She, feemingly obedient, likewife hath

Made promise to the Doctor.-Now, thus it refts
Her father means fhe fhall be all in white;
And in that drefs 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 mafk'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 mo-
ther?

Fent. Both, my good Hoft, to go along with me:
And here it refts, that you'll procure the vicar
To stay for me at church, 'twixt twelve and one,
And, in the lawful name of marrying,
To give our hearts united ceremony.

Hoft. Well, hufband your device; I'll to the vicar, Bring you the maid, you fhall not lack a priest. Fent. So fhall I evermore be bound to thee; Befides, I'll make a prefent recompence.

[Exeunt.

Fal. Fr'ythee, no more pratling.-Go.-I'll hold. This is the third time; I hope, good luck lies 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; can to get you a pair of horns. Fal. "Away, I fay; time wears: and mince.

and I'll do what I [Exit Mrs. Quickly. hold up your head,

Enter

Enter Ford.

How now, mafter Brook? Mafter Brook, the matter will be known to-night, or never. Be you in the Park about midnight, at Herne's oak, and you fhall fee wonders.

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

Fal. I went to her, mafter Brook, as you fee, like a poor old man; but I came from her, master Brook, like a poor old woman. That fame knave, Ford her husband, hath the finest mad devil of jealousy in him, master Brook, that ever govern'd frenzy. I will tell you; he beat me grievously, in the fhape of a woman; for in the shape of a man, mafter Brook, I fear not Goliah with a weaver's beam; because I know alfo, life is a fhuttle. I am in hafte; go along with me, I'll tell you all, master Brook. Since I pluck'd geefe, play'd truant, and whipp'd 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 Brook! follow.[Exeunt.

ACT V.

V.

SCENE I

C

Windfor Park.

Enter Page, Shallow, and Slender.

PAGE.

OME, come; we'll couch i' the castle-ditch, 'till we fee the light of our fairies.-Remember, fon Slender, my daughter,

Slen.

Slen. Ay, forfooth; I have spoke with her, and we have a nay-word how to know one another. I come to her in white, and cry, mum; she 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 o'clock.

Page. The night is dark; light and fpirits will become it well. Heaven profper our fport! 9 No man means evil but the devil, and we fhall know him by his horns. Let's away; follow me. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Enter Miftrefs Page, Miftrefs Ford, and Caius. Mrs. Page. Mafter Doctor, my daughter is in green: when you fee your time, take her by the hand, away with her to the deanery, and difpatch it quickly: go before into the park: we two muft go together.

Caius. I know yat I have to do; adieu. [Exit. Mrs. Page. Fare you well, Sir. My husband will not rejoice fo much at the abuse 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 fairies? and the Welch devil Evans ?

of

Mrs. Page. They are all couch'd in a pit hard by Herne's oak, with obfcur'd lights; which, at the very

-No MAN means evil but the devil,-] This is a double blunder; for fome, of whom this was fpoke, were women. We should read then, No ONE means. WARBURTON.

and the Welch devil Evans ?] The former impreffion : and the Welch devil Herne? But Falstaff was to reprefent Herne, and he was no Welchman. Where was the attention or fagacity of our editors, not to obferve that Mrs. Ford is enquiring for Evans by the name of the Welch devil? Dr. Thirlby likewife difcover'd the blunder of this paffage. THEOBALD.

inftant

inftant of Falstaff's and our meeting, they will at once difplay to the night.

Mrs. Ford. That cannot chuse but amaze him. Mrs. Page. If he be not amaz'd, he will be mock'd; if he be amaz'd, he will every way be mock'd. Mrs. Ford. We'll betray him finely.

Mrs. Page. Against such lewdsters, and their lechery, Thofe, that betray them, do no treachery.

Mrs. Ford. The hour draws on; to the oak, to the oak.

[Exeunt.

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 pid you; come, come; trib, trib.

[Exeunt.

Fal. The Windfor bell hath ftruck twelve; the minute draws on: now, the hot-blooded gods affift me! Remember, Jove, thou waft a bull for thy Europa; love fet on thy horns. Oh powerful love! that, in fome refpects, makes a beast a man; in fome other, a man a beaft.-You were alfo, Jupiter, a fwan, for the love of Leda: oh, omnipotent love! how near the god drew to the complexion of a goofe? A fault done first in the form of a beast;O Jove, a beaftly fault!—and then another fault in the femblance of a fowl;—think on't, Jove; a foul fault. When gods have hot backs, what fhall poor men do? For me, I am here a Windsor stag; and the fattest, I think, i' the foreft. Send me a cool rut-time, Jove, or who can blame me to pifs my tallow? Who comes here? my doe?

Enter

Enter Mistress Ford and Miftrefs Page.

Mrs. Ford. Sir John? art thou there, my deer? my male deer?

Fal. My doe with the black fcut? Let the fky rain potatoes; let it thunder to the tune of Green Sleeves; hail kiffing-comfits, and fnow eringoes; let there come a tempeft of provocation, I will shelter me here.

Mrs. Ford. Miftrefs Page is come with me, fweet

heart.

Fal. 2 Divide me like a bribe-buck, each a haunch: I will keep my fides to myself, my fhoulders for the 3 fellow of this walk, and my horns I bequeath your husbands. Am I a woodman ? ha! Speak I like Herne the hunter? Why, now is Cupid a child of confcience; he makes reftitution. As I am a true fpirit, welcome! [Noife within.

Mrs. Page. Alas! what noife?
Mrs. Ford. Heaven forgive our fins!
Fal. What fhould this be?

Mrs. Ford.

Mrs. Page.

} Away, away.

[The women run out.

Fal. I think the devil will not have me damn'd, left the oil that is in me fhould fet hell on fire; he never would elfe crofs me thus.

Enter Sir Hugh like a fatyr; Quickly, and others, dress'd like fairies, with tapers.

Quic. Fairies, black, grey, green, and white, You moon-fhine revellers, and fhades of night,

2 Divide me like a brib'd-buck,-] Thus all the old copies, mistakingly it must be bribe-buck; i. e. a buck fent for a bribe. THEOBALD.

:

3 -fellow of this walk,-] Who the fellow is, or why he keeps his fhoulders for him, I do not understand. JOHNSON. To the keeper the fhoulders and humbles belong as a perquifite. GRAY.

You