Enter Hoft, Caius, and Rugby.

Shal It appears fo, by his weapons: keep them affunder: here comes Doctor Caius.

Page. Nay, good Mr. Parfon, keep in your weapon.
Shal. So do you, good Mr. Doctor.

Hoft. Difarm them, and let them queftion; let them keep their limbs whole, and hack our English, Caius. I

pray you, let-a me fpeak a word with your car: wherefore will 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 ape.

Eva. Pray you, let us not be laughing-stocks to other men humours: I defire you in friendfhip, and will one way or other make you amends; I will knog your urinal about your knave's cogs-comb, for miffing your meetings and appointments.

Caius. Diable! Jack Rugby, mine Hoft de Jartere, have I not flay for him, to kill him? have I not, at de place I did appoint?

Eva. As I am a chriftian's foul, now look you, this is the place appointed; I'll be judgment by mine Hoft of the Garter.

Hoft. Peace, I fay, Gallia and Gaul, French and Welch, foul-curer and body-curer.

Caius. Ay, dat is very good, excellent.

Hoft. Peace, I fay; hear mine Hoft of the Garter, Am I politick am I fubtle? am I a Machiavel? fhall I lofe my Doctor? no; he gives me the potions and the motions. Shall I lofe my Parfon my Prieft? my Sir Hugh? no; he gives me the proverbs and the no-verbs. Give me thy hand, terreftial; fo: Give me thy hand, celeftial; 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 iffue. Come, lay their fwords to pawn. Follow me, lad of peace, follow, follow, follow.

Sbal. Trust me, a mad Hoft. Follow, follow.

gentlemen,

Slen.

Slen. O, íweet Anne Page!

[Exeunt Shal. Slen. Page and Hoft. Caius. Ha! do I perceive dat? have you make a de fot of us, ha, ha?

Eva. This is well, he has made us his vloutingftog. I defire you, that we may be friends; and let us knog our prains together to be revenge on this fame fcald-fcurvy-cogging companion, the Hoft of the Garter.

Caius. By gar, with all my heart; he promise to bring me where is Anne Page; by gar, he deceive me

too.

Eva. Well, I will fmite his noddles; pray you fol

low.

SCENE, The Street, in Windfor,

Mrs. Page.

Enter Miftrefs Page, and Robin.

N

[Exeunt.

AY, keep your way, little gallant; you were wont to be a follower, but now Whether had you rather lead mine eyes, or eye your master's heels?

you are a leader.

Rob. I had rather, forfooth, go before you man, than follow him like a dwarf.

like a

Mrs. Page. O, you are a flattering boy; now, I fee, you'll be a Courtier.

Enter Ford.

Ford. Well met, miftrefs Page; whither go you? Mrs. Page. Truly, Sir, to fee your wife; is the at home ?

Ford. Ay; and as idle as the 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. Ford. Where had you this 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?

M S

Rob.

Rob. Sir John Falftaff.

Ford. Sir John Falfaf?

Mrs. Page. He, he;. I can never hit on's name; there is fuch a league between my good man and he. Is your wife at home, indeed è

Ford. Indeed, he is.

3

Mrs. Page. By your leave, Sir; I am fick, 'till I fee [Exeunt Mrs. Page and Robin.

her.

Ford. Has Page any brains? hath he any eyes 2, hath he any thinking? fure, they fleep; he hath no ufe of them. Why, this boy will carry a letter twenty miles, as eafy as a cannon will shoot point-blank twelve-fcore; he pieces out his wife's inclination; he gives her folly motion and advantage; and now fhe's going to my wife, and Falstaff's boy with her. A man may hear this fhower fing in the wind: and Falstaff's boy with her! good plots; they are laid, and our revolted wives fhare damnation together. Well, I will take him, then torture my wife: pluck the borrow'd veil of modefty from the fo feeming mistress Page, divulge Page himself for a secure and wilful Acteon, and to thefe violent proceedings all my neighbours fhall cry aim. The clock gives me my cue, and my affurance bids me fearch; there I fhall find Falstaff: Ifhall be rather praised for this, than mocked; for it is as pofitive as the earth is firm, that Falstaff is there I will go.

To him, Enter Page, Shallow, Slender, Hoft, Evans, and Caius.

Shal. Page, &c. Well met, Mr. Ford.

Ford. Trust me, a good knot: I have good cheer at home, and, I pray you, all go with me.

Shal. I muft excufe myfelf, Mr. Ford.

Slen. And fo muft I, Sir; we have appointed to 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 Anne Page and my coufin Slender, and this day we fhall have our answer.

Slen.

C

Slen. I hope, I have your good will, father Page. Page. You have, Mr. Slender; I ftand wholly for you; but my wife, matter Doctor is for you, altogether.

Caius. Ay, by gar, and de maid is love-a-me; my nurfh-a-Quickly tell me fo mush.

Hoft. What fay you to young Mr. Fenton ? he capers, he dances, he has eyes of youth, he writes verfes, he fpeaks holy day, he fmells April and May; he will carry't, he will carry't; 'tis in his buttons, he will carry't.

Page. Not by my confent, I promife you: the Gentleman is of no Having, he kept company with the wild Prince and Poinz: he is of too high a region, he knows too much; no, he fhall not knit a knot in his fortunes with the finger of my fubftance. If he take her, let him take her fimply the wealth I have waits on my consent, and my confent goes not that way.

Ford. I befeech you, heartily, fome of you go homé with me to dinner; befides your cheer you fhall have fport; I will fhew you a monster. Mr. Doctor, you fhall go; fo fhall you, Mr. Page; and you, Sir Hugh. Shal. Well, fare you well, we fhall have the freer wooing at Mr. Page's.

Caius. Go home, John Rugby, I come anon.

Hoft. Farewel, my hearts; I will to my honeft Knight Falstaff, and drink Canary with him.

Ford. I think, I fhall drink in Pipe-wine firft with him: I'll make him dance. Will you go, gentles? All. Have with you, to fee this moniter.

SCENE changes to Ford's Houfe.

[Exeunt.

Enter Mrs. Ford, Mrs. Page, and Servants with a basket.

Mrs. Ford.HAT, John! what, Robert!

W

Mrs. Page. Quickly, quickly: is the

Mrs. Ford. I warrant.

-What, Robin, I fay.

Mrs. Page. Come, come, come.

Mrs. Ford. Here, fet it down.

Mrs. Page.

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 brew-houfe, and when I fuddenly call on you, come forth, and without any Jaufe or ftaggering take this basket on your fhoulders; that done, trudge with it in all hafte, and carry it among the whitters in Datchet-Mead, and there empty it in the muddy ditch close by the Thames side.

Mrs. Page. You will do it?

Mrs. Ford. I ha' told them over and over; they lack no direction. Be gone, and come when you are call'd. Mrs. Page. Here comes little Robin.

Enter Robin.

Mrs. Ford. How now, my Eyas-musket, what news with you i

Rob. My mafter Sir John is come in at your backdoor, mistress Ford, and requests your company.

Mrs. Page. You little Jack-a-lent, have you been true

to us?

Rob. Ay, I'll be fworn; my matter knows not of your being here, and hath threaten'd to put me into everlasting liberty, if I tell you of it; for he fwears, he'll turn me away.

Mrs. Page. Thou'rt a good boy; this fecrecy of thine fhall be a taylor to thee, and fhall make thee a new doublet and hofe. I'll go hide me.

Mrs Ford. Do fo; go tell thy mafter, I am alone; miftrefs Page, remember you your cue. [Exit Robin. Mrs. Page. I warrant thee; If I do not act it, hifs [Exit Mrs. Page.. Mrs. Ford, Go to then; we'll ufe this unwhólfomé humidity, this grofs watry pumpion we'll teach him to know turtles from jays.

me.

Enter Falftaff.

Fal. Have I caught thee, my heav'nly jewel? why, now let me die; for I have liv'd long enough; this is the period of my ambition: O this blefied hour!

Mrs. Ford,