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Shal. Sir Hugh, persuade me not; I will make a Star-pound?

coram.

Eva. Seven hundred pounds, and possibilities, is good gifts.

chamber matter of it: if he were twenty sir John Fal-Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny. staffs, he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, esquire. Shal. I know the young gentlewoman; she has good Slen. In the county of Gloster, justice of peace, and gifts. Shal. Ay,cousin Slender,and Cust-alorum. Slen. Ay, and ratolorum too; and a gentleman born, master parson; who writes himself armigero; in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, armigero. Shal. Ay, that we do; and have done any time these three hundred years.

Slen. All his successors, gone before him, have done't; and all his ancestors, that come after him, may: they may give the dozen white luces in their coat.

Shal. It is an old coat.

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Eva. Yes, py'r-lady; if he has a quarter of your coat, there is but three skirts for yourself, in my simple conjectures: but this is all one: If sir John Falstaff have committed disparagements unto you,I am of the church and will be glad to do my benevolence, to make atonements and compromises between you.

Shal. The Council shall hear it; it is a riot. Eva. It is not meet the Council hear a riot ; there is no fear of Got in a riot: the Council, look you, shall desire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear a riot; take your vizaments in that.

Shal. Ha! o' my life, if I were young again, the sword should end it.

Eva. It is petter that friends is the sword, and end it: and there is another device in my prain, which, peradventure,prings goot discretions with it.There is Anne Page, which is daugther to Master George Page, which is pretty virginity.

Slen. Mistress Aune Page? She has brown hair, and speaks small like a woman.

Eva. It is that fery verson for all the 'orld, as just as you will desire; and seven hundred pounds of monies, and gold, and silver, is her grandsire, upon his death'sbed, (Got deliver to a joyful resurrections!) give, when

Shal. Well, let us see honest master Page: Is Fallstaff there?

Eva. Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar, as I do despise one that is false; or, as I despise one that is not true. The knight, sir John, is there; and I beseech you, be ruled by your well-willers. I will peat the door [knocks] for master Page. What, hoa! Got pless your house here!

Enter PAGE.

Page. Who's there?

Eva. Here is Got's plessing, and your friend, and justice Shallow: and here young master Slender; that, peradventures, shall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings.

Page. I am glad to see your worships well: I thank you for my venison, master Shallow. Shal. Master Page, I am glad to see you; much good do it your good heart! I wished your venison better; it was ill kill'd: — How doth good mistress Page? and I love you always with my heart, la; with my heart. Page. Sir, I thank you.

Shal. Sir, I thank you; by yea and no, I do. Page. I am glad to see you, good master Slender. Slen. How does your fallow greyhound, sir? I heard say, he was out-run on Cotsale. Page. It could not be judged, sir. Slen. You'll not confess, you'll not confess. Shal. That he will not; 'tis your fault, 'tis your fault:-'Tis a good dog. Page. A cur, sir.

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Shal. Sir, he's a good dog, and a fair dog; can there be more said? he is good, and fair. Is sir John Falstaff here?

Page. Sir, he is within; and I would I could do a good office between you.

Eva. It is spoke as a christians ought to speak. Shal. He hath wrong'd me, master Page. Page. Sir, he doth in some sort confess it. Shal. If it be confess'd, it is not redress'd; is not that so, master Page? He hath wrong'd me; indeed, he

hath ;-at a word, he hath;-believe me; - Robert Shal-
low, esquire, saith, he is wrong'd.
Page. Here comes sir John.

Enter Sir JOHN FALSTAFF, BARDOLPH, NYM, and
PISTOL.

Fal. Now, master Shallow; you'll complain of me to the king?

Shal. Knight, you have beaten my men, killed my deer, and broke open my lodge.

Fal. But not kiss'd your keeper's daughter?
Shal. Tut, a pin! this shall be answer'd.

Fal. I will answer it straight.—I have done all this:

That is now answer'd.

Shal. The Council shall know this.

God, and not with drunken knaves.
Eva. So Got 'udge me, that is a virtuous mind.'
Fal. You hear all these matters denied, gentlemen;
you hear it.

Enter Mistress ANNE PAGE with wine; Mistress FORD
and Mistress PAGE following.

Page. Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we'll drink within. [Exit Anne Page. Slen. O heaven! this is mistress Anne Page. Page. How now, mistress Ford?

Fal. Mistress Ford, by my troth, you are very well met: by your leave, good mistress. [Kissing her.

Page. Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome: Come, we have a hot venison pasty to dinner; come,

Fal. "Twere better for you, if it were known in coun- gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness. sel: you'll be laugh'd at.

Eva. Pauca verba, sir John, good worts.

Fal. Good worts! good cabbage.-Slender, I broke your head; what matter have you against me? Slen.Marry,sir,I have matter in my head against you; and against your coney-catching rascals, Bardolph, Nym, and Pistol. They carried me to the tavern, and made me drunk, and afterwards picked my pocket. Bard. You Banbury cheese!

Slen. Ay, it is no matter.

Pist. How now, Mephostophilus?
Slen. Ay,it is no matter.

Nym. Slice, I say! pauca, pauca; slice! that's my

humour.

Slen. Where's Simple,my man?-can you tell,cousin? Eva.Peace: I pray you! Now let us understand: There is three umpires in this matter, as I understand: that is-master Page, fidelicet, master Page; and there is myself, fidelicet, myself; and the three party is, lastly and finally, mine host of the Garter.

[Exeunt all but Shal. Slender, and Evans. Slen. I had rather than forty shillings, I had my book of Songs and Sonnets here :

Enter SIMPLE.

How now, Simple! Where have you been? I must wait on myself, must I? You have not The book of Riddles about you, have you?

Sim. Book of Riddles! why, did you not lend it to Alice Shortcake upon Allhallowmas last, a fortnight afore Michaelmas?

Shal. Come, coz; come, coz; we stay for you. A word with you, coz: marry, this, coz; There is, as 'twere, a tender, a kind of tender, made afar off by sir Hugh here;-Do you understand me? Slen. Ay, sir, you shall find me reasonable; ifit be so, I shall do that that is reason. Shal. Nay, but understand me. Slen. So I do, sir.

Eva. Give ear to his motions, master Slender: I will description the matter to you, if you be capacity of it. Page. We three, to hear it, and end it between them. Slen. Nay, I will do as my cousin Shallow says: I Eva. Fery goot: I will make a prief of it in my note-pray you, pardon me; he's a justice of peace in his book; and we will afterwards 'ork upon the cause, with as great discreetly as we can.

Fal. Pistol,

Pist. He hears with ears.

Eva. The tevil and his tam! what phrase is this, He hears with ears? Why it is affectations.

country, simple though I stand here.

Eva. But this is not the question; the question is concerning your marriage.

Shal. Ay, there's the point, sir.

Eva. Marry, is it; the very point of it; to mistress Anne Page.

Slen. Why, if it be so, I will marry her, upon any reasonable demands.

Fal. Pistol, did you pick master Slender's purse? Slen. Ay, by these gloves, did he, (or I would I might never come in mine own great chamber again else) of Eva. But can you affection the 'oman? Let us comseven groats in mill-sixpences, and two Edward sho-mand to know that of your mouth, or of your lips; for vel-boards, that cost me two shilling and two pence a-divers philosophers hold, that the lips is parcel of the piece of Yead Miller, by these gloves. mouth; Therefore, precisely, can you carry your good will to the maid?

Fal. Is this true, Pistol?

Eva. No; it is false, if it is a pick-purse.

Pist. Ha, thou mountain-foreigner! - Sir John and master mine,

I combat challenge of this latten bilbo :

Word of denial in thy labras here;

Word of denial: froth and scum, thou liest.
Slen. By these gloves, then 'twas he.

I

Nym. Be advised, sir, and pass good humours; will say, marry trap, with you, if you run the nuthook's humour on me; that is the very note of it. Slen. By this hat, then he in the red face had it: for though I cannot remember what I did when you made me drunk, yet I am not altogether an ass. Fal. What say you, Scarlet and John? Bard. Why, sir, for my part, I say, the gentleman had drunk himself out of his five sentences. Eva. It is his five senses: fie, what the ignorance is! Bard. And being fap, sir, was, as they say, cashier'd; and so conclusions pass'd the careires.

Shal. Cousin Abraham Slender, can you love her? Slen. I hope, sir,-I will do, as it shall become one that would do reason.

Eva. Nay, Got's lord and his ladies, you must speak possitable, if you can carry her your desires towards her.

Shal. That you must: Will you, upon good dowry, marry her?

Slen. I will do a greater thing than that, upon your request, cousin, in any reason.

Shal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, sweet coz; what I do, is to pleasure you, coz: Can you love the

maid?

Slen. I will marry her, sir, at your request; but if there be no great love in the beginning, yet heaven may decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are married, and have more occasion to know one another: I hope, upon familiarity will grow more contempt; but if you say, marry her, I will marry her, that I am freely dissolved, and dissolutely.

Slen. Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter: I'll ne'er be drunk whilst I live again, but in Eva. It is a fery discretion answer; save, the faul' honest, civil, godly company, for this trick: if I be in the 'ort dissolutely: the 'ort is, according to our drunk, I'll be drunk with those that have the fear of meaning, resolutely; his meaning is good.

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Shal. Ay, I think my cousin meant well.
Slen. Ay, or else I would I might be hang'd, la,

Re-enter ANNE PAGE.

SCENE III. A room in the Garter Inn. Enter FALSTAFF, Host, BARDOLPH, NYM, PISTOL, and ROBIN.

Shal. Here comes fair mistress Anne:- Would I Fal. Mine host of the Garter, were young, for your sake, mistress Anne!

Host. What says my bully-rook? Speak scholarly,

Anne. The dinner is on the table; my father desires and wisely. your worships' company.

Shal. I will wait on him, fair mistress Anne. Eva. Od's plessed will! I will not be absence at the grace. [Exeunt Shallow and Sir H. Evans. Anne. Will't please your worship to come in, sir? Slen. No, I thank you, forsooth, heartily; I am very well.

Anne. The dinner attends you, sir.

Slen. I am not a-hungry, I thank you, forsooth: Go, sirrah, for all you are my man, go, wait upon my cousin Shallow: [Exit Simple.] A justice of peace sometime may be beholden to his friend for a man:-I keep but three men and a boy yet, till my mother be dead: But what though? yet I live like a poor gentleman born. Anne. I may not go in without your worship: they will not sit till you come.

Slen. I'faith, I'll eat nothing; I thank you as much as though I did.

Anne. I pray you, sir, walk in.

Fal. Truly, mine host, I must turn away some of my followers.

Host. Discard, bully Hercules; cashier: let them wag; trot, trot.

Fal. I sit at ten pounds a week.

Host. Thou 'rt an emperor, Caesar,Keiser, and Pheezar. I will entertain Bardolph; he shall draw, he shall tap: said I well, bully Hector? Fal. Do so, good mine host. Host. I have spoke; let him follow: let me see thee froth, and lime: I am at a word; follow. [Exit Host. Fal. Bardolph, follow him; a tapster is a good trade: An old cloak makes a new jerkin; a withered servingman, a fresh tapster: Go; adieu.

Bard. It is a life that I have desired; I will thrive.

[Exit Bard. Pist. O base Gongarian wight! wilt thou the spigot wield?

Nym. He was gotten in drink: is not the humour conceited? His mind is not heroic, and there's the

Slen. I had rather walk here, I thank you: I bruised my shin the other day with playing at sword and dag-humourofit. ger with a master offence, three veneys for a dish of stewed prunes; and, by my troth, I cannot abide the smell of hot meat since. Why do your dogs bark so? be there bears i' the town?

Anne. I think, there are, sir; I heard them talked of. Slen. I love the sport well; but I shall as soon quarrel at it, as any man in England: -You are afraid, if you see the bear loose, are you not?

Anne. Ay, indeed, sir.

Slen. That's meat and drink to me now: I have seen Sackerson loose, twenty times; and have taken him by the chain: but, I warrant you, the women have so cried and shriek'd at it, that it pass'd:- but women, indeed, cannot abide 'em; they are very ill-favoured rough things.

Re-enter PAGE.

Fal. I am glad, I am so acquit of this tinderbox; his thefts were too open: his filching was like an unskilful singer, he kept not time.

Nym. The good humour is, to steal at a minute's rest. Pist. Convey, the wise it call: Steal! foh; a fico for the phrase!

Fal. Well, sirs, I am almost out at heels.
Pist. Why then, let kibes ensue.

Fal. There is no remedy; I must coneycatch; I must shift.

Pist. Young ravens must have food.
Fal. Which of you know Ford of this town?
Pist. I ken the wight; he is of substance good.
Fal. My honest lads, I will tell you what I am about.
Pist. Two yards, and more.

Fal. No quips now, Pistol! Indeed I am in the waist

Page. Come, gentle master Slender, come; we stay two yards about: but I am now about no waste; I am for you.

Slen. I'll eat nothing, I thank you, sir.

about thrift. Briefly, I do mean to make love to Ford's wife; I spy entertainment in her; she discourses, she

Page. By cock and pye, you shall not choose, sir: carves, she gives the leer of invitation: I can construe

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SCENE II.

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The same

Enter Sir HUGH EVANS and SIMPLE.

[Exeunt.

the action of her familiar style; and the hardest voice of her behaviour, to be English'd rightly, is, Iam sir Iohn Falstaff's.

Pist. He hath studied her well and translated her well; out of honesty into English.

Nym. The anchor is deep. Will that humour pass? Fal. Now, the report goes, she has all the rule of her husband's purse; she hath legions of angels. Pist. As many devils entertain; and, To her, boy, say I.

Nym. The humour rises; it is good: humour me the angels.

Fal. I have writ me here a letter to her and here Eva. Go your ways, and ask of Doctor Caius house, another to Page's wife; who even now gave me good which is the way: and there dwells one mistress Quick-eyes too, examined my parts with most judicious eyly, which is in the manner of his nurse, or his dry nurse, or his cook, or his laundry, his washer, and his wringer.

Simp. Well, sir.

Eva. Nay, it is petter yet: give her this letter; for it is a 'oman, that altogether's acquaintance with mistress Anne Page: and the letter is, to desire and require her to solicit your master's desires to mistress Anne Page: I pray you, be gone; I will make an end of my dinner; there's pippins and cheese to come.

liads: sometimes the beam of her view gilded my foot, sometimes my portly belly.

a

Pist. Then did the sun on dung-hill shine.
Nym. I thank thee for that humoar.

Fal. O, she did so course o'er my exteriors with such greedy intention, that the appetite of her eye did seem to scorch me up like a burning glass! Here's another letter to her: she bears the purse too; she is a region in Guiana,all gold and bounty. I will be cheater to them both, and they shall be exchequers to me; [Exeunt. they shall be my East and West Indies, and I will trade

to them both. Go,bear thou this letter to mistress Page; | Quick. We shall all be shent! Run in here,good young and thou this to mistress Ford: we will thrive, lads, man; go into this closet. [Shuts Simple in the closet.] we will thrive. He will not stay long. What, John Rugby! John, what, John, I say! Go, John, go enquire for my master! I doubt, he be not well, that he comes not home:- and down, down, adown-a, etc. [Sings.

Pist. Shall I sir Pandarns of Troy become, And by my side wear steel? 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, [to Rob.] bear you these letters tightly;

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Sail like my pinnace to these golden shores.-
Rogues, hence, avaunt! vanish like hail-stones, go;
Trudge, plod, away, o' the hoof; seek shelter, pack!
Falstaff will learn the humour of this age,
French thrift, you rogues; myself, and skirted page.
[Exeunt Falstaff and Robin.
Pist. Let vultures gripe thy guts! for gourd and ful-
lam holds,

And high and low beguile the rich and poor:
Tester I'll have in pouch, when thou shalt lack,
Base Phrygian Turk!

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

Pist. Wilt thou revenge?

Nym. By welkin, and her star!

Pist. With wit or steel?

Nym. With both the humours, I:

Iwill discuss the humour of this love to Page.
Pist. And I to Ford shall eke unfold,

How Falstaff, varlet vile,

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

Nym. My humour shall not cool: I will incense Page to deal with poison: I will possess him with yellowness, for the revolt of mien is dangerous: that is my true humour.

Pist. Thou art the Mars of malcontents: I second thee; troop on. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV. A room in Dr Caius' house.

Enter Mrs QUICKLY, SIMPLE, and RUGBY. Quick. What; John Rugby! - I pray thee, go to the casement, and see if you can see my master, master Doctor Caius, coming: if he do, i'faith, and find any body in the house, here will be an old abusing of God's patience, and the king's English. Rug. I'll go watch. [Exit Rugby. Quick. Go; and we'll have a posset for't soon at night, in faith, at the latter end of a sca-coal fire.- An honest, willing, kind fellow, as ever servant shall come in house withal; and, I warrant you, no tell-tale, nor no breed-bate: his worst fault is, that he is given to prayer; he is something peevish that way: but nobody but has his fault; - but let that pass.-Peter Simple, you say your name is?

Sim, Ay, for fault of a better.

Quick. And master Slender's your master?
Sim. Ay, forsooth.

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

Sim. No, forsooth: he hath but a little wee face, with a little yellow beard; a Cain-coloured beard. Quick. A softly-sprighted man, is he not?

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

Quick. How say you? O, I should remember him; docs he not hold up his head, as it were? and strut in Sim. Yes, indeed, does he. his gait? Quick. Well, heaven send Anne Page no worse fortune! Tell master parson Evans, I will do what I can for your master: Anne is a good girl, and I wish — Re-enter RUGBY.

Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master.

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Caius. Ouy; mette le au mon pocket; Depeche,
quickly:-Vere is dat knave Rugby?
Quick. 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 de court.

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

Caius. By my trot,I tarry too long:-Od's me! Qu'ai j'oublié? dere is some simples in my closet, dat I vill not for the varld I shall leave behind.

Quick. Ah me!he'll find the young man there, and be mad.

Caius. O diable, diable! vat is in my closet? - Villainy! larron! [Pulling Simple out.]Rugby,my rapier. Quick. Good master, be content.

Cuius. Verefore shall I be content-a?
Quick. The young man is an honest man,

Caius. Vat shall the honest man do in my closet?dere
is no honest man dat shall come in my closet.
Quick. I beseech you, be not so flegmatick; hear the
truth of it: He came of an errand to me from parson
Caius, Vell.
Hugh.

Sim. Ay, forsooth, to desire her to
Quick. Peace, I pray you.

Caius. Peace-a your tongue :-Speak-a your tale.
Sim. To desire this honest gentlewoman, your maid,
to speak a good word to mistress Anne Page for my
master, in the way of marriage.
Quick. This is all, indeed, la; but I'll ne'er put my
finger in the fire, and need not.
Caius. Sir Hugh send-a you? — Rugby, baillez me
some paper! Tarry you a little-a while. [Writes.
Quick. I am glad he is so quiet: if he had been tho-
roughly moved, you should have heard him so loud,
and so melancholy; but notwithstanding, man, I'll
do your master what good I can: and the very yea and
the no is, the French doctor, my master, I may call
him my master, look you, for I keep his house; and I
wash, wring, brew, bake, scour, dress meat and drink,
make the beds, and do all myself; -

Sim. 'Tis a great charge, to come under one body's hand.

Quick. Are you avis'd o' that? you shall find it a great charge: aud to be up early and down late ; — but notwithstanding, (to tell you in your ear; I would have no words of it;) my master himself is in love with mistress Anne Page: but notwithstanding that, — I know Anne's mind, that's neither here nor there. Caius. You jack'nape; give-a dis letter to sir Hugh; by gar, it is a shallenge: I vill cut his troat in de park; and I vill teach a scurvy jack-a-nape priest to meddle or make: - you may be gone; it is not good you tarry here: by gar. I vill cut all his two stones; by gar, he shall not have a stone to trow at his dog.

[Exit Simple.

Quick. Alas, he speaks but for his friend.

Caius. It is no matter-a for dat: - do not you tell-a me dat I shall have Anne Page for myself? - by gar, I vill kill de Jack priest; and I have appointed mine host of de Jarterre to measure our weapon:-by gar, I vill myself have Anne Page.

Quick. Sir, the maid loves you, and all shall be well: we must give folks leave to prate: What, the good-jer! Caius. Rugby, come to the court vit me; - By gar, if I have not Anne Page, I shall turn your head out of my door!-Follow my heels, Rugby.

[Exeunt Caius and Rugby.
Quick. You shall have An fools-head of your own.
No, I know Anne's mind for that: never a woman in
Windsor knows more of Anne's mind than I do; nor
can do more than I do with her, I thank heaven.
Fent. [Within.] Who's within there, ho?
Quick. Who's there, I trow? Come near the house,
I pray you.

Enter FENTON.

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Fent. What news? how does pretty mistress Anne? Quick. In truth, sir, and she is pretty, and honest, and gentle; and one that is your friend, I can tell you that by the way; Ipraise heaven for it.

Fent. Shall I do any good, thinkest thou? Shall I not lose my suit?

Quick. Troth, sir, all is in his hands above : but notwithstanding, master Fenton, I'll be sworn on a book, she loves you: - have not your worship a wart above your eye?

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For thee to fight,

JOHN FALSTAFF.

What a Herod of Jewry is this?-O wicked, wicked,
world!—one, that is well nigh worn to pieces with age,
to show himself a young gallant! What an unweighed
behaviour hath this Flemish drunkard, picked (with
the devil's name) out of my conversation, that he dares
in this manner assay me? Why,he hath not been thrice
in my company !-What should I say to him? - I was
then frugal of my mirth: - heaven forgive me!-
Why, I'll exhibit a bill in the parliament for the put-
ting down of men. How shall I be revenged on him?
for revenged 1 will be, as sure as his guts are made of
puddings.
Enter Mistress FORD.

Mrs Ford. Mistress Page! trust me, I was going to your house.

Mrs Page. And, trust me, I was coming to you. You look very ill.

Mrs Ford. Nay, I'll ne'er believe that; I have to show to the contrary.

Mrs Page. 'Faith, but you do, in my mind.

Mrs Ford. Well, I do then; yet, I say, I could show you to the contrary: O, mistress Page, give me some counsel!

Mrs Page. What's the matter, woman? Mrs Ford. O woman, if it were not for one trifling respect, I could come to such honour! Mrs Page. Hang the trifle, woman; take the honour: what is it? Dispense with trifles; - what is it? Mrs Ford. If I would but go to hell for an eternal moment, or so, I could be knighted. Mrs. Page. What?-thou liest !-Sir Alice Ford!These knights will hack; and so thou shouldst not alter the article of thy gentry.

Fent. Yes, marry, have I; what of that? Quick. Well, thereby hangs a tale; good faith, it Mrs Ford. We burn day-light:-here, read, read;is such another Nan; but, I detest, an hones't maid perceive how I might be knighted. - I shall think the as ever broke bread: - We had an hour's talk of that worse of fat men, as long as I have an eye to make diffewart; I shall never laugh but in that maid's com-rence of men's liking: and yet he would not swear; pany! But, indeed, she is given too much to alli-praised women's modesty: and gave such orderly and cholly and musing: but for you-Well, go to. well-behaved reproof to all uncomeliness, that I would Fent. Well, I shall see her to-day: hold, there's have sworn his disposition would have gone to the money for thee; let me have thy voice in my behalf: truth of his words: but they do no more adhere and if thou seest her before me, commend mekeep place together than the hundredth psalm to the Quick. Will? i'faith, that we will: and I will tell tune of Green sleeves. What tempest, I trow, threw your worship more of the wart, the next time we have this whale, with so many tuns of oil in his belly, ashore confidence; and of other wooers. at Windsor? How shall I be revenged on him? Ithink, Fent. Well, farewell; I am in great haste now. [Exit. the best way were to entertain him with hope, till the Quick. Farewell to your worship.-Truly, an honest wicked fire of lust have melted him in his own grease. gentleman; but Anne loves him not; for I know Anne's-Did you ever hear the like? mind as well as another does. Out upon't! what have I forgot? [Exit.

ACT II.

SCENE I.Before Page's house.

Enter Mistress PAGE, with a letter.

Mrs Page. What! have I'scaped love-letters in the holy-day time of my beauty, and am I now a subject for them? Let me see: [Reads. Ask me no reason why I love you; for though love use reason n for his precisian, he admits him not for his counsellor: you are not young, no more am I go to then, there's sympathy: You are merry, so am I; Ha! ha! then there's more sympathy: you love sack, and so do I; would you desire better sympathy? Let it suffice thee, mistress Page, (at the least, if the love of a soldier can suffice,) that I love thee. I will not say, pity me, 'tis not a soldier-like phrase ; but I say, Love me. By me,

Thine own true knight,,
By day or night,
Or any kind of light,

With all his might,

Mrs. Page. Letter for letter; but that the name of Page and Ford differs! — To thy great comfort in this mystery of ill opinions, here's the twin-brother of thy letter: but let thine inherit first; for, I protest, mine never shall. I warrant, he hath a thousand of these letters, writ with blank space for different names, (sure more,) and these are of the second edition: he will print them out of doubt; for he cares not what he puts into the press, when he would put us two. I had rather be a giantess, and lie under mount Pelion. Well, I will find you twenty lascivious turtles, ere one chaste man. Mrs Ford. Why, this is the very same; the very hand, the very words: what doth he think of us? Mrs Page. Nay, I know not: it makes me almost ready to wrangle with mine own honesty. I'll entertain myself like one, that I am not acquainted withal; for, sure, unless he know some strain in me, that I know not myself, he would never have boarded me in this fury. Mrs Ford. Boarding, call you it? I'll be sure to keep him above deck,

Mrs Page. So will I; if he come under my hatches, I'll never to sea again. Let's be revenged on him: let's appoint him a meeting; give him a show of comfort in his suit; and lead him on with a fine-baited delay, till

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