Re-enter Rugby.

Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master.

Quic. We fhall all be ' fhent: Run in here, good young man; go into this closet. [Shuts Simple in the clofet.] He will not ftay long.-What, John Rugby! John, what, John, I fay!-Go, John, go enquire for my master; I doubt, he be not well, that he comes not home:-and down, down, a down-a, &c. [Sings.

Enter Doctor Caius.

Caius. Vat is you fing? I do not like defe 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. Quic. Ay forfooth, 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.

[Afide. Caius. Fe, fe, fe, fe! ma foi, il fait fort chaud. Je m'en vai à la Cour,―la grande affaire.

Quic. Is it this, Sir.

Caius. Ouy; mettez le au mon pocket; Depéchez, quickly: -Vere is dat knave Rugby?

Quic. 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'oublie ? dere is fome fimples in my closet, dat I vill not for the varld I fhall leave behind.

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

Pfhent :]-fcolded, chid; ruined, undone.

Caius. O diable, diable! vat is in my closet ?-Villaïne, Larron! Rugby, my rapier. [Pulls Simple out of the clofet: Quic. Good master, be content.

Caius. Verefore fhall I be content-a?

Quic. The young man is an honest man.

Caius. Vat fhall de honeft man do in my closet? dere is no honest man dat fhall come in my closet.

Quic. I beseech you, be not fo flegmatic; hear the truth of it. He came of an errand to me from parfon Hugh. Caius. Vell.

Sim. Ay, forfooth, to defire her to→→→→→

Quic. Peace, I pray you.

Caius. Peace-a your tongue :-Speak-a your tale.

Sim. To defire this honeft gentlewoman, your maid, to speak a good word to mistress Anne Page for my master in the way of marriage.

Quic. 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 fome paper: Tarry you a little while.

Quic. I am glad he is fo quiet: if he had been thoroughly moved, you should have heard him fo loud, and fo melancholy;-But notwithstanding, man, I'll do for your master what good I can : and the very yea and the no is, the French Doctor, my mafter,-I may call him my master, look you, for I keep his houfe; and I wash, wring, brew, bake, fcour, drefs meat and drink, make the beds, and do all myself.

Sim. 'Tis a great charge, to come under one body's hand. Quic. Are you avis'd o' that? you fhall 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 mafter himself is in love 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 fhallenge: I vill cut his throat 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 hereby gar, I will cut all his two ftones; by gar, he shall not have a ftone to trow at his dog.

Quic. Alas, he fpeaks but for his friend. Caius. It is no matter-a for dat do you not tell-a me dat I shall have Anne Page for myielf?-by gar, I vill kill de jack priest; and I have appointed mine hoft of de Farterre to measure our weapon;by gar, I vill myself have Anne Page.

Quic. Sir, the maid loves you, and all shall be well : we must give folks leave to prate: What, the 'good year! Caius. Rugby, come to the court vit me ;-By gar,

if I have not Anne Page, I fhall turn your head out of door:-Follow my heels, Rugby. [Ex. Caius and Rugby.

Quic. You fhall have An fools-head of your own. No, I know Anne's mind for that: never a woman in Windfor 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?

Quic. Who's there, I trow? come near the house, I pray you.

Enter Mr. Fenton.

Fent. How now, good woman; how doft thou?
Quic. The better that it pleases your good worship to

afk.

Fent. What news? how does pretty mistress Anne?

Quic. In truth, Sir, and she is pretty, and honeft, and gentle; and one that is your friend, I can tell you that by I praise heaven for it.

the way,

good-ier!-goujere !

An fools-bead-one, Scottish ane; quibble Anne.

Fent.

Fent. Shall I do any good, thinkeft thou? fhall I not lofe my fuit?

Quic. Troth, fir, all is in his hands above: but notwithstanding, mafter Fenton, I'll be fworn on a book, fhe loves you:-Have not your worship a wart about your eye? Fent. Yes, marry, have I; what of that?

Quic. Well, thereby hangs a tale; good faith, it is fuch another Nan;-but I deteft, an honest maid as ever broke bread :-We had an hour's talk of that wart ;I shall never laugh but in that maid's company!-But, indeed, she is given too much to allicholly and mufing: But for you-Well-go to.

Fent. Well, I fhall fee 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

Quic. Will I? ay, faith, that we will: and I will tell your worship more of the wart, the next time we have "confidence; and of other wooers.

Fent. Well, farewell; I am in great hafte now. [Exit. Quic. Farewell to your worship.-Truly, an honeft gentleman; but Anne loves him not; I know Anne's mind as well as another does :-Out upon't! what have I forgot? [Exit.

ACT II.

SCENE I.

Before Page's Houfe.

Enter Miftrefs Page with a letter.

Miftrefs Page. What, have I 'fcap'd love-letters in the holy-day-time of my beauty, and am I now a fubject for them? Let me fee:

deteft,]-proteft.

" confidence ;]-conference.

allicholly]-melancholly.

Afk

W

Afk me no reason why I love you; for though love ufe reafon for bis precifian, he admits him not for his counsellor: You are not young, no more am I; go to then, there's fympathy: you are merry, fo am I; Ha! ha! then there's more fympathy: you love fack, and fo do I; Would you defire better fympathy? let it fuffice thee, miftrefs Page, (at the leaft, if the love of a foldier can fuffice) that I love thee. I will not fay, pity me, 'tis not a foldier-like phrafe; but I fay, 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!-one that is well nigh worn to pieces with age, to fhew himself a young gallant! *What one unweigh'd behaviour has this Flemish drunkard pick'd (with the devil's name) out of my conversation, that he dares in this manner affay me? Why, he hath not been thrice in my company! What should I say to him?—I was then frugal of my mirth:-heaven forgive me!-Why, I'll exhibit a bill in the parliament for the 'putting down of men. How fhall I be reveng'd on him? for reveng'd I will be, as fure as his guts are made of puddings.

Enter Mistress Ford.

Mrs. Ford. Miftrefs Page! truft me, I was going to your house.

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

W

though love ufe reafon for his precifian, he admits him not for his counfellor:]-though a lover may call in the aid of reafon upon certain emergencies, yet he confults him not in the choice of his mistress.

* What one unweigh'd behaviour]-What single instance of levityWhat an unweigh'd, &c.

Y putting down of men.]—taking down their infolence, restraining their licentiousness.

Mrs.