Sim. I fir, Ile tell him fo.

Doc. Dat be vell, my rapier Iohn Rugby, follow may.

Quick. Well my friend, I cannot tarry.

Tell your mafter Ile do what I can for him,
And fo farewell.

Sim. Marry will I, I am glad I am got hence.

Exit Doctor

Exit omnes.

Enter Miftreffe Page, reading of a letter.

Afk me no reason,

You are faire,

M. Pa. Miftris Page I loue you.
Because they'r impoffible to alledge.
And I am fat. You loue facke, fo do I:
As I am fure I hane no mind but to loue,
So I know you haue no hart but to grant
A foldior doth not use many words wher he knowes
A letter may ferue for a fentence. I loue you,

And fo I leaue you.

Yours, Sir Iohn Falstaffe.

Now Iefu bleffe me, am I metaphorphosed?

I think I know not my felfe. Why what a Gods name doth this man fee in me, that thus he shootes at my honefty? Well, but that I know my owne heart, I should scarfely perfwade my felfe I were hand. Why what an vnreasonable woolfacke is this? He was neuer but twice in my company, and if then I thought I gaue fuch affurance with my eyes, Ide pull them out, they fhould neuer fee more holy-daies. Well, I shall trust fat men the worfe while I liue for his fake. O God, that I knew how to be reuenged of him. But in good time, heeres miftris Foord.

Enter Miftreffe Foord.

Mif. For. How now miftris Page, are you are reading Loue letters? How do you woman?

Mif. Pag. O woman, I am I know not what:

In loue vp to the hard eares. I was neuer in fuch a cafe in my life.

Mif. Foord. In loue, now in the name of God with whom?
Mif. Pa. With one that fweares he loues me,

And I must not choose but do the like againe :
I prethee looke on that letter.

Mif. For. Ile match your letter iuft with the like,
Line for line, word for word. Onely the name
Of mistreffe Page, and miftreffe Foord difagrees:
Do me the kindneffe to looke vpon this.

Mif. Pa. Why this is right my letter.
O most notorious villaine!

Why what a bladder of iniquity is this?
Let's be reuenged what fo ere we do.

Mif. For. Reuenged, if we liue wee'l be reuenged.
O Lord, if my husband should fee this letter,
Ifaith this would euen giue edge to his jealoufie.

Enter Foord, Page, Pistoll, and Nym.

Mif. Pa. See where our husbands are, Mine's as far from iealoufie,

As I am from wronging him.

Pif. Foord, the words I fpeake are forc'st: Beware, take heed, for Falstaffe loues thy wife;

When Piftoll lyes, do this.

Foord. Why fir, my wife is not young.

Pif. He wooes both yong and old, both rich and poore,

None comes amiffe. I fay he loues thy wife:

Faire warning do I giue, take heed,

For fummer comes, and cuckoo birds appeare;

Page beleeue him what he fes. Away fir corporal Nym.

VOL. I.

F

Exit Pistoll.

Nym.

Nym. Sir, the humour of it is, he loues your wife,
I should hate borne the humor letter to her:

I fpeake, and I auouch tis true: my name is Nym.
Farwell, I loue not the humour of bread and cheese,
And there's the humour of it.

Page. The humor of it, quoth you;
Heeres a fellow frites humor out of his wits.
Mif. Pa. How now fweete hart, how doft thou?

Enter miftreffe Quickly.

Exit Nym.

Pa. How now man? how do you mistris Foord?
Mif. Foord. Well I thanke you good M. Page.
How now husband, how chance thou art fo melancholy?
Foord. Melancholy, I am not melancholy.

Goe get you in, goe.

Mif. Ford. God faue me, fee who yonder is, Wee'l fet her a worke in this bufineffe.

Mif. Pa. O fhee'l ferue excellent.

Now you come to fee my daughter Anne Ime fure.

Quic. I forfooth that's my comming.

Mif. Pa. Come goe in with me.

Come mil. Ford.

Mif. For. I follow you, miftreffe Page.

Exit Mi. Ford, Mi. Page, and Quickly.

For. M. Page, did you heare what thefe fellows faid.
Pa. Yes mafter Ford, what of that fir?

For. Do you thinke it is true that they told vs?
Pag. No by my troth do I not,

I rather take them to be paltry lying knaues,
Such as rather speake of enuy,

Then of any certainty they haue

Of any thing. And for the knight, perhaps

He hath spoke merrily, as the fashion of fat men
Are But should he loue my wife,

Ifaith Ide turne her loose to him:
And what he got more of her,
Then ill lookes, and fhrewd words,
Why let me beare the penalty of it.
For. Nay I do not mistruft my wife,
Yet Ide be loth to turne them together,
A man may be too confident.

Enter Hoft and Shallow.

Pa. Heere comes my ramping host of the garter, There's eyther licker in his head, or mony in his purse, That he lockés fo merrily. Now mine hoft.

Hoft. God bleffe you my bully rooks, God bles you. Caualera iuftice I fay.

Shal. At hand mine hoft, at hand M. Ford. god den t'e God den an twenty good M. Page.

I tell you fir we haue fport in hand.

Hoft. Tell him caualira iuftice; tell him bully rooke.
Ford. Mine hoft of the garter.

Hoft. What faies my bully rooke?

Ford. A word with you fir.

Ford and the Hoft talkes.

Sh. Harke you fir, Ile tell you what the sport shal be

Doctor Cayus and fir Hugh are to fight,

My merry hoft hath had the measuring
Of their weapons, and hath appointed them
Contrary places. Harke in your eare.

Hoft. Haft thou no fhute against my knight,
My gueft, my caualera.

For. None I proteft: But tell him My name is Brooke, onely for a ieft. Hoft. Thy handy bully; thou fhalt

Haue egres and regres, and thy

Name shall be Brooke: Sed I well bully hector?

Shal. I tell you what M. Page, I beleeue
The doctor is no ieafter, hee'l lay it on :
For though we be iuftices and doctors,
And church-men, yet we are

The fonnes of women M. Page.

Pa. True master Shallow.

Shal. It will be found fo mafter Page. Pa. Mafter Shallow, you your felfe Haue beene a great fighter,

Though now a man of peace.

Shal. M. Page, I haue feene the day that yong Tall fellowes with their ftroke and their paffado, I have made them trudge mafter Page,

A tis the heart, the heart doth all:

I haue feene the day, with my two hand fword
I would a made you foure tall fencers

Scipped like rats.

Hoft. Here boyes, shall we wag, fhall we wag?
Shal. Ha with you mine hoft.

Exit Hoft and Shallow.

Page. Come M. Ford, fhall we to dinner? I know these fellowes fticks in your minde. For. No in good fadneffe, not in mine : Yet for all this Ile try it further,

I will not leaue it fo:

Come M. Page, shall we to dinner?

Page. With all my heart fir, Ile follow you.

Exit omnes.

Enter fir Iohn and Pistoll.

Fal. Ile not, lend thee a peny.

Piftoll. I will retort the fum in equipage.

Fal.