Eva. Sir John Falstaff, ferve Got, and leave your defires, and fairies will not pinfe you. Ford. Well faid, fairy Hugh. Eva. And leave your jealoufies alfo, I pray you. Ford. I will never miftruft my wife again, till thou art able to woo her in good English. Fal. Have I lay'd my brain in the fun, and dried it, that it wants matter to prevent fo grofs o'er-reaching as this? Am I ridden with a Welch goat too? fhall I have a coxcomb of frize?? 'tis time I were choak'd with a piece of toafted cheefe. Eva. Seefe is not good to give putter; your pelly is all putter. Fal. Seefe and putter! have I liv'd to ftand in the taunt of one that makes fritters of English? this is enough to be the decay of luft and late-walking, through the realm. Mrs. Page. Why, fir John, do you think, though we would have thruft virtue out of our hearts by the head and shoulders, and have given ourselves without fcruple to hell, that ever the devil could have made you our delight? Ford. What, a hodge-pudding? a bag of flax? Page. Old, cold, wither'd, and of intolerable entrails? Ford. And one that is as flanderous as Satan? Page. And as poor as Job? Ford. And as wicked as his wife? on an Afh-wednesday, "Where thou didst ftand fix weeks the Jack o' Lent, "For boys to hurl three throws a penny at thee." STEEV. -a coxcomb of frize? - ] i. e. a fool's cap made out of Welch materials. Wales was famous for this cloth. So, in K. Edward I. 1599: "Enter Lluellin, alias prince of Wales, &c. with fwords and bucklers, and frieze jerkins." Again: "Enter Suffex, &c. with a mantle of frieze." -my boy fhall weare a mantle of this country's weaving, to keep him warm." STEEVENS. Eva. And given to fornications, and to taverns, and facks, and wines, and metheglins, and to drinkings, and fwearings, and starings, pribbles and prabbles? Fal. Well, I am your theme; you have the start of me; I am dejected; I am not able to answer the Welch flannel'; ignorance itself is a plummet o'er me: use me as you will. Ford. Marry, fir,we'll bring you to Windfor, to one mafter Brook, that you cozen'd of money, to whom you should have been a pandar : over and above that you have fuffer'd, I think, to repay that money will be a biting affliction. 3 Mrs. Ford. Nay, hufband, let that go to make amends: Forgive that fum, and fo we'll all be friends. Ford. the Welch flannel;-] The very word is derived from a Welch one, fo that it is almost unneceffary to add that flannel was originally the manufacture of Wales. In the old play of King Edward I. 1599: "Enter Hugh ap David, Guenthian his wench in flannel, and Jacke his novice." Again : 2 "Here's a wholefome Welch wench, 66 Lapt in her flannel, as warm as wool." STEEVENS. ignorance itself is a plummet o'er me:] Though this be perhaps not unintelligible, yet it is an odd way of confeffing his dejection. I fhould wish to read: ignorance itself has a plume o' me: That is, I am fo depreffed, that ignorance itself plucks me, and decks itfelf with the fpoils of my weakness. Of the prefent reading, which is probably right, the meaning may be, I am fo enfeebled, that ignorance itself weighs me down and oppreffes me. JOHNSON. "Ignorance itself, fays Falftaff, is a plummet o'er me." If any alteration be neceffary, I think, "Ignorance itself is a planet o'er me," would have a chance to be right. Thus Bobadil excufes his cowardice: "Sure I was struck with a planet, for I had no power to touch my weapon." FARMER. 66 Dr. Farmer might have supported his conjecture by a paffage in K. Henry VI. where queen Margaret fays, that Suffolk's face: rul'd like a wandring planet over me." STEEVENS. Perhaps Falstaff's meaning may be this: "Ignorance itself is a plummet o'er me: i. e. above me; ignorance itself is not fo low as I am, by the length of a plummet-line. TYRWHITT. 3 Mrs. Ford. Nay, bufband,-] This and the following little fpeech I have inferted from the old quartos. The retrenchment, Ford. Well, here's my hand; all's forgiven at laft. Page. Yet be cheerful, knight: thou fhalt eat a poffet to-night at my houfe; where I will defire thee to laugh at my wife, that now laughs at thee: Tell her, mafter Slender hath married her daughter. Mrs. Page. Doctors doubt that; if Anne Page be my daughter, fhe is, by this, doctor Caius' wife. [Afide. Enter Slender. Slen. Whoo, ho! ho! father Page! Page. Son! how now? how now, fon? have you dispatch'd? Slen. Difpatch'd!-I'll make the best in Glocefterfhire know on't; would I were hang'd, la, elfe. Page. Of what, son? Slen. I came yonder at Eaton to marry mistress Anne Page, and fhe's a great lubberly boy: If it had not been the church, I would have fwing'd him, or he should have fwing'd me. If I did not think it had been Anne Page, would I might never, ftir, and 'tis a poft-master's boy. Page. Upon my life then you took the wrong. Slen. What need you tell me that? I think fo, when I took a boy for a girl: If I had been married to him, for all he was in woman's apparel, I would not have had him. Page. Why, this is your own folly; Did not I tell you, how you fhould know my daughter by her gar ments? Slen. I went to her in white, and cry'd, mum, and I prefume, was by the players. Sir John Falstaff is fufficiently punifhed, in being difappointed and expofed. The expectation of his being profecuted for the twenty pounds, gives the conclufion too tragical a turn. Befides, it is poetical juftice that Ford should fuftain this lofs, as a fine for his unreafonable jealoufy. THEOE. laugh at my wife,-] The two plots are excellently con-nected, and the tranfition very artfully made in this fpeech. 4 VOL. I. Bb JOHNSON. fhe the cry'd budget, as Anne and I had appointed; and yet it was not Anne, but a post-master's boy. Eva. Jefhu! Master Slender, cannot you see but marry boys +? Page. O, I am vex'd at heart: What shall I do? Mrs. Page. Good George, be not angry: I knew of your purpose; turn'd my daughter into green; and, indeed, the is now with the doctor at the deanery, and there married. Enter Caius. Caius. Vere is miftrefs Page? By gar, I am cozen'd; I ha' married un garçon, a boy; un paisan, by gar, a boy; it is not Anne Page: by gar, I am cozen'd. Mrs. Page. Why, did you not take her in green? Caius. Ay, be gar, and 'tis a boy: be gar, I'll raife all Windfor. [Exit Caius. Ford. This is ftrange: Who hath got the right Anne? Page. My heart mifgives me: Here comes mafter Fenton. Enter Fenton, and Anne Page. How now, master Fenton ? Anne. Pardon, good father! good my mother, par don! Page. Now, mistress? how chance you went not with master Slender? Mrs. Page. Why went you not with master doctor, maid? Fent. You do amaze her; Hear the truth of it. -marry boys?] This and the next speech are likewise reftorations from the old quarto. STEEVENS. Of Of disobedience, or unduteous title; Which forced marriage would have brought upon her. Fal. I am glad, though you have ta'en a fpecial ftand to strike at me, that your arrow hath glanc'd. Page. Well, what remedy? Fenton, heaven give thee joy! 6 What cannot be eschew'd, must be embrac'd. Eva. I will dance and eat plums at your wedding. Fal. When night-dogs run, all forts of deer are chac’d. Mrs. Page. Well, I will mufe no further:-Mafter Heaven give you many, many merry days!- Ford. Let it be fo:-Sir John, To master Brook you yet fhall hold your word; [Exeunt omnes. 6 Page. Well, what remedy? ] In the first sketch of this play, which, as Mr. Pope obferves, is much inferior to the latter performance, the only fentiment of which I regret the omiffion, occurs at this critical time. When Fenton brings in his wife, there is this dialogue. Mrs. Ford. Come, miftrefs Page, I must be bold with you, 'Tis pity to part love that is fo true. Mrs. Page. [Afide] Although that I have mifs'd in my intent, Yet I am glad my husband's match is cross'd. -Here Fenton, take her. Eva. Come, mafter Page, you must needs agree. Ford. I'faith, fir, come, you fee your wife is pleas'd. Page. I cannot tell, and yet my heart is eas'd; And yet it doth me good the doctor miss'd. Come bitber, Fenton, and come bither, daughter. Of |