If * opportunity and humblest suit Cannot attain it, why then,-Hark you hither. [Fenton and Mistress Anne go apart. Enter Shallow, Slender, and Mrs. Quickly. Shal. Break their talk, mistress Quickly; my kinfman shall speak for himself. Slen. I'll make a fhaft or a bolt on't: 'flid, 'tis but venturing. Shal. Be not difmay'd. Slen. No, fhe fhall not dismay me: I care not for that,— but that I am afeard. Quic. Hark ye; mafter Slender would fpeak a word with you. Anne. I come to him.-This is my father's choice. O, what a world of vile ill-favour'd faults Look handsome in three hundred pounds a year! [Afide. Quic. And how does good mafter Fenton? Pray you, a word with you. Shal. She's coming; to her, coz. O boy, thou hadft a father! Slen. I had a father, mistress Anne;-my uncle can tell you good jefts of him:-Pray you, uncle, tell mistress Anne the jeft, how my father stole two geefe out of a pen, good uncle. Shal. Mistress Anne, my cousin loves you. Slen. Ay, that I do; as well as I love any woman in Glocefterfhire. Shal. He will maintain you like a gentlewoman. Slen. Ay, that I will, come cut and long-tail, under the degree of a 'fquire. * opportunity]-fome fortunate accident-occurrence. I'll make a fhaft or a bolt on't :]-a hog or a dog-bring it to fome conclufion. 2 come cut and long-tail,]-who will, high or low. Shal. Shal. He will make you a hundred and fifty pounds jointure. Anne. Good master Shallow, let him woo for himself. Shal. Marry, I thank you for it; I thank you for that -good comfort. She calls you, coz: I'll leave you. Anne. Now, mafter Slender. Slen. Now, good mistress Anne. Anne. What is your will? Slen. My will? od's heartlings, that's a pretty jeft, indeed! I ne'er made my will yet, I thank heaven; I am not fuch a fickly creature, I give heaven praise. Anne. I mean, master Slender, what would you with me? Slen. Truly, for mine own part, I would little or nothing with you: Your father, and my uncle, have made motions: if it be my luck, fo; if not, happy man be his dole! They can tell you how things go, better than I can: father; here he comes. You may afk your Enter Page, and Miftrefs Page. Page. Now, mafter Slender : Anne. Love him, daughter Why how now! what does mafter Fenton here? I told you, fir, my daughter is difpos'd of. Fent. Nay, mafter Page, be not impatient. Mrs. Page. Good master Fenton, come not to my child. Page. She is no match for you. Fent. Sir, will you hear me? Page. No, good master Fenton. Come, mafter Shallow;-come, fon Slender; in:- a [Exeunt Page, Shallow, and Slender., happy man be his dole!]-his portion that wins you; good luck to my more fortunate rival. VOL. I. Quic Quic. Speak to mistress Page. Fent. Good mistress Page, for that I love your daughter In fuch a righteous fashion as I do, Perforce, against all checks, rebukes, and manners, And not retire: Let me have your good will. Anne. Good mother, do not marry me to yon' fool. Anne. Alas, I had rather be fet quick i' the earth, Mrs. Page. Come, trouble not yourfelf: Good master I will not be your friend nor enemy: My daughter will I question how she loves you, And as I find her, so am I affected ; 'Till then, farewell, fir :-She must needs go in Her father will be angry. [Exeunt Mrs. Page and Anne. Fent. Farewell, gentle mistress; farewell, Nan. b Quic. This is my doing now;-Nay, faid I, will you caft away your child on a fool, and a phyfician? Look on mafter Fenton:-this is my doing. C Fent. I thank thee; and I pray thee, once to-night give my sweet Nan this ring: There's for thy pains. [Exit. Quic. Now heaven fend thee good fortune! A kind heart he hath: a woman would run through fire and water for fuch a kind heart. But yet, I would my master had mistress Anne; or I would master Slender had her; or, in footh, I would mafter Fenton had her: I will do what I can for them all three; for fo I have promis'd, and I'll be as good as my word; but fpeciously for master Fenton. b or-on Slender or Caius. cfome time. d Speciously-fpecially. Well, Well, I muft of another errand to Sir John Falstaff from my two mistresses; What a beast am I to flack it! [Exit. SCENE V. The Garter inn. Enter Falstaff and Bardolph. Fal. Bardolph, I fay. Bard. Here, fir. e Fal. Go fetch me a quart of fack; put a toaft in't. [Ex. Bard.] Have I liv'd to be carried in a basket, like a barrow of butcher's offal; and to be thrown into the Thames? Well; if I be ferv'd fuch another trick, I'll have my brains. ta'en out, and butter'd, and give them to a dog for a new year's gift. The rogues flighted me into the river with as little remorse as they would have drown'd a bitch's blind puppies, fifteen i' the litter: and you may know by my fize, that I have a kind of alacrity in finking; if the bottom were as deep as hell, I fhould down. I had been drown'd, but that the shore was shelvy and fhallow; a death that I abhor; for the water fwells a man; and what a thing should I have been, when I had been fwell'd! I fhould have been a mountain of mummy. Re-enter Bardolph, with the wine. Bard. Here's Mistress Quickly, Sir, to speak with you. Fal. Come, let me pour in fome fack to the Thames water; for my belly's as cold, as if I had fwallow'd fnow. balls for pills to cool the reins. Call her in. Bard. Come in, woman. с flighted]-toffed. Enter Enter Mrs. Quickly. Quic. By your leave; -I cry you mercy:-Give your worship good morrow. Fal. Take away thefe chalices: Go brew me a pottle of fack finely. Bard. With eggs, fir? Fal. Simple of itself; I'll no pullet-sperm in my brewage. [Exit Bardolph.] How now? Quic. Marry, fir, I come to your worship from mistress Ford. Fal, Mistress Ford! I have had ford enough: I was thrown into the ford; I have my belly full of ford. Quic. Alas the day! good heart, that was not her fault: she does so take on with her men; they mistook their erection. Fal. So did I mine, to build upon a foolish woman's promise. Quic. Well, the laments, fir, for it, that it would yern your heart to fee it. Her husband goes this morning a birding; fhe defires you once more to come to her between eight and nine: I muft carry her word quickly: fhe'll make you amends, I warrant you. Fal. Well, I will vifit her: Tell her fo; and bid her think, what a man is: let her confider his frailty, and then judge of my merit. Quic. I will tell her. Fal. Do fo. Between nine and ten, fay'ft thou? Quic. Eight and nine, fir. Fal. Well, be gone: I will not miss her. Quic. Peace be with you, fir! [Exit. Fal. I marvel, I hear not of mafter Brook; he sent me word to stay within: I like his money well. Oh, here he comes. Enter |