Mrs. Ford. What, ho, Mistress Page! come you and the old woman down; my husband will come into the chamber.

Ford. Old woman! what old woman's that? Mrs. Ford. Why, it is my maid's aunt of Brainford.

Ford. A witch, a quean, an old cozening quean! Have I not forbid her my house? She comes of errands, does she? We are simple men; we do not know what's brought to pass under the profession of fortune-telling. She works by charms, by spells, by th' figure, and such daubery2 as this is, beyond our element: we know nothing.-Come down, you witch, you hag, you; come down, I say! 189 Mrs. Ford. Nay, good, sweet husband, Good gentlemen, let him not strike the old

woman.

Re-enter FALSTAFF in women's clothes, led by MISTRESS PAGE.

Mrs. Page. Come, Mother Prat; come, give me your hand.

Ford. I'll prat her.-[Beating him] Out of my door, you witch, you rag, you baggage, you polecat, you ronyon!3 out, out! I'll conjure you, I'll fortune-tell you. [Exit Falstaff.

Mrs. Page. Are you not asham'd? I think you have kill'd the poor woman.

Mrs. Ford. Nay, he will do it. - 'Tis a goodly credit for you.

Ford. Hang her, witch!

200

Mrs. Page. The spirit of wantonness is, sure, scar'd out of him: if the devil have him not in fee-simple, with fine and recovery, he will never, I think, in the way of waste, attempt us again.

Mrs. Ford. Shall we tell our husbands how we have serv'd him?

Mrs. Page. Yes, by all means; if it be but to scrape the figures out of your husband's brains. If they can find in their hearts the poor unvirtuous fat knight shall be any further afflicted, we two will still be the ministers.

235

Enter Host and BARDOLPH.

Bard. Sir, the Germans desire to have three of your horses: the duke himself will be tomorrow at court, and they are going to meet him.

Host. What duke should that be comes so secretly? I hear not of him in the court. Let me speak with the gentlemen: they speak English?

Bard. Ay, sir; I'll call them to you.

Host. They shall have my horses; but I'll make them pay; I'll sauce them: they have had my house a week at command; I have turn'd away my other guests: they must come off; I'll sauce them. Come. [Exeunt.]{

5 Sauce gratify, tickle.

SCENE IV. A room in Ford's house.

Enter PAGE, FORD, MISTRESS PAGE, MISTRESS FORD, and SIR HUGH EVANS.

Evans. "Tis one of the best discretions of a 'oman as ever I did look upon.

Page. And did he send you both these letters at an instant?

Mrs. Page. Within a quarter of an hour. Ford. Pardon me, wife. Henceforth do what thou wilt;

I rather will suspect the sun with cold
Than thee with wantonness: now doth thy
honour stand,

In him that was of late an heretic,
As firm as faith.

Page.

9

'Tis well, 't is well; no more: Be not as éxtreme in submission As in offence.

But let our plot go forward: let our wives Yet once again, to make us public sport, Appoint a meeting with this old fat fellow, Where we may take him, and disgrace him for it.

Ford. There is no better way than that they spoke of.

Page. How to send him word they'll meet him in the Park at midnight? Fie, fie! he'll

With rounds of waxen tapers on their heads,
And rattles in their hands: upon a sudden,
As Falstaff, she, and I, are newly met,
Let them from forth a sawpit rush at once
With some diffused' song: upon their sight,
We two in great amazedness will fly:
Then let them all encircle him about,
And, fairy-like, to-pinch the unclean knight;
And ask him why, that hour of fairy revel,
In their so sacred paths he dares to tread
In shape profane.

Mrs. Ford. And till he tell the truth, Let the supposed fairies pinch him sound, 61 And burn him with their tapers.

Enter Host and SIMPLE.

Host. What wouldst thou have, boor? what, thick-skin? speak, breathe, discuss; brief, short, quick, snap.

Sim. Marry, sir, I come to speak with Sir John Falstaff from Master Slender.

Host. There's his chamber, his house, his castle, his standing-bed,' and truckle-bed;2['tis painted about with the story of the Prodigal, fresh and new. Go knock and call; he'll

1 Standing-bed, a bed supported by legs.

2 Truckle-bed, a bed on castors to run under another bed.

Sim. My master, sir, Master Slender, sent to her, seeing her go thorough the streets, to know, sir, [whether one Nym, sir, that beguil'd him of a chain, had the chain or no.

Fal. I spake with the old woman about it. Sim. And what says she, I pray, sir? Fal. Marry, she says that the very same man that beguil'd Master Slender of his chain cozen'd him of it.

Sim. I would I could have spoken with the woman herself; I had other things to have spoken with her too from him.

Fal. What are they? let us know.
Host. Ay, come; quick.

42

50

Sim. I may not conceal them, sir. Host. Conceal them, or thou di'st. Sim. Why, sir, they were nothing but] about? Mistress Anne Page; to know if it were my master's fortune to have her or no. Fal. Tis, 't is his fortune. Sim. What, sir? Fal. To have her,woman told me so. Sim. May I be bold to say so, sir? Fal. Ay, Sir Tike; who more bold?

-or no. Go; say the

3 Mussel-shell-open-mouthed.

[Host. They are gone but to meet the duke, villain: do not say they be fled; Germans are honest men.

Enter SIR HUGH EVANS.

Evans. Where is mine host?
Host. What is the matter, sir?

Evans. Have a care of your entertainments: there is a friend of mine come to town, tells me there is three cozen-germans that has cozen'd all the hosts of Readings, of Maidenhead, of Colebrook, of horses and money. I tell you for good will, look you: you are wise, and full of gibes and vlouting-stogs,' and 't is not convenient you should be cozened. Fare you well.

Enter DOCTOR CAIUS.

[Exit.

Caius. Vere is mine host de Jarteer? Host. Here, master doctor, in perplexity and doubtful dilemma.

Caius. I cannot tell vat is dat: but it is tell-a me dat you make grand preparation for a duke de Jarmany: by my trot, dere is no (duke dat de court is know to come. I tell you for good vill: adieu.] [Exit.

Host. Hue and cry, villain, go!-Assist me, knight. I am undone!-Fly, run, hue and cry, villain!-I am undone!

94

[Exeunt Host and Bardolph.

1 Vlouting-stogs=flouting-stocks, i.e. laughing-stocks.