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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, fearch, feek, find out. I'll warrant we'll unkennel the Fox. Let me ftop this way firft: So, now uncape.

Page. Good Mafter Ford, be contented:

You wrong your felf too much.

Ford. True, Mafter Page. Up Gentlemen, you fhall fee 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[Exeunt. Page. Nay, follow him, Gentlemen, fee the Iffue of his Search..

Manent Miftrefs 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; fo throwing him into the Water will do him a Benefit.

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Mrs. Page. Hang him, dishonest Rafcal; I would all of the fame Strain were in the fame Diftrefs.

Mrs. Ford. I think my Husband hath fome fpecial Sufpicion of Falstaff's being here! I never faw him fo grofs in his Jealoufie '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 excufe his throwing into the Water, and give him another Hepe, to betray him to another Punishment?

Mrs. Page. We'll do it; let him be fent for to morrow by eight a Clock, to have amends.

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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. Ford. You ufe me well, Master Ford, do you?
Ford, Ay, ay, I do fo.

Mrs. Page. Heav'n make you better than

Ford. Amen.

your Thoughts.

Mrs. Page. You do your felf mighty Wrong, Mr. Ford. Ford. Ay, ay; I must bear it.

Eva. If there be any pody in the House, and in the Chambers, and in the Coffers, and in the Preffes, Heav'n forgive my Sins.

Caius. By gar, nor I too; there is no bodies.

Page. Fie, fie, Mr. Ford, are you not afham'd? What' Spirit, what Devil fuggefts this Imagination? I would not ha your Distemper in this kind, for the Wealth of WindforCaftle.

Ford. 'Tis my Fault, Mr. Page: I fuffer for it.

Eva. You fuffer for a pad Confcience; your Wife is as honeft a o'mans, as I will defires among five thoufand, and five hundred too.

Caius. By gar, I fee 'tis an honeft Woman.

Ford. Well, I promis'd you a Dinner; come, come, walk in the Park. I pray you pardon me; I will hereafter make known to you why I have done this. Come Wife, come Mistress Page, I pray you pardon me: Pray heartilypardon me.

Page. Let's go in, Gentlemen; but, trust me, we'll mock him. I do invite you to Morrow Morning to my House to Breakfast, after we'll a birding together; I have a fine Hawk for the Bufh. Shall it be fo?

Ford. Any thing.

Eva. If there is one, I fhall make two in the Company. Caius. If there be one or two, I fhall make-a the turd. Ford. Pray you go, Mr. Page.

Eva. I pray you now remembrance to morrow on the lowfie Knave, mine Hoft.

Cains. Dat is good, by gar, with all my Heart.

Eva. A lowfie Rnave, to have his Gibes, and his Mocke

ries.

[Exeunt. SCENE

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Enter Fenton and Mistress Anne Page.

Fent. I fee I cannot get thy Father's Love;
Therefore no more turn me to him, fweet Nan.
Anne. Alas! how then?

Fent. Why, thou must be thy felf.
He doth object I am too great of Birth,
And that my State being gall'd with my Expence,
I feek to heal it only by his Wealth.
Befides thefe, other Bars he lays before me,
My Riots paft, my wild Societies;
And tells me, 'tis a thing impoffible
I fhould love thee, but as a Property..
Anne. May be he tells you true.

Fent. No, Heav'n fo fpeed me in my time to come,
Albeit I will confefs, thy Father's Wealth

Was the first Motive that I woo'd thee, Anne:
Yet wooing thee, I found thee of more value
Than Stamps in Gold, or Sums in fealed Bags:
And 'tis the very Riches of thy felf®
That now I aim at.

Anne. Gentle Mr. Fenton,

Yet feek my Father's Love, ftill feek it, Sir:
If Opportunity and humblest Suit

Cannot attain it, why then hark

you hither.

Enter Shallow, Slender and Miftrifs Quickly.

Shal. Break their Talk, Miftrefs Quickly;

My Kinsman shall speak for himself.

Slen. I'll make a Shaft or a Bolt on't: 'D'slid 'tis but ven

turing.

Shal. Be not dismaid.

Slen. No, fhe fhall not difmay me:

I care not for that, but I am affeard.

Quic. Hark ye; Mr. Slender would fpeak a word with you. Anne. I come to him. This is my Father's Choice.

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O, what a world of vile ill-favour'd Faults

Look handfome in three hundred Pounds a Year?
Quic. And how does good Mafter Fenton ?

Pray you a word with you.

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Shal.

Shal. She's coming; to her Coz.

O Boy, thou hadft a Father!

Slen. I had a Father, Mrs. Anne; my Uncle can tell you good Jefts of him. Pray you, Uncle, tell Mrs. Anne the Jeft, how my Father ftole two Geefe out of a Pen, good Un

cle.

you.

Shal. Miftrefs Anne, my Coufin loves Slen. Ay, that I do, as well as I love any Woman in Glocefter fhire.

Shal. He will maintain you like a Gentlewoman.

Slen. Ay, that I will; come cut and long-tail, under the degree of a Squire.

Shal. He will make you a hundred and fifty Pounds Join

ture.

Anne. Good Mafter Shallow, let him wao for himfelf.

Shal. Marry, I thank you for it; I thank you for that. Good Comfort; fhe calls you, Coz: I'll leave you. Anne. Now Mafter Slender.

Slen. Now good Mistress Anne.

Anne. What is your Will?

Slen. My Will? Od's-heart-lings, that's a pretty Jeft indeed, I ne'er made my Will yet, I thank Heav'n; I am not fuch a fickly Creature, I give Heav'n Praise.

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Anne. I mean, Mr. Slender, what would you with

me?

Slen. Truly for mine own part, I would little or nothing with you; your Father and my Uncle have made Motions; if it be my luck, fo; if not, happy Man be his dole; they can tell you how things go better than I can; you may ask your Father; here he comes.

Enter Page and Mistress Page.

Page. Now, Mafter Slender: Love him, Daughter Anne, Why how now? What does Mafter Fenton here?

You wrong me, Sir, thus ftill to haunt my House:

I tell you, Sir, my Daughter is difpos'd of.

Fent. Nay, Mafter Page, be not impatient.

Mrs. Page. Good Mafter Fenton, come not to my Child, Page. She is no Match for you.

Fent. Sir, will you hear me?

Page, No, good Master Fenton.

Come

Come, Mafter Shallow; come, Son Slender, in.
Knowing my Mind, you wrong me, Mafter Fenton.

[Exeunt Page, Shallow and Slender.

Quic. Speak to Miftrefs Page.

Fent. Good Miftrefs Page, for that I love your Daughter In fuch a righteous fashion as I do,

Perforce, against all Checks, Rebukes and Manners,

I muft advance the Colours of my Love,

And not retire. Let me have your good Will.

Anne. Good Mother, do not marry me to yon Fool,
Mrs. Page. I mean it not, I feek you a better Husband,
Quic. That's my Mafter, Mafter Doctor.

Anne. Alas I had rather be fet quick i'th' Earth,
And bowl'd to Death with Turneps.

Mrs. Page. Come, trouble not your felf, good Master
Fenton, I will not be your Friend nor Enemy:

My Daughter will I queftion how she loves you,
And as I find her, fo am I affected.

'Till then, farewel Sir; the muft needs go in,

Her Father will be angry, [Ex. Mrs. Page and Anne.
Fent, Farewel, gentle Miftrefs; farewel Nan.
Quic. This is my doing now, Nay, faid I, will you caft
away your Child on a Fool, and a Phyfician?
Look on Mafter Fenton: This is my doing.

Fent. I thank thee; and I pray thee once to Night, Give my sweet Nan this Ring: There's for thy Pains. [Exit. Quic. Now Heav'n fend thee good Fortune. A kind Heart he hath, a Woman would run through Fire and Water for fuch a kind Heart. But yet, I would my Mafter had Miftrefs Anne, or I would Mr. Slender had her; or, in footh, I would Mr. Fenton had her. I will do what I can for them all three, for fo I have promis'd, and I'll be as good as my Word, but fpeciously for Mr. Fenton. Well, I muft of another Errand to Sir John Falstaff from my two Miftreffes; what a Beaft am I to flack it. [Exit,

SCENE III.

Enter Falstaff and Bardolph.

Fal. Bardolph, I fay.

Bard. Here, Sir.

Fal

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