Rug. "Tis ready, sir, here in the porch.

Caius. By my trot, I tarry too long:--Od's me! Qu'ay j'oublié? dere is some simples in my closet, dat I vill not, for the varld, I shall leave behind.

[Exit CAIUS. Quick. Ah me! he'll find the young man there, and be mad.

Caius. [Within.] O diable, diable! vat is in my closet?-Villainy, Larron! Rugby, my rapier.

Enter CAIUS, pulling SIMPLE out of the Closet.
Quick. Good master, be content.

Caius. Verefore shall I be content-a?
Quick. The young man is an honest man.

Caius. Vat shall de honest man do in my closet? dere is no honest man dat shall come in my closet. Quick. I beseech you, be not so flegmatic; hear the truth of it. He came of an errand to me from Parson Hugh.

Caius. Vell.

Sim. Ay, forsooth, to desire her to

Quick. Peace, I pray you.

Caius. Peace-a your tongue :-Speak-a your tale. Sim. To desire this honest gentlewoman, your maid, to speak a good word to Mistress Anne Page for my master in the way of marriage.

Quick. This is all, indeed-la; but I'll never put my finger in the fire, and need not.

Caius. Sir Hugh send-a you?-Rugby, baillez me some paper: Tarry you a little while.

[Exeunt CAIUS and RUGBY. Quick. I am glad he is so quiet: if he had been thoroughly mov'd, you should have heard him so loud and so melancholy;-But notwithstanding, man, I'll do your master what good I can: and the very yea and the no is, the French Doctor, my master,-I may call him my master, look you, for I keep his house;

and I wash, wring, brew, bake, scour, dress meat and drink, make the beds, and do all myself.

Sim. 'Tis a great charge, to come under one body's hand.

Quick. Are you advis'd o'that? you shall find it a great charge: And to be up early, and down late ;— but notwithstanding, (to tell you in your ear; I would have no words of it;) my master himself is in love with Mistress Anne Page: but, notwithstanding that, -I know Anne's mind,-that's neither here nor there.

Enter CAIUS and RUGBY.

Caius. You jack'napes; give-a dis letter to Sir Hugh: by gar, it is a shallenge: I vill cut his throat in de park; and I vill teach a scurvy jack-a-nape priest to meddle or make :- -you may be gone; it is not good you tarry here. [Exit SIMPLE. Quick. Alas, he speaks but for his friend. Caius. It is no matter-a for dat :- -do you not tell-a me dat I shall have Anne Page for myself?-By gar, I vill kill de jack priest: and I vill appoint mine host of de Jarterre to measure our weapon;-by gar, I vill myself have Anne Page.

Quick. Sir, the maid loves you, and all shall be well: we must give folks leave to prate.

Caius. Rugby, come to the court vit me. -By gar, if I have not Anne Page, I shall turn your head out of door:--Follow my heels, Rugby.

[Exeunt CAIUS and RUGBY. Quick. You shall have An fools-head of your own. No, I know Anne's mind for that; never a woman in Windsor knows more of Anne's mind than I do; nor can do more than I can do with her, I thank Hea

ven.

Fenton. [Within.] Who's within there, ho?
Quick. Who's there, I trow?

Enter FENTON.

Fent. How now, good woman; how dost thou? Quick. The better, that it pleases your good worship to ask.

Fent. What news? how does pretty mistress Anne? Quick. In truth, sir, and she is pretty, and honest, and gentle; and one that is your friend, I can tell you that by the way; I praise Heaven for it.

Fent. Shall I do any good, thinkest thou? shall I not lose my suit?

Quick. Troth, sir, all is in his hands above: but notwithstanding, Master Fenton, I'll be sworn on a book, she loves you.- -Have not your worship a

wart above your eye?

Fent. Yes, marry, have I; what of that?

Quick. Well, thereby hangs a tale;-good faith, it is such another Nan;-but, I detest, an honest maid as ever broke bread:-We had an hour's talk of that wart; I shall never laugh but in that maid's company!-But, indeed, she is given too much to allicholly and musing: But for you-Well-go to.

Fent. Well, I shall see her to-day: Hold, there's money for thee; let me have thy voice in my behalf: if thou seest her before me, commend me

Quick. Will I ay i'faith, that we will, and I will tell your worship more of the wart, the next time we have confidence; and of other wooers.

Fent. Well, farewell; I am in great haste now. [Exit FENTON. Quick. Farewell to your worship.-Truly, an honest gentleman; but, Anne loves him not; I know Anne's mind as well as another does :-Out upon't! what have I forgot?

[Exit.

ACT THE SECOND.

SCENE I.

Before PAGE's House.

Enter MRS. PAGE, reading a Letter.

Mrs. Page. What, have I 'scap'd love-letters in the holyday-time of my beauty, and am I now a subject for them? Let me see:

[Reads.

Ask me no reason why I love you; for, though love use reason for his precisian, he admits him not for his counsellor: You are not young, no more am I; go to then, there is sympathy: you are merry, so am I : Ha! ha! then there's more sympathy: you love sack, and so do I: Would you desire better sympathy? Let it suffice thee, Mistress Page, (at least, if the love of a soldier can suffice,) that I love thee: I will not say, pity me! 'tis not a soldier-like phrase; but I say, love me. By me,

Thine own true knight,
By day or night,
Or any kind of light,

With all his might,

For thee to fight.

JOHN FALSTAFF.

What a Herod of Jury is this!-O wicked, wicked world! What one unweigh'd behaviour has this Flemish drunkard pick'd out of my conversation, that he dares in this manner assay me? Why, he hath not

been thrice in my company!-How shall I be reveng'd on him? for reveng'd I will be, as sure as

Enter MRS. FORD.

Mrs. Ford. Mrs. Page! trust me, I was going to your house.

Mrs. Page. And, trust me, I was coming to you. You look ill.

very

Mrs. Ford. Nay, I'll ne'er believe that; I have to show to the contrary.

Mrs. Page. 'Faith, but you do, in my mind.

Mrs. Ford. Well, I do then; yet, I say, I could show you to the contrary:-O, Mistress Page, give me some counsel!

Mrs. Page. What's the matter, woman?

Mrs. Ford. O woman, if it were not for one trifling respect, I could come to such honour!'

Mrs. Page. Hang the trifle, woman; take the honour: What is it?-dispense with trifles ;—what is it?

Mrs. Ford. I could be knighted.

Mrs. Page. What?-thou dost jest!

Mrs. Ford. We burn daylight:-here, read, read; -perceive how I might be knighted.-I shall think the worse of fat men, as long as I have an eye to make difference of men's liking: And yet he would not swear; praised women's modesty ; and gave such orderly and well-behaved reproof to all uncomeliness," that I would have sworn his disposition would have gone to the truth of his words; but they do no more adhere, and keep place together, than the hundredth psalm to the tune of " Green Sleeves," What tempest, I trow, threw this whale, with so many tuns of oil in his belly, ashore at Windsor? How shall I be reveng'd on him? Did you ever hear the like?

Mrs. Page. Letter for letter; but that the name of Page and Ford differs!-To thy great comfort in this mystery of ill opinions, here's the twin-brother of thy

D