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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 wafte two yards about; but I am now about no wafte, I am about thrift. Briefly, I do mean to make love to Ford's wife: I fpy entertainment in her; the dif courfes, fhe carves, the gives the leer of invitation; I can conftrue the action of her familiar ftile, and the hardest voice of her behaviour, to be english'd right, is, I am Sir John Falstaff's.

Pift. He hath ftudy'd her well, and translated her out of honesty into English.

Nym. The anchor is deep; will that humour pass? Fal. Now, the report goes, fhe has all the rule of her husband's purfe: the hath a legion of angels. Pift. As many devils entertain; and to her, boy, say 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 oeillades; fometimes, the beam of her view guilded my foot; fometimes, my portly belly.

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

8 and tranflated her well, out of honesty into English. ] i. e. into a corrupt language. This is extremely humorous: But I think the word well, coming in here a fecond time, is an intrufion, and should be thrust out again, as it burdens the diction and obftructs the easy turn of the thought.

9 As many devils entertain; -] i. e. Take to your affistance as many devils as she has angels, and then you may be a match for her.

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moft judicious ILIADS;] Read oeillades, glances.

French,

Mr. Pope.
S 4

Fal.

2

Fal. O fhe did fo course 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; she is a region in Guiana, all gold and bounty. I will be Cheater to them both, and they fhall be Exchequers to me; they shall be my East and West-Indies, and I will trade to them both. Go, bear thou this letter to mistress Page; and thou this to miftrefs Ford: we will thrive, lads, we will thrive.

Pift. Shall I Sir Pandarus of Troy become, And by my fide wear fteel? then, Lucifer take all ! Nym. I will run no base humour; here, take the humour-letter, I will keep the haviour of reputation.

Fal. Hold, Sirrah, bear you these letters tightly, Sail like my pinnace to these golden fhores. [To Robin. Rogues, hence, avaunt! vanish like hail-ftones, go; Trudge, plod away o'th' hoof, feek fhelter, pack! Falstaff will learn the humour of the age, French thrift, you rogues; my felf, and skirted page. [Exeunt Falstaff and Boy.

: 2 I will be Cheater to them both, and they shall be Exchequers to me; The fame joke is intended of Henry the fourth, A&t 2. my houfe, nor no Cheater.

here, as in the fecond part I will bar no honeft man By which is meant Efcheatours,

an officer in the exchequer, in no good repute with the common people.

3 Falftaff will learn the humour of the age,

French thrift, you rogues; my self, and skirted page.] So Beaumont and Fletcher, in The boneft man's fortune.

'tis the comfort, that

Ill fortune has undone me into the fashion:
For now, in this age, moft men do begin
To keep but one bay, that kept many men.

SCENE

S CE N E VIII.

Pift. Let vultures gripe thy guts; 4 for gord and
Fullam holds:

And high and low beguiles the rich and poor.
Tefter I'll have in pouch, when thou fhalt lack,
Bafe Phrygian Turk!

Nym. I have operations in my head, which be hu mours of revenge.

Pift. Wilt thou revenge

?

Nym. By welkin, and her ftar.

Pift. With wit, or steel?

Nym. With both the humours, I:

I will difcufs the humour of this love to Ford.

Pift. And I to Page fhall eke unfold,

t

How Falstaff, varlet vile,

His dove will prove, his gold will hold,
And his foft couch defile.

Nym. My humour fhall not cool; I will incenfe Ford to deal with poifon; I will poffefs him with yellownefs; for the Revolt of Mien is dangerous: that is my true humour.

Pift. Thou art the Mars of male-contents: I fecond thee; troop on.

4 For gourd, and Fullam bolds:

[Exeunt.

And high and low beguiles the rich and poor.] Fullam is a cant term for falfe dice, high and low. Torriano, in his Italian Dictionary, interprets Pife by falfe dice, high and low men, high Fullams, and low Fullams. Johnson, in his Every man out of his humour, quibbles upon this cant term. Who, he ferve? He keeps high men and low men, he has a fair living at Fullam.As for Gourd, or rather Gord, it was another inftrument of gaming, as appears from Beaumont and Fletcher's Scornful Lady. And thy dry bones can reach at nothing now, but GORDS er nine-pins.

SCENE

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Changes to Dr. Caius's Houfe.

Enter Miftrefs Quickly, Simple, and John Rugby. Quic. W the cafement, and fee if you can see my HAT, John Rugby! I pray thee, go to

mafter, master Doctor Caius, coming; if he do, i'faith, and find any body in the house, here will be old abufing of God's patience, and the King's English. Rug. I'll go watch. [Exit Rugby. Quic. Go, and we'll have a poffet for't foon at night, in faith, at the latter end of a fea-coal fire. An honeft, willing, kind fellow, as ever fervant fhall come in house withal; and, I warrant you, no tell-tale, nor no breed-bate; his worst fault is, that he is given to pray'r; he is fomething peevish that way; but no body but has his fault; but let that pass. Peter Simple, you fay, your name is.

Sim. Ay, for fault of a better.

Quic. And mafter Slender's your master?
Sim. Ay, forfooth.

Quic. Does he not wear a great round beard, like a glover's paring-knife?

Sim. No, forfooth; he hath but a little wee-face, with a little yellow beard, a Cain-colour'd beard. Quic. A foftly-fprighted man, is he not;

Sim. Ay, forfooth; but he is as tall a man of his hands, as any is between this and his head; he hath fought with a warrener.

Quic. How fay you? oh, I fhould remember him; does he not hold up his head, as it were? and strut in his gate?

Sim. Yes, indeed, does he.

Quic. Well, heav'n fend Anne Page no worfe fortune! Tell mafter parfon Evans, I'll do what I

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can

can for your mafter: Anne is a good girl, and I with

Enter Rugby.

Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master.

Quic. We fhall all be fhent; run in here, good! young man; go into this clofet; [buts Simple in the clofet.] He will not stay long. What, John Rugby! John! what, John, I fay; go, John, go enquire for rny mafter; I doubt, he be not well, that he comes not home and down, down, a-down-a, &c. [Sings.

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Caius. Vat is you fing? I do not like des toys; pray you, go and vetch me in my clofet un boitier verd; a box, a green-a box; do intend vat I fpeak? a green-a box.

Quic. Ay, forfooth, I'll fetch it you.

I am glad, he went not in himself; if he had found the young man, he would have been horn-mad. [Afide. Caius. Fe, fe, fe, fe, ma foi, il fait fort chaud ; je m'en vais à la Cour-la grande affaire.

Quic. Is it this, Sir.

Caius. Ouy, mettez le au mon pocket; Depêchez, quickly; ver is dat knave Rugby!

Quic. What, John Rugby! John!

Rug, Here, Sir.

Caius. You are John Rugby, and you are Jack Rugby come, take-a your rapier, and come after my heel to the Court.

Rug. 'Tis ready, Sir, here in the porch.

Caius. By my trot, I tarry too long: od's me! Qu ay je oublié ? dere is fome fimples in my closet, dat I will not for the varld I fhall leave behind.

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