SCENE, The Street, in Windfor.

Enter Mistress Page, and Robin.

Mrs. Page. N

AY, keep your way, little gallant; you were wont to be a follower, but now you are a leader. Whether had you rather lead mine eyes, or eye your mafter's heels?

Rob. I had rather, forfooth, go before you like a man, than follow him like a dwarf.

Mrs. Page. O, you are a flattering boy; now you'll be a Courtier.

Enter Ford.

Ford. Well met, miftrefs Page; whither go you? Mrs. Page. Truly, Sir, to fee your wife; is the at home?

Ford. Ay; and as idle as the may hang together, for want of company; I think if your husbands were dead, you two would marry.

Mrs. Page. Be fure of that, two other husbands,

Ford. Where had you this pretty weather-cock?

Mrs. Page. I cannot tell what the dickens his name is my husband had him of: what do you call your Knight's name, firrah?

Rob. Sir John Falstaff.

Ford. Sir John Falfiaff?

Mrs. Page. He, he; I can never hit on's name; there is fuch a league between my good man and he. Is your wife at home, indeed?

Ford. Indeed, the is.

her.

Mrs. Page. By your leave, Sir, I am fick, 'till I fee [Exeunt Mrs. Page and Robin. Ford. Has Page any brains? hath he any eyes? hath he any thinking? fure, they fleep; he hath no use of them. Why, this boy will carry a letter twenty mile, as eafy as a cannon will fhoot point-blank twelve-fcore; he pieces out his wife's inclination; he gives her folly motion and advantage; and now the's going to my

wife, and Falstaff's boy with her. A man may hear this fhower fing in the wind: and Falstaff's boy with her! good plots; they are laid, and our revolted wives fhare damnation together. Well, I will take him, then torture my wife; pluck the borrowed vail of modefty from the fo feeming miftrefs Page, divulge Page himself for a secure and wilful Acteon, and to these violent proceedings all my neighbours fhall cry aim. The clock gives me my cue, and my affurance bids me fearch; there I fhall find Falstaff: I fhall be rather praised for this, than mocked; for it is as pofitive as the earth is firm, that Falftaff is there: I will go. To bim, Enter Page, Shallow, Slender, Hoft, Evans, and Caius.

Shal. Page, &c. Well met, Mr. Ford.

Ford. Trust me, a good knot: I have good cheer at home, and, I pray you, all go with me.

Shal. I muft excufe my felf, Mr. Ford.

Slen. And fo' muft I, Sir; we have appointed to dine with Mrs. Anne, and I would not break with her for more mony than I'll speak of.

Shal. We have linger'd about a match between Anne Page and my coufin Slender, and this day we shall have our answer.

Slen. I hope, I have your good will, father Page.

Page. You have, Mr. Slender; I ftand wholly for you; but my wife, mafter Doctor, is for you altogether. Cai. Ay, by gar, and de maid is love-a-me: my nurfh-a-Quickly tell me fo mufh.

Hoft. What fay you to young Mr. Fenton ? he capers, he dances, he has eyes of youth, he writes verfes, he speaks holy-day, he smells April and May; he will carry't, he will carry't; 'tis in his buttons, he will carry't.

Page. Not by my confent, I promise you: the Gentleman is of no Having, he kept company with the wild Prince and Poinz: he is of too high a region, he knows too much; no, he fhall not knit a knot in his fortunes with the finger of my substance. If he take her,

let

let him take her fimply; the wealth I have waits on my confent, and my confent goes not that way.

Ford. I beseech you, heartily, fome of you go home with me to dinner; befides your cheer you fhall have fport; I will fhew you a monster. Mr. Doctor, you fhall go; fo fhall you, Mr. Page; and you, Sir Hugh. Shal. Well, fare you well: we shall have the freer wooing at Mr. Page's.

Caius. Go home, John Rugby, I come anon.

Hoft. Farewel, my hearts; I will to my honeft Knight Falstaff, and drink canary with him.

Ford. I think, I fhall drink in Pipe-wine first with him: I'll make him dance. Will you go, gentles? All. Have with you, to fee this monster.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to Ford's House.

Enter Mrs. Ford, Mrs. Page, and Servants with a basket. Mrs. Ford. Mr.Page. Quickly, quickly: is the HAT, John, what, Robert!

buck-basket

Mrs. Ford. I warrant. What, Robin, I say.
Mrs. Page. Come, come, come.

Mrs. Ford. Here, fet it down.

Mrs. Page. Give your men the charge, we must be brief.

Mrs. Ford. Marry, as I told you before, John and Robert, be ready here hard-by in the brew-house, and when I fuddenly call you, come forth, and without any pause or staggering take this basket on your shoulders; that done, trudge with it in all hafte, and carry it among the whitfters in Datchet-Mead, and there empty it in the muddy ditch close by the Thames-fide.

Mrs. Page. You will do it?

Mrs. Ford. I ha' told them over and over; they Jack no direction. Be gone, and come when you are call'd

Mrs. Page. Here comes little Robin.

Enter

Enter Robin.

Mrs. Ford. How now, my Eyas-musket, what news with you?

Rob My mafter Sir John is come in at your backdoor, mistress Ford, and requests your company.

Mrs. Page. You little Jack-a-lent, have you been true

to us?

Rob. Ay, I'll be fworn; my mafter knows not of your being here, and hath threaten'd to put me into everlasting liberty, if I tell you of it; for he fwears, he'll turn me away.

Mrs Page. Thou❜rt a good boy; this fecrecy of thine fhall be a tailor to thee, and fhall make thee a new doublet and hofe. I'll go hide me.

Mrs. Ford. Do fo; go tell thy mafter, I am alone; mistress Page, remember you your cue. [Exit Robin. Mrs. Page. I warrant thee; if I do not act it, hiss [Exit Mrs. Page. Mrs. Ford. Go to then; we'll ufe this unwholfome humidity, this grofs watry pumpion

me.

him to know turtles from jays.

Enter Falstaff.

we'll teach

Fal. Have I caught thee, my heav'nly jewel? why, now let me die; for I have liv'd long enough: this is the period of my ambition: O this blessed hour!. Mrs. Ford. O fweet Sir John!

Fal. Mrs. Ford, I cannot cog; I cannot prate, miftrefs Ford: now fhall I fin in my with. 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 fhould be a pitiful lady.

Fal. Let the Court of France fhew me fuch another; I see how thine eye would emulate the diamond: thou haft the right arched bent of the brow, that becomes the fhip-tire, the tire-valiant, or any Venetian attire.

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

Fal.

Fal. Thou art a tyrant to fay fo; thou would'st make an absolute Courtier; and the firm fixure of thy foot would give an excellent motion to thy gate, in a femi-circled farthingale. I see what thou wert; if fortune thy foe were not, nature is thy friend: come,

thou canft not hide it.

Mrs. Ford. Believe me, there's no fuch thing in me.

Fal. What made me love thee? let that persuade thee. There's fomething extraordinary in thee. Come, I cannot cog, and fay, thou art this and that, like amany of these lifping haw-thorn buds, that come like women in men's apparel, and fmell like Bucklers-Berry in fimpling time; I cannot: but I love thee, none but thee; and thou deferveft it.

Mrs. Ford. Do not betray me, Sir; I fear, you love mistress Page.

Fal. Thou might'ft as well fay, I love to walk by the Counter-gate, which is as hateful to me as the reek of a lime-kiln.

Mrs. Ford. Well, heav'n knows how I love you, and you fhall one day find it.

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

Mrs. Ford. Nay, I must tell you, fo you do; or else

I could not be in that mind.

Rob. [within.] Mistress Ford, miftrefs Ford, here's miftrefs Page at the door, fweating, and blowing, and looking wildly, and would needs fpeak with you prefently. Fal. She fhall not fee me; I will enfconce me behind the arras.

Mrs. Ford. Pray you, do so; she's a very tattling wo[Falftaff hides himself.

man.

Enter Miftrefs Page.

What's the matter? how now?

Mrs. Page. O miftrefs Ford, what have you done? you're fham'd, y'are overthrown, you are undone for

ever.

Mrs. Ford. What's the matter, good miftrefs Page? Mrs. Page. O well-a-day, miftrefs Ford, having an honest man to your husband, to give him fuch caule of fufpicion.

Mrs.