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Eva. The dozen white lowfes do become an old coat well; it agrees well paffant; it is a familiar beast to man, and fignifies love.

Shal. The luce is the fresh-fish, the falt-fish is an old

coat.

Slen. I may quarter, coz.

Shal. You may, by marrying.

Evan. It is marrying indeed, if he quarter it.
Shal. Not a whit.

Eva. Yes, per-lady; if he has a quarter of your coat, there is but three fkirts for your felf, in my fimple conjectures; but that is all one: if Sir John Falstaff have committed difparagements upon you, I am of the church, and will be glad to do my benevolence, to make atone- ▾ ment and compromises between you.

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Shal. The council fhall hear it; it is a riot.

Eva. It is not meet the council hear of a riot; there is no fear of Got in a riot: the council, look you, fhall defire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear a riot; take you viza-ments in that.

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

Eva. It is petter that friends is the fword that end it; and there is alfo another device in my prain, which peradventure prings good difcretions with it: there is Anne Page, which is daughter to mafter George Page, which is pretty virginity.

Slen. Mistress Anne Page? fhe has brown hair, and fpeaks like a woman.

Eva. It is that ferry perfon for all the orld, as just as you will defire; and feven hundred pounds of monies, and gold and filver, is her grand-fire upon his death's-bed (Got deliver to a joyful refurrections) give when she is able to overtake feventeen years old: it were a good motion, if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and defire a marriage between mafter Abraham and miftrefs Anne Page.

Slen. Did her grand-fire leave her feven hundred pound? Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny. Slen. I know the young gentlewoman; fhe has good gifts. Eva. Seven hundred pounds, and poffibility, is goot gifts. Shal.

Shal. Well; let us fee honeft Mr. Page: is Falstaff there? Eva. Shall I tell you a lie? I do defpife a liar as I do despise one that is falfe; or as I defpife one that is not true. The Knight Sir John is there; and I beseech you, be ruled by your well-wishers. I will peat the door [Knocks.] for master Page. What, hoa ? Got blefs your house here.

4

SCENE II.

Page. Who's there?

Enter Mr. Page.

Eva. Here is Got's pleffing, and your friend, and Juftice Shallow; and here's young mafter Slender; that peradventures fhall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings.

Page. I am glad to fee your worfhips well. I thank you for my venifon, master Shallow.

Shal. Mafter Page, I am glad to see you; much good do it your good heart: I wish'd your venifon better; it was ill kill'd. How doth good mistress Page? and I thank 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 fee you, good master Slender. Slen. How do's your fallow greyhound, Sir? I heard fay, he was out-run on Cotfale.

Page. It could not be judg'd, Sir.

Slen. You'll not confefs, you'll not confefs.

Shal. That he will not; 'tis your fault, 'tis your fault; 'tis a good dog.

Page. A cur, Sir.

Shal. Sir, he's a good dog, and a fair dog; can there be more faid? 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 fpoke as a chriftians ought to speak.

Shal. He hath wrong'd me, master Page.
Page. Sir, he doth in fome fort confefs it.

Shal. If it be confefs'd, it is not redrefs'd; is not that fo, mafter Page? he hath wrong'd me; indeed he hath; at a word he hath; believe me, Robert Shallow Efquire faith, he is wrong'd,"

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Enter Sir John Falftaff, Bardolph, Nym and Pistol. Fal. Now, mafter Shallow, you'll complain of me to the King?

Shal. Knight, you have beaten my men, kill'd my deer, and broke open my lodge.

Fal. But not kifs'd your keeper's daughter.

Shal. Tut, a pin; this fhall be answer'd.

Fal. I will answer it ftrait: I have done all this. That is now anfwer'd.

Shal. The council fhall know this.

Fal. 'Twere better for you if 'twere not known in council; 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 cony-catching rascals, Bardolph, Nym and Piftol.

Bar. You Banbury cheese !

Slen. Ay, it is no matter.

Pift. How now, Mephoftophilus ?

Slen. Ay, it is no matter.

Nym. Slice, I fay, pauca, pauca: flice, that's my hu

mour.

Slen. Where's Simple my man? can you tell, coufin?

Eva. Peace: I pray you: now let us understand; there is three umpires in this matter, as I understand; that is, mafter Page, fidelicet mafter Page; and there is myself, fidelicet myself; and the third party is, laftly and finally, mine hoft of the garter.

Page. We three to hear it, and end it between them. Eva. Ferry goot; I will make a prief of it in my notebook, and we will afterwards ork upon the caufe, with as great difcretions as we can.

Fal. Piftol!

Pift. He hears with ears.

Eva. The tevil and his tam! what phrafe is this, he hears with ear? why, it is affectations.

Fal.

Fal. Piftol, did you pick mafter Slender's purfe?

Slen. Ay, by thefe gloves did he, or I would I might never come in mine own great chamber again elfe, of seven groats in mill-fixpences, and two. Edward fhovel-boards, that coft me two fhilling and two pence a-piece, of Yead Miller; by thefe gloves.

Fal. Is this true, Piftol?

Eva. No; it is falfe, if it is a pick-purfe.

Pift. Ha, thou mountain-foreigner! Sir John, and mafter mine, I combat, challenge of this latten bilboe: Word of denial in thy Labras here

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Word of denial; froth and fcum, thou lieft.
Slen, By thefe gloves, then 'twas he.

Nym. Be advis'd, Sir, and pafs good humours: I will fay marry trap with you, if you run the* nuthooks-humour on me; that is the very note of it.

Slen. By this hat, then he in the red face had it; for tho' I cannot remember what I did when you made me drunk, yet I am not altogether an ass.

Fal. What fay you, Scarlet and John?

Bard. Why, Sir, for my part, I fay, the gentleman had drunk himself out of his five fentences.

Eva. It is his five fenfes: fie, what the Ignorance is ? Bard. And being fap, Sir, was, as they fay, cashier'd ; and so conclufions paft the car-eires.

Slen. Ay, you fpake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter; I'll never be drunk whilft I live again, but in honeft, civil, godly company, for this trick: if. I be drunk, I'll be drunk with those that have the fear of God, and not with drunken knaves.

Eva. So Got udg me, that is a virtuous mind.
Fal. You hear all thefe matters deny'd, gentlemen;
hear it.

you

Enter Miftrefs Anne Page, with wine. Page. Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we'll drink within. [Exit Anne Page.

Nathook was a word of reproach in the vulgar way and in the east-ftrai. In the fecond part of Hen. 4. Dol Tearsheet lays to the Beadle, Nutbook, Nutbook! jou lie. Probably it was a name given to a Bayliff or Catchpole, very odious to the common people.

Slen.

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Slen. Oh heav'n! this is miftrefs Anne Page.
Enter Miftrefs Ford and Miftrefs Page.

Page. How now, mistress Ford?

Fal. Miftrefs Ford, by my troth, you are very well met'; by your leave, good miftrefs.

[Kiffing her. Page. Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome come, we have a hot venifon pafty to dinner; come, gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness. [Exe.Fal.Page,&c.

SCENE IV. Manent Shallow, Evans and Slender. Slen. I had rather than forty fhillings I had my book of fongs and fonnets here. [Enter Simple.] How now, Simple, where have you been? I muft wait on myself, muft If you have not the book of riddles about you, have you?

Simp. Book of riddles ! why, did you not lend it to Alice Shortcake upon Alhollowmas laft, a fortnight afore Martlemas?

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 fhall find me reasonable: if it be fo, I fhall do that is reason.

Shal. Nay, but understand me.

Slen. So I do, Sir.

Eva, Give ear to his motions, Mr. Slender: I will description the matter to you, if you be capacity of it.

Slen. Nay, I will do as my coufin Shallow fays: I pray you, pardon me he's a Juftice of peace in his country, fimple tho' I ftand here.

Eva. But that is not the question: the queftion is concerning your marriage.

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

Eva. Marry is it; the very point of it, to Mrs. Anne Page. Slen. Why, if it be fo, I will marry her upon any reafonable demands.

Eva. But can you affection the 'oman? let us command to know that of your mouth, or of your lips; for divers philofophers hold, that the lips is parcel of the mind: therefore precisely, can you marry your good will to the

maid?

Skal.

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