With triumphs,' mirth, and rare solemnity. 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 saying? Val. Please you, I'll tell you as we pass along, That you will wonder what hath fortun'd.Come, Proteus; 'tis your penance, but to hear The story of your loves discovered: That done, our day of marriage shall be yours; One feast, one house, one mutual happiness. [Exeunt. In this play there is a strange mixture of know ledge and ignorance, of care and negligence. The versification is often excellent, the allusions are learned and just; but the author conveys his heroes by sea from one inland town to another in the same country: he places the emperor at Milan, and sends his young men to attend him, but never mentions him more; he makes Proteus, after a interview with Silvia, say he has only seen her picture: and, if we may credit the old copies, he has, by mistaking places, left his scenery inextricable. The reason of all this confusion seems to be, that he took his story from a novel which he sometimes followed and sometimes forsook; sometimes remembered, and sometimes forgot. That this play is rightly attributed to Shakspeare, I have little doubt. If it be taken from him, to whom shall it be given? This question may be asked of all the disputed plays, except Titus Andronicus; and it will be found more credible, that Shakspeare might sometimes sink below his highest flights, than that any other should rise up to his lowest, JOHNSON. SIR Hugh, persuade me not; I will make a Ster chamber matter of it: if he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs, he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, esquire. Slen. In the county of Gloster, justice of peace, and coram. Eva. It is not meet the council hear a riot; there is no fear of Got in a riot: the council, look you, shall desire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear Shal. Ha! o' my life, if I were young again, the a riot; take your vizaments in that. sword should end it. Eva. It is petter that friends is the sword, and jend it: and there is also another device in my with it: there is Anne Page, which is daughter to prain, which, peradventure, prings goot discretions noster George Page, which is pretty virginity. Slen. Mistress Anne Page? She has brown hair and peaks small like a woman. En. It is that fery person for all the 'orld, as Shal. Ay, cousin Slender, and cust-alorum.2 just as you will desire; and seven bund. ed pounds Slen. Ay, and ratolorum too; and a gentleman upon his death's-bed (Got deliver to a joyful resurof monies and gold, and silver, is her grandsire, born, master parson; who writes himself armigero; rections!) ive, when she is able to overtake even in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, ar-teen years old: it were a goot motion, if we leave between maste Abraham, and mistress Anne Tour pribbles and prabbles, and desire a marriage Page. migero. Shal. Ay, that we do; and have done any time these three hundred years. Slen. All his successors, gone before him, have done'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. Eva. The dozen white louses do become an old Slen. I may quarter, coz? Eva. It is marring indeed, if he quarter it. Eva. Yes, py'r' lady; if he has a quarter of your coat, there is but three skirts for yourself, in my simple conjectures: but that is all one: if Sir John Falstaff have committed disparagements unto you, I am of the church, and will be glad to do my benevolence, to make atonements and compromises between you. Shal. The council shall hear it; it is a riot. (1) A title formerly appropriated to chaplains, (2) Custos rotulorum, Shal. Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred pound? Eva. Ay, and her fa'ler is make her a petter penny. Shal. I know the young gentlewoman; she has good gifts. Eva. Seven hundred pounds, and possibilities, is goot gifts. Falstaff there? Eva. Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar, der; that, peradventures, shall tell you another tale, understand: that is, master Page, fidelicet, master if matters grow to your likings. Page; and there is myself, fidelicet, myself; and Ithe three party is, lastly and finally, mine host of the Garter. Page. I am glad to see your worships well: thank you for my venison, master Shallow. 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 love 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 see you, good master Slender. Slen. How does your fallow greyhound, sir? I heard say, he was outrun on Cotsale.' Page. It could not be judg'd, sir. Slen. You'll not confess, you'll not confess. 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 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. Page. We three, to hear it, and end it between them. Eva. 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. Eva. The tevil and his tam! what phrase is this, He hears with ear? Why, it is affectatious. 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 shovel-boards," that cost me two shilling and two pence apiece of Yead Miller, by these gloves. Fal. Is this true, Pistol? Eva. No; it is false, if it is a pick-purse. I combat challenge of this latten bilbo :* Eva. It is spoke as a christians ought to speak. Enter Sir John Falstaff, Bardolph, Nym, and 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 kiss'd your keeper's daughter. Shal. The council shall know this. Fal. 'Twere better for you, if it were known in counsel: you'll be laugh'd at. 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? Bard. Why, sir, for my part, I say, the gentleman had drunk himself out of his five sentences. Eva. It is his five senses: fic, what the ignorance lis? Bard. And being fap sir, was as they say, cashier'd; and so conclusions pass'd the careires. Sien. 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. Eva. So Got 'udge me, that is a virtuous mind. Fal. You hear all these matters denied, gentle men; you hear it. Eva. Pauca verba, Sir John, good worts. Fal. Good worts!2 good cabbage.-Slender, I broke your head; what matter have you against Enter Mistress Anne Page with wine; Mistress Ford and Mistress Page following. ine? Slen. Marry, sir, I have matter in my head against you; and against your concy-catching rascals, Bardolph, Nym, and Pistol. They carried me to the tavern, and made me drunk, and afterwards picked my pocket. Bar. You Banbury cheese!4 Pist. How now, Mephostophilus ?" Nym. Slice, I say! pauca, pauca; slice! that's my humour. Slen. Where's Simple, my man?-can you tell, cousin? Eva. Peace, I pray you! Now let us under 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 but Shal. Slend. and Evans. Slen. I had rather than forty shillings, I had my stand: there is three umpires in this matter, as I book of songs and sonnets here: |