She, seemingly obedient, likewise hath
Made promise to the Doctor.—Now, thus it rests ;
Her father means she shall be all in white;
And in that dress when Slender sees his time
To take her by the hand, and bid her go,
She shall go with him :-her inother hath intended,
The better to devote her to the Doctor
(For they must all be mask'd and vizarded)
That, quaint in green, she shall be loose enrob’d,
With ribbands pendant, faring 'bout her head;
And when the Doctor (pies his vantage ripe,
To pinch her by the hand, and on that token,
The maid hath given consent to go with him.
Hojt. Which means she to deceive ? father or mo-

ther?
Fent. Both, my good Host, to go along with me :
And here it rests, that you'll procure the vicar
To stay for me at church, 'twixt twelve and one,
And, in the lawful name of marrying,
To give our hearts united ceremony.

Hoft. Well, husband your device; I'll to the vicar, Bring you the maid, you shall not lack a priest.

Fent. So shall I evermore be bound to thee; Besides, I'll make a present recompence. (Exeunt.

Enter Falstaff and Mrs. Quickly. Fal. Frythee, no more pratling.–Go.-I'll hold. This is the third time; I hope, good luck lies in odd numbers. Away, go, they say, there is divinity in odd nunrbers, either in nativity, chance, or death.Away.

Quic. I'll provide you a chain ; and I'll do what I çan to get you a pair of horns.

[Exit Mrs. Quickly. Fal. Away, I say ; time wears : hold up your head, and mince.

Enter

Enter Ford. How now, master Brook ? Master Brook, the matter will be known to-night, or never. Be you in the Park about midnight, at Herne's oak, and you shall see wonders.

Ford. Went you not to her yesterday, Sir, as you told me you had appointed ?

Fal. I went to her, master Brook, as you see, like a poor old man; but I came from her, master Brook, like a poor

old woman. That same knave, Ford her husband, hath the finest mad devil of jealousy in him, master Brook, that ever govern'd frenzy. I will tell you; he beat me grievously, in the shape of a woman; for in the shape of a man, master Brook, I fear not Goliah with a weaver's beam ; because I know also, life is a shuttle. I am in haste; go along with me, I'll tell you all, master Brook. Since I pluck'd geese, play'd truant, and whipp'd top, I knew not what 'twas to be beaten, 'till lately. Follow me: I'll tell you strange things of this knave Ford; on whom to-night I will be reveng'd, and I will deliver his wife into your hand.—Follow : strange things in hand, master Brook ! follow.

(Exeunt.

ACT V. SCENE I,

Windsor Park.
Enter Page, Shallow, and Slender.

PAGE.
OME, come; we'll couch i' the castle-ditch,

'till we see the light of our fairies.-Remember, fon Slender, my daughter,

Slen.

Slen. Ay, forfooth ; I have spoke with her, and we have a nay-word how to know one another. I come to her in white, and cry, mum; she cries, budget; and by that we know one another.

Shal. That's good too; but what needs either your mum, or her budget? the white will decipher her well enough.-It hath ftruck ten o'clock.

Page. The night is dark; light and spirits will become it well. Heaven prosper our sport! 9 No man means evil but the devil, and we shall know him by his horns. Let's away; follow me. [Exeunt.

Enter Mistress Page, Mistress Ford, and Caius. Mrs. Page. Master Doctor, my daughter is in green: when you see your time, take her by the hand, away with her to the deanery, and dispatch it quickly: go before into the park : we two must go together.

Caius. I know vat I have to do; adieu. [Exit.

Mrs. Page. Fare you well, Sir. My husband will nót rejoice so much at the abuse of Falstaff, as he will chafe at the Doctor's marrying my daughter : but 'tis no matter ; better a little chiding, than a great deal of heart-break.

Mrs. Ford. Where is Nan now, and her troop of fairies ? " and the Welch devil Evans ?

Mrs. Page. They are all couch'd in a pit hard by Herne's oak, with obscur'd lights; which, at the very instant of Falstaff's and our meeting, they will at once display to the night.

Mrs. Ford. That cannot chuse but amaze him.

Mrs. Page. If he be not amaz’d, he will be mock'd; if he be amaz'd, he will every way be mock'd.

Mrs. Ford. We'll betray him finely,

Mrs. Page. Against such lewdsters, and their lechery, Those, that betray them, do no treachery.

Mrs. Ford. The hour draws on; to the oak, to the oak.

[Exeunt.

Enter Evans, and Fairies. Eva. Trib, trib, fairies; come; and remember your parts: be pold, I pray you ; follow me into the pit; and when I give the watch-'ords, do as I pid you; come, come; trib, trib.

[Exeunt.

Enter Falstaff with a buck's head on. Fal. The Windfor bell hath struck twelve; the minute draws on: now, the hot-blooded gods aflift me! Remember, Jove, thou wast a bull for thy Europa; love set on thy horns. Oh powerful love ! that, in some respects, makes a beast a man; in some other, a man a beast.—You were also, Jupiter, a swan, for the love of Leda: oh, omnipotent love ! how near the god drew to the complexion of a goose ? A fault done first in the form of a beast ;-Jove, a beastly fault ! and then another fault in the semblance of a fowl ;

-think on't, Jove ; a foul fault. When gocks have hot backs, what shall poor men do? For me, I am here a Windsor stag; and the fattest, I think, i'the forest. Send me a cool rut-time, Jove, or who can blame me to piss my tallow? Who comes here? my doe?

Enter Enter Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. Mrs. Ford. Sir John ? art thou there, my

deer?

my male deer?

Fal. My doe with the black scut? Let the sky rain potatoes ; let it thunder to the tune of Green Sleeves ; hail kissing-comfits, and snow eringoes; let there come a tempest of provocation, I will shelter me here.

Mrs. Ford. Mistress Page is come with me, tweetheart.

Fal. 2 Divide me like a bribe-buck, each a haunch: I will keep my sides to myself, my shoulders for the 3 fellow of this walk, and my horns I bequeath your husbands. Am I a woodman ? ha! Speak I like Herne the hunter ? Why, now is Cupid a child of conscience, he makes reftitution. As I am a true fpirit, welcome!

[Noise within. Mrs, Page. Alas! what noise? Mrs. Ford. Heaven forgive our sins ! Fal. What should this be?

Mrs. Ford. } Away, away,

Mrs. Page. §

[The women run out. Fal. I think the devil will not have me damn'd, left the oil that is in me should set hell on fire; he never would else cross me thus,

Enter Sir Hugh like a satyr ; Quickly, and others, dres'

like fairies, with tapers. Quic. Fairies, black, grey, green, and white, You moon-shine revellers, and shades of night,

· Divide me like a brib’d-buck,-) Thus all the old copies, mistakingly : it must be bribe-buck; i.e. a buck sent for a bribe.

THEOBALD. 3-fellow of this walk, Who the fellow is, or why he keeps his houlders for him, I do not underitand. JOHNSON.

To the keeper the shoulders and bumbles belong as a perquifite. GRAY.

You