Mrs. Ford. Believe me, there's no fuch thing in me. Fal. What made me love thee? let that perfuade thee, there's fomething extraordinary in thee. Come, I cannot cog, and fay, thou art this and that, like a many of thefe lifping haw-thorn buds, that come like women in men's apparel, and fmell like Bucklers-bury' in fimpletime; I cannot but I love thee; none but thee; and thou deservest it.

Mrs. Ford. Do not betray me, fir; I fear, you love mistress Page.

Fal. Thou might'ft as well fay, I love to walk by the Counter-gate; which is as hateful to me as the reek of a lime-kiln.

Mrs. Ford. Well, heaven knows, how I love you; and you shall one day find it.

Fal. Keep in that mind; I'll deferve it.

Mrs. Ford. Nay, I must tell you, so you do; or else I could not be in that mind.

Rob. [within.] Miftrefs Ford, miftrefs Ford! here's miftrefs Page at the door, fweating, and blowing, and looking wildly, and would needs fpeak with you prefently.

Fal. She fhall not fee me; I will enfconce me behind the arras.

Mrs. Ford. Pray you, do fo; fhe's a very tattling [FALSTAFF hides himself.

woman.

Enter Miftrefs PAGE, and Robin.

What's the matter? how now ?

Mrs. Page. O miftrefs Ford, what have you done? You're fhamed, you are overthrown, you are undone for

ever.

Mrs. Ford. What's the matter, good mistress Page?

Mrs. Page. O well-a-day, miftrefs Ford! having an honest man to your husband, to give him fuch cause of fufpicion!

Mrs. Ford. What caufe of fufpicion?

1

- like Bucklers-bury &c.] Bucklers-bury, in the time of Shakfpeare, was chiefly inhabited by druggifts, who fold all kind of herbs, green as well as dry. STEEVENS.

Mrs.

Mrs. Page. What cause of fufpicion? Out upon you! how am I mistook in you?

Mrs. Ford. Why, alas! what's the matter?

Mrs. Page. Your hufband's coming hither, woman, with all the officers in Windfor, to fearch for a gentleman, that, he fays, is here now in the houfe, by your confent, to take an ill advantage of his abfence: You are undone.

Mrs. Ford. Speak louder3. [Afide.]—'Tis not fo, I hope.

Mrs. Page. Pray heaven it be not so, that you have fuch a man here; but 'tis moft certain your husband's coming with half Windfor at his heels, to fearch for fuch a one. I come before to tell you: If you know yourself clear, why I am glad of it: but if you have a friend here, convey, convey him out. Be not amazed; call all your fenfes to you; defend your reputation, or bid farewell to your good life for ever.

Mrs. Ford. What shall I do ?-There is a gentleman, my dear friend; and I fear not mine own fhame, fo much as his peril: I had rather than a thousand pound, he were out of the house.

Mrs. Page. For fhame, never ftand you had rather, and you had rather; your husband's here at hand, bethink you of fome conveyance: in the house you cannot hide him.-O, how have you deceived me!-Look, here is a basket; if he be of any reasonable ftature, he may creep in here; and throw foul linen upon him, as if it were going to bucking: Or, it is whiting-time, fend him by your two men to Datchet mead.

Mrs. Ford. He's too big to go in there: What shall I do?

Re-enter FALSTAFF

Fal. Let me fee't, let me fee't! O let me fee't! I'll in, I'll in ;-follow your friend's counfel ;-I'll in.

Mrs. Page. What fir John Falftaff! Are these your letters, knight?

2 Speak louder.] i. e. that Falfaff who is retired may hear. This paffage is only found in the two elder quartos. STEEVENS.

Fal.

Fal. I love thee, and none but thee3; help me away : let me creep in here; I'll never

[He goes into the basket; they cover him with foul linen. Mrs. Page. Help to cover your master, bey: Call, your men, mistress Ford :-You diffembling knigh: !

Mrs. Ford. What, John, Robert, John! [Exit Robin. Re-enter Servants.] Go take up thefe clothes here, quickly; Where's the cowl-ftaff? look, how you drainble carry them to the laundrefs in Datchet mead '; quickly, come.

Enter FORD, PAGE, CAIUS, and Sir Hugh EVANS.

Ford. Pray you, come near: if I fufpect without caufe, why then make sport at me, then let me be your jeft; I deferve it. How now? whither bear you this?

Serv. To the laundrefs, forfooth.

Mrs. Ford. Why, what have you to do whither they bear it? You were beft meddle with buck-washing.

Ford. Buck? I would I could wash myself of the buck! Buck, buck, buck? Ay, buck; I warrant you, buck, and of the feafon too; it fhall appear. [Exeunt Servants,

3 and none but thee;] Thefe words, which are characteristick, and fpoken to Mrs. Page afide, I have restored from the early quarto. He had ufed the fame words before to Mrs. Ford. MALONE.

4 - bow you drumble :] The reverend Mr. Lambe, the editor of the ancient metrical history of the Battle of Floddon, obferves, that-look, bow you drumble, means-bow confujed you are; and that in the North, drumbled ale is muddy difturbed ale. STEEVENS.

A drumble-drone in the western dialect fignifies a drone, or drumblebee. Mrs. Page therefore may mean-How lazy and ftupid you are! be more alert. MALONE.

To drumble, in Devonthire, fignifies to matter in a fullen and inarticulate voice. HENLEY.

5

carry them to the laundrefs in Datchet mead ;] Mr. Dennis objects, with fome degree of reafon, to the probability of the circumftance of Falstaff's being carried to Datchet mead, and thrown into the Thames. "It is not likely (he obferves) that Falstaff would fuffer himself to be carried in the basket as far as Datchet mead, which is half a mile from Windfor, and it is plain that they could not carry him, if he made any refiftance." MALONE.

6 it fhall appear.] Ford feems to allude to the cuckhold's horns. So afterwards: " and fo buffets himself on the forehead, crying, peer out, peer out." Of the feafon is a phrafe of the foreft. MALONE.

-

S 2

with

with the basket.] Gentlemen, I have dream'd to-night; I'll tell you my dream. Here, here, here be my keys: afcend my chambers, fearch, feek, find out: I'll warrant, we'll unkennel the fox: Let me ftop this way firt: So, now uncape 7.

Page. Good mafter Ford, be contented: you wrong yourself too much.

Ford. True, mafter Page. Up, gentlemen; you fhall fee fport anon: follow me, gentlemen. [Exit. Evans. This is fery fantastical humours, and jealoufies.

Caius. By gar, 'tis no de fashion of France: it is not jealous in France.

Page. Nay, follow him, gentlemen; fee the iffue of his fearch. [Exeunt EVANS, PAGE, and CAIUS. Mrs. Page. Is there not a double excellency in this? Mrs. Ford. I know not which pleases me better, that my husband is deceived, or Sir John.

Mrs. Page. What a taking was he in, when your hufband afk'd who was in the basket!

Mrs. Ford. I am half afraid, he will have need of washing; fo throwing him into the water will do him a benefit.

Mrs. Page. Hang him, difhoneft rafcal! I would, all of the fame ftrain were in the fame diftrefs.

Mrs. Ford. I think, my husband hath some special fufpicion of Falftaff's being here; for I never faw him to grofs in his jealousy till now.

Mrs. Page. I will lay a plot to try that: And we will yet have more tricks with Falstaff: his diffolute disease will scarce obey this medicine.

Mrs. Ford. Shall we fend that foolish carrion, miftrefs Quickly, to him, and excufe his throwing into the water; and give him another hope, to betray him to another punishment?

7 So, now uncape.] The allufion is to the ftopping every hole at which a fox could enter, before they uncape or turn him out of the bag in which he was brought. I fuppofe every one has heard of a bag-fax. STEEVENS.

8 that foolish carrion,] The old copy has-foolifbion carrion. The correction was made by the editor of the fecond folio. MALONE. Mrs.

Mrs. Page. We'll do it; let him be sent for to-mor row eight o'clock, to have amends.

Re-enter FORD, PAGE, CAIUS, and Sir Hugh EVANS. Ford. I cannot find him: may be the knave bragg'd of that he could not compaís.

Mrs. Page. Heard you that?

Mrs. Ford. Ay, ay, peace :-You use me well, master Ford, do you?

Ford. Ay, I do so.

Mrs. Ford, Heaven make you better than your thoughts! Ford. Amen.

Mrs. Page. You do yourself mighty wrong, mafter Ford. Ford. Ay, ay; I must bear it.

Evans. If there be any pody in the house, and in the chambers, and in the coffers, and in the preffes, heaven forgive my fins at the day of judgment!

Caius. By gar, nor I too; dere is no bodies.

Page. Fye, fye, mafter Ford! are you not afhamed ? What fpirit, what devil fuggefts this imagination? I would not have your distemper in this kind, for the wealth of Windfor Caftle.

Ford. 'Tis my fault, mafter Page: I fuffer for it.

Evans. You fuffer for a pad confcience: your wife is as honeft a 'omans, as I will defires among five thousand, and five hundred too.

Caius. By gar, I fee 'tis an honeft woman.

Ford. Well;-I promised you a dinner: Come, come, walk in the park: I pray you, pardon me; I will hereafter make known to you, why I have done this.-Come, wife;-come, miftrefs Page; I pray you pardon me ; pray heartily, pardon me.

Page. Let's go in, gentlemen; but, truft me, we'll mock him. I do invite you to-morrow morning to my houfe to breakfaft; after, we'll a birding together; I have a fine hawk for the bufh: Shall it be fo?

9 Ay, ay, peace:] Thefe words were recovered from the early quarto by Mr. Theobald. But in his and the other modern editions, I, the old pelling of the affirmative particle, has inadvertently been retained. MALONE.