Fal. 'Twere better for you if it were known in councell: you'll be laugh'd at. Ev. Pauca verba; (Sir John) good worts. Fal. Good worts? good Cabidge; 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 cony-catching Rascalls, Bardolf, Nym, and Pistoll. Bar. You Banbery Cheese. Pist. How now, Mephostophilus? 121 Nym. Slice, I say; pauca,pauca: Slice, that's my humor. Slen. Where's Simple my man? can you tell, Cosen? 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, ) & there is my selfe, (fidelicet my selfe) and the three party is (lastly, and finally) mine Host of the Gater. 132 Ma. Pa. We three to hear it, & end it between them. Evan. Ferry goo't, I will make a priefe of it in my note-booke, and we wil afterwards orke upon the cause, with as great discreetly as we can. Fal. Pistoll. Pist. He heares with eares. Evan. The Tevill and his Tam: what phrase is this? he heares with eare? why, it is affectations. 140 Fal. Pistoll, did you picke M. Slenders purse? Slen. I, by these gloves did hee, or I would I might never come in mine owne great chamber againe else, of seaven groates in mill-sixpences, and two Edward Shovelboords,1 that cost me two shilling and two pence a peece of Yead Miller: by these gloves. 1broad shillings Fal. Is this true, Pistoll? Evan. No, it is false, if it is a picke-purse. Pist. Ha, thou mountaine Forreyner: Sir John, and Master mine, I combat challenge of this Latine Bilboe:1 word of deniall in thy labras2 here; word of denial; froth, and scum thou liest. 1brass sword 2lips 152 Slen. By these gloves, then 'twas he. Nym. Be avis'd sir, and passe good humours. I will say marry trap with you, if you runne the nut-hooks humor 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 drunke, yet I am not altogether an asse. Fal. What say you Scarlet, and John? 160 Bar. Why sir, (for my part) I say the Gentleman had drunke himselfe out of his five sentences. Ev. It is his five sences: fie, what the ignorance is. Bar. And being fap,3 sir, was (as they say) casheerd: and so conclusions past the Car-eires.4 3drunk race-limits Slen. I, you spake in Latten then to: but 'tis no matter; Ile nere be drunk whilst I live againe, but in honest, civill, godly company for this tricke: if I be drunke, Ile be drunke with those that have the feare of God, and not with drunken knaves. 170 Evan. So got-udge me, that is a vertuons minde. Fal. You heare all these matters deni'd, Gentlemen; you heare it. [Enter Anne Page, with wine; Mistress Ford and Mistress Page, following.] Mr.Page. Nay daughter, carry the wine in, wee'll drinke within. [Exit Anne Page.] 150. Latine: latten (laten)-10. 171. vertuons: virtuous-2-4F. Slen. Oh heaven: This is Mistresse Anne Page. Mr. Page. How now Mistris Ford? Fal. Mistris Ford, by my troth you are very wel met: by your leave good Mistris. [Kisses her.] 179 Mr. Page. Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome: come, we have a hot Venison pasty to dinner; Come gentlemen, I hope we shall drinke downe all unkindnesse. [Exeunt all except Shal., Slen., and Evans.] Slen. I had rather then forty shillings I had my booke of Songs and Sonnets heere: [Enter Simple.] How now Simple, where | have you beene? I must wait on my selfe, must I? you have not the booke of Rid dles about you, have you? | Sim. Booke of Riddles? why did you not lend it to Alice Short-cake upon Alhallowmas last, a fortnight afore Michaelmas. 189 Shal. Come Coz, come Coz, we stay for you: a word with you Coz: marry this, Coz: there is as 'twere a tender, a kinde of tender, made a farre-off by Sir Hugh here: doe you understand me? Slen. I Sir, you shall finde me reasonable; if it be so, I shall doe that that is reason. Shal. Nay, but understand me. Slen. So I doe Sir. Evan. Give eare to his motions; (M2. Slender) I will description the matter to you, if you be capacity of it. Slen. Nay, I will doe as my Cozen Shallow saies: I pray you pardon me, he's a Justice of Peace in his Countrie, simple though I stand here. 202 Evan. But that is not the question: the question is concerning your marriage. Shal. I, there's the point Sir. Ev. Marry is it: the very point of it, to Mi. An Page. Slen. Why if it be so; I will marry her upon any reasonable demands. let us command Ev. But can you affection the 'o-man, to know that of your mouth, or of your lips: for divers Philosophers hold, that the lips is parcell of the mouth: therfore precisely, can you carry your good wil to the maid? | 212 Sh. Cosen Abraham Slender, can you love her? Slen. I hope sir, I will do as it shall become one that would doe reason. Ev. Nay,got's Lords, and his Ladies, you must speake possitable, if you can carry-her your desires towards her. Shal. That you must: Will you, (upon good dowry) marry her? Slen. I will doe a greater thing then that, upon your request (Cosen) in any reason. 221 Shal. Nay conceive me, conceive mee, (sweet Coz): what I doe is to pleasure you (Coz:) can you love the maid? Slen. I will marry her (Sir) at your request; but if there bee no great love in the beginning, yet Heaven may decrease it upon better acquaintance, when wee are married, and have more occasion to know one another: I hope upon familiarity will grow more content: but if you say mary-her, I will mary-her, that I am freely dissolved, and dissolutely. 231 Ev. It is a fery discetion-answere; save the fall is in the'ord, dissolutely: the ort is (according to our meaning) resolutely: his meaning is good. Sh. I: I thinke my Cosen meant well. Sl. I, or else I would I might be hang'd (la.) Sh. Here comes faire Mistris Anne; would I were yong for your sake, Mistris Anne. 218-19. prose-POPE. 229. content: contempt-THEOBALD. 233. 'ord: ort-2RowE 232. discetion: discretion-2-4F. [Re-enter Anne Page.] An. The dinner is on the Table, my Father desires your worships company. 240 Sh. I will wait on him, (faire Mistris Anne.) Ev. Od's plessed-wil: I wil not be absence at the grace. | [Exeunt Shallow and Evans.] An. Wil't please your worship to come in, Sir? Sl. No, I thank you forsooth, hartely; I am very well. An. The dinner attends you, Sir. Sl. I am not a-hungry, I thanke you, forsooth: goe, Sirha, for all you are my man, goe wait upon my Cosen Shallow: [Exit Simple.] a Justice of peace sometime: may be beholding to his friend, for a Man; I keepe but three Men, and a | Boy yet, till my Mother be dead: but what though, yet | I live like a poore Gentleman borne. | 251 An. I may not goe in without your worship: they will not sit till you come. S/. I'faith, ile eate nothing: I thanke you as much as though I did. An. I pray you Sir walke in. Sl. I had rather walke here (I thanke you) I bruiz'd my shin th' other day, with playing at Sword and Dagger with a Master of Fence (three veneys1 for a dish of stew'd Prunes) and by my troth, I cannot abide the smell of hot meate since. Why doe your dogs barke so? be there Beares ith' Towne? 1 fencing bouts 262 An. I thinke there are, Sir, I heard them talk'd of. Sl. I love the sport well, but I shall as soone quarrell at it, as any man in England: you are afraid if you see the Beare loose, are you not? An. I indeede Sir. Sl. That's meate and drinke to me now: I have seene |