1

!

cheater to them both, and they shall be exchequers to me; they shall be my East and West Indies, and I will trade to them both. Go, bear thou this letter to mistress Page; and thou this to mistress Ford: we will thrive, lads, we will thrive.

Pist. Shall I Sir Pandarus of Troy become,
And by my side wear steel ? then, Lucifer take all !

Nym. I will run no base humor; here, take the humor-letter; I will keep the 'havior of reputation. Fal. Hold, sirrah, [to Rov.] bear you these letters

tightly; Sail like my pinnace to these golden shores.Rogues, hence, avaunt! vanish like hailstones, go; Trudge, plod, away, o' the hoof; seek shelter, pack! Falstaff will learn the humor of this age, French thrift, you rogues; myself, and skirted page.

[Exeunt Falstaff and Robin. Pist. Let vultures gripe thy guts! for gourd and

fullam ? holds,
And high and low beguile the rich and poor :
Tester 3 I'll have in pouch, when thou shalt lack,
Base Phrygian Turk!

Nym. I have operations in my head, which be humors of revenge.

Pist. Wilt thou revenge ?
Nym. By welkin, and her star !
Pist. With wit, or steel?

Nym. With both the humors, I:
I will discuss the humor of this love to Page.
Pist. And I to Ford shall eke unfold,

How Falstaff, varlet vile,
His dove will prove, his gold will hold,

And his soft couch defile.
Nym. My humor shall not cool: I will incense

.

1 Escheatour, an officer in the Exchequer.

2 In Decker's Bellman of London, 1640, among the false dice are enumerated “ a bale of fullams "_"a bale of gordes, with as many high men as low men for passage.” The false dice were chiefly made at Fulham; hence the name. The manner in which they were made is described in The Complete Gamester, 1676, 12mo. 3 Sixpence I'll have in pocket. VOL. I.

22

Page to deal with poison ; I will

possess

him with yellowness, for the revolt of mien is dangerous: that is my true humor.

Pist. Thou art the Mars of malcontents: I second thee; troop on.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. A Room in Dr. Caius's House.

Enter Mrs. QUICKLY, Simple, and Rugby. Quick. What; John Rugby!—I pray thee, go to the casement, and see if you can see my master, master Doctor Caius, coming: if he do, i' faith, and find any body in the house, here will be an old abusing of God's patience, and the king's English. Rug. I'll go watch.

[Exit Rugby. Quick. Go; and we'll have a posset for’t soon at night, in faith, at the latter end of a sea-coal fire.-An honest, willing, kind fellow, as ever servant shall come in house withal; and, I warrant you, no tell-tale, nor no breed-bate:2 his worst fault is, that he is given to prayer; he is something peevish that way: but nobody but has his fault ;—but let that pass.

Peter Simple, you say, your name is ?

Sim. Ay, for a fault of a better.
Quick. And master Slender's your master ?
Sim. Ay, forsooth.

Quick. Does he not wear a great round beard, like a glover's paring knife ?

Sim. No, forsooth: he hath but a little wee face, with a little yellow beard; a Cain-colored beard.3

Quick. A softly-sprighted man, is he not ?

Sim. Ay, forsooth: but he is as tall a man of his hands, as any is between this and his head; he hath fought with a warrener.5

a

4

Quick. How say you ?-0, I should remember him; Does he not hold up his head, as it were ? and strut in his gait?

Sim. Yes, indeed, does he.

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

Re-enter Rugby.
Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master.

Quick. We shall all be shent:' Run in here, good young man; go into this closet. [Shuts Simple in the closet.] 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, adown-a, fc. [Sings.

Enter Doctor Caius. Caius. Vat is you sing? 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.

[Aside. Caius. Fe, fe, fe, fe! mai foi, il fait fort chaud. Je m'en vais à la Cour,—la grande affaire.

Quick. Is it this, sir ?

Čaius. Ouy; mette le au mon pocket; Dépêche, quickly :-Vere is dat knave Rugby?

Quick. What, John Rugby! John !
Rug. Here, sir.

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'oublié? dere is some simples in my closet, dat I vill not for the varld I shall leave behind.

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

Caius. O diable, diable ! vat is in my closet ?-Villany? larron! [Pulling Simple out.] Rugby, my rapier. 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 ne'er put my finger in the fire, and need not.

Caius. Sir Hugh send a you ?—Rugby, baillez me some paper :- Tarry you a little-awhile. [Writes.

Quick. I am glad he is so quiet: if he had been thoroughly moved, 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 avised 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 his dog

with mistress Anne Page: but notwithstanding that, -I know Anne's mind,—that's neither here nor there.

Caius. 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 jack-a-nape priest to meddle or make :—you may be gone; it is not good you tarry here :-by gar, I vill cut all his two stones; by gar, he shall not have a stone to trow at

[Exit SimplE. 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 have appointed mine host of de Jurterre 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 : What, the good-jer!)

Caius. Rugby, come to the court vid me ;-By gar, if I have not Anne Page, I shall turn your head out 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 do with her, I thank heaven.

Fent. [Within.] Who's within there, ho?
Quick. Who's there, I trow? Come near the

I house, I pray you.

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.

I

of my