Anne. Pardon, good Father; good my Mother, Pardon. Page. Now Mistress,

How chance you went not with Mr. Slender?

Mrs. Page. Why went you not with Mr. Doctor, Maid?
Fent. You do amaze her. Hear the Truth of it:
You would have marry'd her most shamefully,
Where there was no proportion held in Love:
The Truth is, she and I, tong fince contracted,
Are now fo fure that nothing can diffolve us.
Th' Offence is holy that the hath committed,
And this Deceit lofes the name of Craft,
Of Difobedience, or unduteous Title;
Since therein she doth evitate and fhun
A thousand irreligious curfed Hours

Which forced Marriage would have brought upon her.
Ford. Stand not amaz'd, here is no Remedy.
In Love, the Heav'ns themselves do guide the State;
Mony buys Lands, and Wives are fold by Fate.

Fal. I am glad, tho' you have ta'en a fpecial Stand to ftrike at me, that your Arrow hath glanc'd.

Page. Well, what Remedy? Fenton, Heav'n give thee Joy; what cannot be efchew'd, must be embrac'd.

Fal. When Night-dogs run, all forts of Deer are chac'd. Mrs. Page. Well, I will mufe no further: Mr. Fenton, Heav'n give you many, many merry Days.

Good Husband, let us every one go home,

And laugh this Sport o'er by a Country Fire,
Sir John and all.

Ford. Let it be fo, Sir John:

To Master Broom you yet fhall hold your Word;
For he, to Night, fhall lye with Mistress Ford.

[Exeunt.

Quic. Sir, let me speak with you in your Chamber, you fhall hear how things go, and, I warrant, to your Content. Here is a Letter will fay fomewhat. Good Hearts, what ado is here to bring you together? Sure one of you does not ferve Heav'n well, that you are fo cross'd.

Fal. Come up

into my Chamber.

SCENE VI.

Enter Fenton and Hoft.

[Exeunt.

Hoft. Mafter Fenton, talk not to me, my Mind is heavy, I will give over all.

Fent. Yet hear me fpeak; affift me in my Purpose, And, as I am a Gentleman, I'll give thee

A hundred Pound in Gold, more than your Lofs.

Hoft. I will hear you, Mafter Fenton; and I will, at the leaft, keep your Counsel.

Fent. From time to time I have acquainted you
With the dear Love I bear to fair Anne Page,
Who, mutually, hath answer'd my Affection,
(So far forth as her felf might be her Chufer)
Even to my Wish; I have a Letter from her
Of fuch Contents, as you will wonder at;
Thy Mirth whereof, fo larded with my Matter,
That neither fingly can be manifefted,

Without the fhew of both. Fat Sir John Falstaff
Hath a great Scene; the Image of the Jeft

I'll fhew you here at large. Hark good mine Hoft;
To Night at Herne's Oak, juft 'twixt twelve and one,
Muft my sweet Nan prefent the Fairy Queen,
The Purpose why is here; in which Difguife,
While other Jefts are fomething rank on Foot,
Her Father hath commanded her to flip
Away with Slender, and with him at Eaton
Immediately to marry; the hath confented. Now Sir,
Her Mother, even strong against that Match,
And firm for Doctor Caius, hath appointed
That he fhall likewife fhuffle her away,
While other Sports are tasking of their Minds,
And at the Deanry, where a Priest attends,
Straight marry her; to this her Mother's Plot

She,

She, feemingly obedient, likewife hath

Made Promife to the Doctor: Now thus it refts;
Her Father means the fhall be all in White,
And in that Habit, when Slender fees his time
To take her by the Hand, and bid her go,
She fhall go with him. Her Mother hath intended,
The better to devote her to the Doctor,
(For they must all be mask'd and vizarded)
That quaint in Green, fhe fhall be loose enrob'd,
With Ribbands-Pendant, flaring 'bout her Head;
And when the Doctor fpies his Vantage ripe,
To pinch her by the Hand, and on that Token,
The Maid hath given Confent to go with him.

Hoft. Which means fhe to deceive? Father, or Mother? Fent. Both, my good Hoft, to go along with me, And here it refts, that you'll procure the Vicar To ftay for me at Church, 'twixt twelve and one, And in the lawful Name of marrying,

To give our Hearts united Ceremony.

Hoft. Well, husband your Device; I'll to the Vicar, Bring you the Maid, you fhall not lack a Prieft.

Fent. So fhall I evermore be bound to thee;

Befide, I'll make a prefent Recomperice.

ACT V.

SCENE I.

Enter Falstaff and Mistress Quickly.

Fal. Prithee

[Exeunt.

Fal. DRithee no more pratling; go, I'll hold. This is the third time; I hope good Luck lyes in odd Numbers; away, go, they fay there is Divinity in odd Numbers, either in Nativity, Chance or Death; away.

Quic. I'll provide you a Chain, and I'll do what I can to get you a Pair of Horns. [Exit Mrs. Quickly. Fal. Away,I fay,time wears; hold up your Head, and mince.

Enter Ford.

How now, Mr. Broom? Mr. Broom, the Matter will be known to Night, or never. Be you in the Park about Mid. Night, at Herne's Oak, and you fhall fee Wonders.

Ford. Went you not to her Yefterday, Sir, as you told me you had appointed?

......

Fal.

Fal. I went to her, Master Broom, as you fee, like a poor old Man; but I came from her, Master Broom, like a poor old Woman. That fame Knave, Ford her Husband, hath the finest mad Devil of Jealoufie in him, Mafter Broom, that ever govern'd Frenzy. I will tell you, he beat me grievously, in the shape of a Woman; for in the shape of a Man, Mafter Broom, I fear not Goliah with a Weaver's Beam, because I know alfo Life is a Shuttle. I am in hafte, go along with me, I'll tell you all, Mafter Broom. Since I pluckt Geefe, play'd Truant, and whipt Top, I knew not what 'twas to be beaten, 'till lately. Follow me, I'll tell you ftrange things of this Knave Ford, on whom to Night I will be reveng'd, and I will deliver his Wife into your Hand. Follow, ftrange things in hand, Mafter Broom, [Exeunt. follow.

Enter Page, Shallow and Slender.

Page. Come, come; we'll couch i'th' Castle-ditch, 'till we fee the light of our Fairies. Remember, Son Slender, my Daughter.

Slen. Ay Forfooth, I have spoke with her, and we have à Nay-word how to know one another. I come to her in white and cry Mum, fhe cries Budget, and by that we know one another.

Shal. That's good too; but what needs either your Mum, or her Budget? The white will decipher her well enough, It hath ftruck ten a-Clock.

Page. The Night is dark, Light and Spirits will become it well; Heav'n profper our Sport. No Man means evil but the Devil, and we shall know him by his Horns. Let's a[Exeunt. way; follow me.

Enter Mistress Page, Miftrefs Ford and Caius.

Mrs. Page. Mr. Doctor, my Daughter is in green; when you fee your time, take her by the Hand, away with her to the Deanry, and dispatch it quickly; go before into the Park; we two must go together.

Caius,

Caius. I know vat I have to do; adieu.

[Exit

Mrs. Page. Fare you well, Sir. My Husband will not rejoice fo much at the Abufe of Falstaff, as he will chafe at the Doctor's marrying my Daughter: But 'tis no matter; better a little chiding, than a great deal of heart-break.

Mrs. Ford. Where is Nan now, and her Troop of Fairies, and the Welch Devil Herne?

Mrs. Page. They are all couch'd in a Pit hard by Herne's Oak, with obfcur'd Lights; which at the very inftant of Falstaff's and our meeting they will at once difplay to the Night.

Mrs. Fard. That cannot chufe but amaze him.

Mrs. Page. If he be not amaz'd he will be mock'd; if he be amaz'd he will be mock'd.

Mrs. Ford. We'll betray him finely,

Mrs. Page. Againft fuch Leudfters, and their Lechery, Thofe that betray them do no Treachery.

Mis. Ford. The Hour draws on; to the Oak, to the Oak. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

Enter Evans and Fairies.

Eva. Trib, trib, Fairies; come, and remember your Parts: Be pold, I pray you, follow me into the Pit, and when I give the Watch-'ords do as I bid you: Come, come, trib, trib. [Exeunt,

SCENE V.
Enter Falstaff.

Fal. The Windfor Bell hath ftruck twelve, the Minute draws on; now the hot-blooded God affift me. Remember, Jove, thou waft a Bull for thy Europa; Love set on thy Horns. Oh powerful Love! that in fome respects makes a Beast a Man; in fome other, a Man a Beast. You were alfo, Jupiter, a Swan, for the love of Leda: O omnipotent Love! how near the God drew to the Complexion of a Goofe; a Fault done firft in the form of a Beaft, O Jove, a beaftly Fault; and then another Fault in the femblance of a Fowl; think on't, Jove, a foul Fault. When

Gods