Fye on sinful fantasy! Fye on lust and luxury! Kindled with unchaste desire, Fed in heart; whose flames aspire, As thoughts do blow them, higher and higher. Pinch him, fairies, mutually; Pinch him for his villainy; Pinch him, and burn him, and turn him about, Till candles, and star-light, and moon-shine be out. During this song, the fairies pinch Falstaff. Doctor Caius comes one way, and steals away a fairy in green; Slender another way, and takes off a fairy in white; and Fenton comes, and steals away Mrs. Anne Page. A noise of hunting is Falstaff made within. All the fairies run away. pulls off his buck's head, and rises. Enter Page, Ford, Mrs. Page, and Mrs. Ford. They lay hold on him. Page. Nay, do not fly; I think, we have watch'd you now: Will none but Herne the hunter serve your turn? Mrs. Page. I pray you, come; hold up the jest no higher : Now, good sir John, how like you Windsor wives? See you these, husband? do not these fair yokes Become the forest better than the town? Ford. Now, sir, who's a cuckold now?-Master Brook, Falstaff's a knave, a cuckoldly knave; here are his horns, master Brook: And, master Brook, he hath enjoyed nothing of Ford's but his buckbasket, his cudgel, and twenty pounds of money, which must be paid to master Brook; his horses are arrested for it, master Brook. Mrs. Ford. Sir John, we have had ill luck; we could never meet. I will never take you for my love again, but I will always count you my deer. Fal. I do begin to perceive that I am made an ass. extant. Fal. And these are not fairies? I was three or four times in the thought they were not fairies: and yet the guiltiness of my mind, the sudden surprise of my powers, drove the grossness of the foppery into a received belief, in despite of the teeth of all rhyme and reason, that they were fairies. See now, how wit may be made a Jack-a-lent, when 't is upon ill employment. Eva. Sir John Falstaff, serve Got, and leave your desires, and fairies will not pinse you. Ford. Well said, fairy Hugh. Eva. And leave you your jealousies too, I pray you. Ford. I will never mistrust my wife again, till thou art able to woo her in good English. Fal. Have I laid my brain in the sun, and dried it, that it wants matter to prevent so gross o'er VOL. I. reaching as this? Am I ridden with a Welch goat too? Shall I have a coxcomb of frize? 'Tis time I were choked with a piece of toasted cheese. Eva. Seese is not good to give putter; your pelly is all putter. Fal. Seese and putter! have I lived to stand at the taunts of one that makes fritters of English? This is enough to be the decay of lust and latewalking through the realm. Mrs. Page. Why, sir John, do you think, though we would have thrust virtue out of our hearts by the head and shoulders, and have given ourselves without scruple to hell, that ever the devil could have made you our delight? Ford. What, a hodge-pudding? a bag of flax? Page. Old, cold, withered, and of intolerable entrails? Ford. And one that is as slanderous as Satan? Page. And as poor as Job? Ford. And as wicked as his wife? Eva. And given to fornications, and to taverns, and sack, and wine, and metheglins, and to drinkings, and swearings, and starings, pribbles and prabbles? Fal. Well, I am your theme: you have the start of me; I am dejected; I am not able to answer the Welch flannel: ignorance itself is a plummet o'er me; use me as you will. Ford. Marry, sir, we'll bring you to Windsor, to one master Brook, that you have cozened of money, to whom you should have been a pander: over and above that you have suffered, I think, to repay that money will be a biting affliction. Page. Yet be cheerful, knight: thou shalt eat a posset to-night at my house; where I will desire thee to laugh at my wife that now laughs at thee: Tell her master Slender hath married her daughter. Mrs. Page. Doctors doubt that; if Anne Page be my daughter, she is, by this, doctor Caius' wife. [Aside. Enter Slender. Slen. Whoo, ho! ho! father Page! Page. Son! how now? how now, son? have you despatched? Slen. Despatched!—I'll make the best in Glocestershire know on 't; would I were hanged, la, else. Page. Of what, son? Slen. I came yonder at Eton to marry mistress Anne Page, and she's a great lubberly boy. If it had not been i' the church, I would have swinged If I did not him, or he should have swinged me. think it had been Anne Page would I might never stir, and 'tis a post-master's boy. Page. Upon my life then you took the wrong. Slen. What need you tell me that? I think so, when I took a boy for a girl: If I had been married to him, for all he was in woman's apparel, I would not have had him. Page. Why, this is your own folly. Did not I tell you how you should know my daughter by her garments? Slen. I went to her in white, and cry'd mum, and she cry'd budget, as Anne and I had appointed; and yet it was not Anne, but a post-master's boy. Mrs. Page. Good George, be not angry: I knew of your purpose; turned my daughter into green; and, indeed, she is now with the doctor at the deanery, and there married. F Enter Caius. Caius. Vere is mistress Page? By gar, I am cozened; I ha' married un garçon, a boy; un paisan, by gar, a boy; it is not Anne Page: by gar, I am cozened. Mrs. Page. Why, did you take her in green? Caius. Ay, be gar, and 'tis a boy; be gar, I'll raise all Windsor. [Exit Caius. Ford. This is strange: Who hath got the right Anne? [Fenton. Page. My heart misgives me: Here comes master Enter Fenton and Anne Page. How now, master Fenton ? Anne. Pardon, good father! good, my mother, pardon ! Page. Now, mistress? how chance you went not with master Slender? Mrs. Page. Why went you not with master doctor, maid? Fent. You do amaze her: Hear the truth of it. You would have married her most shamefully, Where there was no proportion held in love. The truth is, she and I, long since contracted, Are now so sure that nothing can dissolve us. The offence is holy that she hath committed : And this deceit loses the name of craft, her. Ford. Stand not amaz'd: here is no remedy : In love, the heavens themselves do guide the state; Money buys lands, and wives are sold by fate. Fal. I am glad, though you have ta'en a special stand to strike at me, that your arrow hath glanced. Page. Well, what remedy? Fenton, Heaven give thee joy! What cannot be eschew'd must be embrac'd. Fal. When night-dogs run all sorts of deer are chas'd. Mrs. Page. Well, I will muse no further, master Heaven give you many, many merry days! [Exeunt. ACT I. SCENE I.-An Apartment in the Duke's Palace. Enter Duke, Escalus, Lords, and Attendants. Duke. Escalus,- Escal. My lord. Duke. Of government the properties to unfold, Would seem in me to affect speech and discourse; Since I am put to know, that your own science Exceeds, in that, the lists of all advice My strength can give you: Then, no more remains : But that, to your sufficiency as your worth, is able; And let them work. The nature of our people, Our city's institutions, and the terms For common justice, you are as pregnant in, 83 As art and practice hath enriched any That we remember: There is our coinmission, From which we would not have you warp.-Call I say, bid come before us Angelo.[hither, [Exit an Attendant. What figure of us think you he will bear? For you must know, we have with special soul Elected him our absence to supply; Lent him our terror, dress'd him with our love; And given his deputation all the organs Of our own power: What think you of it? Escal. If any in Vienna be of worth To undergo such ample grace and honour, It is lord Angelo. Enter Angelo. Duke. As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speech In our remove, be thou at full ourself: Live in thy tongue and heart: Old Escalus, Take thy commission. Ang. Now, good my lord, Be stamp'd upon it. Duke. No more evasion: Áng. Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do With any scruple: your scope is as mine own: As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand; But do not like to stage me to their eyes: Ang. The heavens give safety to your purposes! 1 Gent. Heaven grant us its peace, but not the 2 Gent. Amen. king of Hungary's! Lucio. Thou concludest like the sanctimonious pirate, that went to sea with the ten commandments, but scraped one out of the table. 2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal? Lucio. Ay, that he razed. I Gent. Why, 't was a commandment to command the captain and all the rest from their functions; they put forth to steal: There's not a soldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, doth relish the petition well that prays for peace. 2 Gent. I never heard any soldier dislike it. Lucio. I believe thee; for I think thou never wast where grace was said. 2 Gent. No? a dozen times at least. I Gent. What? in metre? Lucio. In any proportion, or in any language. 1 Gent. I think, or in any religion. Lucio. Ay! why not? grace is grace, despite of all controversy: As for example: Thou thyself art a wicked villain, despite of all grace. 1 Gent. Well, there went but a pair of shears between us. Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet: Thou art the list. 1 Gent. And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet; thou art a three-piled piece, I warrant thee: I had as lief be a list of an English kersey, as be piled, as thou art piled, for a French velvet. Do I speak feelingly now? Lucio. I think thou dost ; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy speech: I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin thy health; but whilst I live, forget to drink after thee. [not? 1 Gent. I think I have done myself wrong; have I 2 Gent. Yes, that thou hast; whether thou art tainted, or free. Lucio. Behold, behold, where madam Mitigation comes! I have purchased as many diseases under her roof as come to 2 Gent. To what, I pray? [Lucio. Judge. 2 Gent. To three thousand dollars a-year. 1 Gent. Ay, and more. Lucio. A French crown more. I Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me: but thou art full of error; I am sound. Lucio. Nay, not as one would say, healthy; but so sound as things that are hollow: thy bones are hollow impiety has made a feast of thee. : Enter Bawd. I Gent. How now? Which of your hips has the most profound sciatica? Bawd. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested, and carried to prison, was worth five thousand of 2 Gent. Who's that, I pray thee? [you all. Bawd. Marry, sir, that's Claudio, signior Claudio. 1 Gent. Claudio to prison ! 't is not so. Bawd. Nay, but I know 't is so : I saw him arrested; saw him carried away; and, which is more, within these three days his head's to be chopped off. Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so: Art thou sure of this? Bawd. I am too sure of it: and it is for getting madam Julietta with child. Lucio. Believe me, this may be he promised to meet me two hours since; and he was ever precise in promise-keeping. 2 Gent. Besides, you know, it draws something near to the speech we had to such a purpose. Bawd. But what's his offence? Clo. Groping for trouts in a peculiar river. Bawd. What, is there a maid with child by him? Clo. No; but there's a woman with maid by him: You have not heard of the proclamation, have you? Bawd. What proclamation, man? Clo. All houses in the suburbs of Vienna must be plucked down. Bawd. And what shall become of those in the city? Clo. They shall stand for seed: they had gone down too, but that a wise burgher put in for them. Bawd. But shall all our houses of resort in the suburbs be pulled down? Clo. To the ground, mistress. Bawd. Why, here's a change, indeed, in the commonwealth! What shall become of me? Clo. Come; fear not you : good counsellors lack no clients though you change your place, you need not change your trade; I'll be your tapster still. Courage; there will be pity taken on you: you that have worn your eyes almost out in the service, you will be considered. Bawd. What's to do here, Thomas Tapster? Let's withdraw. Clo. Here comes signior Claudio, led by the provost to prison and there's madam Juliet. [Exeunt. : SCENE III.-The same. Enter Provost, Claudio, Juliet, and Officers; Lucio and two Gentlemen. Claud. Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to the Bear me to prison, where I am committed. [world? Pro. I do it not in evil disposition, But from lord Angelo by special charge. Claud. Thus can the demi-god, Authority, Make us pay down for our offence by weight.-The words of heaven ;-on whom it will, it will; On whom it will not, so; yet still 't is just. Lucio. Why, how now Claudio? whence comes this restraint? Claud. From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty: As surfeit is the father of much fast, So every scope, by the immoderate use, Turns to restraint: Our natures do pursue (Like rats that ravin down their proper bane) A thirsty evil, and when we drink, we die. Lucio. If I could speak so wisely under an arrest, I would send for certain of my creditors: And yet, to say the truth, I had as lief have the foppery of freedom as the morality of imprisonment.-What's thy offence, Claudio? Claud. What but to speak of would offend again. Pro. Away, sir; you must go. Claud. One word, good friend :- Lucio, a word with you. Lucio. A hundred, if they'll do you any good.Is lechery so look'd after? I Claud. Thus stands it with me:-Upon a true got possession of Julietta's bed; [contract, You know the lady; she is fast my wife, The stealth of our most mutual entertainment, Lucio. With child, perhaps? Claud. Unhappily, even so. And the new deputy now for the duke,- A horse whereon the governor doth ride, [wall I stagger in :-But this new governor Lucio. I warrant, it is: and thy head stands so tickle on thy shoulders, that a milkmaid, if she be in love, may sigh it off. Send after the duke, and appeal to him. Claud. I have done so, but he's not to be found. I prithee, Lucio, do me this kind service; This day my sister should the cloister enter, And there receive her approbation : Acquaint her with the danger of my state; Implore her in my voice, that she make friends To the strict deputy; bid herself assay him; I have great hope in that: for in her youth There is a prone and speechless dialect, Such as moves men; beside, she hath prosperous art When she will play with reason and discourse, And well she can persuade. Lucio. I pray, she may: as well for the encouragement of the like, which else would stand under grievous imposition; as for the enjoying of thy life, who I would be sorry should be thus foolishly lost at a game of tick-tack. I'll to her. Claud. I thank you, good friend Lucio. Lucio. Within two hours. Claud. Come, officer, away. SCENE IV.-A Monastery. Enter Duke and Friar Thomas. [Exeunt. Duke. No, holy father; throw away that thought; Believe not that the dribbling dart of love Can pierce a complete bosom: why I desire thee To give me secret harbour, hath a purpose More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends Of burning youth, Fri. And held in idle price to haunt assemblies, I have deliver'd to lord Angelo [Takes him aside. (A man of stricture and firm abstinence) |