BARD. Ay, fir. FAL. Call him in; [Exit BARDOLPH.] Such Brooks are welcome to me, that o'erflow fuch liquor. Ah! ha! miftrefs Ford and miftrefs Page, have I encompafs'd you? go to; via! 8 Re-enter BARDOLPH, with FORD difguifed. FORD. Blefs you, fir. FAL. And you, fir: Would you speak with me? FORD. I make bold, to prefs with fo little preparation upon you. FAL. You're welcome; What's your will? Give us leave, drawer. [Exit BARDOLPH. FORD. Sir, I am a gentleman that have spent much; my name is Brook. FAL. Good mafter Brook, I defire more acquaint、 ance of you. not to FORD. Good fir John, I fue for yours: charge you; for I muft let you underftand, I think myself in better plight for a lender than you are: the which hath something embolden'd me to this unfeafon'd intrufion; for they fay, if money go before, all ways do lie open. FAL. Money is a good foldier, fir, and will on. 8 -go to; via!] This cant phrase of exultation or defiance, is common in the old plays. So, in Blurt Mafter Conftable! STEEVENS. "Via for fate! Fortune, lo! this is all." Markham ufes this word as one of the vocal helps neceffary for reviving a horse's spirits in galloping large rings, when he grows flothful. Hence this cant phrafe (perhaps from the Italian, via) may be used on other occafions to quicken or pluck up courage. TOLLET. 9 not to charge you; ] That is, not with a purpose of putting you to expence, or being burthenfome. JOHNSON. FORD. Troth, and I have a bag of money here troubles me if you will help me to bear it, fir John, take all, or half, for eafing me of the carriage. FAL. Sir, I know not how I may deferve to be your porter. FORD. I will tell you, fir, if you will give me the hearing. FAL. Speak, good mafter Brook; I shall be glad to be your fervant I FORD. Sir, I hear you are a fcholar, I will be brief with you; and you have been a man long known to me, though I never had fo good means, as defire, to make myself acquainted with you. fhall discover a thing to you, wherein I muft very much lay open mine own imperfection: but, good fir John, as you have one eye upon my follies, as you hear them unfolded, turn another into the regifler of your own; that I may pafs with a reproof the eafier, fith you yourself know, how easy it is to be fuch an offender. FAL. Very well, fir; proceed. FORD. There is a gentlewoman in this town, her hufband's name is Ford. FAL. Well, fir. FORD. I have long loved her, and, I proteft to you, beftow'd much on her; follow'd her with a doting obfervance; engrofs'd opportunities to meet her; fee'd every flight occafion, that could but niggardiy give me fight of her; not only bought many presents to give her, but have given largely to many, to know what he would have given: briefly, I have pursued her, as love hath purfued me; which hath been, on the wings of all occafions. But whatsoever fith] i. c. fince. STEEVENS. I have merited, either in my mind, or in my means, meed,' I am fure, I have received none; unless experience be a jewel: that I have purchased at an infinite rate; and that hath taught me to fay this: Love like a fhadow flies, when fubflance love purfues; Purfuing that that flies, and flying what purfues." FAL. Have you received no promise of satisfaction at her hands? FORD. Never. FAL. Have you importuned her to fuch a purpose? FORD. Never. FAL. Of what quality was your love then? FORD. Like a fair houfe, built upon another man's ground; fo that I have loft my edifice, by miflaking the place where I erected it. FAL. To what purpose have you unfolded this to me? 3 FORD. When I have told you that, I have told you meed,] i. e. reward. So Spenser : "A rofy garland was the victor's meed." Again, in our author's Two Gentlemen of Verona: "Vouchsafe me for my meed but one fair look." STEEVENS. 4 Love like a fhadow flies, when fubftance love pursues ; Purfuing that that flies, and flying what pursues. ] Thefe lines have much the air of a quotation, but I know not whether they belong to any contemporary writer. In Florio's Second Fruites, 1591, I find the following verses: Again : "Di donne é, é fempre fu natura, "Odia chi l'ama, e chi non l'ama cura." "Chi per prender l'uomo, piangono, e prefo lo devorano, "Chi le fugge fequono, e chi le fequé fuggono." Thus tranflated by Florio: they are like crocodiles,' They weep to winne, and wonne they caufe to die, all. Some fay, that though fhe appear honeft to me, yet, in other places, fhe enlargeth her mirth fo far, that there is fhrewd conftruction made of her. Now, fir John, here is the heart of my purpose: You are a gentleman of excellent breeding, admirable discourse, of great admittance,' authentick in your place and perfon, generally allowed for your many war-like, court-like, and learned preparations. FAL. O, fir! FORD. Believe it, for you know it:-There is money; spend it, spend it; spend more; spend all I have; only give me fo much of your time in exchange of it, as to lay an amiable fiege' to the honefty of this Ford's wife: use your art of wooing, win her to consent to you; if any man may, you may as foon as any. FAL. Would it apply well to the vehemency of your affection, that I fhould win what you would enjoy? Methinks, you prefcribe to yourfelf very prepofterously. FORD. O, understand my drift! fhe dwells fo fecurely on the excellency of her honour, that the folly of my foul dares not prefent itself; fhe is too bright to be look'd againft. Now, could I come 8 - of great admittance, ] i. e. admitted into all, or the greateft companies. STEEVENS. 7 if your sweet sway Allowed is approved. So, in King "Allow obedience," &c. STEEVENS. to lay an amiable fiege] i. e. a fiege of love. So, in Romeo and Juliet : -the fige of loving terms. 8 She is too bright to be look'd againfi.] ་་ MALONE. Nimium lubricus afpici." Hor. MALONE, to her with any detection in my hand, my defires had inftance and argument to commend themfelves; I could drive her then from the ward of her purity, her reputation, her marriage vow, and a thousand other her defences, which now are too ftrongly embattled against me: What fay you to't fir John? FAL. Mafter Brook, I will firft make bold with your money; next, give me your hand; and last, as I am a gentleman, you fhall, if you will, enjoy Ford's wife. FORD. O good fir! FAL. Mafter Brook, I fay you fhall. FORD. Want no money, fir John, you fhall want none. FAL. Want no miftrefs Ford, mafter Brook, you fhall want none. I fhall be with her (I may tell you,) by her own appointment; even as you came in to me, her affiftant, or go-between, parted from me: I say, I fhall be with her between ten and eleven; for at that time the jealous rascally knave, her husband, will be forth. Come you to me at night; you fhall know how I fpeed. What Ford means to fay is, that if he could once dete& her in a crime, he fhould then be able to drive her from those defences with which he would otherwife ward off his addreffes, fuch as her purity, her reputation, her marriage vow, &c. So, in The Winter's Tale, Hermione, fpeaking of Polixenes, fays to Leontes, |