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 mafter Slender's purse? 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-purfe. Pift. Ha, thou mountain-foreigner!— Sir John, and mafter mine.

3

I Combat challenge of this latten bilboe:
Word of denial in thy Labra's here;

Word of denial, froth and fcum, thou ly'ft.
Slen. By thefe gloves, then 'twas he.

Nym. Be advis'd, Sir, and pafs good humours: I will fay marry trap with you, if you run the bafe 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 fenfes: 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 see 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 thefe 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 Mistress 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 ber. Page. Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome: come, we have a hot venifon pafty to dinner; come, gentlemen; I hope, we shall drink down all unkindness. [Exeunt Fal. Page, &c.

SCENE IV.

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 must wait on my felf, muft 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 last, a fortnight afore Michaelmas.

VOL. I.

S

Shal.

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 fe, I fhall do that that is reafon.

Shal. Nay, but understand me. 18
Slen. So I do, Sir

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

of it.

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

I

Eva. But that is not the queftion; 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.

Sten. Why, if it be fo, 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 philofophers hold, that the lips is parcel of the mind: therefore precifely, can you carry your good Will to the maid ?

Shal. Coufin Abraham Slender, can you love her? Slen. I hope, Sir, I will do, as it fhall become one that would do reafon.

Eva. Nay, Got's lords and his ladies, you must fpeak poffitable, if you can carry her your defires towards her.

Shal. That you muft, will you, upon good dowry, marry her?

Slen. I will do a greater thing than that upon your request, coufin, in any reafon.

Shal

Shal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, fweet coz: what I do, is to pleasure you, coz; can you love the maid?

Slen. I will marry her, Sir, at your requeft but if there be no great love in the beginning, yet heav'n may decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are marry'd, and have more occafion to know one another: I hope, upon familiarity will grow more contempt: but if you fay, marry her, I will marry her, that I am freely diffolved, and diffolutely.ro Eva. It is a ferry difcretion answer, fave, the faul is in th'ort diffolutely: the ort is, according to our -meaning, refolutely, his meaning is good.

Shal. Ay, I think, my coufin meant well.
Slen. Ay, or elfe I would I might be hang'd, la.

S CE NE

Enter Mistress Anne Page.

V.

Sbal. Here comes fair mistress Anne: 'would I were young for your fake, miftrefs Anne!

Anne. The dinner is on the table; my father defires your worship's company.

Shal. I will wait on him, fair miftrefs Anne. Eva. Od's pleffed will, I will not be abfence at the Grace. [Exeunt Shallow end Evans. Anne. Will't please your worship to come in, Sir? Slen. No, I thank you, forfooth, heartily I am very well.

Anne. The dinner attends you, Sir.

Slen. I am not a-hungry, I thank you, forfooth. Go, Sirrah, for all you are my man, go wait upon my coufin Shallow [Exit Simple. A Juftice of peace fometime may be beholden to his friend for a man.

5 will grow more content: A conundrum restored by Mr. Theobald.

I keep but three men and a boy yet, 'till my mother be dead; but what though, yet I live like a poor gentleman born.

Anne. I may not go in without your worship; they will not fit, 'till you come.

Slen. I'faith, I'll eat nothing; I thank you as much as though I did.

Anne. I pray you, Sir, walk in.

Slen. I had rather walk here, I thank you: I bruis'd my fhin th'other day with playing at fword and dagger with a master of fence, three veneys for a dish of ftew'd prunes; and, by my troth, I cannot abide the fmell of hot meat fince. Why do your dogs bark fo? be there bears i'th' town?

Anne. I think, there are, Sir; I heard them talk'd of.

Slen. I love the fport well, but I fhall as foon quarrel at it as any man in England. You are afraid, if you fee the bear loofe, are you not?

Anne. Ay, indeed, Sir.

Slen. That's meat and drink to me now; I have feen Sackerfon loofe twenty times, and have taken him by the chain; but I warrant you, the women have fo cry'd and fhriek'd at it, that it paft: but women, indeed, cannot abide 'em, they are very ill-favour'd rough things.

Enter Mr. Page.

Page. Come, gentle Mr. Slender, come; we stay for you.

Slen. I'll eat nothing, I thank you, Sir.

Page. By cock and pye, you shall not chuse, Sir;

come; come.

6.I keep but three men and a boy yet, &c.] As great a fool as the poet has made Slender, it appears, by his boating of his wealth, his breeding, and his courage, that he knew how to win a woman. This is a fine inftance of Shakespear's knowledge

of nature.

Slen.