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Fal. Mistress Ford, I cannot cog, I cannot prate, Mistress Ford. Now shall I sin in my wish: I would thy husband were dead; I'll speak it before the best lord, I would make thee my lady.

Mrs. Ford. I your lady, Sir John! alas, I should be a pitiful lady.

Fal. Let the court of France show me such another; I see how thine eye would emulate the diamond:-Thou hast the right arch'd bent of the brow that becomes the ship-tire, the tire-valiant, or any tire of Venetian admittance.

Mrs. Ford. A plain kerchief, Sir John :-my brows become nothing else; nor that well neither.

Fal. Thou art a traitor to say so: I see what thou wert, if fortune thy foe were not: nature is thy friend: come, thou canst not hide it.

Mrs. Ford. Believe me, there's no such thing in me. Fal. What made me love thee? Let that persuade thee, there's something extraordinary in thee. Come, I cannot cog, and say, thou art this and that, like a many of these lisping hawthorn-buds, that come like women in men's apparel, and smell like Bucklersbury in simpletime; I cannot; but I love thee; none but thee; and thou deservest it.

Mrs. Ford. Do not betray me, sir; I fear, you love Mistress Page.

Fal. Thou might'st as well say, I love to walk by the counter-gate; which is as hateful to me as the reek of a lime-kiln.

Mrs. Ford. Well, heaven knows how I love you; and you shall one day find it.

Fal. Keep in that mind; I'll deserve it.

Mrs. Ford. Nay, I must tell you, so you do: or else I could not be in that mind.

Enter ROBIN, L.

Rob. Mistress Ford, Mistress Ford! here's Mistress Page at the door, looking wildly, and would needs speak with you presently. [Exit, L.

Fal. She shall not see me; I will ensconce me behind the arras.

Mrs. Ford. 'Pray you, do so; she's a very tattling

woman.

[Exit FALSTAff, R.

Enter ROBIN and MRS. PAGE, L.

What's the matter? How now ?

Mrs. Page. O, Mistress Ford, what have you done? You're sham'd, you are overthrown, you are undone for

ever.

Mrs. Ford. What's the matter, good Mistress Page?Mrs. Page. O, well-a-day, Mistress Ford! having an honest man to your husband, to give him such cause of suspicion !

Mrs. Ford. What cause of suspicion?

Mrs. Page. What cause of suspicion?-Out upon you!-how am I mistook in you?

Mrs. Ford. Why, alas! what's the matter?

Mrs. Page. Your husband's coming hither, woman, with all the officers in Windsor, to search for a gentleman, that, he says, is here now in the house, by your consent, to take an ill advantage of his absence. You are undone.

Mrs. Ford. Speak louder. [Aside.]-'Tis not so, I hope.

Mrs. Page. 'Pray heaven it be not so, that you have such a man here; but, 'tis most certain, your husband's coming, with half Windsor at his heels, to search for such a one. I come before to tell you: if you know yourself clear, why, I am glad of it: but, if you have a friend here, convey, convey him out. Be not amaz'd; call all your senses to you; defend your reputation, or bid farewell to your good life for ever.

Mrs. Ford. What shall I do ?-There is a gentleman, my dear friend; and I fear not mine own shame, so much as his peril: I had rather than a thousand pound, he were out of the house.

Mrs. Page. For shame, never stand "you had rather," and you had rather;" your husband's here at hand, bethink you of some conveyance; in the house you cannot hide him.-O, how have you deceiv'd me !-Look, here is a basket; if he be of any reasonable stature, he may creep in here; and throw the linen upon him, as if it were going to bucking: or (it is whiting-time), send him by your men to Datchet-mead.

Mrs. Ford. He's too big to go in there :-What shall I do?

Enter FALSTAFF, running on, R.

Fal. Let me see't, let me see't! O, let me see't! I'll in, I'll in;-follow your friend's counsel;-I'll in.

Mrs. Page. What! Sir John Falstaff! Are these your letters, knight?

Fal. I love thee, and none but thee; help me away : let me creep in here; I'll never

[He goes into the Basket, they cover him with the Linen.

Mrs. Page. Help to cover your master, boy :-Call your men, Mistress Ford.-[Exit ROBIN, R.]-You dissembling knight!

Mrs. Ford. What, John, Robert, John!

Enter JOHN, ROBERT, and two others, R.

Go, take up these clothes here, quickly: where's the cowl-staff?-Look, how you drumble: carry them to the laundress in Datchet-mead; quickly-come.

Enter FORD, PAGE, CAIUS, and EVANS, L.

Ford. 'Pray you, come near: if I suspect without cause, why then make sport at me, then let me be your jest; I deserve it. [While FORD is speaking, the men raise the Basket, and are going off L. s. E.] How now? whither bear you this?

Mrs. Ford. Why, what have you to do whither they bear it? you were best meddle with buck-washing.

Ford. Buck!-I would I could wash myself of the buck! Buck, buck, buck! Ay, buck; I warrant you, buck; and of the season too, it shall appear. [Exeunt men, with the Basket, L. S. E.] Gentlemen, I have dream'd to-night; I'll tell you my dream.-Here, here, here be my keys; ascend my chambers, search, seek, find out: I'll warrant, we'll unkennel the fox :-Let me stop this way first;-so, now uncape.

Page. Good Master Ford, be contented: you wrong yourself too much.

Ford. True, Master Page.-Up, gentlemen; you shall see sport anon: follow me, gentlemen. [Exit, R. Page. Nay, follow him, gentlemen; see the issue of his search.

[Exit, R.

Eva. This is fery fantastical humours, and jealousies.

[Exit, R.

Caius. By gar, 'tis no de fashion of France: it is not jealous in France.

[Exit, R.

Mrs. Page. Is there not a double excellency in this? Mrs. Ford. I know not which pleases me better, that my husband is deceiv'd, or Sir John.

Mrs. Page. What a taking was he in, when your husband asked who was in the basket!

Mrs. Ford. I think, my husband hath some special

suspicion of Falstaff's being here; for I never saw him so gross in his jealousy till now.

Mrs. Page. I will lay a plot to try that. And we will yet have more tricks with Falstaff.

Mrs. Ford. Shall we send Mistress Quickly to him, and excuse his throwing into the water; and give him another hope, to betray him to another punishment?

Mrs. Page. We'll do it; let him be sent for to-morrow eight o'clock, to have amends.

Re-enter FORD and PAGE, R.

Ford. I cannot find him: may be, the knave bragg'd of that he could not compass.

Mrs. Page. Heard you that?

Mrs. Ford. Ay, ay; peace!-You use me well, Master Ford, do you?

Ford. Ay, I do so.

Mrs. Ford. Heaven make you better than your thoughts!

Ford. Amen.

[Exit, R. S. E.

Mrs. Page. You do yourself mighty wrong, Master Ford.

Ford. Ay, ay; I must bear it.

Enter EVANS and CAIUS, R.

[Exit, L. S. E.

Eva. If there be any pody in the house, and in the chambers, and in the coffers, and in the presses, heaven forgive me my sins!

Caius. By gar, nor I too; dere is no bodies.

Page. Fie, fie, Master Ford! are you not asham'd? What spirit, what devil suggests this imagination? Ford. "Tis my fault, Master Page; I suffer for it. Eva. You suffer for a pad conscience: your wife is as honest a 'omans, as I will desires among five thousand, and five hundred too.

Caius. By gar, I see, 'tis an honest woman.

Ford. Well; I promis'd you a dinner.-Come, come, walk in the park.

Page. Let's go, gentlemen:-but trust me, we'll mock him. I do invite you to-morrow morning to my house to breakfast; after, we'll a birding together; I have a fine hawk for the bush: shall it be so?

Ford. Any thing.-'Pray you, go, Master Page. [Exeunt FORD and Page, r. Eva. I pray you now, remembrance to-morrow on the lousy knave, mine host.

Caius. Dat is good; by gar, vit all my heart. Eva. A paltry knave; to have his gibes, and his mockeries. [Exeunt, R.

SCENE IV.-Page's House.

Enter ANNE PAGE, MRS. QUICKLY, SHALLOW, and SLENDER, R.

Shal. (R. c.) Mistress Quickly; my kinsman shall speak for himself.

Slen. (c.) I'll make a shaft, or a bolt on't: 'slid, 'tis but venturing.

Shal. Be not dismay'd.

Slen. No, she shall not dismay me: I care not for that-but that I am afeard.

Quick. Hark ye; Master Slender would speak a word with you.

Anne. I come to him. [Comes down the Stage.] This is my father's choice.

O, what a world of vile ill-favour'd faults

Look handsome in three hundred pounds a-year!

[Aside. Shal. She's coming; to her, coz. O, boy, thou hadst a father! [SLENDER crosses to Centre. Slen. I had a father, Mistress Ann ;-my uncle can tell you good jests of him ;-'pray you, uncle, tell Mistress Anne the jest, how my father stole two geese 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 Gloucestershire.

Shal. He will maintain you like a gentlewoman, Slen. Ay, that I will, come cut and long-tail, under the degree of a 'squire.

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. Come Mrs. Quickly-mum!

[Exeunt SHALLOW and QUICKLY, R.

Anne. (L. c.) Now, Master Slender.

Slen. (c.) Now, good Mistress Anne,
Anne. What is your will?

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