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Hoft. Ha! a fat woman? the knight may be robb'd: I'll call. Bully-knight! Bully-Sir John! fpeak from thy lungs military: art thou there? it is thine Host, thine Ephefian, calls.

Falstaff above.

Fal. How now, mine Hoft?

Hoft. Here's a 4 Bohemian-Tartar tarries the coming down of thy fat woman: let her defcend, bully, let her defcend; my chambers are honourable. Fie privacy? fie!

Enter Falstaff.

Fal. There was, mine Hoft, an old fat woman even now with me; but fhe's gone.

Simp. Pray you, Sir, was't not the wife woman of Brentford ?

Fal. Ay, marry was it, 5 muffel-fhell; what would you with her?

Simp. My master, Sir, my mafter Slender fent to her, feeing her go through the street, to know, Sir, whether one Nym, Sir, that beguil'd him of a chain, had the chain, or no.

Fal. I fpake with the old woman about it.
Simp. And what fays fhe, I pray, Sir?

Fal. Marry, fhe fays, that the very fame man, that beguil'd mafter Slender of his chain, cozen'd him of

it.

Simp. I would I could have fpoken with the woman herself, I had other things to have fpoken with her too from him.

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Fal. What are they? let us know.

-Bohemian-Tartar-] The French call a Bohemian what we call a Gypfey; but I believe the Hoft means nothing more than, by a wild appellation, to infinuate that Simple makes a ftrange appearance. JOHNSON.

5 muffel-fbell;-] He calls poor Simple muffel-fhell, because he ftands with his mouth open. JoHNSON.

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Hoft.

Hoft. Ay, come; quick.

Simp. I may not conceal them, Sir.
Fal. Conceal them, or thou dy'st.

Simp. Why, Sir, they were nothing but about miftrefs Anne Page; to know, if it were my master's fortune to have her, or no.

Fal. 'Tis, 'tis his fortune.

Simp. What, Sir.

Fal. To have her, or no: go; fay, the woman told me fo.

Simp. May I be fo bold to say fo, Sir?

Fal. Ay, Sir; like who more bold.

Simp. I thank your worfhip: I shall make my mafter glad with thefe tidings. [Exit Simple. Hoft. Thou art clerkly; thou art clerkly, Sir John: was there a wife woman with thee?

Fal. Ay, that there was, mine Hoft; one, that hath taught me more wit than ever I learn'd before in my life and I paid nothing for it neither, but was paid for my learning.

Enter Bardolph.

Bard. Out, alas, Sir! cozenage! meer cozenage! Hoft. Where be my horfes? fpeak well of them,

varletto.

Bard. Run away with the cozeners: for fo foon as I came beyond Eaton, they threw me off from behind one of them, in a flough of mire; and fet fpurs, and away, like three German devils, three Doctor Fauftus's.

Hoft. They are gone but to meet the duke, villain; do not fay, they are fled; Germans are honest men.

Enter Evans.

Eva. Where is mine Hoft?

Hoft. What is the matter, Sir?

Eva. Have a care of your entertainments: there is a friend o'mine come to town, tells me, there is three

cozen

cozen-jermans that has cozen'd all the Hofts of Readings, of Maidenhead, of Colebrook, of horfes and money. I tell you for good will, look you : you are wife, and full of gibes and vlouting-stocks; and 'tis not convenient you should be cozen'd: fare you well. [Exit.

Enter Caius.

Caius. Ver' is mine Hoft de Jarterre?

Hoft. Here, mafter Doctor, in perplexity and doubtful dilemma.

Caius. I cannot tell vat is dat: but it is tell-a-me, dat you make a grand preparation for a duke de Jamany by my trot, der is no duke, dat the court is know, to come. I tell you for good will; adieu.

[Exit. Hoft. Hue and cry, villain, go! affist me, knight; I am undone fly, run, hue and cry, villain! I am undone !

[Exit.

Fal. I would all the world might be cozen'd; for I have been cozen'd, and beaten too. If it should come to the ear of the court, how I have been tranf form'd, and how my transformation hath been wash'd and cudgel'd, they would melt me out of my fat, drop by drop, and liquor fishermens' boots with me. I warrant, they would whip me with their fine wits, 'till I were as creft-faln as a dry'd pear. I never profper'd fince I forfwore myself at 8 Primero. Well, if my wind were but long enough to fay my prayers, I would repent.

Enter Miftrefs Quickly.

Now, whence come you?

Quic. From the two parties, forfooth.

Fal. The devil take one party, and his dam the other, and fo they fhall be both beftow'd! I have fuf

Primero. A game at cards. JOHNSON.
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fer'd

fer'd more for their fakes, more, than the villainous inconftancy of man's difpofition is able to bear.

Quic. And have not they fuffer'd? yes, I warrant; fpeciously one of them; mistress Ford, good heart, is beaten black and blue, that you cannot see a white fpot about her.

Fal. What tell'ft thou me of black and blue? I was beaten myself into all the colours of the rainbow; and I was like to be apprehended for the witch of Brentford; but that my admirable dexterity of wit, counterfeiting the 7 action of an old woman, deliver'd me, the knave conftable had fet me i'the ftocks, i'the common ftocks, for a witch.

Quic. Sir, let me speak with you in your chamber: you fhall hear how things go; and, I warrant, to your content. Here is a letter will fay fomewhat. Good hearts, what ado is here to bring you together! fure, one of you does not ferve heaven well, that you are fo crofs'd.

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Fal. Come up into my chamber.

[Exeunt.

7 action of an old woman, -] What! was it any dexterity of wit in Sir John Falstaff to counterfeit the action of an old woman, in order to efcape being apprehended for a witch? Surely, one would imagine, this was the readieft means to bring him into fuch a fcrape: for none but old women have ever been fufpccted of being witches. The text must certainly be reftor'd, a swood woman, a crazy, frantick woman; one too wild, and filly, and unmeaning, to have either the malice, or mifchievous fubtlety of a witch in her. THEOBALD.

This emendation is received by Sir Thomas Hanmer, but rejected by Dr. Warburton. To me it appears reasonable enough. JOHNSON.

I am not certain that this change is neceffary. Falstaff, by counterfeiting fuch weakness and infirmity, as would naturally be pitied in an old woman, averted the punishment to which he would otherwife have been fubjected, on the fuppofition that he was a witch. STEEVENS.

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what ado is here to bring you together!] The great fault of this play is the frequency of expreffions fo profane, that no neceflity of preferving character can juftify them. There are laws of higher authority than thofe of criticism.

JOHNSON. SCENE

SCENE VI.

Enter Fenton and Hoft.

Hoft. Mafter Fenton, talk not to me; my mind is heavy,

I will give over all.

Fent. Yet hear me fpeak; affift me in my purpose, And, as I am a gentleman, I'll give thee

A hundred pound in gold more than

your lofs.
Hoft. I will hear you, mafter Fenton; and I will,
at the least, keep your counsel.

Fen. From time to time I have acquainted you
With the dear love I bear to fair Anne Page;
Who, mutually, hath anfwer'd my affection
(So far forth as herself might be her chufer)
Even to my wish. I have a letter from her
Of such contents, as you will wonder at ;
The mirth whereof's fo larded with my matter,
That neither, fingly, can be manifefted,
Without the fhew of both. Fat Sir John Falstaff
Hath a great scene; the image of the jeft

[Shewing a letter.
I'll fhew you here at large. Hark, good mine Hoft;
To-night at Herne's oak, juft 'twixt twelve and one,
Must my sweet Nan prefent the fairy queen;
The purpose why, is here; in which disguise,
While other jefts are fomething rank on foot,
Her father hath commanded her to flip

Away with Slender, and with him at Eaton
Immediately to marry: fhe hath confented :—now,
Sir,

Her mother, ever ftrong against that match,
And firm for Doctor Caius, hath appointed
That he fhall likewife fhuffle her away,
While other sports are talking of their minds,
And at the deanery, where a priest attends,
Straight marry her: to this her mother's plot
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She,

T

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