6

CAIUS. It is no matter-a for dat:-do not you tell-a me dat I fhall have Anne Page for myfelf? by gar, I vill kill de Jack prieft; and I have appointed mine hoft of de Jarterre to measure our weapon:-by gar, I vill myfelf have Anne Page. QUICK. Sir, the maid loves you, and all fhall be well: we must give folks leave to prate: What, the good-jer!"

CAIUS. Rugby, come to the court vit me;-By gar, if I have not Anne Page, I fhall turn your head out of my door :-Follow my heels, Rugby. [Exeunt CAIUS and RUGBY.

QUICK. You fhall have An fools-head of your own. No, I know Anne's mind for that never a woman in Windfor knows more of Anne's mind than I do; nor can do more than I do with her, I thank heaven.

FENT. [Within.] Who's within there, ho? QUICK. Who's there, I trow? Come near the houfe, I pray you.

de Jack prieft;] Jack in our author's time was a term of contempt: So, faucy Jack, &c. See K. Henry IV. P. I. Aа III. fc. iii. The prince is a Jack, a fneak-cup;" and Much ado about Nothing, A& I. fc. i: "do you play the flouting Jack?"

MALONE.

7 What the good-jer!] She means to fay-"the goujere, i. e. morbus Gallicus. So, in K. Lear;

"The goujeres fhall devour them."

See Hanmer's note, King Lear, A& V. fc. iii. STEEVENS. Mrs. Quickly fcarcely ever pronounces a hard word rightly. Good-jer and Good-year were in our author's time common corrup tions of goujere: and in the books of that age the word is as often written one way as the other. MALONE.

8 You shall have An fool's-head] Mrs. Quickly, I believe,. intends a quibble between ann, founded broad, and one, which was formerly fometimes pronounced on, or with nearly the fame found. In the Scottish dialed one is written, and I fuppofe pronounced ane. In 1603, was published "Ane verię excellent and delectable Treatife, intitulit Philotus," &c. MALONE.

1

Enter FENTON.

FENT. How now, good woman; how doft thou? QUICK. The better, that it pleases your good worfhip to ask.

FENT. What news? how does pretty mistress Anne? QUICK. In truth, fir, and fhe is pretty, and honeft. 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 lofe my fuit?

QUICK. Troth, fir, all is in his hands above: but notwithstanding, master Fenton, I'll be fworn on a book, fhe loves you:-Have not your worship a wart above your eye?

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

9

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

FENT. Well, I fhall fee her to-day: Hold, there's money for thee; let me have thy voice in my behalf: if thou feeft her before me, commend me

QUICK. Will I? 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.

but, I deteft,] She means-I proteft. MALONE. The fame intended miftake occurs in Meafure for Meafure, A& II. fc. i: 6 My wife, f whom I detest before heaven and your honour," &c.-"Doft thou deteft her therefore?" STEEVENS.

Ford. Why this is the

SHAKSPEARE.

very same: the very hand, the very Merry Wives of Windsor

words: What doth he think of us?

M. Page. Nay,
wrangle with mine own

I know not. It makes me almost ready to

honesty.

FENT. Well, farewell; I am in great hafte now. [Exit. QUICK. Farewell to your worship.-Truly, an honeft gentleman; but Anne loves him not; for I know Anne's mind as well as another does:-Out upon't! what have I forgot? * [Exit.

2

ACT II. SCENE I.

Before Page's Houfe,

Enter Miftrefs PAGE, with a letter.

MRS. PAGE. What! have I fcaped love-letters in the holy-day time of my beauty, and am I now a fubject for them? Let me fee:

[reads. Afk me no reason why I love you; for though love ufe reafon for his precifian, he admits him not for his counfellor: You are not young, no more am I; go to

2

3

-Out upon't what have I forgot?] This excufe for leaving the ftage, is rather too near Dr. Caius's "Od's me! qu'ay j'oublié ?" in the former part of the scene. STEEVENS.

3 though love ufe reafon for his precisian, he admits him not for his counfellor:] This is obfcure: but the meaning is, though love permit reafon to tell what is fit to be done, he feldom follows its advice. By precifian, is meant one who pretends to a more than ordinary degree of virtue and fan&ity. On which account they gave this name to the puritans of that time. So Ofborne-" Conform their mode, words, and looks, to thefe PRECISIANS." And Maine, in his City Match:

**

I did commend

"A great PRECISIAN to her for her woman."

WARBURTON.

Of this word I do not fee any meaning that is very appofite to. the prefent intention. Perhaps Falftaff faid, Though love ufe reafon as his phyfician, he admits him not for his counsellor. This will be plain. fenfe. Alk not the reafon of my love; the business of reason is not to affift love, but to cure it. There may however be this.