PIST. Then did the sun on dunghill shine.

NYM. I thank thee for that humour.

FAL. O, she did so course o'er my exteriors with such a greedy intention, that the appetite of her eye did seem to scorch me up like a burning-glass! Here's another letter to her: she bears the purse too; she is a region in Guiana, all gold and bounty. I will be cheater to them both, and they shall be exchequers to me b; they shall be my East and West Indies, and I will trade to them both. Go, bear thou this letter to mistress Page; and thou this to mistress Ford: we will thrive, lads, we will thrive.

PIST. Shall I sir Pandarus of Troy become,

And by my side wear steel? then, Lucifer take all !

NYM. I will run no base humour: here, take the humour letter; I will keep the 'haviour of reputation.

FAL. Hold, sirrah [to ROB.], bear you these letters tightly;

Sail like my pinnace d to these golden shores.

Rogues, hence, avaunt! vanish like hailstones, go;
Trudge, plod away i' the hoof; seek shelter, pack!
Falstaff will learn the honour of the age,

French thrift, you rogues; myself, and skirted page✯

[Exeunt FALSTAFF and ROBIN.

PIST. Let vultures gripe thy guts! for gourd and fullam holds,
And high and low beguile the rich and poorf;
Tester I'll have in pouch, when thou shalt lack,
Base Phrygian Turk!

NYM. I have operations, which be humours of revenge.
PIST. Wilt thou revenge?

NYM. By welkin, and her star!

PIST. With wit, or steel?

NYM. With both the humours, I:

I will discuss the humour of this love to Ford ".

See note to Henry IV., Part II.,' Act II., Scene 4. The escheators, officers of the exchequer, were popularly called cheaters.

d Pinnace-a small vessel attached to, or in company with, a larger.

f

So the folio. The quarto," the humour of this age."

Gourd, fullam, high, and low, were cant terms for false dice. Pistol will have his tester in pouch by cheating at play.

The quarto reads, "I have operations in my head."

The editors have altered "Ford" to "Page," and "Page" to "Ford," because "the very reverse of this happens." Steevens says, "Shakspere is frequently guilty of these little forgetfulnesses." And yet the quarto gives us the reading which the editors adopt. But had Shakspere, who was not quite so forgetful as they represent, no reason for making the change? Nym suggests the scheme of betraying Falstaff; and it was natural that, Ford being first mentioned by Sir John, and Ford's wife being most the subject of conversation, Nym should first propose to "discuss the humour of this love" to Ford. How the worthies arranged their plans afterwards has little to do with the matter: and it is to be observed that they are together when the disclosure takes place to both husbands.

PIST. And I to Page shall eke unfold,

How Falstaff, varlet vile,

His dove will prove, his gold will hold,

And his soft couch defile.

NYм. My humour shall not cool: I will incense Ford to deal with poison; I will possess him with yellowness, for the revolt of miena is dangerous: that is my true humour.

PIST. Thou art the Mars of malcontents: I second thee; troop on. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-A Room in Dr. CAIUS's House.

Enter Mrs. QUICKLY, SIMPLE, and RUGBY.

QUICK. What: John Rugby!-I pray thee, go to the casement, and see if you can see my master, master Doctor Caius, coming: if he do, i' faith, and find anybody in the house, here will be an old abusing of God's patience and the king's English.

RUG. I'll go watch.

[Exit RUGBY. QUICK. Go; and we 'll have a posset for 't soon at night, in faith, at the latter end of a sea-coal fire. An honest, willing, kind fellow, as ever servant shall come in house withal; and, I warrant you, no tell-tale, nor no breed-bate": his worst fault is that he is given to prayer; he is something peevish that way; but nobody but has his fault;-but let that pass. Peter Simple you say your name is?

SIM. Ay, for fault of a better.

QUICK. And master Slender 's your master?

SIM. Ay, forsooth.

QUICK. Does he not wear a great round beard, like a glover's paring knife ? SIM. No, forsooth: he hath but a little wee face, with a little yellow beard; a cane-coloured beards.

QUICK. A softly-sprighted man, is he not?

SIM. Ay, forsooth: but he is as tall a man of his hands as any is between this and his head; he hath fought with a warrener.

QUICK. How say you?-O, I should remember him: Does he not hold up his head, as it were? and strut in his gait?

a Mien. This is mine in the folio; but mien was thus spelt. By "the revolt of mien" Nym may intend the change of complexion-the yellowness of jealousy. Or he may intend by "the revolt of mine" my revolt. The matter is not worth discussing.

Bate is strife. It is "debate."

• The ordinary reading is "a Cain-coloured beard." Cain and Judas, according to Theobald, were represented in the old tapestries with yellow beards. But surely the representation was not so general as to become the popular designation of a colour; whereas the colour of cane is intelligible to all. The quarto confirms this:

"QUICK. He has as it were a whay-coloured beard. SIM. Indeed my master's beard is kane-coloured." The spelling of the folio is, however, "Caine-coloured."

SIM. Yes, indeed, does he.

QUICK. Well, heaven send Anne Page no worse fortune! Tell master parson Evans I will do what I can for your master: Anne is a good girl, and I wish

Re-enter RUGBY.

RUG. Out, alas! here comes my master.

QUICK. We shall all be shenta: Run in here, good young man; go into this closet. [Shuts SIMPLE in the closet.] He will not stay long.—What, John Rugby! John, what John, I say! Go, John, go inquire for thy master; I doubt he be not well, that he comes not home:—And down, down, adown-a, &c. [Sings.

Enter Doctor CAIUS.

CAIUS. Vat is you sing? I do not like dese toys; Pray you, go and vetch me in my closet un boitier verd; a box, a green-a box; Do intend vat I speak? a green-a box.

QUICK. Ay, forsooth, I'll fetch it you. I am glad he went not in himself: if he had found the young man, he would have been horn-mad.

[Aside.

CAIUS. Fe, fe, fe, fe! ma foi, il fait fort chaud. Je m'en vais à la cour,-la

grande affaire.

QUICK. Is it this, sir?

CAIUS. Ouy; mette le au mon pocket; Depêche, quickly:-Vere is dat knave Rugby?

QUICK. What, John Rugby! John!

RUG. Here, sir.

CAIUS. You are John Rugby, and you are Jack Rugby: Come take-a your rapier, and come after my heel to de court.

RUG. 'Tis ready, sir, here in the porch.

CAIUS. By my trot, I tarry too long; Od's me! Qu'ay j'oublié ? dere is some simples in my closet dat I vill not for the varld I shall leave behind.

QUICK. Ah me! he 'll find the young man there, and be mad!

CAIUS. O diable, diable! vat is in my closet?-Villainy! larron! [Pulling SIMPLE out.] Rugby, my rapier.

QUICK. Good master, be content.

CAIUS. Verefore shall I be content-a?

QUICK. The young man is an honest man.

CAIUS. Vat shall de honest man do in my closet? dere is no honest man dat shall come in my closet.

QUICK. I beseech you, be not so flegmatick; hear the truth of it: He came of an errand to me from parson Hugh.

CAIUS. Vell.

SIM. Ay, forsooth, to desire her to

QUICK. Peace, I pray you.

CAIUS. Peace-a your tongue :-Speak-a your tale.

a Shent-roughly handled.

SIM. To desire this honest gentlewoman, your maid, to speak a good word to Mrs. Anne Page for my master, in the way of marriage.

QUICK. This is all, indeed, la; but I'll ne'er put my finger in the fire, and need

not.

CAIUS. Sir Hugh send-a you?-Rugby, baillez me some paper: Tarry you a little-a while.

[Writes.

QUICK. I am glad he is so quiet: if he had been thoroughly moved you should have heard him so loud and so melancholy. But notwithstanding, man, I'll do your master what good I can: and the very yea and the no is, the French doctor, my master,-I may call him my master, look you, for I keep his house; and I wash, wring, brew, bake, scour, dress meat and drink, make the beds, and do all myself:

SIM. T is a great charge to come under one body's hand.

QUICK. Are you avised o' that? you shall find it a great charge: and to be up

early and down late;—but notwithstanding, (to tell you in your ear; I would have no words of it,) my master himself is in love with mistress Anne Page: but notwithstanding that, I know Anne's mind, that 's neither here nor there..

CAIUS. You jack'nape; give-a dis letter to sir Hugh; by gar, it is a challenge:
I vill cut his troat in de park; and I vill teach a scurvy jack-a-nape priest to
meddle or make-you may be gone; it is not good you tarry here:-by gar,
I vill cut all his two stones; by gar, he shall not have a stone to trow at his
dog.
[Exit SIMPLE.

QUICK. Alas, he speaks but for his friend.
CAIUS. It is no matter-a for dat:-do not you tell-a me dat I shall have Anne
Page for myself?—by gar, I vill kill de Jack Priest; and I have appointed
mine host of de Jarterre to measure our weapon:-by gar, I vill myself have
Anne Page.

QUICK. Sir, the maid loves you, and all shall be well: we must give folks leave to prate: What, the good-jer!

CAIUS. Rugby, come to de court vid me:-By gar, if I have not Anne Page, I shall turn your head out of my door :-Follow my heels, Rugby.

[Exeunt CAIUS and RUGBY. QUICK. You shall have An fool's-head of your own. No, I know Anne's mind for that never a woman in Windsor knows more of Anne's mind than I do : nor can do more than I do with her, I thank heaven.

:

FENT. [Within.] Who's within there? ho!

QUICK. Who's there, I trow?

Come near the house, I pray you.

Enter FENTON.

FENT. How now, good woman; how dost thou ?

QUICK. The better that it pleases your good worship to ask.

FENT. What news? how does pretty mistress Anne?

QUICK. In truth, sir, and she is pretty, and honest, and gentle; and one that is

your friend, I can tell you that by the way; I praise heaven for it.

COMEDIES.-VOL. II.

G

FENT. Shall I do any good, think'st thou? Shall I not lose my suit?
QUICK. Troth, sir, all is in his hands above: but notwithstanding, master
Fenton, I'll be sworn on a book, she loves you :-Have not your worship a
wart above your eye?

FENT. Yes, marry, have I; what of that?

QUICK. Well, thereby hangs a tale;-good faith, it is such another Nan;-but, I detest, an honest maid as ever broke bread;-We had an hour's talk of that wart:-I shall never laugh but in that maid's company! But, indeed, she is given too much to allicholly and musing: But for you-Well, go to. FENT. Well, I shall see her to-day; Hold, there's money for thee; let me have thy voice in my behalf: if thou seest her before me, commend me. QUICK. Will I? i' faith, that we will; and I will tell your worship more of the wart, the next time we have confidence; and of other wooers. FENT. Well, farewell; I am in great haste now.

[Exit. QUICK. Farewell to your worship.-Truly, an honest gentleman; but Anne loves him not; for I know Anne's mind as well as another does:-Out upon 't! what have I forgot? [Exit.