I

Pro. How cam'ft thou by this ring? at my depart

gave this unto Julia.

Ful. And Julia her felf did give it me.

And Julia her self hath brought it hither.

Pro. How, Julia?

Jul. Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths,
And entertain'd 'em deeply in her heart :

How oft haft thou with perjury cleft the root on't?
Oh Protheus, let this habit make thee blush:
Be thou afham'd that I have took upon me
Such an immodeft rayment, if fhame live
In a difguife of love;

It is the leffer blot modefty finds,

Women to change their fhapes, than men their minds.

Pro. Than men their minds? 'tis true; oh heav'n! were But conftant, he were perfect; that one error

[man Fills him with faults, makes him run through all fins: Inconftancy falls off ere it begins.

What is in Silvia's face but I may spy
More fresh in Julia's with a conftant eye?
Val. Come, come, a hand from either:

Let me be bleft to make this happy close;
"Twere pity two fuch friends fhould long be foes.
Pro. Bear witness, heav'n, I have my wifh for ever.
ful. And I mine.

SCENE V. Enter Duke, Thurio, and Out-laws,
Out. A prize, a prize, a prize!

Val, Forbear, forbear, it is my lord the Duke. Your Grace is welcome to a man disgrac'd,

The banish'd Valentine.

Duke. Sir Valentine?

Thu. Yonder is Silvia: and Silvia's mine.

Val. Thurio, give back; or else embrace thy death: Come not within the measure of my wrath.

Do not name Silvia thine;

but once again,
And Milan fhall not hold thee. Here the ftands,
Take but poffeffion of her with a touch;
I dare thee but to breathe upon my love..
Thu. Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I,
I hold him but a fool that will endanger

1

His body for a girl that loves him not :
I claim her not; and therefore she is thine.

Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou,
To make fuch means for her as thou haft done,
And leave her on such flight conditions.

Now, by the honour of my ancestry,

I do applaud thy fpirit, Valentine,

And think thee worthy of an Empress' love:
Know then, I here forget all former griefs,
Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again,
Plead a new ftate in thy unrival'd merit,
To which I thus fubfcribe: Sir Valentine,
Thou art a gentleman, and well deriv'd,
Take thou thy Silvia, for thou haft deferv'd her.
Val. I thank your Grace; the gift hath made me happy.
I now beseech you, for your daughter's fake,

To grant one boon that I fhall ask of you.

Duke, I grant it for thine own, whate'er it be.
Val. These banish'd men that I have kept withal,

Are men endu'd with worthy qualities :

Forgive them what they have committed here,
And let them be recalled from their exile,

They are reformed, civil, full of good,

And fit for great employment, worthy lord.

Duke. Thou haft prevail'd, I pardon them and thee;

Difpofe of them as thou know'ff their deserts.
Come, let us go; we will conclude all jars
With triumphs, mirth, and all folemnity.

Val. And as we walk along, I dare be bold
With our difcourfe to make your Grace to smile.
What think you of this page, my lord?

Duke. I think the boy hath grace in him, he blushes,
Val. I warrant you, my lord, more grace than boy.
Duke. What mean you by that faying?
Val. Please you, I'll tell you as we país along,
That you will wonder what hath fortuned.
Come, Protheus, 'tis your penance but to hear
The story of your love difcovered:

That done, our day of marriage shall be yours,
One feaft, one house, one mutual happiness.

[Exeunt omnes.

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

SIR JOHN FALSTAFF.

FENTON, a young Gentleman of small Fortune, in love with Mrs. Anne Page.

SHALLOW, a Country Justice.

SLENDER, Coufin to Shallow, a foolish Country Squire,

Mr. PAGE,

Mr. FORD,

}

two Gentlemen, dwelling at Windfor.

Sir HUGH EVANS, a Welch Parfon.
Dr. CAIUS, a French Doctor.

HOST OF THE GARTER, a merry talking Fellow.

BARDOLPH,

PISTOL,

NYM,

ROBIN, Page to Falstaff.

WILLIAM PAGE, a Boy, Son to Mr. Page.

SIMPLE, Servant to Slender.

RUGBY, Servant to Dr. Caius,

Mrs. PAGE, Wife to Mr. Page.

Mrs. FORD, Wife to Mr. Ford.

Mrs. ANNE PAGE, Daughter to Mr. Page, in love with

Fenton,

Mrs. QUICKLY, Servant to Dr. Caius.

Servants to Page, Ford, &c..

SCENE Windfor

THE

*THE

Merry Wives of WINDSOR.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

The SCENE before Page's House in Windfor. Enter Justice Shallow, Slender, and Sir Hugh Evans.

Shal.

S

IR Hugh, perfwade me not; I will make a
Star-chamber matter of it: if he were twenty
Sir John Falftaffs, he shall not abuse Robert

Shallow, Efq;

Slen. In the county of Gloucefter, Juftice of Peace, and Coram.

Shal, Ay, coufin Slender, and Cuftalorum.

Slen. Ay, and Rato-lorum too; and a gentleman born, mafter parfon, who writes himself Armigero in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation; Armigero.

Shal. Ay, that I do, and have done any time these three hundred years.

Slen. All his fucceffors, gone before him, have don'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.

There is a

But that

This Play was written in the Author's best and ripeft years, after Henry the Fourth, by the command of Queen Elizabeth. tradition that it was compos'd at a fortnight's warning. must be meant only of the first imperfect sketch of this Comedy, which is get extant in an old Quarto edition, printed in 1619. This which we here have, was alter'd and improv’d by the Author almoft in every Speech.

R 2

Eva.