Eva. Give ear to his motions, Mr. Slenders: I will defcription the matter to you, if you be capacity of

ic.

Slen. Nay, I will do as my coufin Shallow fays: I pray you, pardon me; he's a Justice of peace in his country, fimple tho' I ftand here.

Eva. But that is not the question; the question is concerning your Marriage.

Shal. Ay, there's the point, Sir.

Eva. Marry, is it; the very point of it, to Mrs. Anne Page.

Slen. Why, if it be fo, I will marry her upon any reasonable Demands.

Eva. But can you affection the 'oman? let us command to know that of your mouth, or of your lips; for divers philofophers hold, that the lips is parcel of the mind, therefore precisely, can you carry your good Will to the maid ?

>

Shal. Coufin Abraham Slender, can you love her?: Slen. I hope, Sir, I will do, as it shall become one that would do reason.

Eva. Nay, Got's lords and his ladies, you must fpeak poffitable, if you can carry her your defires towards her.

Slen. That you maft: will you, upon good dowry marry her?

Shal. I will do a greater thing than that upon your request, coufin, in any reafon.

Shal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, fweet coz, what I do, is to pleasure you, coz; can you love the maid?

Slen. I will marry her, Sir, at your request: but if there be no great love in the beginning, yet heav'n may decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are marry'd, and have more occafion to know one another: (5) I hope, upon familiarity will grow more contempt:

(5) I hope upon Familiarity will grow more Content.] Certainly, the Editors in their Sagacity have murder'd a Jeft here. It is defign'd, no doubt, that Slender fhould fay decrease, instead

of

contempt but if you fay, marry her, I will marry her, that I am freely diffolved, and diffolutely.

Eva. It is a ferry difcretion anfwer, fave, the fall is in th' ort diffolutely the ort is, according to our meaning, refolutely; his meaning is good.

Shal. Ay, I think, my confin meant well.

Slen. Ay, or elfe I would I might be hang'd, la.

,,·

Enter Miftrefs Anne Page.

Shal. Here comes fair mistress Anne: 'would, I were young for your fake, miftrefs Anne!

Anne. The dinner is on the table; my father defires your worship's company.

Shal. I will wait on him, fair miftrefs Anne,

Eva. Od's pleffed will, I will not be abfence at the Grace. [Exe. Shallow and Evans. Anne, Will't pleafe your worship to come in, Sir? Slen. No, I thank you, forfooth, heartily; I am very well.

you, Sir.

Anne. The dinner attends Slen. I am not a hungry, I thank you, forfooth. Go, Sirrah, for all you are my man, go wait upon my coufin Shallow: [Ex. Simple.] A Juftice of peace fometime may be beholden to his friend for a man. I keep but three men and a boy yet, till my mother be dead; but what though, yet I live like a poor gentleman born.

Anne. I may not go in without your worship; they will not fit, 'till you come.

Slen. I'faith, I'll eat nothing: I thank you as much as though I did.

Anne. I pray you, Sir, walk in.

Slen. I had rather walk here, I thank you; I bruis'd my fhin th'other day with playing at. fword and dagger

of increofe; and diffolved, diffolutely, instead of refolved and refolutely; but to make him fay, on the prefent Occafion, that upon Familiarity will grow more Content, inftead of Contempt is difarming the Sentiment of all its Salt and Humour, and difappointing the Audience of a reasonable Caufe for Laughter.

L 2

with

with a mafter of fence, three veneys for a dish of stew'd prunes; and, by my troth, I cannot abide the smell of hot meat fince. Why do your dogs bark fo? be there -bears i'th' town?

Anne. I think, there are, Sir, I heard them talk'd of. Anne. I love the fport well, but I fhall as foon quarrel at it as any man in England. You are afraid, if you fee the bear loose, are you not?

Anne. Ay, indeed, Sir.

3

Slen. That's meat and drink to me now, I have feen Sackerfon loofe twenty times, and have taken him by the chain; but I warrant you, the women have fo cry'd and fhriek'd at it, that it paft: but women, indeed, cannot abide 'em, they are very ill-favour'd rough things.

Enter Mr. Page.

Page. Come, gentle Mr. Slender, come; we ftay for you.

Slen. I'll eat nothing, I thank you, Sir.

Page. By cock and pye, you fhall not chufe, Sir;

come; come.

1

Slen. Nay, pray you, lead the way. poun ɔnd

Page. Come, on, Sir.

Slen. Mistress Anne, yourself fhall go first.

Anne. Not I, Sir; pray you, keep on.

Slen. Truly, I will not go first, truly-la; I will not

do

you that wrong.

Anne. I pray you, Sir.

Slen. I'll rather be unmannerly, than troublesome ; you do yourself wrong, indeed-la.

Re-enter Evans and Simple.

[Exeunt.

A M

Eva. Go your ways, and afk of Doctor Caius houfe which is the way; and there dwells one miftrefs Quickly, which is in the manner of his nurfe, or his dry nurfe, or his cook, or his laundry, his washer, and his wringer.

Simp. Well, Sir.

Eva. Nay, it is petter yet; give her this letter; for

it is a 'oman that altogethers acquaintance with miftrefs Anne Page; and the letter is to defire and require her to follicit your master's defires to miftrefs Anne Page: pray you, be gone; I will make an end of my dinner; there's pippins and cheese to come, [Exeunt feverally.

I

SCENE changes to the Garter-Inn.

Enter Falstaff, Hoft, Bardolph, Nym, Pistol and Robin. Ine host of the garter.

Fal.

Mine

Hot What fays my bully Rock? speak fchollarly and wifely.

Fal. Truly, mine hoft, I must turn away fome of my followers.

Hoft. Difcard, bully Hercules, cafhjer; let them wag: trot, trot.

Fal. I fit at ten pounds a week..

Heft. Thou'rt au Emperor, Cafar, Keifar and Pheazar. I will entertain Bardolph, he shall draw, he fhall tap: faid I well, bully Hector?

"

Fal. Do fo, good mine hoft.

Hoft. I have fpoke, let him follow; let me fee thee froth, and live: I am at a word; follow.

[Exit Hoft. Fal. Bardolph, follow him; a tapfter is a good trade : an old cloak makes a new jerkin: a wither'd fervingman, a fresh tapiter; go, adieu.

Bard. It is a life that I have defir'd: I will thrive.

[Exit Bard. Pit O bafe Hungarian wight, wilt thou the fpigot wield?

Nym. He was gotten in drink, is not the humour conceited? His mind is not heroick, and there's the humour of it.

**Fal. I am glad, I am fo quit of this tinderbox; his thefts were too open; his filching was like an unskilful finger, he kept not time.

Nym, The good humour is to fleal at a minute's reft.

Pift. Convey, the Wife it call: fteal? foh; a fico' for the phrafe!

Fal. Well, Sirs, I am almost out at heels,

Pift. Why then let kibes enfue.

Fal. There is no remedy: I must cony-catch, I mak fhift.

Pift. Young ravens must have food.

Fal. Which of you know Ford of this Town?

Pit. I ken the wight, he is of fubftance good.
Fal. My honeft lads, I will tell you what I am

about.

Pift. Two yards and more.

Fal. No quips now, Piftol: indeed, I am in the" walle two yards about; but I am now about no walle, I am about thrift Briefly, I do mean to make love to Ford's wife: I fpy entertainment in her; the dif courfes, the carves, the gives the leer of invitation: I' can conftrue the action of her familiar file, and the hardeft voice of her behaviour, to be english'd right, is, I am Sir John Falstaff's.

Pit. He hath ftudy'd her well, and tranflated her well; out of honefty into English.

Nym. The anchor is deep; will that humour pafs Fal. Now, the report goes, fhe has all the rule of her hufband's purfe: fhe hath a legion of angels,

Pift. As many devils entertain; and to her, boy, fay I.

་་

Nym. The humour rifes; it is good; humour me the angels.

Fal. I have writ me here a letter to her; and here another to Page's wife, who even now gave me good eyes too, examin'd my parts with moft judicious hads; fometimes, the beam of her view gilded my foot; fometimes, my portly belly.

Pift. Then did the fun on dung-hill shine.
Nym. I thank thee for that humour.

Afde

Fal. O, fhe did fo courfe o'er my exteriors with fuch a greedy intention, that the appetite of her eye did feem to fcorch me up like a burning-glafs. Here's another letter to her; fhe bears the purfe too;

fhe