SIMP. Why, fir, they were nothing but about miftrefs Anne Page; to know, if it were my mafter's fortune to have her, or no.

FAL. 'Tis, 'tis his fortune.

SIMP. What, fir?

FAL. To have her, -orno: Go; fay, the woman told me fo.

SIMP. May I be fo bold to fay fo, fir?

FAL. Ay, fir Tike; who more bold?'

SIMP. I thank your worship: I fhall make my mafter glad with thefe tidings.

Exit SIMPLE, HOST. Thou art clerkly, thou art clerkly, fir John Was there a wife woman with thee?

:

FAL. Ay, that there was, mine hoft; one, that hath taught me more wit than ever I learn'd before in my life and I paid nothing for it neither, but was paid for my learning,'

Simp. I may, &c.] In the old copy this fpeech is given to Falftaff. Corre&ed by Mr. Rowe. I mention this error, because it juftifies other fimilar corrections that have been made. MALONE. 3 Ay, for Tike; who more bold?] In the firft edition, it ftands:

I Tike, who more bolde." And should plainly be read here, Ay, fir Tike, &c. FARMER,

The folio reads-Ay, fir, like, &c.

4

11

MALONE.

clerkly,] i, e. fcholar-like. So, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Aå II. fc. i i :

'tis very clerkly done."

STEEVENS.

I paid nothing for it neither, but was

paid for my_learning.] He alludes to the beating which he had just received. The fame play on words occurs in Cymbeline, A& V:

11

forry you have

paid too much, and forry that you are paid too much."

To pay, in our author's time, Henry IV. P. I. “—— - feven of the

STEEVENS.

often fignified to beat. So, in King eleven I paid." MALONE,

Enter BARDOLPH.

BARD. Out, alas, fir! cozenage! meer cozenage! HOST. Where be my horses? speak well of them,

varletto.

BARD. Run away with the cozeners for fo foon as I came beyond Eton, they threw me off, from behind one of them, in a flough of mire; and set fpurs, and away, like three German devils, three Doctor Fauftufes."

HOST. They are gone but to meet the duke, villain: do not fay, they be fled; Germans are honeft

men.

Enter Sir HUGH EVANS.

EVA. Where is mine hoft?

HOST. What is the matter, fir?

EVA. Have a care of your entertainments: there is a friend of mine come to town, tells me, there is three couzin germans, that has cozen'd all the hofts of Readings, of Maidenhead, of Colebrook, of horses and money. I tell you for good-will, look you you are wife, and full of gibes and vlouting-ftogs; and 'tis not convenient you fhould be cozen'd: Fare you well. [Exit.

Enter CAIUS.

CAIUS. Vere is mine Hoft de Jarterre.

HOST. Here, mafter doctor, in perplexity, and doubtful dilemma.

-like three German devils, three Dodor Fauftufes.] John Fauft, commonly called Doctor Fauftus, was a German. STEEVENS. Marlowe's play on this fubject had fufficiently familiarized Bardolph's fimile to our author's audience,

STEEVENS.

CAIUS. I cannot tell vat is dat : Butitis tell-a me, dat you make grand preparation for a duke de Jarmany: by my trot, dere is no duke, dat the court is know to come: I tell you for good vill: adieu. [Exit. HOST. Hue and cry,villain, go :-affist me, knight; I am undone :-fly, run, hue and cry, villain! I am undone! [Exeunt Hoft and BARDOLPH.

FAL. I would, all the world might be cozen'd ; for I have been cozen'd, and beaten too. If it fhould come to the ear of the court, how I have been transform'd, and how my transformation hath been wash'd and cudgel'd, they would melt me out of my fat, drop by drop, and liquor fifhermen's boots with me; I warrant, they would whip me with their fine wits, till I were as creft-fallen as a dried pear. I never profper'd fince I forefwore inyself at Primero." Well, if my wind were but

6 creft-fallen as a dried pear.] To afcertain the propriety of this fimilitude, it may be observed that pears, when they are dried, become flat, and lose the erect and oblong form that, in their natural ftate, diftinguishes them from apples. STEEVENS.

7 -Primero.] A game at cards. JOHNSON.

Primero was in Shakspeare's time the fashionable game. In the Earl of Northumberland's letters about the powder plot, Jofc. Percy was playing at Primero on Sunday, when his uncle, the confpirator, called on him at Effex Houfe. This game is again mentioned in our author's Henry VIII. PERCY.

"Primero and Primavifta, two games of cards. Primum primum vifum, that is, firft, and first feene, because he that can fhow fuch an order of cardes, wins the game." See Minfheu's DICT. 1617. REED.

In the Sydney Papers, Vol. II. p. 83, is the following account of an altercation that happened between our poet's generous patron, and one Willoughby, at this game: "The quarrel of my lord Southampton to Ambrofe Willoughby grew upon this: That he, with Sir Walter Rawley and Mr. Parker, being at Primero in the prefence-chamber, the queen was gone to bed; and he being there, as fquire of the body, defired him to give over. Soon after he

long enough to fay my prayers, I would repent.

Enter Mrs. QUICKLY.

Now! whence come you?

QUICK. From the two parties, forfooth.

FAL. The devil take one party, and his dam the other, and fo they fhall be both beftow'd! I have fuffer'd more for their fakes, more, than the villainous inconftancy of man's difpofition is able to bear.

QUICK. And have not they suffer'd? Yes, I warrant; fpeciously one of them; miftrefs Ford, good heart, is beaten black and blue, that you cannot fee a white spot about her.

FAL. What tell'ft thou me of black and blue? I was beaten myself into all the colours of the rainbow; and I was like to be apprehended for the witch of Brentford; but that my admirable dexterity of wit, my counterfeiting the action of an old woman,' deliver'd me, the knave constable had

fpoke to them againe, that if they would not leave, he would call in the guard to pull down the bord; which Sir Walter Rawley seeing, put up his money, and went his wayes; but my lord Southampton took exceptious at hym, and told hym, he would remember yt and fo finding hym between the Tennis-Court wall and the garden, ftrooke him; and Willoughby pull'd of fome of his lockes." This happened in the beginning of 1598. MALONE. The manner of playing at this game may be seen in an Epigram quoted in Dodley's Collection of old Plays, Vol. V. p. 168. edit. 1780. See also Vol. X. p. 368. and Vol. XII. p. 396. REED. 8 to Say my prayers,] Thefe words were reftored from the early quarto by Mr. Pope. They were probably omitted in the folio on account of the Stat. 3 Jac. I. ch. 2 21. MALONE.

9 -action of an old woman, n,] What! was it any dexterity of wit in Sir John Falftaff to counterfeit the action of an old woman, in order to escape being apprehended for a witch? Surely, one would imagine, this was the readieft means to bring him into fuch a fcrape for none but old women have ever been suspected of be

fet me i' the ftocks, i' the common ftocks, for a witch.

QUICK. 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 here is to bring you together! Sure, one of you does not ferve heaven well, 2 that you are fo cross'd.

FAL. Come up into my chamber.

SCENE VI.

Another Room in the Garter Inn.

Enter FENTON and Hoft.

[Exeunt.

HOST. 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

ing witches. The text must certainly, be restor'd a wood woman, a crazy, frantick woman; one too wild, and filly, and unmeaning, to have either the malice, or mischievous fubtlety of a witch in her. THEOBALD.

This emendation is received by Sir Thomas Hanmer, but rejec ted by Dr. Warburton. To me it appears reasonable enough.

JOHNSON.

I am not certain that this change is neceffary. Falstaff, by counterfeiting such weakness and infirmity, as would naturally be pitied in an old woman, averted the punishment to which he would otherwise have been fubje&ed, on the fuppofition that he was a witch. STEEVENS.

The reading of the old copy is fully fupported by what Falstaff fays afterwards to Ford: "I went to her, Mafter Brook, as you fee, like a poor old man; but I came from her, Mafter Brook, like a poor old woman.' MALONE.

2

"

Sure, one of you does not ferve heaven well, &c.] The great fault of this play is the frequency of expreffions fo profane, that no neceffity of preferving charader can justify them. There are laws of higher authority than thofe of criticifm. JOHNSON.