The maid hath given confent to go with him. Hoft. Which means fhe to deceive? father or mother?

Fent. Both, my good hoft, to go along with me; And here it refts, that you'll procure the vicar To ftay for me at church, 'twixt twelve and one, And in the lawful name of marrying,

To give our hearts united ceremony.

Hoft. Well, hufband your device; I'll to the vicar. Bring you the maid, you fhall not lack a priest. Fent. So fhall I evermore be bound to thee; Befide, I'll make a present recompence. [Exeunt.

Re-enter Falstaff and Miftrefs Quickly.

Fal. Pr'ythee no more pratling. Go. I'll hold. This is the third time; I hope, good luck lyes in odd numbers. Away, go; they fay there is divinity in odd numbers, either in nativity, chance or death. -Away.

Quic. I'll provide you a chain, and I'll do what I can to get you a pair of horns.

[Exit Miftrefs Quickly. Fal. Away, I fay, time wears: hold up your head and mince.

Enter Ford.

How now, Mafter Brook? Mafter Brook, the matter will be known to night, or never Be you in the Park about midnight, at Herne's oak, and you fhall fee wonders.

Ford. Went you not to her yesterday, Sir, as you told me you had appointed?

Fal. I went to her, Mailer Brook, as you fee, like a poor old man; but I came from her, Master Brook, like a poor old woman. That fame knave,

Ford her husband, hath the fineft mad devil of jealoufy in him, Mafter Brook, that ever govern'd frenzy. I will tell you; he beat me grievously, in the fhape of a woman; for in the fhape of a man, Mafter Brook, I fear not Goliah with a wea

ver's beam; because I know alfo, life is a fhuttle. I am in hafte; go along with me, I'll tell you all, Mafter Brook. Since I pluck'd geefe, play'd truant, and whip'd top, I knew not what 'twas to be beaten, 'till lately. Follow me, I'll tell you strange things of this knave Ford, on whom to night I will be reveng'd, and I will deliver his wife into your hand. Follow; ftrange things in hand, Mafter [Exeunt.

Brook! follow.

ACT V.

SCENE I.

Windfor Park.

Enter Page, Shallow, and Slender.

Page.

Ome, come; we'll couch i' th' castle-ditch, 'till we see the light of our fairies. Remember, fon Slender, my daughter.

Slen. Ay, forfooth, I have spoke with her, and we have a nay-word how to know one another. I come to her in white, and cry mum; fhe cries budget; and by that we know one another.

Shal. That's good too; but what needs either your mum, or her budget? the white will decipher her well enough. It hath ftruck ten o'clock.

Page. The night is dark, light and fpirits will become it well; heav'n profper our fport! No man means evil but the devil, and we fall know him [Exeunt. by his horns. Let's away; follow me.

SCENE II.

Enter Mistress Page, Miftrefs Ford and Caius.

Mrs Page. Mr Doctor, my daughter is in green; when you fee your time, take her by the hand, away with her to the deanery, and dispatch it quickly; go before into the park; we two must go together.

Caius. I know vat I have to do; adieu. [Exit

Mrs Page. Fare you well, Sir. My husband will not rejoice fo much at the abuse of Falstaff, as he will chafe at the Doctor's marrying my daughter: but 'tis no matter; better a little chiding, than a great deal of heart-break.

Mrs Ford. Where is Nan now, and her troop of fairies, and the Welch devil Evans ?

Mrs Page. They are all couch'd in a pit hard by Herne's oak, with obfcur'd lights; which, at the very inftant of Falftaff's and our meeting, they will at once difplay to the night.

Mrs Ford. That cannot chufe but amaze him.
Mrs Page. If he be not amaz'd, he will be mock'd;.
if he be amaz'd, he will every way be mock'd.
Mrs Ford. We'll betray him finely.

Mrs Page. Against fuch lewdfters and their
lechery,

Those that betray them do no treachery.

Mrs Ford. The hour draws on; to the oak, to the oak. [Exeunt.

Enter Evans and Fairies.

Eva. Trib, trib, fairies; come and remember your parts; be pold, I pray you; follow me into the pit; and when I give the watch-'ords, do as I pid you; come,.come;.trib, trib. [Exeunt.

S CE NE III.

Enter Falstaff, with a buck's head on.

Fal. The Windfor bell hath ftruck twelve, the minute draws on: now, the hot-blooded gods affift me! Remember, Jove, thou waft a bull for thy Europa; love fet on thy horns. Oh powerful love! that, in fome refpects, makes a beaft a man; in fome other, a man a beast: you were also, Jupiter, a fwan, for the love of Leda: Oh, omnipotent love! how near the god drew to the complexion of a goofe? A fault done firft in the form of a beast,

-O Jove, a beaftly fault in the femblance of a fowl: -think on't, Jove, a foul fault. When gods have hot backs, what fhall poor men do? for

N

me, I am here a Windsor itag, and the fattefl, I think, i' th' foreft. Send me a cool rut-time, Jove, or who can blame me to pils my tailow? Who comes here? my doe?

Enter Mifirefs Ford and Miftrefs Page.

Mrs Ford. Sir John! art thou there, my deer? my male deer?

Fal. My doe with the black fcut? let the sky rain potatoes; let it thunder to the tune of GreenSleeves; hail-king-comfits, and fnow eringoes; let there come a sempet of provocation, I will fhelter me here.

Mrs Ford. Mitreis Page is come with me, fweet heart.

Fal. Divide me like a bribe buck, each a haunch; I will keep my fides to myself, my thoulders for the fellow of this walk, and my horns I bequeath your husbands. I am a woodman, ha? Speak I like Herne the hunter? why, now is Cupid a child of confcience, he makes reititution. As I am a true ípirit, welcome! [Noife within

Mrs Page. Alas! what noise?
Mrs Ford. Heav'n forgive our fins!
Fal. What fhould this be?

[The women run out.

Fal. I think the devil will not have me damn'd, left the oil that is in me fhould iet hell on fire; he never would elle crofs me thus.

Enter Sir Hugh like a Satyr Quickly, and others, drejt like Fairies, with tapers.

Quic. Fairies, black, gray, green, and white, You moon-fhine revellers and shades of night,

To the keeper the shoulders and bumbles belonging as a perquifite. Steevens.

You Ouphen heirs of fixed destiny,
Attend your office and your quality.
Crier hobgoblin, make the fairy o-yes.

Eva. Elves, lift your names; filence you airy toys. Cricket, to Windfor chimneys fhalt thou leap: Where fires thou find'ft unrak'd, and hearths unfwept,

There pinch the maids as blue as bilberry :
Our radiant queen hates fluts and flustery.
Fal. They're fairies; he that fpeaks to them
fhall die

I'll wink and couch; no man their works must eye. [Lyes down upon his face. Eva. Where's Pede? go you, and where you

find a maid,

That ere the fleep hath thrice her prayers faid, Rein up the organs of her fantafy;

Sleep the as found as carelets infancy;

But thofe that fleep, and think not on their fins, Pinch them, arms, legs, backs, fhoulders, fides and fhins.

Quic About, about;

Search Windfor caftle, elves, within and out.
Strew good luck, ouphes, on every sacred room,
That it may ftand 'till the perpetual doom,
In ftate as wholfome, as in ftate 'tis fit;
Worthy the owner, as the owner it.

The feveral chairs of order look you scour,
With juice of balm and ev'ry precious flow'r:
Each fair inftalment-coat and fev'ral creft,
With loyal blazon evermore be bleft!
And, nightly-meadow-fairies, look you fing,
Like to the Garter-compafs, in a ring:
Th' expreffure that it bears, green let it be,
More fertile-fresh than all the field to fee;
And, Hony foit qui mal y pense write,

In emrold-tuffs, flow'rs purple, blue and white,
Like fapphire, pearl, and rich embroidery,
Buckled below fair knight-hood's bending knee;
Fairies use flow'rs for their charactery +.

For the matter with which the make letters.

Johnfon.