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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 honest, willing, kind fellow, as ever fervant fhall come in house withal, and I warrant you no tell-tale, nor no breed-bate; his workt 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 Semple you fay your name is.

Simp. Ay, for fault of a better.

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

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

Simp. No, forfooth; he hath but a little wee-face, with a little yellow beard, a cane-colour'd beard.

Quic. A foftly-fprighted man, is he not?

Simp. 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 should remember him; does he not hold up his head, as it were? and strut in his gate? Simp. Yes indeed does he.

Quic. Well, heav'n fend Anne Page no worfe fortune? Tell mafter parfon Evans, I will do what I can for your mafter: Anne is a good girl, and I wifh

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; [fouts Simple in the clofet.] He will not ftay long. What, John Rugby! John! what, John, I fay; go, John, go enquire for my mafter; I doubt he be not well, that he comes not home: and down, down, a-down-a, &c. [Singing.

SCENE X. Enter Doctor Caius. Caius. Vat is you fing? Ido 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. 1.

I am

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, fi, fe, ma foi il fait fort chaud, je m'en vais a la Courla grande Affaire.

Quic. Is it this, Sir?

Caius. Ouy, mette le au mon pocket, Depêch quickly : ver is dat knave Rugby?

Quic. What, John Rugby! John!

Rug. Here, Sir.

Caius. You are John Ruby, 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: odds me! Que ay je oublié ? dere is fome fimples in my clofet, dat I vill not

for the varld I fhall leave behind,

Quic. Ay-me, he'll find the young man there, and be mad. Caius. O Diable, Diable! vat is in my clofet? villaine, Laron! Rugby, my rapier.

Quic. Good mafter, be content.

Caius. Verfore fhould I be content-a?

Quic. The young man is an honest man.

Caius. Vat fhall de honeft man do in my closet ? dere is no honeft man dat fhall come in my closet.

Quic. I befeech you, be not fo flegmatick; hear the truth of it. He came of an errand to me from parfon Hugh. Caius. Vell.

Simp. Ay, forfooth, to defire her to

Quic. Peace, I pray you.

Caius. Peace-a your tongue, fpeak-a your tale.

Simp. To defire this honeft gentlewoman, your maid, to fpeak a good word to mistress Anne Page for my mafter in the way of marriage..

Quic. This is all indeed-la; but I'll ne'er put my finger in the fire, indeed not I.

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Caius. Sir Hugh fend-a-you? Rugby, baillez me fome paper; tarry you a little-a-while.

Quic. I am glad he is fo quiet; if he had been throughly moved, you should have heard him fo loud, and fo melancholy: but, notwithstanding, man, I'll do for your mafter

S 2

what

what good I can; and the very yea and the no is, the French Doctor my mafter, (I may call him my mafter, look you, for I keep his house, and I wafh, wring, brew, bake, fcour, dress meat and drink, make the beds, and do all myself.)

Simp. 'Tis a great charge to come under one body's hand. Quic. Are you a-vis'd o' that? you shall find it a great charge; and to be up early and down late. But notwithftanding, to tell you in your ear, I would have no words of it, my mafter 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 fhallenge; I vill cut his troat in de parke, and I vill teach a fcurvy jack-a-nape priest to meddle or makeyou may be gone, it is not good you tarry here; by gar I vill cut all his two ftones; by gar he shall not have a stone to trow at his dog. [Exit Simple.

Quic. Alas, he fpeaks but for his friend. Caius. It is no matter'a for dat: do not you tell-a-me dat I fhall have Anne Page for my felf? by gar I vill kill the jack prieft; and I have appointed mine hoft of de Fartere to measure our weapon; by gar I vill my self have Anne Page.

Quic. Sir, the maid loves you, and all fhall be well: we must give folks leave to prate; what the goujeres !

Caius. Rugby, come to the court vith me; by gar, if I have not Anne Page, I fhall turn your head out of my door; follow my heels, Rugby. [Exe. Caius and Rugby.

Quic. You fhall have An fools-head of your own. No, I know Anne's mind for that; never a woman in Windfor knows more of Anne's mind than I do, nor can do more than I can with her, I thank heav'n.

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Fent, [Within.] Who's within there, hoa?

Quic. Who's there, I trow? come near the houfe, I pray you.

SCENE XI. Enter Mr. Fenton. Fent. How now, good woman, how doft thou? Quic. The better that it pleases your good worship to ask. Fent. What news? how does pretty mistress Anne?

Quic. In truth, Sir, and fhe is pretty, and honeft, and gentle, and one that is your friend, I can tell you that by the way, I praise heav'n for it.

Fent. Shall I do any good, think'ft thou? fhall I not lofe my fuit?

Quic. Troth, Sir, all is in his hands above; but notwithstanding, mafter Fenton, I'll be fworn on a book the loves you have not your worship a wart above your eye? Fent. Yes marry have I; and what of that?

Quic. Well, thereby hangs a tale'; good faith, it is fuch another Nan; but, I deteft, an honest maid as ever broke bread; we had an hour's talk of that wart: I fhall never laugh but in that maid's company: but indeed the is given too much to allicholly and mufing; but for you→→ Well-go to

Fent. Well, I fhall fee her to-day; hold, there's mony for thee: let me have thy voice in my behalf; if thou feeft her before me, commend me

Quic. Will I ay faith that I will: and I will tell your worship more of the wart the next time we have confidence, and of other wocers.

Fent. Well, farewel, I am in great hafte now. [Exit. Quic. Farewel to your worship. Truly an honeft gentleman, but Anne loves him not; I know Anne's mind as well as another does. Out upon't, what have I forgot?

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ACT II. SCENE I.

Before Page's boufe.

Enter Miftrefs Page with a letter.

[Exit.

Mrs. Page. WHAT, have Ifcap'd love-letters in the

holy-day-time of my beauty, and am I now a fubject for them? let me fee:

Ask me no reafon why I love you; for tho love ufe reason for bis precifian, he admits him not for his counfellor: you are not young, no more am I; go to then, there's fympathy: you are merry, Jo am I; ba! ba! then there's more sympathy: you love fack, and fo do I; would you defire better fympathy? Let it fuffice thee, miftrefs Page, at the leaft if the love of a foldier can fuffice, that I love thee. I will not fay, pity me, tis not a foldier-like phrafe: but I fay, love me ;

By me, thine own true Knight, by day or night, Or any kind of light, with all his might, For thee to fight. John Falstaff. What a Herod of Jury is this! O wicked, wicked world! one that is well nigh worn to pieces with age, to fhow himself a young gallant? what unweigh'd behaviour hath this Flemish drunkard pickt, i'th' devil's name, out of my converfation, that he dares in this manner affay me? why,he hath not been thrice in my company: what fhould I fay to him? I was then frugal of my mirth; heav'n forgive me, why, I'll exhibit a bill in the parliament for the putting down of Mum*; how fhall I be reveng❜d on him? for reveng'd I will be, as fure as his guts are made of puddings.

SCENE II. Enter Mrs. Ford. Mrs. Ford. Miftrefs Page, truft 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 fhew to the contrary.

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

Mrs. Ford. Well, I do then; yet I fay, I could fhew you to the contrary: O mistress Page, give me fome counfel.

Mrs. Page. What's the matter, woman?

Mrs. Ford. O woman! if it were not for one trifling refpect, I could come to fuch honour.

Mrs. Page. Hang the trifle, woman, take the honour; what is it? difpenfe with trifles; what is it?

Mrs. Ford. If I would but go to hell for an eternal moment, or fo, I could be knighted.

Mrs. Page. What, thou lieft! Sir Alice Ford! thefe Knights will hack, and fo thou shouldft not alter the article of thy gentry.

A fattening liquor much in ufe among the Flemings, as he had called him a Flemish Drunkard a few lines before; and it is to be obferv'd that about the time when this play was written there were on foot feveral bills in Parliament for retraining the ufe of ttrong. liquors, fuppreffing the multitude of maltsters, and the great brew ing of ftrong beer, and regulating Inns, Taverns, and Alehoules.

Mrs.

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