The SON G. Fie on finful phantafy, Fed in heart, whofe flames afpire, Pinch him for his villany: Pinch him, and burn him, and turn him about, (22) During this Song, they pinch him. Doctor Caius comes one way, and freals away a boy in green; Slender another way, and he takes away a boy in white; and Fenton comes, and freals away Mrs. Ann Page. A noife of hunting is made within. All the Fairies run away. Falstaff pulls off his Buck's head, and rifes, Enter Page, Ford, &c. They lay hold on him. Page. Nay, do not fly; I think, we've watcht you now; Will none but Herne the hunter serve your turn? Mrs. Page. I pray you, come; hold up the jeft no higher. Now, good Sir John, how like you Windfor wives? See you thefe, hufbands do not these fair Yoaks (23) Become the Foreft better than the Town? Ford. (22) During this Song,] This Direction I thought proper to infert from the old Quarto's, as it is neceffary to explain what is in Action on the Scene; and on which a Part of the Cataflrophe of the Fable depends. (23) See you thefe bufbands? Do not these fair Oaks Become the Foreft better than the Town?] What Oaks, in the Name of Nonfenfe, do our fagacious Editors make Mrs. Page talk of? The Oaks in the Park? But there was no Intention of transplanting them into the Town. ·Talis infcitia me quidem pudet, pigetque. The firft Folio reads, as the Poet intended, Ford. Now, Sir, who's a cuckold now ? mafter Brooks Falstaff's a knave, a cuckoldly knave, here are his horns, mafter Brook; and, mafter Brook, he hath enjoy'd nothing of Ford's but his buck-basket, his cudgel, and twenty pounds of money, which must be paid to mafter Brook; his horfes are arrefted for it, mafter Brook. Mrs. Ford. Sir John, we have had ill luck; we could never meet. I will never take you for my love again, but I will always count you my deer. Fal. I do begin to perceive, that I am made an afs. Ford. Ay, and an ox too: both the proofs are extant. Fal. And thefe are not fairies? I was three or four times in the thought, they were not fairies; and yet the guiltine's of my mind, the fudden furprize of my powers, drove the grofsnefs of the foppery into a receiv'd belief, in defpight of the teeth of all rhime and reafon, that they were fairies. See now, how wit may be made a jack-a-lent, when 'tis upon ill imployment! Eva. Sir John Falstaff, ferve Got, and leave your defires, and fairies will not pinfe you. Ford. Well faid, fairy Hugh. Eva. And leave you your jealoufies too, I pray you. Ford. I will never miftruft my wife again, 'till thou art able to woo her in good English. Fal. Have I laid my brain in the fun and dry'd 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 toalled checfe. 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 intended, Yeaks: and Mrs. Page's Meaning is this. She fpeaks it to her own, and Mrs. Ford's Husband, and asks them, if they fee the Horns in Folia's Hand; and then, alluding to them as the Types of Cuckoldom, puts the Question, whether those oaks are not more proper in the Fore than in the Town: i. e. than in their Families, as a Reproach to them. enough to be the decay of luft and late-walking, through the Realm. Mrs. Page. Why, Sir John, do you think, though we would have thruft virtue out of our hearts by the head and fhoulders, 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? (24) Page. Old, cold, wither'd, and of intolerable entrails? Ford. And as wicked as his wife? Eva. And given to fornications, and to taverns, and facks, and wines, and metheglins, and to drinkings, and fwearings, and ftarings, 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, Sir, we'll bring you to Windfer to one Mr. Brook, that you have cozen'd of money, to whom you fhould have been a pander: over and above that you have fuffer'd, I think, to repay that money will be a biting affliction. (25) Mrs. Ford. Nay, husband, let That go to make amends: Forgive that Sum, and fo we'll all be Friends. Ford (24) What, a Hog's Pudding?] Mr. Pope has help'd us to this Hog's-pudding; all the other Editions, which I have seen, have it rightly Hodge-pudding, as it is vulgarly written and pronounc'd; the French call, to fhake, or jumble together, bocher: and they have a Dish call'd un boche-pot, which is a Mixture of several Sorts of Meats cook'd up together: and fuch a Gallimaufry, does Ford mean, is Falstaff. (25) Mrs. Ford Nay, Husband,] This and the following little Speech I have inferted from the old Quarto's. The Retrenchment, I prefume, was by the Players; and an injudicious One, Ford. Well, here's my hand; all's forgiven at last. Page. Yet be cheerful, Knight; thou shalt 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, Mr. Slender hath marry'd her daughter. Mrs. Page. Doctors doubt that: if Anne Page be my daughter, he is, by this, Doctor Caius's wife. Enter Slender. Slen. What hoe! hoe! father Page. [Afide. Page. Son, how now ? how now, fon, have you dispatch'd ?. Slen. Difpatch'd? I'll make the best in Gloucefter fhire know on't; would I were hang'd la, else. Page, Of what, fon? Slen. I came yonder at Eaton to marry mistress Anne Page, and fhe's a great lubberly boy. If it had not been i'th' church, I would have fwing'd him, or he fhould have fwing'd me. If I did not think it had been Anne Page, would I might never ftir, and 'tis a postmaster'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 marry'd 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 the cry'd budget, as Anne and I had appointed; and yet it was not Anne, but a post-master's-boy. in my Opinion. Sir John Falstaff is defign'd the Favourite Character in the Play. His Vices are the Subject of all the Pleasantry: and he is fufficiently punifh'd, in being disappointed 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 fhould fuftain this Lofs, as a Fine for his unreasonable Jealousy. Erud. Jefhu! Mafter Slender, cannot you fee but marry boys? Page. O, I am vext at heart. What fhall I do? Mrs. Page. Good George, be not angry, I knew of your purpose, turn'd my daughter into green, and, indeed, he is now with the Doctor at the Deanry, and there married. Enter Caius. Caius. Ver is miftrefs Page? by gar, I am cozen'd; I ha' marry'd one garfoon, a boy; one peafant, 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. Ford. This is ftrange! who hath got the right Anne ? Page. My heart mifgives me; here comes Mr. Fenton. Enter Fenton, and Anne Page. How now, Mr. Fenton? Anne. Pardon, good father; good my mother, pardon. Page. Now, miftrefs, how chance you went not with Mr. Slender? Mrs. Page. Why went you not with Mr. Doctor, maid? Fent. You do amaze her: Hear the truth of it. 4 Which forced marriage would have brought upon her. Fal. |