by your well-willers. I will peat the door for Master Page. [Knocks] What, hoa! Got pless your house here! Page. [Within] Who's there?

Enter PAGE.

65

Evans. 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.

71

Shal. Master Page, I am glad to see you: much good do it your good heart! I wished your venison better; it was ill killed. How doth good Mistress Page? and I thank you always with my heart, la! with my heart.

75

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 outrun on Cotsall.

Page. It could not be judged, sir.

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

80

Shal. That he will not. 'Tis your fault, 'tis your fault;

'tis a good dog.

Page. A cur, sir.

85

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.

Evans. It is spoke as a Christians ought to speak. 90
Shal. He hath wronged me, Master Page.
Page. Sir, he doth in some sort confess it.

Shal. If it be confessed, it is not redressed: is not that so, Master Page? He hath wronged me; indeed he hath; at a word, he hath, believe me: Robert Shallow, esquire, saith, he is wronged.

Page. Here comes Sir John.

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

96

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 kissed your keeper's daughter?

Shal. Tut, a pin! this shall be answered.

101

Fal. I will answer it straight; I have done all this. That is now answered.

Shal. The council shall know this.

105

Fal. 'Twere better for you if it were known in counsel: you'll be laughed at.

Evans. Pauca verba, Sir John; goot worts.

Fal. Good worts! good cabbage. Slender, I broke

your head: what matter have you against me?

111

Slen. Marry, sir, I have matter in my head against you; and against your cony-catching rascals, Bardolph, Nym, and Pistol.

Bard. You Banbury cheese!

Slen. Ay, it is no matter.

Pist. How now, Mephostophilus!

Slen. Ay, it is no matter.

115

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

120

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

cousin?

Evans. 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.

127

Page. We three, to hear it and end it between them. Evans. Fery goot: I will make a prief of it in my note-book; and we will afterwards ork upon the cause with as great discreetly as we can.

Fal. Pistol!

Pist. He hears with ears.

131

Evans. The tevil and his tam! what phrase is this, 'He hears with ear'? why, it is affectations.

135

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 seven groats in mill-sixpences, and two Edward shovelboards, that cost me two shilling and two pence a-piece of

Yead Miller, by these gloves.

Fal. Is this true, Pistol?

141

Evans. 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.

145

149

Nym. Be avised, sir, and pass good humours: I 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?

155

Bard. Why, sir, for my part, I say the gentleman had drunk himself out of his five sentences.

Evans. It is his five senses: fie, what the ignorance is! Bard. And being fap, sir, was, as they say, cashiered; and so conclusions passed the careires.

161

Slen. Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter: I'll ne'er be drunk whilst I live again, but in

honest, 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.

166

Evans. So Got udge me, that is a virtuous mind. Fal. You hear all these matters denied, gentlemen; you hear it.

Enter 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.

[Kisses her. 175

Page. Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome. Come, we have a hot venison pasty to dinner: come, gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness.

[Exeunt all except Shal., Slen., and Evans.

Slen. I had rather than forty shillings I had my Book of Songs and Sonnets here.

Enter SIMPLE.

180

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