110 to be detected with a jealous rotten bell

wether; next, to be compass'd, like a good
bilbo, in the circumference of a peck, hilt to
point, heel to head; and then, to be stopp'd
in, like a strong distillation, with stinking 115
clothes that fretted in their own grease.
Think of that, a man of my kidney,
think of that, that am as subject to heat
as butter; a man of continual dissolution
and thaw, it was a miracle to scape suf-
focation. And in the height of this bath, 120
when I was more than half stew'd in grease,
like a Dutch dish, to be thrown into the
Thames, and cooled, glowing hot, in that surge,
like a horse-shoe; think of that,

hot, — think of that, Master Brook.

hissing

Ford. In good sadness, sir, I am sorry that for my 125 sake you have suffer'd all this. My suit then is desperate; you'll undertake her no more? Fal. Master Brook, I will be thrown into Etna, as I have been into Thames, ere I will leave her thus. Her husband is this morning gone 130 a-birding. I have received from her another embassy of meeting. 'Twixt eight and nine is the hour, Master Brook.

Ford. 'Tis past eight already, sir.

Fal. Is it? I will then address me to my ap- 135

pointment. Come to me at your convenient
leisure, and you shall know how I speed; and

the conclusion shall be crowned with your en-
joying her. Adieu. You shall have her, Mas-

ter Brook. Master Brook, you shall cuckold 140 Ford. Exit. Ford. Hum! ha! is this a vision? Is this a

dream? Do I sleep? Master Ford, awake!
awake. Master Ford! there's a hole made in
your best coat, Master Ford. This 'tis to be
married! This 'tis to have linen and buck- 145
baskets! Well, I will proclaim myself what

I am.
I will now take the lecher; he is at
my house; he cannot scape me; 'tis impos-
sible he should. He cannot creep into a half-
penny purse, nor into a pepper-box; but,
lest the devil that guides him should aid him, 150
I will search impossible places. Though
what I am I cannot avoid, yet to be what I
would not shall not make me tame. If I
have horns to make one mad, let the prov-
erb go with me: I'll be horn mad.

Exit.

ACT FOURTH

Scene I

[A street.]

Enter Mistress Page, Mistress Quickly, and William.

Mrs. Page. Is he at Master Ford's already, think'st thou ?

Quick. Sure he is by this, or will be presently. But, truly, he is very courageous mad about his throwing into the water. Mistress Ford desires you to come suddenly.

Mrs. Page. I'll be with her by and by; I'll but bring my young man here to school.

[Enter Sir Hugh Evans.]

Look, where his master comes; 'tis a playing

5

day, I see. How now, Sir Hugh! no school 10 to-day?

Evans. No; Master Slender is let the boys leave to play.

Quick. Blessing of his heart!

Mrs. Page. Sir Hugh, my husband says my son prof

its nothing in the world at his book. I pray 15 you, ask him some questions in his accidence. Evans. Come hither, William; hold up your head; come.