Enter Simple. How now, Simple, where have you been? I muft wait on myfelf, muft I? you have not the book of riddles about you, have you? Simp. Book of riddles! why, did you not lend it to Alice Shortcake (4) upon All-hallowmas laft, a fortnight afore Martlemas? Shal. Come, coz; come, coz; we ftay for you: a word with you, coz; marry this, coz; there is, as 'twere, a tender, a kind of tender, made afar off by Sir Hugh here; do you understand me? Slen. Ay, Sir, you fhall find me reasonable: if it be fo, I fhall do that that is reason. Shal. Nay, but understand me. Slen. So I do, Sir. Eva. Give ear to his motions, Mr. Slender: I will defcription the matter to you, if you be capacity of it. Slen. Nay, I will do, as my coufin Shallow fays: I pray you, pardon me; he's a juftice of peace in his country, fimple tho' I ftand here. Eva. But that is not the queftion: the question is concerning your marriage. Shal. Ay, there's the point, Sir. Eva. Marry, is it; the very point of it, to Mrs. Ann Page. Slen. Why, if it be fo, I will marry her upon any reafonable demands. Eva. But can you affection the 'oman? let us command to know that of your mouth, or of your lips; for divers philofophers hold, that the lips is parcel of the (4) Upon Allhallowmas laft, a fortnight afore Michaelmas.] Sure," Simple's a little out in his reckoning. Alballorumas is almost five weeks after Michaelmas. But may it not be urg'd, it is defign'd, Simple fhould appear thus ignorant, to keep up character? 1 think, The Ampleft creatures (nay, even naturals) generally are very precife in the knowledge of feftivals, and marking how the feafons ran: And therefore I have ventur'd to fufpect, our Poet wrote Marthomas, es the vular call it; which is near a fortnight after AllSoints day, i. e. eleven days, both inclufive. not. mind: therefore precifely, can you carry your good. will to the maid? Shal. Coufin Abraham Slender, can you love her? Slen. I hope, Sir; I will do, as it shall become one that would do reafon. Eva. Nay, Got's Lords and his Ladies, you must fpeak poffitable, if you can carry her your defires towards her. Shal. That you muft: will you, upon good dowry, marry her? Slen. I will do a greater thing than that upon your request, coufin, in any reason. Shal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, fweet coz ; what I do, is to pleasure you, coz: can you love the maid? Slen. I will marry her, Sir, at your request: but if there be no great love in the beginning, yet heav'n may decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are marry'd, and have more occafion to know one another:: (5) I hope, upon familiarity will grow more contempt;: but if you fay, marry her, I will marry her, that I am freely diffolved, and diffolutely.. Eva. It is a ferry discretion anfwer; fave, the fall is in th' ort diffolutely the ort is, according to our mean-ing, refolutely; his meaning is good. : Shal. Ay, I think, my coufin meant well.. Enter Miftrefs Ann Page. Shal. Here comes fair miftrefs Ann: would I were young for your fake, mistress Ann. Ann. The dinner is on the table; my father defires your worship's company.. (5) I hope, upon familiarity will grow more content.] Certainly, the Editors in their fagacity have murder'd ́a jeft here. It is delign'd,, no doubt, that Slender fhould fay decreufe, inftead of increase; and diffolved and diffolutely, inftead of refolved and refolutely: but to make him fay, on the prefent occafion, that upon familiarity will grow more content, infead of contempt, is difarming the fentiment of all its falt and bumour, and difappointing the audience of a reasonable caufe: for laughter. Shal ༥ Shal. I will wait on him, fair mistress Ann. E Eva. Cd's pleffed will, I will not be absence at the grace. Exe. Shallow and Evans. Ann. Will't please your worship to come in, Sir? Slen No thank you, forfooth, heartily; I am very well. pactw red wov ob Ann. The dinner attends you? Sir. 4677 Slend I am not a-hungry, I thank you, forfooth, Go, firrah, for all you are my man, go wait upon my coufin Shallow: [Exit Simple.] a juftice of peace fometime may be beholden to his friend for a man. I keep but three men and a boy yet, 'till my mother be dead; but what though, yet I live like a poor gentleman born. Ann. I may not go in without your worship; they 'till you come. fit, will not t Slen. I'faith, I'll eat nothing; I thank you as much as though I did, T Ann. I pray you, Sir, walk in. Slen. I had rather walk here, I thank you: I bruis'd my fhin th' other day with playing at fword and dagger with a matter of fence, three veneys for a of ftew'd prunes; and, by my troth, I cannot abide the smell of hot meat face. Why do your dogs bark fo? be there bears i' th' town? Ann. Ishink, there are, Sir, I heard them talk'd of. Slen. I love the fport well, but I fhall as foon quarrel at it as any man in England. You are afraid, if you fee the bear loofe, are you not? Ann. Ay, indeed, Sir. 1 feen Slen. That's meat and drink to me now; I have f Sackerfon loofe twenty times, and have taken him by the chain; but, I warrant you, the women have fo cry'd and shriek'd at it, that it past but women, indeed, cannot abide 'em, they are very ill-favour'd rough things. Enter Mr. Pagestureell f kah at Page. Comé, gentle Mr. Slender, come; we stay for you. S'en. I eat nothing, I thank you, Sir." Page. By cock and pye, you shall not chufe, Sir; 'come; come. Slexi Slen. Nay, pray you, lead the wayy lliw I And? Ann. Not T, Siri pray you, keep on. Wan Slen. Truly, I will not go first, truly-la: I will not do that you wrong. Ann. I pray you, Siny abnotes 150uib edT À Slen. I rather be unmannerly, than troublefome you do yourself wrong, indeed-la.soda [Exeunt. <omol socsq to 9'qm sol; unolle d2 mikes · nm Re-enter Evans and Simple.ad yom smis Eva. your ways, and ask of doctor Caius house which is the way; and there dwells one m ftrefs Quickly, which is in the manner of his nurse, or his dry nurse, or his cook, or his laundry, his wather, and his winger. Simp. Well, Sir. Bunion 365 11 1 st 1996 Eva. Nay, it is petter yet; give her this letter; for it is a o'man that altogetcquaintance with miftrefs Page; and the letter is to defire and require her to folicit your mafter's defires to mistress Ann Page: I my dinner you, be gone; I will make an end of my dinner; there's pippins and cheefe to come. q [Exeunt feverally. oblis CENE changes to the Garter-Inn. 13 Enter Falstaff, Hoft, Bardolph, Nym, Piftol and Robin. Fal. M INE hoft of the garter, fchollarly, and wifely at fays my bully rock? fpeak Fal. Truly, mine hoft, I must turn away fome of followers. my Hoft. Difcard, bully Hercules, cafhier; let them wag; trot, trot. Fal. 1 fit at ten pounds a week. Hoft. Thou'rt an Emperor, Cafar, Keifar and PhexI will entertain Bardolph, he fhall draw, he shall tap; faid I well, bully Hector! Fal. Do fo, good mine boft. Hojt. I have spoke, let him follow; let me fee thee froth, and live: I am at a word; follow. [Exit Hoft. Fal. Bardolph, follow him; a tapfter is a good trade; an old cloak makes a new jerkin; a wither'd servingman, a frafh tapfter: go, adieu. Bard. It is a life that I have defir'd: I will thrive. [Exit Bard.. Pift. O bafe Hungarian wight, wilt thou the spigot wield? Nym. He was gotten in drink, is not the humour conceited? His mind is not heroic, and there's the humour of it. Fal. I am glad, I am fo quit of this tinderbox; his thefts were too open; his filching was like an unskilful finger, he kept not time. Nym. The good humour is to fteal at a minute's reft. Pift. Convey, the wife it call: fteal? foh; a fico for the phrafe! Fal. Well, Sirs, I am almoft out at heels. Pift. Why then, let kibes ensue. Fal. There is no remedy: I muft conycatch, I muft, fhift. Pift. Young ravens must have food. Fal. Which of you know Ford of this town? Fal. No quips, now, Piftol: indeed, I am in the wafte two yards about; but I am now about no wafte, I am about thrift. Briefly, I do mean to make love to Ford's wife: I fpy entertainment in her; fhe dif courfes, the carves, the gives the leer of invitation; I can conftrue the action of her familiar ftile, and the hardeft voice of her behaviour, to be english'd right, is, I am Sir John Falstaff's. Pift. He hath ftudy'd her well, and tranflated her well; out of honefty into English. Nym. The anchor is deep; will that humour pafs Fal. |