Sbal. Ha! o' my life, if I were young again, the sword should end it. Eva. It is petter that friends is the fword that end it: and there is alfo another device in my prain, which, peradventure, prings goot 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 speaks 'fmall like a woman. Eva. It is that very perfon for all the 'orld, as juft as you will defire; and feven hundred pounds of monies, and gold, and filver, is her grandfire, upon his deaths-bed, (Got deliver to a joyful refurrections!) give, when she is able to overtake seventeen years old: it were a goot motion, if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and defire a marriage between master Abraham, and mistress Anne Page. Shal. Did her grandfire leave her feven hundred pounds? Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny. Shal. I know the young gentlewoman; fhe has good gifts. Eva. Seven hundred pounds, and poffibilities, is good gifts. Shal. Well, let us fee honeft mafter Page: Is Falstaff there? Eva. Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar, as I do despise one that is false; or, as I defpife one that is not true. The knight, fir John is there; and, I beseech you, be ruled by your well-willers. I will peat the door [Knocks] for master Page. What, hoa! Got pless your house here! kand. 1fmall like a woman.]-low-he humourously fixes on the general diftinction of the sex, as the peculiar characteristic of his mistress, "You may speak as small as you will.” MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, Act I, S. 2. Quin. Enter Page. Who's there? Enter Page. Eva. Here is Got's pleffing, and your friend, and ju ftice Shallow and here is young master Slender; that, peradventures, fhall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings. Page. I am glad to fee your worships well: I thank you for my venifon, mafter Shallow. Shal. Mafter Page, I am glad to fee you; Much good do it your good heart! I wish'd your venifon better; it was ill kill'd:-How doth good mistress 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 master Slender. Slen. How does your fallow greyhound, fir? I heard fay, he was out-run on °Cotfale. Page. It could not be judg'd, fir. Shal. You'll not confefs, you'll not confefs. Slen. That he will not. Shal. 'Tis your fault, 'tis your fault:-'Tis a good dog. Page. A cur, fir. Shal. Sir, he's a good dog, and a fair dog; Can there be more faid? he is good and fair.-Is fir John Falstaff here? Page. Sir, he is within; and I would I could do a good office between you. Eva. It is fpoke as a chriftians ought to speak. "Will Squele, a Cotswold man." HENRY IV, Pt. II, Act 3, S. 2. Shal. "From Corfwold to Ravenfpurg." RICHARD II, A& II, S. 3. North. Page. Page. Sir, he doth in fome fort confess it. Shal. If it be confefs'd, it is not redress'd; is not that fo, master Page? He hath wrong'd me ;-indeed he hath; -at a word, he hath ;-believe me ;-Robert Shallow, Efquire, faith, he is wronged. Page. Here comes fir John. Enter Sir John Falstaff, Bardolph, Nym, and Pistol. Fal. Now, mafter Shallow; you'll complain of me to the King? Shal. Knight, you have beaten my men, kill'd and broke open my lodge. Fal. But not kifs'd your keeper's daughter? Shal. Tut, a pin! this shall be answer❜d. my deer, 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 known in council: you'll be laugh'd at. Eva. Pauca verba, fir John; good worts. Fal. Goodworts! good cabbage :-Slender, I broke your head; What matter have you against me? Р Slen. Marry, fir, I have matter in my head against you; and against your coney-catching rascals, Bardolph, Nym, and Pistol. 'Twere better for you if 'twere known in council; you'll be laugh'd at.] -ironically-where you'll be laughed at for your pains. worts!]-the old name of cabbage. P coney-catching]-cheating, cozening. Banbury cheese!]-alluding to Slender's fpare figure. Banbury is fa mous for thin cheeses. • Mephoftophilus ?]—the name of a spirit in the romance of Dr. Fauftus; a cant term of abuse. Nym. Nym. Slice, I fay! Eva. Pauca, pauca. Nym. Slice? 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 understand: that is master Page, fidelicet, master Page; and there is myself, fidelicet, myself; and the three party is, lastly and finally, mine hoft of the Garter. Page. We three, to hear it, and end it between them. Eva. Fery goot: I will make a prief of it in my notebook; and we will afterwards 'ork upon the caufe, with as great discreetly as we can. Fal. Piftol, Pift. He hears with ears. Eva. The tevil and his tam! what phrafe is this, He bears with ear? Why, it is affectations. Fal. Pistol, did you pick master Slender's purse? t Slen. Ah, by these gloves, did he, (or I would I might never come in my own great chamber again elfe) of 'feven groats in mill-fixpences, and two Edward fhovel-boards, that coft me two fhilling and two pence a-piece of Yead Miller, by these gloves. Fal. Is this true, Pistol? Eva. No; it is false, if it is a pick-purse. Pift. Ha, thou mountain-foreigner!-Sir John, and master mine, I combat challenge of this latten bilboe: * feven groats in mill-fixpences,]-a humourous mifcalculation quite in character-mill-fixpences-milled, ftampt on the rim. Edward fhovel-boards,]-caftors, or coin with that King's face. "latten bilboe:]-lattin quafi laid tin-a fword made of a thin plate of iron covered with tin-bafe metaled blade, without edge, or fubstance. 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 pass good humours; *I will say marry trap with you, if you run the nuthook's humour on me; that is the very note of it. Slen. By this hat, then he in the red face had it: for though 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, fir, for my part, I fay, the gentleman had drunk himself out of his five fentences. Eva. It is his five fenfes: fie, what the ignorance is! Bard. And being fap, fir, was, as they fay, cashier'd; and fo conclufions pafs'd the careires. Slen. Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter: I'll never be drunk whilft I live again, but in honest, 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 'udge me, that is a virtuous mind. Fal. You hear all these matters deny'd, gentlemen; you hear it. * labra's]—lips;—in the teeth, or throat is a more usual mode of giving the lie. * I will fay marry trap]-cry quittance, retaliate, be a match for you, expofe you for a dupe: • the nut book's humour on me ;]-bafe humour-if you perfift in calling me thief-Nuthook appears to have been formerly a common term of reproach, like rogue at prefent, as well as the nickname of a bailiff or catchpole. "Nutbook, nutbook you lie." Scarlet and John? with your red face. Dol. HENRY IV, Part II. A&t 5, S. 4. * And being fap,] being fuddled, was ftript of his cash, and the laws of decorum were a little made free with-fap-sappy. Enter 1 |