as you will defire; and seven hundred pounds ofmonies, and gold and filver, is her grandfire upon his death's-bed (Got deliver to a joyful refurrections) give when she is able to overtake seventeen years old: it were a good motion, if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and defire a marriage between master Abraham and mistress Anne Page.

Slen. Did her grand-fire leave her seven hundred pound?

Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny. Sien. I know the young gentlewoman; she has good gifts.

Eva. Seven hundred pounds, and possibility, is goot gifts.

Shal. Well; let us fee honest Mr. 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 despise one that is not true. The Knight, Sir John, is there; and I beseech you be ruled by your well-wishers. I will peat the door [Knocks.] for master Page. What hoa? Got bless your house here.

SCENE II.

Enter Mr. Page.

Page. Who's there?

Eva. Here is Got's plessing, and your friend, and justice Shallow; and here's young master Slender that peradventures shall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings.

Page. I am glad to fee your worship's well. I thank you for my venison, master Shallow.

Shal. Master Page, I am glad to see 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.

Shal. Sir, I thank you, by yea and no I do.

Page. I am glad to fee you, good master Slender.
Slen. How do's your fallow greyhound, Sir? I

heard say he was out-run on Cotsale.

Page. It could not be judg'd, Sir.

Slen. You'll not confefs, you'll not confefs.

Shal. That he will not, 'tis your fault, 'tis your

fault; 'tis a good dog

Page. A cur, Sir.

Shal. Sir, he's a good dog, and a fair dog; can there be more faid? he is good and fair. Is Sir John Falstaff here?.

Page. Sir, he is within; and I would I could do a good office between you.

Eva. It is spoke as a christians ought to speak.
Shal. He hath wrong'd me, master Page.
Page. Sir, he doth in some fort confess it.

Shal. If it be confefs'd, it is not redress'd; is not that fo, mafter Page? he hath wrong'd me, indeed he hath, at a word he hath, believe me, Robert Shallow Esquire faith he is wrong'd.

Page. Here comes Sir John.

SCENE III.

Enter Sir John Falstaff, Bardolph, Nym and Pistol.

Fal. Now, master Shallow, you'll complain of me to the King?

Shal. Knight, you have beaten my men, kill'd my

deer, and broke open my lodge.

Fal. But not kifss'd your keeper's daughter,

Shal. Tut a pin; this shall be answer'd.

Fal. I will answer it strait: I have done all this,

That is now answer'd.

Shal. The council shall know this.

Fal. 'Twere better for you a if 'twere not known

in council; you'll be laugh'd at.

Eva. Pauca verba, Sir John, good worts,

Fal. Good worts? good cabbage. Slender, I broke

your head: what matter have you against me ?

Slen. Sle Marry Sir,

I have matter in my head against

you, and against your cony-catching rafcals, Bardolph,

Nym and Pistol.

- Bar. You Banbury cheese.

Slen. Ay, it is no matter.

Pist. How now, Mephostophilus?

Slen. Ay, it is no matter.

Nym. Slice, I fay, pauca, pauca: flice, that's my humour.

Slen. Where's Simple, my man? can you tell, cousin ? Eva. Peace: I pray you: now let us understand; there is three umpires in this matter, as I understand; that is, master Page, fidelicet mafter Page; and there is my self, fidelicet my felf; and the third party is, laftly and finally, mine host of the garter.

Mr. Page. We three to hear it, and end it between #them.

Eva. Ferry goot; I will make a prief of it in my note book, and we will afterwards ork upon the cause with as great difcretions as we can.

Fal. Pistol.

Pift. He hears with ears.

Eva. The tevil and his tam; what phrafe is this, he hears with ear? why it is affectations.

Fal. Pistol, did you pick master Slender's purse ? Slen. Ay by these gloves did he, or I would uld I might never come in mine own great chamber again elfe, of seven groats in mill-fixpences, and two Edward shovelboards, that cost 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 Latin bilboe:

Word of denial in thy Labras here;

Word of denial; froth and scum, thou ly'st.

Slen. By these gloves, then 'twas he.

Nym.

Nym. Be advis'd, Sir, and pass good humours: I will fay marry trap with you, if you run the base humour on me; that is the very note of it.

Slen. By this hat, then he in the red face had it; for tho' I cannot remember what I did when you made me drunk, yet I am not altogether an afs. Fal. What say you, Scarlet and John? Bard. Why Sir, for my part, I say, the gentleman had drunk himself out of his five sentences. Eva. It is his five senses: fie, what the Ignorance is? Bard. And being fap, Sir, was, as they say, casmier'd; and so conclusions past the car-eires.

Slen. Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter; I'll never be drunk whilst I live again, but in honeft, 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 udg me, that is a virtuous mind. Fal. You hear all these matters deny'd, gentlemen, ou hear it.

Enter Mistress Anne Page, with wine.

Pag. Nay daughter carry the wine in; we'll drink within.

Slen, Oh heav'n! this is mistress Anne Page.

Enter Mistress Ford and Mistress Page.

Page. How now mistress Ford. Fal. Mistress Ford, by my troth you are very well met; by your leave, good mistress. [Kiffing her.

Page. Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome: come, we have a hot venison pasty to dinner; come gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness.

bnuthooks.

[Ex. Fal. Page, &c.

SCENE IV.

Manent Shallow, Evans and Slender.

Slen. I had rather than forty shillings I had my book of fongs and fonnets here.

Enter Simple.

How now, Simple, where have you been? I muft wait on my felf, must I? you have not the book of riddles about you, have you ?

Simp. Book of riddles! why, did you not lend it to Alice Shortcake upon Alhollowmas last, a fortnight afore Michaelmas?

Shal. Come coz, come coz; we stay for you: a word with you coz: marry this, coz; there is, as 'twere, a tender, a kind of tender, made afar off by Sir Hugh here: do you understand me?

Slen. Ay Sir, you shall find me reasonable: if it be so, I shall do that is reason.

Shal. Nay, but understand me.

Slen. So I do, Sir.

Eva. Give ear to his motions, Mr. Slender: I will defcription the matter to you, if you be capacity of it.

Slen. Nay, I will do as my cousin Shallow fays: I pray you pardon me: he's a justice of peace in his country, fimple tho' I stand here.

Eva. But that is not the question: the question is concerning your marriage.

Shal. Ay, there's the point, Sir.

Eva. Marry is it; the very point of it, to Mrs. Anne Page.

Slen. Why, if it be so, I will marry her upon any reasonable demands.

Eva. But can you affection the 'oman? let us command to know that of your mouth, or of your lips; for divers philosophers hold, that the lips is par.el of VOL.I.

N

the