Quick. Well, heaven send Anne Page no worse fortune! Tell Master Parson Evans I will do what I can for your master: Anne is a good girl, and I wish

Enter RUGBY, L.

Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master. [Exit, L. Quick. We shall all be shent: Run in here good young man; go into this closet. [Shuts SIMPLE in the closet, R.] He will not stay long.-What, John Rugby! John, what, John, I say! Go, John, go inquire for my master; I doubt, he be not well, that he comes not home: " and down, down, a down-a, &c." [Singing.

Enter DOCTOR CAIUS, L.

Caius. (L.) Vat is you sing? (c.) I do not like dese toys. Pray you, go and vetch me in my closet un boitier verd; a box, a green-a box: Do intend vat I speak? a green-a box.

Quick. Ay, forsooth, I'll fetch it you. I am glad he went not in himself: if he had found the young man, he would have been horn-mad [Exit, into R. Closet. Caius. (L.) "Fe, fe, fe, fe! ma, foi, il fait, fort

chaud.

Je m'en vais à la Cour, la grande affaire."

Re-enter Mrs. QUICKLY, with a green box.

Quick. (R. C.) Is it this, sir?

Caius. Ouy; mette le au mon pocket. Depéche quickly. Vere is dat knave Rugby?

Quick. What, John Rugby! John!

Rug. Here, sir.

Enter RUGBY, L.

Caius. You are John Rugby, and you are Jack Rugby; Come, take-a your rapier, and come after my heel to de court.

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

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

[Exit, R. Closet. 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 by the Collar.

Quick. [Coming down, c.] 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. [To SIMPLE.] Tarry you a little while on that spot all your life.

[Exeunt CAIUS and RUGBY, R. Closet. Quick. 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. (R. C.) 'Tis a great charge.

[Getting by degrees near L. c. Quick. (L. C.) Are you avis'd o' that? But notwithstanding, (to tell you in your ear), my master himself is in love with Mistress Anne Page: but, notwithstanding that, I know Anne's mind,-that's neither here nor there.

Caius. [In the Closet.] Come along, Jack-a Rugby! [SIMPLE runs to the spot where CAIUS placed him.

Enter CAIUS and RUGBY, from the Closet.

Caius. [To SIMPLE.] You jack'nape: give-a dis letter to Sir Hugh: by gar, it is a shallenge: I vill cut his troat in de Park; and I vill teach a scurvy jacka-nape priest to meddle or make.-You may be gone; it is not good you tarry here. [Exit SIMPLE, running, L.

Quick. Alas, he speaks but for his friend.

Caius. It is no matter-a for dat :-do not you 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. Caius. [Goes back for his scarlet Cloak.] Rugby, come to the court vit me.-By gar, if I have not Anne Page, I shall turn your head out of my door:-Follow my heels, Rugby. [RUGBY runs and treads on his heels.] Ah! Jack-a dandy.

[Exeunt CAIUS and RUGBY, L. Quick. Oh, I know Anne's mind! never a woman in Windsor knows more of Anne's mind than I do; nor can do more than I do with her, I thank heaven.

Fent. [Within, L. D. F.] Who's within there, ho? Quick. Who's there, I trow?

Enter FENTON, L. D. F.

Fent. (L.) How now, good woman: how dost thou ? Quick. (c.) 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, Master Fenton, I'll be sworn on a book, she loves you.

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 other wooers the next time we have confidence.

Fent. Well, farewell.

Quick. Farewell to your worship.

[Exit, R.

Fent. Oh, how I hail this new-born passion! for till I felt love's anxious hopes and fears, I knew not happi

ness.

SONG.-FENTON.

With thee, fair summer's joys appear,

Oh, sweet Anne Page!

But thou away, dread winter's near,
And all around is dark and drear-

The leaves look pale, and shepherds mourn,
All nature droops till your return!

When April's glories shine on me,

Oh, sweet Anne Page !

And violets bloom, ah! none I see,
But sweets or colours stolen from thee!
Yet though 'tis winter, thou away,
Still these thy shadows make it May.

[Exit, L. D. F

END OF ACT I.

ACT II.

SCENE I.-Same as Act I. Scene I.-Before Page's House.

Enter MRS. PAGE, reading a Letter, R.

Mrs. Page. What have I 'scap'd love-letters in the holiday-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 1: go to then, there's 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 the 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 Jewry is this!-O wicked, wicked world! What an 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. Oh, some night, sir, I'll catch thee in the toils-I'll lead thee such a danceSONG.-MRS. PAGE.

When it is the time of night,
That the graves all gaping wide,
Every one let's forth his sprite,
In the church-way paths to glide-
And the fairies that do run,

By the triple Hecate's team,
From the presence of the Sun,
Following darkness like a dream,
Now are frolic-then I'll come,

And will lead him up and down
Scaring him through field and town-
Some there be that shadows kiss,
Such have but a shadow's bliss-
There be fools alive, I wis,
Silver'd o'er, and so is this.

Hey nonny, nonny.

There be fools, &c.

Hey nonny, nonny!

Enter MRS. FORD, L.

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

Mrs. Page. And trust me, I was coming to you.(c.) You look very ill.

Mrs. Ford. (c.) 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?