Page. Marry, were they. Ford. I like it never the better for that.-Does he lie at the Garter ? Page. Ay, marry, does he. If he should intend this voyage towards my wife, I would turn her loose to him; and what he gets more of her than sharp words, let it lie on my head. Ford. I do not misdoubt my wife; but I would be loth to turn them together : A man may be too confident: I would have nothing lie on my head : I cannot be thus satisfied. Page. Look, where my ranting host of the Garter comes : there is either liquor in his pate, or money in his purse, when he looks so merrily.—How now, mine host? Enter Host and SHALLOW. Host. How now, bully-rook? thou’rt a gentleman: cavalero-justice, I say. Shal. I follow, mine host, I follow.-Good even, and twenty, good master Page! Master Page, will you go with us ? we have sport in hånd. Host. Tell him, cavalero-justice; tell him bullyrook. Shal. Sir, there is a fray to be fought, between sir Hugh the Welsh priest, and Caius the French doctor. Ford. Good mine host o' the Garter, a word with you. Host. What say'st thou, bully-rook ? . [They go aside. Shal. Will you [to Page] go with us to behold it? my merry host hath had the measuring of their wea pons; and, I think, he hath appointed them contrary places : for, believe me, I hear, the parson is no jester. Hark, I will tell you what our sport shall be., Host. Hast thou no suit against my knight, my guest-cavalier ? Ford. None, I protest : but I'll give you a pottle of burnt sack to give me recourse to him, and tell him, my name is Brook; only for a jest. Host. My hand, bully: thou shalt have egress and regress; said I well ? and thy name shall be Brook : It is a merry knight.-Will you go on, hearts ? Shal.. Have with you, mine host. Page. I have heard, the Frenchman hath good skill in his rapier. Shal. Tut, sir, I could have told you more: In these times you stand on distance, your passes, stoccadoes, and I know not what : 'tis the heart, master Page; 'tis here, 'tis here. I have seen the time, with my long sword, I would have made you four tall? fellows skip like rats. Host. Here, boys, here, here! shall we wag ? Page. Have with you :-I had rather hear them scold than fight. .. [Ereunt Host, SHALLOW, and PAGE. Ford. Though Page be a secure fool, and stands so firmly on his wife’s frailty, yet I cannot put off my opinion so easily : She was in his company at Page's house; and, what they made 8 there, I know not. Well, I will look further into't: and I have a disguise to sound Falstaff: If I find her honest, I lose not my labour ; if she be otherwise, 'tis labour well bestowed. [Erit. 7 Stout, bold. 8 Did. SCENE II. Enter FALSTAFF and PISTOL. Pist. Why, then the world's mine oyster, Fal. Not a penny. I have been content, sir, you should lay my countenance to pawn: I have grated upon my good friends for three reprieves for you and your coach-fellow? Nym; or else you had looked through the grate like a geminy of baboons. I am damned in hell, for swearing to gentlemen my friends, you were good soldiers, and tall fellows : and when mistress Bridget lost the handle of her fan, I took't upon mine honour, thou hadst it not. · Pist. Didst thou not share ? hadst thou not fifteen pence? Fal. Reason, you rogue, reason: Think'st thou, I'll endanger my soul gratis ? At a word, hang no more about me, I am no gibbet for you :-90-A short knife and a throng; 2-to your manor of Pickt-hatch, go.--You'll not bear a letter for me, you rogue !you stand upon your honour !-Why, thou unconfinable baseness, it is as much as I can do, to keep the terms of my honour precise. I, I, I myself sometimes, leaving the fear of heaven on the left hand, and hiding mine honour in my necessity, am fain to shuffle, to hedge, and to lurch ; and yet you, rogue, will ensconce 4 your rags, your cat-a-mountain looks, your red-lattices phrases, and your bold-beating oaths, under the shelter of your honour! You will not do it, you? .. 9 Pay you again in stolen goods. 1 Draws along with you. 2 To cut purses in a croud. 3 Pickt-hatch was in Clerkenwell. Pist. I do relent; What would'st thou more of man? Enter ROBIN. - Enter Mistress QUICKLY. Quick. I'll be sworn; as my mother was, the first Quick. Shall I vouchsafe your worship a word or two? Fal. Two thousand, fair woman; and I'll vouchsafe thee the hearing. Quick. There is one mistress Ford, sir ;-I pray, come a little nearer this ways :-I myself dwell with master doctor Caius. Fal. Well, on : Mistress Ford, you say, Quick. Your worship says very true: 'I pray your worship, come a little, nearer this ways. 4 Protect. 5 Ale-house, Fal. I warrant thee, nobody hears ;-mine own people, mine own people. Quick. Are they 60 ? Heaven bless them, and make them his servants ! Fal. Well: mistress Ford:-what of her? Quick. Why, sir, she's a good creature. Lord, · lord ! your worship's a wanton: Well, heaven forgive you, and all of us, I pray! Fal. Mistress Ford ;---come, mistress Ford, Quick. Marry, this is the short and the long of it; you have brought her into such a canaries, ó as 'tis wonderful. The best courtier of them all, when the court lay at Windsor, could never have brought her to such a canary. Yet there has been knights, and lords, and gentlemen, with their coaches; I warrant you, coach after coach, letter after letter, gift after gift ; smelling so sweetly, (all musk,) and so rushling, I warrant you, in silk and gold; and in such alligant terms; and in such wine and sugar of the best, and the fairest, that would have won any woman's heart; and, I warrant you, they could never get an eye-wink of her.-I had myself twenty angels given me this morning : but I defy all angels, (in any such sort, as they say,) but in the way of honesty :-and, I warrant you, they could never get her so much as. sip on a cup with the proudest of them all : and yet there · has been earls, nay, which is more, pensioners; but, I warrant you, all is one with her. Fal. But what says she to me? be brief, my good she Mercury Quick. Marry, she hath received your letter ; for • A mistake of Mrs. Quickly's for quardaries. |