more than the villanous inconstancy of man's disposition is able to bear. Quick. And have not they suffered? Yes, I warrant; speciously one of them; mistress Ford, good heart, is beaten black and blue, that you cannot see a white spot about her. Fal. What tell'st thou me of black and blue? I was beaten myself into all the colours of the rainbow, and I was like to be apprehended for the witch of Brentford; but that my admirable dexterity of wit, my counterfeiting the action of an old woman, delivered me, the knave constable had set me i' the stocks, i' the common stocks, for a witch. Quick. Sir, let me speak with you in your chamber: you shall hear how things go; and I warrant, to your content. Here is a letter will say somewhat. Good hearts, what ado here is to bring you together! Sure one of you does not serve heaven well, that you are so crossed. Fal. Come up into my chamber. [Exeunt. SCENE VI-Another Room in the Garter Inn. Enter FENTON and HOST. Host. Master Fenton, talk not to me; my mind is heavy, will give over all. Fent. Yet hear me speak: Assist me in my purpose, And, as I am a gentleman, I'll give thee A hundred pound in gold, more than your loss. ,1 Host. I will hear you, master Fenton; and I will, at the least, keep your counsel. Fent. From time to time I have acquainted you With the dear love I bear to fair Anne Page; Without the show of both: wherein fat Falstaff I'll show you here at large. Hark, good mine host: Hath a great scene: the image of the jest. [Showing the letter To-night at Herne's oak, just 'twixt twelve and one, Must my sweet Nan present the fairy queen; Her mother, even strong against that match, In the letter. Straight marry her: to this her mother's plot Made promise to the doctor;-Now, thus it rests: (For they must all be masked and vizarded), Host. Which means she to deceive? father or mother? To give our hearts united ceremony. Host. Well, husband your device; I'll to the vicar: [Exeunt. ACT V. SCENE I-A Room in the Garter Inn. Enter FALSTAFF and MRS. QUICKLY. Fal. Prythee, no more prattling;-go.-I'll hold:† This is the third time; I hope, good luck lies in odd numbers. Away, go; they say there is divinity in odd numbers, either in nativity, chance, or death.-Away. Quick. I'll provide you a chain; and I'll do what I can to get you a pair of horns. Fal. Away, I say; time wears: hold up your head, and mince [Exit MRS. QUICKLY. Enter FORD. How now, master Brook? Master Brook, the matter will be known to-night, or never. Be you in the Park about midnight, at Herne's oak, and you shall see wonders. Ford. Went you not to her yesterday, Sir, as you told me you had appointed? Fal. I went to her, master Brook, as you see, like a poor old man: but I came from her, master Brook, like a poor old woman. That same knave, Ford, her husband, hath the finest mad devil of jealousy in him, master Brook, that ever governed frenzy. I will tell *Fantastically. + Keep to the time. you. He beat me grievously, in the shape of a woman; for in the shape of man, master Brook, I fear not Goliah with a weaver's beam; because I know also, life is a shuttle. I am in haste; go along with me; I'll tell you all, master Brook. Since I plucked geese, played truant, and whipped top, I knew not what it was to be beaten, till lately. Follow me; I'll tell you strange things of this knave Ford: on whom to-night I will be revenged, and I will deliver his wife into your hand.-Follow: Strange things in hand, master Brook! follow. [Exeunt. SCENE II-Windsor Park. Enter PAGE, SHALLOW, and SLENDER. Page. Come, come; we'll couch i' the castle ditch, till we see the light of our fairies.-Remember, son Slender, my daughter. Slen. Ay, forsooth; I have spoke with her, and we have a nayword,* how to know one another. I come to her in white, and cry, mum; she 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 struck ten o'clock. Heaven Page. The night is dark; light and spirits will become it well. prosper our sport! No man means evil but the devil, and we shall know him by his horns. Let's away; follow me. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-The Street in Windsor. Mrs. Page. Master doctor, my daughter is in green: when you see your time, take her by the hand, away with her to the deanery, and despatch it quickly: go before into the park; we two must go together. Caius. I know vat I have to do; Adieu. Mrs. Page. Fare you well, Sir. [Exit CAIUS.] My husband will not rejoice so 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 Welsh devil, Hugh? with obscured lights; which, at the very instant of Falstaff's and Mrs. Page. They are all couched in a pit hard by Herne's oak, our meeting, they will at once display to the night. Mrs. Ford. That cannot choose but amaze him. Mrs. Page. If he be not amazed, he will be mocked; if he be amazed, he will every way be mocked. Mrs. Ford. We'll betray him finely. Mrs. Page. Against such lewdsters, and their lechery, Those that betray them do no treachery. Mrs. Ford. The hour draws on; To the oak, to the oak! [Exeunt, VOL. I. *Watch-word. E SCENE IV-Windsor Park. Enter SIR HUGH 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. SCENE V-Another part of the Park. [Exeunt. Enter FALSTAFF disguised, with a buck's head on. Fal. The Windsor bell hath struck twelve; the minute draws on: Now, the hot-blooded_gods assist me:-Remember, Jove, thou wast a bull for thy Europa; love set on thy horns.-0 powerful love! that, in some respects, makes a beast a man; in some other, a man a beast.-You were also, Jupiter, a swan, for the love of Leda; O, omnipotent love! how near the god drew to the complexion of a goose ?-A fault done first in the form of a beast;- Jove, a beastly fault! and then another fault in the semblance of a fowl; think on't, Jove; a foul fault.-When gods have hot backs, what shall poor men do? For me, I am here a Windsor stag; and the fattest, I think, i' the forest: send me a cool rut-time, Jove, or who can blame me to piss my tallow? Who comes here? my doe? Enter MRS. FORD and MRS. PAGE. Mrs. Ford. Sir John ? art thou there, my deer? my male deer? Fal. My doe with the black scut ?-Let the sky rain potatoes; let it thunder to the tune of Green Sleeves; hail kissing-comfits, and snow eringoes; let there come a tempest of provocation, I will shelter me here. [Embracing her. Mrs. Ford. Mistress Page is come with me, sweetheart. Fal. Divide me like a bribe-buck, each a haunch; I will keep my sides to myself, my shoulders for the fellow of this walk, and my horns I bequeath your husbands. Am I a woodman? ha! Speak I like Herne the hunter ?-Why, now is Cupid a child of conscience; he makes restitution. As I am a true spirit, welcome! Mrs. Page. Alas! what noise ? Fal. What should this be? Mrs. Ford. Mrs. Page. }Away, away. [Noise within. [They run off. Fal. I think, the devil will not have me damned, lest the oil that is in me should set hell on fire; he would never else cross me thus. Enter SIR HUGH EVANS, like a satyr; MRS. QUICKLY, and PISTOL; ANNE PAGE, as the Fairy Queen, attended by her brother and others, dressed like fairies, with waxen tapers on their heads. Quick. Fairies, black, grey, green, and white, You moon-shine revellers, and shades of night, *Keeper of the forest.. You orphan-heirs of fixed destiny, Attend your office, and your quality.* Crier Hobgobolin, make the fairy o-yes. Pist. Elves, list your names; silence, you airy toys. Where fires thou find'st unraked, and hearths unswept, Our radiant queen hates sluts, and sluttery. Fal. They are fairies; he that speaks to them shall die: I'll wink and couch: No man their works must eye. [Lies down upon his face. Eva. Where's Pede?-Go you, and where you find a maid, That, ere she sleep, has thrice her prayers said, Raise up the organs of her fantasy, Sleep she as sound as careless infancy; But those as sleep, and think not on their sins, Pinch them, arms, legs, back, shoulders, sides, and shins. Search Windsor castle, elves, within and out: In emerald tufts, flowers purple, blue, and white; Away; disperse: but till 'tis one o'clock, Eva. Pray you, lock hand in hand: yourselves in order set; And twenty glow-worms shall our lanterns be, To guide our measure round about the tree. But stay; I smell a man of middle earth. Fal. Heavens defend me from that Welsh fairy! lest he trans form me to a piece of cheese! Pist. Vile worm, thou wast o'erlook'd even in thy birth. If he be chaste, the flame will back descend, Quick. With trial-fire touch me his finger-end: It is the flesh of a corrupted heart. Pist. A trial, come. *Fellowship. : Whortleberry. The letters. |