Mrs Page. Why, look where he comes; and my good man too: he's as far from jealousy as I am from giving him cause; and that, I hope, is an unmeasurable distance. Mrs Ford. You are the happier woman. Mrs Page. Let's consult together against this greasy knight. Come hither. [They retire. Enter FORD, with PISTOL, and PAGE, with NYM. Ford. Well, I hope it be not so. Pist. Hope is a curtal dog in some affairs: Sir John affects thy wife. Ford. Why, sir, my wife is not young. Pist. He wooes both high and low, both rich and poor, Both young and old, one with another, Ford; He loves the gallimaufry: Ford, perpend. Ford. Love my wife! Pist. With liver burning hot. Prevent, or go thou, Ford. What name, sir? Pist. The horn, I say. Farewell. Take heed; have open eye; for thieves do foot by night: Believe it, Page; he speaks sense. [Exit. Ford. [Aside] I will be patient; I will find out this. Nym. [To Page] And this is true; I like not the humour of lying. He hath wronged me in some humours: I should have borne the humoured letter to her; but I have a sword, and it shall bite upon my necessity He Q3. 97. [They retire] Theobald. 98. SCENE III. Pope. 102-104. Printed as prose in Ff 103. one] and one F4. 104. the] FQ3 thy F2F3F4. a Anon. (N. & Q.) conj. 107. he] om. F3F4. 113, 114. Away...sense] Away Sir Corporal! Nym. Believe...sense. Johnson conj. 117. hath] have Q3. 119. bite...He] bite-upon my necessity, he Warburton conj. loves your wife; there's the short and the long. My name 120 Page. The humour of it,' quoth 'a! here's a fellow 125 frights English out of his wits. Ford. I will seek out Falstaff. Page. I never heard such a drawling, affecting rogue. Ford. If I do find it:-well. Page. I will not believe such a Cataian, though the 130 priest o' the town commended him for a true man. Ford. 'Twas a good sensible fellow :-well. Page. How now, Meg! Mrs Page. [Mrs Page and Mrs Ford come forward. Whither go you, George? Hark you. Mrs Ford. How now, sweet Frank! why art thou me- 135 lancholy? Ford. I melancholy! I am not melancholy. Get you home, go. Mrs Ford. Faith, thou hast some crotchets in thy head. Now, will you go, Mistress Page? Mrs Page. Have with you. You'll come to dinner, George? [Aside to Mrs Ford] Look who comes yonder: she shall be our messenger to this paltry knight. Mrs Ford. [Aside to Mrs Page] Trust me, I thought on her: she'll fit it. Enter MISTRESS QUICKLY. Mrs Page. You are come to see my daughter Anne? Quick. Ay, forsooth; and, I pray, how does good Mistress Anne? 121. avouch; 'tis] F, Q3 F2. avouch, tis F3F4. 123. [and there's the humour of it] These words, not found in FfQ3 are added from Q,Q, by Capell. 126. English] humour Pope (from QQ2). his] its Pope. 128. drawling, affecting] FF3F4- 140. head. Now,] head, Now: F. 140 145 Mrs Page. Go in with us and see: we have an hour's talk with you. [Exeunt Mrs Page, Mrs Ford, and Mrs Quickly. Page. How now, Master Ford! Ford. You heard what this knave told me, did you not? 150 Page. Hang 'em, slaves! I do not think the knight 155 would offer it: but these that accuse him in his intent towards our wives are a yoke of his discarded men; very rogues, now they be out of service. Ford. Were they his men? Page. Marry, were they. Ford. I like it never the better for that. Does he lie at the Garter? 160 Page. Ay, marry, does he. If he should intend this voyage toward my wife, I would turn her loose to him; and what he gets more of her than sharp words, let it lie on my 165 head. Ford. I do not misdoubt my wife; but I would be loath to turn them together. A man may be too confident: I would have nothing lie on my head: I cannot be thus satisfied. Page. Look where my ranting host of the Garter comes: there is either liquor in his pate, or money in his purse, when he looks so merrily. How now, mine host! Enter HOST. 170 Host. How now, bully-rook! thou'rt a gentleman. 175 Cavaleiro-justice, I say! Enter SHALLOW. Shal. I follow, mine host, I follow. Good even and twenty, good Master Page! Master Page, will you go with us? we have sport in hand. 149. have] would have S. Walker conj. 151. SCENE V. Pope. 163. this] his Pope. 175. SCENE VI. Pope. 176, 180. Cavaleiro] F, Q3 F2. Cavalerio F3F4 Host. Tell him, cavaleiro-justice; tell him, bully-rook. 180 Shal. Sir, there is a fray to be fought between Sir Hugh the Welsh priest and Caius the French doctor. Ford. Good mine host o' the Garter, a word with you. [Drawing him aside. Host. What sayest thou, my bully-rook? Shal. [To Page] Will you go with us to behold it? My 185 merry host hath had the measuring of their weapons; and, I think, hath appointed them contrary places; for, believe me, I hear the parson is no jester. Hark, I will tell you what our sport shall be. [They converse apart. Host. Hast thou no suit against my knight, my guest- 195 cavaleire? Ford. None, I protest: but I'll give you a pottle of burnt sack to give me recourse to him, and tell him my name is Brook; only for a jest. Host. My hand, bully; thou shalt have egress and re- 195 gress; said I well?-and thy name shall be Brook. It is a merry knight. Will you go, An-heires? Shal. Have with you, mine host. Page. I have heard the Frenchman hath good skill in his rapier. Shal. Tut, sir, I could have told you more. In these times you stand on distance, your passes, stoccadoes, and I know not what: 'tis the heart, Master Page; 'tis here, 'tis here. I have seen the time, with my long sword I would have made you four tall fellows skip like rats. 200 205 Host. Here, boys, here, here! shall we wag? Page. Have with you. I had rather hear them scold than fight. [Exeunt Host, Shal., and Page. Ford. Though Page be a secure fool, and stands so firmly on his wife's frailty, yet I cannot put off my opinion 210 so easily: she was in his company at Page's house; and what they made there, I know not. Well, I will look further into 't: and I have a disguise to sound Falstaff. If I find her honest, I lose not my labour; if she be otherwise, 'tis labour well bestowed. SCENE II. A room in the Garter Inn. Enter FALSTAFF and PISTOL. Fal. I will not lend thee a penny. Pist. Why, then the world's mine oyster, Which I with sword will open. [Exit. 215 Fal. Not a penny. should lay my countenance to pawn: I have grated upon my good friends for three reprieves for you and your coachfellow Nym; or else you had looked through the grate, like a geminy of baboons. I am damned in hell for swearing to gentlemen my friends, you were good soldiers and tall fellows; and when Mistress Bridget lost the handle of her fan, I took't upon mine honour thou hadst it not. I have been content, sir, you Pist. Didst not thou share? hadst thou not fifteen pence? Fal. Reason, you rogue, reason: thinkest thou I'll endanger my soul gratis? At a word, hang no more about me, I am no gibbet for you. Go. A short knife and a throng! To your manor of Pickt-hatch! Go. You'll not bear a letter for me, you rogue! you stand upon your honour! Why, thou unconfinable baseness, it is as much as I can do to keep the terms of my honour precise: I, I, I myself sometimes, leaving the fear of God on the left hand, and hiding mine honour in my necessity, am fain to shuffle, to hedge, and to lurch; and yet you, rogue, will ensconce 5 ΙΟ 15 20 |