Host

Fenton.

From time to time I have acquainted you
With the dear love I bear to fair Anne Page;
Who, mutually, hath answer'd my affection
(So far forth as herself might be her chooser)
Even to my wish. I have a letter from her
Of such contents as you will wonder at;
The mirth whereof so larded with my matter,
That neither, singly, can be manifested,
Without the show of both; wherein fat Falstaff
Hath a great scene: the image of the jest
[Showing the letter.
I'll show you here at large. Hark, good mine
Host:
[one,
To-night at Herne's oak, just 'twixt twelve and
Must my sweet Nan present the fairy queen;
The purpose why, is here; in which disguise,
While other jests are something rank on foot,
Her father hath commanded her to slip
Away with Slender, and with him at Eton
Immediately to marry: she hath consented.
Now, sir,

Her mother, even strong against that match,
And firm for Dr. Caius, hath appointed
That he shall likewise shuffle her away,
While other sports are tasking of their minds,
And at the deanery, where a priest attends,
Straight marry her: to this her mother's plot
She, seemingly obedient, likewise hath
Made promise to the doctor-Now, thus it rests:
Her father means she shall be all in white:
And in that habit, when Slender sees his time
To take her by the hand, and bid her go,
She shall go with him:-her mother hath in-
The better to denote her to the doctor, [tended,
(For they must all be mask'd and vizarded)
That quaint in green she shall be loose enrob'd,
With ribands pendant, flaring 'bout her head;
And when the doctor spies his vantage ripe,
To pinch her by the hand, and on that token
The maid hath given consent to go with him.
Host

Which means she to deceive? father or mother?

SCENE 1. A Room in the Garter Inn.

Enter Falstaff' and Mrs. Quickly.
Falstaff.

Quickly.

I'll provide you a chain, and I'll do what I can to get you a pair of horns.

I went to her, master Brook, as you see, like a poor old man; but I came from her, master Brook, like a poor old woman. That same knave, Ford her husband, hath the finest mad devil of jealousy in him, master Brook, that ever governed frenzy. I will tell you. He beat me grievously, in the shape of a woman; for in the shape of a man, master Brook, I fear not Goliah with a weaver's beam, because I know also, life is a shuttle. I am in haste: go along with me; I'll tell you all, master Brook. Since I plucked geese, played truant, and whipped top, I knew not what it was to be beaten till lately. Follow me: I'll tell you strange things of this knave Ford, on whom to-night I will be revenged, and I will deliver his wife into your hand.- Follow. Strange things in hand, master Brook: follow. [Exeunt.

Ay, forsooth; I have spoken with her, and we have a nay-word, how to know one another. I come to her in white, and cry, "mum;" she cries, "budget," and by that we know one another.

Shallow.

That's good too: but what needs either your mum," or her "budget?" the white will decipher her well enough.-It hath struck ten o'clock.

Page.

The night is dark; light and spirits will become it well. Heaven prosper our sport! No man means evil but the devil, and we shall know him by his horns. Let's away; follow me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE 11I. The Street in Windsor. Enter Mrs. Page, Mrs. Ford, and Dr. Caius,

Mrs. Page.

Master Doctor, my daughter is in green: when you see your time, take her by the hand, away with her to the deanery, and dispatch it quickly. Go before into the park: we two must go together.

Caius.

Mrs. Page.

Fie on sinful fantasy!
Fie on lust and luxury!
Lust is but a bloody fire,

Kindled with unchaste desire,

Fed in heart; those flames aspire,

As thoughts do blow them higher and higher.
Pinch him, fairies, mutually;

Pinch him for his villainy ;

Pinch him, and burn him, and turn him about, Till candles, and star-light, and moonshine be out. During this song, the fairles pinch Falstaff: Doctor Caius comes one way, and steals away a fairy in green; Slender another way, and takes off a fairy in white; and Fenton comes, and atcals away Anne Page. A noise of hunting is made within. All the fairies run away. Falstaff pulls off his buck's head, and rises. Enter Page, Ford, Mrs. Page, and Mrs. Ford. They lay hold on him. Page.

Nay, do not fly: I think, we have watch'd

you now.

Will none but Herne the hunter serve your turn?

Mrs. Page.

I pray you come; hold up the jest no higher.— Now, good sir John, how like you Windsor wives? See you these, husband? do not these fair yokes Become the forest better than the town?

Ford.

Now, sir, who's a cuckold now?- Master Brook, Falstaff's a knave, a cuckoldly knave; here are his horns, master Brook: and, master Brook, he hath enjoyed nothing of Ford's but his buck-basket, his cudgel, and twenty pounds of money, which must be paid to master Brook: his horses are arrested for it, master Brook. Mrs. Ford.

Sir John, we have had ill luck; we could never meet. I will never take you for my love again, but I will always count you my deer.

Falstaff.

I do begin to perceive, that I am made an ass. Ford.

Ay, and an ox too; both the proofs are extant. Falstaff.

And these are not fairies? I was three or four times in the thought, they were not fairies; and yet the guiltiness of my mind, the sudden surprise of my powers, drove the grossness of the foppery into a received belief, in despite of the teeth of all rhyme and reason, that they were fairies. See now, how wit may be made a Jacka-lent, when 'tis upon ill employment!

Anne.

Pardon, good father! good my mother, pardon! Page.

Now, mistress; how chance you went not with master Slender?

Mrs. Page.

Why went you not with master doctor, maid? Fenton.

You do amaze her: hear the truth of it. You would have married her most shamefully, Where there was no proportion held in love. The truth is, she and I, fong since contracted, Are now so sure, that nothing can dissolve us. The offence is holy that she hath committed; And this deceit loses the name of craft, Of disobedience, or unduteous title, Since therein she doth evitate and shun A thousand irreligious cursed hours, [upon her. Which forced marriage would have brought Ford.

Stand not amaz'd: here is no remedy.In love, the heavens themselves do guide the Money buys lands, and wives are sold by fate. Falstaff.

state:

to strike at me, that your arrow hath glanced. I am glad, though you have ta'en a special stand

Of government the properties to unfold,
Would seem in me t' affect speech and discourse;
Since I am put to know, that your own science
Exceeds, in that, the lists of all advice
My strength can give you: then, no more remains,
Put that to your sufficiency, as your worth is able,
And let them work. The nature of our people,
Our city's institutions, and the terms
For common justice, y' are as pregnant in
As art and practice hath enriched any
That we remember. There is our commission,
From which we would not have you warp.
Call hither,

I say, bid come before us Angelo.-
Exit an Attendant.
What figure of us think you he will bear?
For, you must know, we have with special soul
Elected him our absence to supply,
Lent him our terror, drest him with our love,
And given his deputation all the organs
Of our own power. What think you of it?

Escalus.

If any in Vienna be of worth

To undergo such ample grace and honour, It is lord Angelo.

Enter Angelo.

Duke.

Look, where he comes.
Angelo.

Always obedient to your grace's will,
I come to know your pleasure.

Duke.

Angelo,

There is a kind of character in thy life,
That, to th' observer, doth thy history
Fully unfold. Thyself and thy belongings
Are not thine own so proper, as to waste
Thyself upon thy virtues, them on thee.
Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do,
Not light them for themselves; for if our virtues
Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike [touch'd,
As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely
But to fine issues; nor nature never lends
The smallest scruple of her excellence,
But, like a thrifty goddess, she determines
Herself the glory of a creditor,

Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speech
To one that can my part in him advertise:
Hold, therefore, Angelo:

In our remove, be thou at full ourself;
Mortality and mercy in Vienna

Live in thy tongue and heart. Old Escalus,
Though first in question, is thy secondary:
Take thy commission.

Angelo.