Rob. My master Sir John is come in at your backdoor, mistress Ford, and requests your company. Mrs. Page. You little Jack-a-lent, have you been

true to us?

Rob. Ay, I'll be sworn; my master knows not of your being here, and hath threaten'd to put me into everlasting liberty, if I tell you of it; for he swears he'll turn me away.

a

Mrs. Page. Thou'rt good boy; this fecrecy of thine shall be a tailor to thee, and shall make thee a new doublet and hofe. I'll go hide me.

Mrs. Ford. Do so; go tell thy mafter I am alone; mistress Page, remember you your cue. [Exit Robin. Mrs. Page. I warrant thee; if do not act it, hiss me. [Exit Mrs. Page, Mrs. Ford. Go to then; we'll use this unwholfome humidity, this gross watry pumpion, we'll teach him to know turtles from jays.

SCENE VIII.

Enter Falstaff.

Fal. Have I caught thee, my heav'nly jewel? why, now let me die; for I have liv'd long enough: this is the period of my ambition: O this blessed hour! Mrs. Ford. O sweet Sir John!

Fal. Mrs. Ford, I cannot cog, I cannot prate, mistress Ford: now shall I fin in my wish. I would thy husband were dead, I'll speak it before the best lord, I would make thee my lady.

Mrs. Ford. I your lady, Sir John? alas, I should be a pitiful lady.

Fal. Let the court of France shew me such another; I fee how thine eye would emulate the diamond: thou haft the right arched bent of the brow, that becomes the ship-tire, the tire-valiant, or any b Venetian attire. Mrs, Ford. A plain kerchiffe, Sir John: my brows become nothing else, nor that well neither.

Fal. Thou art a tyrant to say fo; thou would'it make

btire of Venetian admittance.

make an absolute courtier, and the firm fixure of thy foot would give an excellent motion to thy gate, in a femi-circled farthingale. I see what thou wert, if fortune thy foe were not, nature is thy friend: come, thou canst not hide it.

Mrs. Ford. Believe me, there's no fuch thing in me. Fal. What made me love thee? let that perfuade thee. There's something extraordinary in thee. Come, I cannot cog, and say thou art this and that, like many of these lifping haw-thorn buds, that come like women in men's apparel, and smell like BucklersBerry in fimpling-time; I cannot: but I love thee, none but thee; and thou deservest it.

Mrs. Ford. Do not betray me, Sir; I fear you love mistress Page.

Fal. Thou might'st as well say, I love to walk by the Counter-gate, which is as hateful to me as the reek of a lime-kiln.

Mrs. Ford. Well, heav'n knows how I love you, and you shall one day find it.

Fal. Keep in that mind; I'll deserve it.

Mrs. Ford. Nay I must tell you, so you do; or else I could not be in that mind.

Rob. [within.] Mistress Ford, mistress Ford, here's mistress Page at the door, sweating, and blowing, and looking wildly, and would needs speak with you presently.

Fal. She shall not see me; I will ensconce me behind the arras.

Mrs. Ford. Pray you do fo; she's a very tatling

woman.

SCENE IX.

Enter Mistress Page.

What's the matter? how now?

Mrs. Page. O mistress Ford, what have you done? you're sham'd, y'are overthrown, you are undone for ever.

Mrs.

Mrs. Ford. What's the matter, good mistress Page? Mrs. Page. O well-a-day, mistress Ford, having an honest man to your husband, to give him such cause of fufpicion.

Mrs. Ford. What cause of fufpicion?

Mrs. Page. What cause of fufpicion? out upon you; how am I mistook in you?

Mrs. Ford. Why, alas! what's the matter?

Mrs. Page. Your husband's coming hither, woman, with all the officers in Windsor, to search for a gentleman that he says is here now in the house, by your consent, to take an ill advantage of his abfence. You are undone.

Mrs. Ford. 'Tis not so, I hope.

Mrs. Page. Pray heav'n it be not so, that you have such a man here; but 'tis most certain your husband's coming with half Windfor at his heels, to search for fuch a one. I come before to tell you: if you know your self clear, why, I am glad of it; but if you have a friend here, convey, convey him out. Be not amaz'd, call'all your senses to you, defend your reputation, or bid farewel to your good life for ever.

Mrs. Ford. What shall I do? there is a gentleman, my dear friend; and I fear not mine own shame fo much as his peril. I had rather than a thousand pound he were out of the house.

Mrs. Page. For shame, never stand you had rather, and you had rather; your husband's here at hand, bethink you of some conveyance; in the house you cannot hide him. Oh, how have you deceiv'd me? look, here is a basket, if he be of any reasonable stature, he may creep in here, and throw foul linnen upon him, as if it were going to bucking: or it is whiting time, send him by your two men to Datchet mead.

Mrs. Ford. He's too big to go in there: what shall I do?

Re-enter Re-enter Falstaff.

Fal. Let me fee't, let me fee't, O let me fee't'; I'll in, I'll in; follow your friend's counsel; I'll in. Mrs. Page. What Sir John Falstaff? are these your letters, Knight?

Fal. I love thee, help me away; let me creep in here: I'll never

[He goes into the basket, they cover him with foul linnen. Mrs. Page. Help to cover your master, boy: call your men, mistress Ford. You dissembling Knight! Mrs. Ford. What, John, Robert, John, go take up these cloaths here, quickly. Where's the cowl-staff? look how you drumble: carry them to the landress in Datchet-mead; quickly, come.

:

SCENE Χ.

Enter Ford, Page, Caius, and Evans..

Ford. Pray you come near; if I suspect without cause, why then make sport at me, then let me be your jeft, I deserve it. How now? whither bear you this?

Serv. To the landress, forsooth.

Mrs. Ford. Why, what have you to do whither they bear it? You were best meddle with buck-wafhing.

Ford. Buck? I would I could wash my felf of the buck: buck, buck, buck, ay buck: I warrant you buck, and of the season too, it shall appear. [Exeunt Servants with the basket.] Gentlemen, I have dream'd to-night, I'll tell you my dream: here, here, here be my keys; afcend my chambers, search, feek, find out. I'll warrant we'll unkennel the fox. Let me stop this way first.

Page. Good master Ford, be contented: you wrong. your felf too much.

Ford. True, mafter Page. Up gentlemen, you shall

fee

see sport anon; follow me, gentlemen.

Eva. This is ferry fantastical humours and jealoufies.

Caius. By gar, 'tis no the fashion of France; it is not jealous in France Page. Nay, follow him, gentlemen, see the issue of his fearch. [Exeunt.

SCENE XI.

Manent Mistress Page and Mistress Ford.

Mrs. Page. Is there not a double excellency in this? Mrs. Ford. I know not which pleases me better, that my husband is deceiv'd, or Sir John.

Mrs. Page What a taking was he in when your husband ask'd who was in the basket?

Mrs. Ford. I am half afraid he will have need of washing; so throwing him into the water will do him a benefit.

Mrs. Page. Hang him, dishonest rascal; I would all of the fame strain were in the same distress.

Mrs. Ford. I think my husband hath fome special fufpicion of Falstaff's being here! I never saw him so gross in his jealousie till now.

Mrs. Page. I will lay a plot to try that, and we will yet have more tricks with Falstaff: his diffolute disease will scarce obey this medicine.

Mrs. Ford. Shall we fend that foolish carrion, mistress Quickly, to him, and excuse his throwing into the water, and give him another hope, to betray him to another punishment?

Mrs. Page. We'll do it; let him be sent for tomorrow by eight a clock, to have amends,

Re-enter Ford, Page, &c.

Ford. I cannot find him; may be the knave bragg'd

of that he could not compafs.

Mrs. Page. Heard you that?

Mrs.