Shal. What, the sword and the word ? do you ftudy them both, Mr Parson? Page. And youthful still, in your doublet and hose, this raw-rheumatic day? Eva. There is reasons and causes for it, Page. We are come to you, to do a good office, Mr Parson. Eva. Ferry well : what is it? Page. Yonder is a most reverend gentleman, who, belike, having receiv'd wrong by some person, is at most odds with his own gravity and patience that ever you saw. Shal. I have liv'd fourscore years and upward; I never heard a man of his place, gravity and learning, so wide of his own relpect. Eva. What is he? Page. I think you know him; Mr Doctor Caius, the renowned French physician. Eva. Got's will, and his pallion of my heart ! I had as lief you should tell me of a mess of porridge. Page. Why? Eva. He has no more knowledge in Hibocrates and Galen; and he is a knave besides; a cowardly knave as you would desire to be acquainted withal. Page. I warrant you he's the man, should fight with him. Slen. O. sweet Anne Page ! S CE N E III. Enter Hoft, Caius, and Rugby. Shal. It appears so by his weapons.-Keep them asunder-here comes Doctor Caius. Page. Nay, good Mr Parson, keep in your weapon., Shal. So do you, good Mr Doctor. Hoft. Disarm them, and let them question ; let them keep their limbs whole, and hack our Englilin Caius. I pray you, let-a me speak a word with your ear: wherefore vil you not meet-a me? Eva. Pray you use your patience. In good time. Caius. 'By gar you are de coward, de Jack dog, John age. Eva. Pray you let us not be laughing-stocks to oiher mens humours. I desire you in friendship, and will one way or other make you amends; I will knog your urinal about your knave's cogscomb, for milling your meetings and appointinents. Caius. Diable! Jack Rugby, mine host de Jarterre, have I not stay for him to kill him? have I not, at de place I did appoint? Eva. As I am a Christian's foul, now, look you, this is the place appointed; I'll be judgment by mine host of the Garter. Hoft. Peace, I say, Gallia and Gaul, French and Welch, foul-curer, and body-curer. Caius. Ay, dat is very good, excellent. Hoft. Peace, I say; hear inine host of the Garter. Am I politic? am I subtle ? am I a Machiavel? shall I lose my doctor ? no; he gives me the potions and the motions. Shall I lose my parfon? my priest? my Sir Hugh? no; he gives me the proverbs and the noverbs.-Give me thy hand, terrestrial; so.Giv me thy hand, celestial; fo. Boys of art, I have deceiv'd you both: I have directed you to wrong places : your hearts are mighty, your skins are whole, and let burn'd fack be the issue. Come, lay their swords to pawn. Follow me, peace. Follow, follow, follow. Shal. Trust me, a mad hoft. - Follow, gentlemen, follow. Slen. O, fiveet Anne Page ! [Exeunt Shal. Slen, Page and Host. Caius. Ha! do I perceive dat? have you make a de-lot of us, ha, ha? Eva. This is well, he has made us his vlouting, stog. I desire you that we may be friends; and let us knog our prains together to be revenge on this same scald fcurvy cogging companion, the host of the Garter. Caius. By gar with all my heart; he promise to bring me where is Anne Page; by gar he deceive Eva. Well, I will smite his noddles.--Pray you follow, [Exeunt. me too. S CE N E IV. Enter Mistress Page and Robin. Mrs Page. Nay, keep your way, little gallant ; you were wont to be a follower, but now you are a leader. Whether had you rather lead mine eyes, or eve your master's heels ? Rob. I had rather, foriooth, go before you like a man, than follow him like a dwarf. NÍrs Page. O, you are a flattering boy; now, I fee, you'll be a courtier. Enter Ford. Mrs Page. Truly, Sir, to see your wife ; is the at home? Ford. Ay; and as idle as she may hang together, for want of company. I think, if your husbands were dead, you two would marry. Mrs Page. Be sure of that, two other husbands. you pretty weather-cock? Mrs Page. I cannot tell what the dickens his name is my husband had him of: what do you call your knight's name, firrah ? Rob. Sir John Falliaff. Mrs Page. He, he; I can never hit on's name; there is such a league between iny good man and he.--Is your wife at home, indeed? Ford. Indeed he is. Mrs Page. By your leave, Sir. I am sick 'till I see her. [Exeunt Mrs Page and Robin. S C Ε Ν Ε V Ford. Has Page any brains ? liath he any eyes? hath he any thinking ? sure they leop; he hath no use of them. Wiy, this boy will carry a letter tweniy inile, as easy as a cannon will thout point blank twelve-score. He pieces out his wife's inclination; he gives her folly motion and advantage; and now she's going to my wife, and Falstaff's boy with her. A man may hear this shower fing in the wind-and Falstaff's boy with her!-good plots -- they are laid, and our revolted wives Share damnation together. Well, I will take him, then torture my wife; pluck the borrow'd veil of modeity from the lo seeming Mistress Page, divulge Page himself for a secure and wilful Acteon, and to these violent proceedings all my neighbours shall cry aim. The clock gives me my che, and my alfirance bids me search; there I shall find Falstaff. I shall be rather praised for this than mocked; for it is as positive as the earth is firm, that Falstaff is there: I will go. 1 VI. S CE N E Evans, and Caius. Ford. Trust me, a good knot: I have good chear at home, and I pray you, all go with me. Shal. I must excuse myself, Mr Ford. Slen. And so muft I, Sir ; we have appointed te dine with Mrs Anne, and I would not break with her for more money than I'll speak of. Shal. We have linger'd about a match between , father Page but my wife, Master Doctor, is for you altogether. Caius: Ay, by gar, and de maid is love-a-me; my nursh-a-Quickly tell me fo inuh. Hoft. What say you to young Mr Fenton? be c2pers, he dances, he has eyes of youth, he writes verfes, he speaks holy-day t, he smells April and + That is, His conversition inspires mirth and festivity, such as would become a holiday. Rezial. May; he will carry't, he will carry't ; 'tis in his buttons; he will carry't. Page. Not by my confent, I promise you. The gentleman is of no having, he kept company with the wild Prince and Poins. He is of too high a region, he knows too much. No, he shall not knit a knot in his fortunes with the finger of my substance. If he take her, let him take her simply; the wealth I have waits on my consent, and my consent goes not that way. Ford. I beseech you heartily, some of you go home with me to dinner : besides your chear, you Mall have sport; I will now you a monster. Mr Doctor, you shall go ; so shall you, Mr Page ; and you, Sir Hugh Shal. Well, fare you well, we shall have the freer wooing at Mr Page's. Caius. Go home, John Rugby, I come anon. Hoft Farewell, iny hearts; I will to' my honest knight Falstaff, and drink Canary with him. Ford. aside.] I think I shall drink in Pipe-wine first with him : I'll make him dance. Will you go, Gentles? All. Have with you, to see this monster. [Exeunt. S CE N E VII. Changes to Ford's House. a basket. Mrs Page. Quickly! quickly: is the buck-, basket Mrs Ford. I warrant. -What, Robin, I say. Mrs Page. Give your men the charge, we must be brief. Mrs Ford. Marry, as I told you before, John and Robert, be ready here hard by in the brero VOL. III. L |