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in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation; armigero.

Shal. Ay, that I do, and have done any time thefe three hundred years.

Slen. All his fucceffors, gone before him, have don't; and all his ancestors, that come after him, may; they may give the dozen white luces in their

coat.

Shal. It is an old coat.

Eva. The dozen white lowfes do become an old coat well; it agrees well, paffant; it is a familiar beaft to man, and fignifies love.

2

Shal. The luce is the fresh fish, the falt-fish is an old coat.

Slen. I may quarter, coz.

Shal. You may, by marrying.

Eva. It is marring, indeed, if he quarter it.
Shal. Not a whit.

Eva. Yes, per lady; if he has a quarter of your coat, there is but three fhirts for yourfelf, in my fimple conjectures. But that is all one; if Sir John Falstaff have committed difparagements upon you, I am of the church, and would be glad to do my benevolence, to make atonements and compromises between you.

Shal. The council fhall hear it; it is a riot.

Eva. It is not meet the council hear of a riot; there is no fear of Got in a riot: the council, look you, fhall defire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear a riot; take your viza-ments in that.

Shal. Ha! o' my life, if I were young again, the fword fhould end it.

Eva. It is petter that friends is the fword, and end it; and there is also another device in my prain, which, peradventure, prings good difcretions with it; there is Anne Page, which is daughter to Mafter George Page, which is pretty virginity.

Slen. Miftrefs Anne Page? fhe has brown hair, and fpeaks fmall like a woman.

Eva. It is that ferry perfon for all the orld, as juft as you will defire; and feven hundred pounds of monies, and gold and filver, is her grandfire up

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on his death's bed (Got deliver to a joyful refurrections), give, when fhe is able to overtake feventeen years old: it were a good motion, if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and defire a marriage between Mafter Abraham and Mistress Anne Page. Slen. Did her grandfire leave her feven hundred pounds?

Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter

penny.

Slen. I know the young gentlewoman; she has good gifts.

Shal. Seven hundred pounds, and poffibilities, is good gifts.

Slen. Well; let us fee honest Mr Page: is Falstaff there?

Eva. Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar, as I do despise one that is falfe; or as I defpife one that is not true. The knight, Sir John, is there; and, I beseech you, be ruled by your well-wifhers. I will peat the door [Knocks.] for Mafter Page. What, hoa? Got blefs your house here.

SCENE

Enter Mr Page.

Page. Who's there?

II.

Eva. Here is Got's bleffing, and your friend, and Juftice Shallow; and here's young Master Slender; that, peradventures, fhall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings.

Page. I am glad to fee your Worfhips well. I thank you for my venifon, Master Shallow.

Shal. Mafter Page, I am glad to fee you; much good do it your good heart: I wifh'd your venifon better; it was ill kill'd. How doth good Miftrefs Page? and I thank you always with my heart, la; with my heart.

Page. Sir, I thank you.

Shal. Sir, I thank you; by yea and no, I do. Page. I am glad to fee you, good Mafter Slender. Slen. How does your fallow greyhound, Sir? I heard fay, he was out-run on Cotfale.

Page. It could not be judg'd, Sir.

Slen. You'll not confefs, you'll not confefs. Shal. That he will not 'tis your fault, 'tis your fault-'tis a good dog.

Page. A cur, Sir.

Shal. Sir, he's a good dog, and a fair dog; can there be more faid? he is good and fair.- -Is Sir John Falstaff here?

Page. Sir, he is within; and I would I could do a good office between you.

is not

Eva. It is fpoke as a Chriftians ought to speak. Shal. He hath wrong'd me, Mafter Page. Page. Sir, he doth in fome fort confefs it. Shal. If it be confefs'd, it is not redrefs'd; that fo, Master Page? He hath wrong'd me-indeed he hath-at a word, he hath-believe me→ Robert Shallow, Efq; faith he is wrong'd. Page. Here comes Sir John.

SCENE III.

Enter Sir John Falstaff, Bardolph, Nym and Piftol. Fal. Now, Mafter Shallow, you'll complain of me to the council?

Shal. Knight, you have beaten my men, kill'd my deer, and broke open my lodge.

Fal. But not kifs'd your keeper's daughter.
Shal. Tut, a pin; this fhall be anfwer'd.

Fal. I will answer it ftrait: I have done all this. That is now anfwer'd.

Shal. The council fhall know this.

Fal. 'Twere better for you if 'twere not known in council; you'll be laugh'd at.

Eva. Pauca verba, Sir John, good worts.

Fal. Good worts? good cabbage. Slender, I broke your head; what matter have you against me? Slen Marry, Sir, I have matter in my head against you, and against your coney-catching-rafcals †, Bardolph Nym and Piftol.

A coney-catcher was, in the time of Elizabeth, a common name for a cheat or fharper. Johnson.

Bar. You Banbury cheese ?

Slen. Ay, it is no matter.

Pift. How now, Mephostophilus * ?
Slen. Ay, it is no matter.

Nym. Slice, I fay; pauca, pauca: flice, that's my humour.

Slen. Where's Simple, my man? can you tell, coufin?

Eva. Peace, I pray you; now let us understand: there is three umpires in this matter, as I underftand; that is, Mafter Page; fidelicet, Mafter Page; and there is myfelf; fidelicet, myfelf; and the three party is, laftly and finally, mine hoft of the

Garter.

Page. We three to hear it, and end it between them.

Eva. Ferry goot; I will make a prief of it in my note book, and we will afterwards ork upon the caufe with as great difcreetly as we can. Fal. Piftol

Pift. He hears with ears.

Eva. The tevil and his tam! what phrafe is this, he hears with ear? why, it is affectations. Fal. Piftol, did you pick Mr Slender's purfe?

Slen. Ay, by these gloves did he, (or I would I might never come in mine own great chamber again elfe), of seven groats in mill-fixpences, and two Edward fhovel-boards, that cost me two fhilling and two pence a-piece of Yead Miller, by thefe gloves.

Fal. Is this true, Pistol?

Eva. No; it is falfe, if it is a pick-purfe.
Pift Ha, thou mountain-foreigner!Sir John,
and mafter mine,

I combat challenge of this latten bilboe:
Word of denial in thy Labra's here;
Word of denial. Froth and fcum, thou ly'ft.
Slen. By thefe gloves, then 'twas he.

Nym. Be advis'd, Sir, and pafs good humours: I will fay marry trap with you, if you run the base

The name of a fpirit or familiar. Warton. VOL. III.

H

humour on me; that is the very note of it.

Slen. By this hat then, he in the red face had it; for tho' I cannot remember what I did when you made me drunk, yet I am not altogether an ass.

Fal. What fay you, Scarlet and John *?

Bard. Why, Sir, for my part, I fay the gentleman had drunk himself out of his five fentences. Eva. It is his five fenfes: fy, what the ignorance is!

Bard. And being fap, Sir, was, as they fay, cafhier'd; and fo conclufions paft the car-eirest.

Slen. Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter; I'll ne'er be drunk whilft I live again, but in honeft, civil, godly company, for this trick: if I be drunk, I'll be drunk with those that have the fear of God, and not with drunken knaves.

Eva. So Got udg me, that is a virtuous mind. Fal. You hear all these matters deny'd, gentlemen; you hear it.

Enter Mistress Anne Page, with wine.

Page. Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we'll drink within. [Exit Anne Page. Slen. O heav'n! this is Mistress Anne Page.

Enter Mistress Ford, and Miftrefs Page.

Page. How now, Mistress Ford?

Fal. Miftrefs Ford, by my troth you are very well met by your leave, good mistress.

[Kiffing her. Page. Wife, bid thefe gentlemen welcome: come, we have a hot venifon pafty to dinner: come, gentlemen; I hope we fhall drink down all unkindness. [Exeunt Fal. Page, &c.

* The names of two of Robin Hood's companions. Warburton.

+ I believe this strange word is nothing but the French cariere, and the expreffion means, that the common bounds of good behaviour were overpassed. Johnson.

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