is one. You must fend her your page; no remedy. Fal. Why, I will. may Quie. Nay, but do fo then; and, look you, he come and go between you both, and in any cafe have a nay-word, that you may know one another's mind: and the boy never need to understand any thing, for 'tis not good that children fhould know any wickedness: old folks, you know, have discretion, as they fay, and know the world, Fal. Fare thee well; commend me to them both : there's my purfe, I am yet thy debtor. Boy, go along with this woman. This news diftracts me. (Ex. Quick, and Robin.' Pift. This punk is one of Cupid's carriers: Clap on more fails; purfue; up with your fights, Give fire; fhe is my prize, or ocean whelm them all [Exit Piftol. Fal. Say't thou fo, old Jack? go thy ways; I'll make more of thy old body than I have done; will they yet look after thee Wilt thou, after the expence of fo much mony, be now a gainer? good body, I thank thee; let them fay 'tis grofly done, fo it be fairly done, no matter. SCENE IX. Enter Bardolph. Bard. Sir John, there's one mafter Brook below would fain fpeak with you, and be acquainted with you and hath fent your worship a morning's draught of fack. Fal. Brook is his name? Fal. Call him in; fuch * Brooks are welcome to me that *Edit. of 1619. In all the fucceeding editions this name of Brook (I can't tell why) is alter'd to Broom: whereas it is manifeft from this conceit upon the name, that it shou'd be Brook, that o'erflow with fuch liquor. Ah! ah! miftress Ford and mistress Page, have I encompass'd you go to, via. Enter Ford difguis'd. Ford. Blefs you, Sir. Pal. And you, Sir; would you speak with me? Ford. I make bold to prefs with fo little prepara tion upon you. Fal. You're welcome; what's your will give us leave, drawer. Ford. Sir, I am a gentleman that have spent much; my name is Brook. Fal. Good mafter Brook, I defire more acquaintance of you Ford, Good Sir John, I fue for yours; not to charge you; for I must let you understand, I think my felf in better plight for a lender than you are, the which hath fomething embolden'd me to this unfeafon'd intrufion; for they fay, if mony go before, all ways do lye open. Fal. Mony is a good foldier, Sir, and will on, Ford. Troth, and I have a bag of mony here trou bles me; if you will help to bear it, Sir John, take all, or half, for eafing me of the carriage. Fal. Sir, I know not how I may deferve to be your porter. Ford. I will tell you, Sir, if you will give me the hearing. Fal. Speak, good master Brook, I shall be glad to be your fervant. Ford. Sir, I hear you are a fcholar, I will be brief with you, and you have been a man long known to me, tho' I had never fo good means as defire to make my felf acquainted with you: I fhall difcover a thing to you, wherein I muft very much lay open mine own Imperfections; but good Sir John, as you have one eye upon my follies, as you hear them unfolded, turn another into the register of your own, that I may pafs with a reproof the eafier, fith you . your your felf know how eafie it is to be such an offender. Fal. Very well: Sir, proceed. Ford. There is a gentlewoman in this town, her husband's name is Ford. Fal. Well, Sir. Ford. I have long lov'd her, and, I proteft to you, bestow'd much on her, follow'd her with a doating obfervance, ingrofs'd opportunities to meet her, fee'd every fight occafion that could but niggardly give me fight of her; not only bought many prefents to give her, but have given largely to many, to know what fhe would have given: briefly, I have purfued her, as love hath purfued me, which hath been on the wing of all occafions. But whatsoever I have merited, either in my mind, or in my means, meed I am fure I have received none, unless experience be a jewel I have purchas'd at an infinite rate, and that hath taught me to fay this; "Love like a fhadow flies, when fubftance love pursues; "Purfuing that that flies, and flying what pursues. Fal. Have you receiv'd no promise of satisfaction at her hands? Ford. Never. Fal. Have you importun'd her to fuch a purpose? Ford. Never. Fal. Of what quality was your love then? Ford. Like a fair house built on another man's ground, fo that I have loft my edifice, by mistaking the place where I erected it. Fal. To what purpose have you unfolded this to me? Ford. When I have told you that, I have told you all. Some fay, that tho' fhe appear honeft to me, yet in other places the enlargeth her mirth so far, that there is fhrewd conftruction made of her. Now Sir Jonn, here is the heart of my purpose: You are a gentleman of excellent breeding, admirable discourse, of great admittance, authentick in your place and per fon, fon, generally allow'd for your many war-like, courtlike, and learned preparations. Fal. O Sir! mony, Ford. Believe it, for you know it; there is fpend it, fpend it; fpend more, fpend all I have, only give me fo much of your time in exchange of it, as to lay an amiable fiege to the honefty of this Ford's wife; ufe your art of wooing, win her to confent to you; if any man may, you may as foon as any. Fal. Would it apply well to the vehemence of your affection,that I fhould win what you would enjoy? methinks you prefcribe to your felf very prepofteroufly. Ford. O, understand my drift; fhe dwells fo fecurely on the excellency of her honour, that the folly of my foul dares not prefent it felf; fhe is too bright to be look'd againft. Now could I come to her with any detection in my hand, my defires had inftance and argument to commend themselves; I could drive her then from the ward of her purity, her reputation, her marriage-vow, and a thousand other defences, which now are too ftrongly embattel'd against me. What fay you to't, Sir John? Fal. Mafter Brook, I will first make bold with your mony; next, give me your hand; and laft, as I am a gentleman, you fhall, if you will, enjoy Ford's wife. Ford. O good Sir! Fal. I fay, you shall. Ford. Want no money, Sir John, you fhall want none.' Fal. Want no miftrefs Ford,mafter Brook, you fhall want none; I fhall be with her, I may tell you, by her own appointment. Even as you came in to me, her affiftant, or go-between, parted from me; I fay, I fhall be with her between ten and eleven; for at that time the jealous rafcally knave, her husband, will be forth; come you to me at night, you fhall know how I fpeed. Ford. I am bleft in your acquaintance: do you know Ford, Sir? Fal. Hang him, poor cuckoldy knave, I know him not yet I wrong him, to call him poor; they fay VOL. I. the the jealous wittolly knave hath maffes of mony, for the which his wife feems to me well-favour'd. I will ufe her as the key of the cuckold-rogue's coffer; and there's my harvest-home. Ford. I would you knew Ford, Sir, that you might avoid him, if you faw him. Fal. Hang him, mechanical-falt-butter rogue; I will ftare him out of his wits; I will awe him with my cudgel; it fhall hang like a meteor o'er the cuckold's horns. Mafter Brook, thou fhalt know I will predominate over the peafant, and thou fhalt lye with his wife: Come to me foon at night; Ford's a knave, and I will aggravate his ftile: thou, mafter Brook, shalt know him for knave and cuckold: come to me foon at night. [Exit. SCENE X. Ford. What a damn'd Epicurean rafcal is this! my heart is ready to crack with impatience. Who fay's this is improvident jealoufie? my wife hath fent to him, the hour is fixt, the match is made; would any man have thought this fee the hell of having a falfe woman; my bed fhall be abus'd, my coffers ranfack'd, my reputation gnawn at, and I fhall not only receive this villainous wrong, but ftand under the adoption of abominable terms, and by him that does me the wrong. Terms, names; Amaimon founds well, Lucifer well, Barbafon well, yet they are devils. additions, the names of fiends: but cuckold, wittol, cuckold! the devil himself hath not fuch a name. Page is an afs, a secure afs, he will truft his wife; he will not be jealous: I will rather truft a Fleming with my butter, parfon Hugh the Welchman with my cheese, an Irish-man with my Aqua-vita bottle, or a thief to walk my ambling gelding, than my wife with her : then the plots, then fhe ruminates, then fhe deand what they think in their hearts they may effect, they will break their hearts but they will effect Heav'n be prais'd for my jealoufie. Eleven fes o'clock |