Eva. Shew me now, William, fome Declenfions of

Pronouns.

Will. Forfooth, I have forgot.

your

Eva. It is Qui, que, quod; if you forget your Quies, your Ques, and your Quods, you must be preeches: Go your ways and play, go.

Mrs. Page. He is a better Scholar than I thought he was. Eva. He is a good fprag Memory. Farewel, Mrs. Page. Mrs. Page. Adieu, good Sir Hugh.

Get you home, Boy. Come we stay too long.

[Exeunt.

Fal. Miftrefs Ford, your Sorrow hath eaten up my Sufferance; I fee you are obfequious in your Love, and I profess Requital to a hairs breath, not only, Miftrefs Ford, in the fimple Office of Love, but in all the Accouftrement, Complement, and Ceremony of it. But are you fure of your Husband now?!

Mrs. Ford. He's a birding, fweet Sir John.

Mrs. Page, [within.] What hoa, Goffip Ford! what hoa! Mrs. Ford. Step into th' Chamber, Sir John. [Ex. Falstaff. Enter Miftrefs Page.

Mrs. Page. How now, fweet Heart, who's at home befides your felf?

Mrs. Ford. Why none but mine own People.

Mrs. Page. Indeed?

Mrs. Ford. No certainly.

Speak louder.

Mrs. Page. Truly, I am fo glad you have no body here. Mrs. Ford. Why?

Mrs. Page. Why Woman, your Husband is in his old Lines again; he fo takes on yonder with my Husband, fo rails against all married Mankind, fo curfes all Eve's Daughters, of what Complexion foever, and fo buffets himself on the Fore-head, crying peer-out, peer-out, that any Madness I ever yet beheld feem'd but Tamenefs, Civility and Pati ence to this his Diftemper he is in now; I am glad the fat Knight is not here.

Mrs. Ford. Why does he talk of him?

Mrs. Page.

Mrs. Page. Of none but him, and fwears he was carry'd out, the last time he fearch'd for him, in a Basket; protefts to my Husband he is now here, and hath drawn him and the reft of their Company from their Sport, to make another Experiment of his Sufpicion, but I am glad the Knight is not here; now he fhall fee his own Foolery.

Mrs. Ford. How near is he, Mistress Page?

Mrs. Page. Hard by, at Streets end, he will be here anon. Mrs. Ford. I am undone, the Knight is here.

Mrs. Page. Why then you are utterly fham'd, and he's but a dead Man. What a Woman are you? Away with him, away with him, better Shame than Murther.

Mrs. Ford. Which way fhould he go? How fhould I bestow him? Shall I put him into the Basket again? Enter Falftaff.

Fal. No, I'll come no more i'th Basket:

May I not go out e'er he come?

Mrs. Page. Alas, three of Mafter Ford's Brothers watch the Door with Piftols, that none should issue out, otherwise you might flip away e'er he came: But what make you here? Fal. What fhall I do? I'll creep up into the Chimney. Mrs. Ford. There they always ufe to discharge their Birding-Pieces; creep into the Kill-Hole.

Fal. Where is it?

Mrs. Ford. He will feek there, on my Word: Neither Prefs, Coffer, Cheft, Trunk, Well, Vault, but he hath an Abstract for the remembrance of fuch Places, and goes to them by his Note; there is no hiding you in the House. Fal. I'll go out then.

Mrs. Ford. If you go out in your own Semblance, you die, Sir John, unless you go out disguis'd. How might we disguise him?

Mrs. Page. Alafs-the-Day; I know not, there is no Woman's Gown big enough for him, otherwife he might put on a Hat, a Muffler, and a Kercheif, and fo efcape.

Fal. Good Hearts, devife fomething; any Extremity, rather than Mischief.

Mrs. Ford. My Maid's Aunt, the fat Woman of Brainford, has a Gown above.

Mrs. Page. On my Word it will ferve him, fhe's as big as he is; and there's her thrumb Hat, and her Muffler too. Run up. Sir John. Mrs. Ford,

Mrs. Ford. Go, go, fweet Sir John, Mistress Page and I will look fome Linnen for your Head.

Mrs. Page. Quick, quick, we'll come dress you straight; put on the Gown the while. [Exit Falltaff. Mrs. Ford. I would my Husband would meet him in this Shape, he cannot abide the old Woman of Brainford; he fwears the's a Witch, forbad her my House, and hath threatned to beat her.

Mrs. Page. Heav'n guide him to thy Husband's Cudgel, and the Devil guide his Cudgel afterwards.

Mrs. Ford. But is my Husband coming?

Mrs. Page. Ay in good Sadnefs is he, and talks of the Basket too, how foever he hath had Intelligence.

Mrs. Ford. We'll try that; for I'll appoint my Men to carry the Basket again, to meet him at the Door with it, as they did laft time.

Mrs. Page. Nay, but he'll be here prefently; let's go dress him like the Witch of Brainford.

Mrs. Ford. I'll first direct my Men, what they fhall do with the Basket; go up, I'll bring Linnen for him ftraight. Mrs. Page. Hang him, difhoneft Varlet,

We cannot mifufe him enough.

We'll leave a Proof, by that which we will do,
Wives may be merry, and honeft too.

yet

We do not act, that often jeft and laugh:.

'Tis old, but true, Still Swine eats all the Draugh.

Mrs. Ford. Go Sirs, take the Basket again on your Shoulders; your Mafter is hard at door; if he bid you fet it down, obey him: Quickly, dispatch.

Enter Servants with the Basket.

1 Serv. Come, come, take up.

2 Serv. Pray Heav'n it be not full of the Knight again. I Serv. I hope not. I had as lief bear fo much Lead. Enter Ford, Shallow, Page, Caius and Evans.

Ford. Ay, but if it prove true, Mafter Page, have you any. way then to unfool me again? Set down the Basket, Villain; fomebody call my Wife: Youth in a Basket. Oh you. panderly Rafcals, there's a Knot, a Gang, a Pack, a Confpiracy against me; now fhall the Devil be fham'd. What, I fay, come, come forth, behold what honeft Cloaths you fend forth to bleaching.

Page.

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.

Shal. Miftrefs Anne, my Coufin loves you.

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; the 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.

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 must 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; fhe 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.

C

Fent. I thank thee; and I pray thee once to Night, Give my fweet 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 fpecioufly 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.

SCENE III.

Enter Falftaff and Bardolph.

Fal. Bardolph, I fay.

[Exit,

Bard. Here, Sir.