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trade: an old cloak makes a new jerkin; a withered servingman, a fresh tapster: Go; adieu.

Bard. It is a life that I have desired; I will thrive. [Exit BARD. Pist. O base Gongarian wight!' wilt thou the spigot wield?

Nym. He was gotten in drink: Is not the humour conceited? His mind is not heroick, and there's the humour of it.

Fal. I am glad, I am so acquit of this tinder-box; his thefts were too open; his filching was like an unskilful singer, he kept not time.

Nym. The good humour is, to steal at a minute's

rest.

Pist. Convey, the wise it call: Steal! foh; a fico for the phrase!

Fal. Well, sirs, I am almost out at heels.

Pist. Why then, let kibes ensue.

Fal. There is no remedy; I must coney-catch; I must shift.

Pist. Young ravens must have food.

Fal. Which of you know Ford of this town? Pist. I ken the wight; he is of substance good. Fal. My honest lads, I will tell you what I am

about.

Pist. Two yards, and more.

Fal. No quips now, Pistol; Indeed I am in the waist two yards about: but I am now about no waste; I am about thrift. Briefly, I do mean to make love to Ford's wife; I spy entertainment in her; she discourses, she carves,' she gives the leer of invitation:

'O base Gongarian wight, &c.] A cant term in old bombast plays.

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--a fico for the phrase!] i. e. a fig for it.

3 she carves,] It should be remembered, that anciently the young of both sexes were instructed in carving, as a necessary accomplishment.

I can construe the action of her familiar style; and the hardest voice of her behaviour, to be English'd rightly, is, I am sir John Falstaff's.

Pist. He hath studied her well, and translated her well; out of honesty into English.

Nym. The anchor is deep: Will that humour pass?

Fal. Now, the report goes, she has all the rule of her husband's purse; she hath legions of angels. Pist. As many devils entertain; and, To her, boy, say I.

Nym. The humour rises; it is good: humour me the angels.

Fal. I have writ me here a letter to her: and here another to Page's wife; who even now gave me good eyes too, examin'd my parts with most judicious eyliads: sometimes the beam of her view gilded my foot, sometimes my portly belly.

Pist. Then did the sun on dung-hill 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; 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.

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4 The anchor is deep :] Perhaps we may read-the author is deep.

5 As many devils entertain;] i. e. do you retain in your service as many devils as she has angels.

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6 eyliads :] perhaps we should write oëillades, French.

intention,] i. e. eagerness of desire.

& I will be cheater to them both-] By this is meant Escheatour, an officer in the Exchequer.

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 reputa

tion.

Fal. Hold, sirrah, [to ROB.] bear you these let ters tightly;

Sail like my pinnace' to these golden shores.-
Rogues, hence, avaunt! vanish like hail-stones, go;
Trudge, plod, away, o' the hoof; seek shelter, pack!
Falstaff will learn the humour of this 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 poor;2
Tester I'll have in pouch, when thou shalt lack,
Base Phrygian Turk!

Nym. I have operations in my head, 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 Page.
Pist. And I to Ford shall eke unfold,

How Falstaff, varlet vile,

bear you these letters tightly;] i. e. cleverly, adroitly. my pinnace-] A pinnace seems anciently to have sig nified a small vessel, or sloop attending on a larger. A pinnace now, is a small vessel with a square stern, having sails and oars, and carrying three masts; chiefly used as a scout for intelligence, and for landing of men.

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for gourd, and fullam holds,

And high and low beguile the rich and poor :] Gourds were probably dice in which a secret cavity had been made; fullams, those which had been loaded with a small bit of lead, which, being chiefly made at Fulham, were thence called "high and low Fulhams." The high Fulhams were the numbers, 4, 5, and 6.

His dove will prove, his gold will hold,

And his soft couch defile.

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

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Pist. Thou art the Mars of malcontents: I second thee; troop on.

SCENE IV.

A Room in Dr. Caius's House.

[Exeunt.

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 any body 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.

3 I will incense Page, &c.] i. e. instigate.

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yellownese,] Yellowness is jealousy.

the revolt of mien-] i. e. change of countenance. at the latter end, &c.] When my master is in bed. no breed-bate:] Bate is an obsolete word, signifying strife, contention.

[blocks in formation]

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 Cain-coloured beard.' 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 ?

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 shent :' 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 enquire for my master; I doubt, he be not well, that he comes not home :-and down, down, adowna, &c. [Sings.

Enter Doctor CAIUS.2

Caius. Vat is you sing? I do not like dese toys; Pray you, go and vetch me in my closet un boitier

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little.

a little wee face,] Wee, in the north, signifies very 9 —— a Cain-coloured beard.] Cain and Judas, in the tapestries and pictures of old, were represented with yellow beards. We shall all be shent:] i. e. Scolded, roughly treated.

2 Enter Doctor Caius.] It has been thought strange that our author should take the name of Caius [an eminent physician, who flourished in the reign of Elizabeth, and founder of Caius College

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