content. Here is a letter will fay fomewhat. Good hearts, what ado is here to bring you together? fure, one of you does not ferve heav'n well, that you are fo crofs'd.

Fal. Come up into my chamber.

SCENE

[Exeunt,

XI.

Enter Fenton and Hoft.

Hoft. Mafter Fenton, talk not to me, my mind is heavy,

I will give over all.

Fen. Yet hear me fpeak; affift me in my purpose, And, as I am a gentleman, I'll give thee

A hundred pound in gold more than your lofs.

Hoft. I will hear you, mafter Fenton; and I will, at the leaft, keep your counsel..

Fen. From time to time I have acquainted you
With the dear love I bear to fair Anne Page;
Who, mutually, hath anfwer'd my affection,
(So far forth as herfelf might be her chufer)
Ev'n to my wish. I have a letter from her
Of fuch contents, as you will wonder at ;
The mirth whereof's fo larded with my matter,
That neither fingly can be manifested,

Without the fhew of both. Fat Sir John Falstaff
Hath a great Scene; the image of the jeft

I'll fhew you here at large. Hark, good mine Hoft;
To night at Herne's Oak, juft 'twixt twelve and one,
Muft my sweet Nan prefent the Fairy Queen;
The purpose why, is here; in which difguife,
While other jefts are fomething rank on foot,
Her father hath commanded her to flip
Away with Slender, and with him at Eaton
Immediately to marry; fhe hath consented.

Sir,

Her mother, ever strong against that match,

Now,

And

And firm for Doctor Caius, hath appointed
That he fhall likewife fhuffle her away,
(While other sports are tasking of their minds;)
And at the Deanry, where a priest attends,
Straight marry her; To this her mother's Plot
She, feemingly obedient, likewise hath

Made promise to the Doctor.--Now, thus it refts;
Her father means fhe fhall be all in white,
And in that drefs when Slender fees his time
To take her by the hand, and bid her go,
She fhall go with him. Her mother hath intended,
The better to devote her to the Doctor,
(For they must all be mask'd and vizarded)
That, quaint in green, fhe fhall be loose enrob'd,
With ribbands-pendent, flaring 'bout her head;
And when the Doctor fpies his vantage ripe,
To pinch her by the hand, and on that token,
The maid hath given confent to go with him.
Hoft. Which means fhe to deceive? father or mo-
ther?

Fen. Both, my good Hoft, to go along with me;
And here it refts, that you'll procure the Vicar
To stay for me at church, 'twixt twelve and one,
And in the lawful name of marrying,

To give our hearts united ceremony.

Hoft. Well, husband your device; I'll to the Vicar. Bring you the maid, you fhall not lack a priest. Fen. So fhall I evermore be bound to thee; Befide, I'll make a prefent recompence.

[Exeunt.

Re-enter Falstaff and Miftrefs Quickly.

Fal. Pr'ythee, no more pratling; go, I'll hold. This is the third time; I hope, good luck lyes in odd VOL. I.

numbers;

numbers; away, go; they fay, there is divinity in odd numbers, either in nativity, chance or death;

away.

Quic. I'll provide you a chain, and I'll do what I can to get you a pair of horns. [Exit Mrs. Quickly. Fal. Away, I fay, time wears: hold up your head and mince.

Enter Ford.

How now, master Brook? mafter Brook, the matter will be known to night, or never. Be you in the Park about midnight, at Herne's Oak, and you shall fee wonders.

Ford. Went you not to her yesterday, Sir, as you told me you had appointed?

Fal. I went to her, mafter Brook, as you fee, like a poor old man; but I came from her, mafter Brook, like a poor old woman. That fame knave, Ford her husband, hath the finest mad devil of jealoufie in him, mafter Brook, that ever govern'd frenzy. I will tell you; he beat me grievously, in the shape of a woman; for in the fhape of a man, mafter Brook, I fear not Goliab with a weaver's beam; because I know alfo, life is a fhuttle; I am in hafte; go along with me, I'll tell you all, mafter Brook. Since I pluckt geefe, play'd truant, and whipt top, I knew not what 'twas to be beaten, 'till lately. Follow me, I'll tell you ftrange things of this knave Ford, on whom to night I will be reveng'd, and I will deliver his wife into your hand. Follow; ftrange things in hand, master Brook! follow. [Exeunt.

4 There is divinity in odd numbers, either in nativity, chance, or death] i. e. being born in an odd year, having an odd number in a lottery, and the climacteric years of 7 and 63.

ACT

ACT V. SCENE I.

Windfor Park.

Enter Page, Shallow, and Slender.

COM

PAGE.

OME, come; we'll couch i'th' castle-ditch, 'till we fee the light of our fairies. Remember, fon Slender, my daughter.

Slen. Ay, forfooth, I have spoke with her, and we have a nay-word how to know one another. I come to her in white, and cry, mum; fhe cries, budget; and by that we know one another.

Shal. That's good too; but what needs either your mum, or her budget? the white will decipher her well enough. It hath ftruck ten o'clock.

Page. The night is dark, light and fpirits will become it well; heav'n profper our sport! No one means evil but the devil, and we fhall know him by his horns. Let's away; follow me.

[Exeunt.

Enter Mistress Page, Miftrefs Ford and Caius.

Mrs. Page. Mr. Doctor, my daughter is in green; when you fee your time, take her by the hand, away with her to the Deanry, and dispatch it quickly; go before into the Park; we two must go together. Caius. I know vat I have to do; adieu. [Exit. Mrs. Page. Fare you well, Sir. My husband will not rejoice fo much at the abuse of Falstaff, as he will chafe at the Doctor's marrying my daughter; but 'tis

1 No MAN means evil but the devil.] This is a double blunder; for fome, of whom this was spoke, were women. We should read then, no ONE means.

no matter; better, a little chiding, than a great deal of heart-break.

Mrs. Ford. Where is Nan now, and her fairies, (a) and the Welch devil Evans?

troop of

Mrs. Page. They are all couch'd in a pit hard by Herne's Oak, with obfcur'd lights; which, at the very inftant of Falstaff's and our meeting, they will at once difplay to the night.

Mrs. Ford. That cannot chufe but amaze him. Mrs. Page. If he be not amaz'd, he will be mock'd; if he be amaz'd, he will every way be mock'd. Mrs. Ford. We'll betray him finely.

Mrs. Page. Against fuch lewdsters, and their lechery, Thofe, that betray them, do no treachery.

Mrs. Ford. The hour draws on; to the Oak, to the Oak. [Exeunt.

Enter Evans and Fairies.

Eva. Trib, trib, fairies; come, and remember your parts: be pold, I pray you; follow me into the pit; and when I give the watch-'ords, do as I pid you; come, come; trib, trib. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Enter Falstaff, with a Buck's bead on.

Fal. The Windfor bell hath ftruck twelve, the minute draws on; now, the hot-blooded Gods affift me! Remember, Jove, thou waft a bull for thy Europa; love fet on thy horns. Oh powerful love! that, in fome refpects, makes a beast a man; in fome other, a man a beast: You were alfo, Jupiter, a fwan, for the Jove of Leda: Oh, omnipotent love! how near the God drew to the complexion of a goofe? A fault done firft in the form of a beaft,-O Jove, a beaftly fault;

[(a) Welch devil Evans? Dr. Thirlby,

Vulg. Herne.]

and