2 Slen. Mistress Anne Page? fhe has brown hair, and speaks fmall like a woman. Eva. It is that ferry perfon for all the orld, as just as you will defire; and feven hundred pounds of monies, 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 feventeen years old: it were a good motion, if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and defire a marriage between mafter Abraham and mistress Anne Page. Slen. Did her grand-fire leave her feven hundred pounds? Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny. Slen. I know the young gentlewoman; fhe has good gifts. Eva. Seven hundred pounds, and poffibilities, is good gifts. Shal. Well; let us fee honeft Mr. Page: is Falstaff there? Eva. Shall I tell you a lie? I do defpife a liar, as I do defpife one that is false; one that is false; or as I defpife 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 mafter Page. What, hoa? Got blefs your house here. SCENE Enter Mr. Page. Page. Who's there? II. Eva. Here is Got's pleffing, and your friend, and Juftice Shallow; and here's young master Slender; that 2 Speaks SMALL like a woman.] This is from the Folio of 1623, and is the true reading. He admires her for the fweetnefs of her voice. But the expreffion is highly humourous, as making her speaking small like a woman one of her marks of diftinction; and the ambiguity of small, which fignifies little as well as low, makes the expreffion ftill more pleafant. per peradventures, fhall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings. you Page. I am glad to see your worships well. I thank for my venison, master Shallow. Shal. Mafter Page, I am glad to fee 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. Shal. Sir, I thank you; by yea, and no, I do. Page. I am glad to fee you, good mafter Slender. Slen. How do's your fallow greyhound, Sir? I heard fay, he was out-run on Cotfale. 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 fpoke, as a chriftians ought to fpeak. Page. Sir, he doth in fome fort confess it. Shal. If it be confefs'd, it is not redrefs'd; is not that fo, mafter Page? he hath wrong'd me; indeed, he hath; at a word, he hath; believe me, Robert Shallow Efquire faith, he is wrong'd. Page. Here comes Sir John. Enter Sir John Falstaff, Bardolph, Nym and Piftol. Fal. Now, mafter Shallow, you'll complain of me to the Council? Shal. Knight, you have beaten my men, kill'd my deer, and broke open my lodge. Fal. But not kifs'd your keeper's daughter. Shal. Tut, a pin; this fhall be answer❜d. Fal. I will answer it ftrait: I have done all this. That is now anfwer'd. Shal. The Council fhall know this. Fal. 'Twere better for you, 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. Marry, Sir, I have matter in my head against you, and against your cony-catching-rafcals Bardolph, Nym, and Piftol. Bar. You Banbury cheese ! Slen. Ay, it is no matter, Nym. Slice, I fay; pauca, pauca: fiice, that's my humour. Slen. Where's Simple, my man? can you tell, coufin? Eva. Peace: I pray you: now let us understand; there is three umpires in this matter, as I understand; that is, mafter Page; fidelicet, mafter Page; and there is my felf; fidelicet, my felf; and the three party is, laftly and finally, mine Hoft of the Garter. Pag. 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 discreetly as we can. Fal. Fal. Piftol. Pift. He hears with ears. Eva. The tevil and his tam! what phrafe is this, he hears with ear? why, it is affectations. Fal. Piftol, did you pick master Slender's purfe? Slen. Ay, by these gloves, did he; (or I would I might never come in mine own great chamber again elfe,) of feven groats in mill-fixpences, and two Edward fhovel-boards, that coft me two fhilling and two pence a-piece of Yead Miller, by these gloves. Fal. Is this true, Piftol? Eva. No; it is falfe, if it is a pick-purse. Pift. Ha, thou mountain-foreigner!— Sir John, I Combat challenge of this 3 latten bilboe: Word of denial; froth and fcum, thou ly'ft. Nym. Be advis'd, Sir, and pafs 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 ass. Fal. What fay you, Scarlet and John? Bard. Why, Sir, for my part, I fay, the gentleman had drunk himself out of his five fentences. Eva. It is his five fenses: fie, what the Ignorance is! Bard. And being fap, Sir, was, as they fay, cafhier'd; and fo conclufions paft the car-eires. 3-latin bilboe:] Vulg. old Quarto, 1619, latten, which is right. Latten is tinned plates beaten out very thin. 4 Scarlet and John?] The names of two of Robin Hood's companions; but the humour confifts in the allufion to Bardolph's red face; concerning which fee the second part of Henry the fourth. Slen. Slen. Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter; I'll never be drunk whilft 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; you hear it. Enter Mrs. Anne Page, with wine. Page. Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we'll drink within. [Exit Anne Page. Slen. Oh heav'n! this is mistress Anne Page. Enter Miftrefs Ford and Miftrefs Page. Page. How now, mistress Ford? Fal. Miftrefs 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 venifon pafty to dinner; come, gentlemen; I hope, we fhall drink down all unkindnefs. [Exeunt Fal. Page, &c. Manent Shallow, Evans, and Slender. Slen. I had rather than forty fhillings, 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 All-hallowmas laft, a fortnight afore Michaelmas. VOL. I. S Shal |