and then maifter doctor, quoth hee, will I dub the olde squire knight of the forked order. Thus they paft on in chat, till it grew late; and then Lyonello went home to his lodging, and Mutio to his houfe, couering all his forrowes with a merrye countenance, with full refolution to reuenge them both the next day with extremetic. He paft the night as patiently as he could, and the next day after dinner awaye hee went, watching when it should bee four of the clocke. At the houre iuftly-came Lyonello, and was intertained with all curtefie: but fcarfe had they kist, ere the maide cried out to her miftreffe that her maifter was at the doore; for he hafted, knowing that a horne was but a litle while in grafting. Margaret at this alarum was amazed, and yet for a fhifte chopt Lyonello into a great driefatte full of feathers, and fat her downe clofe to her woorke: by that came Mutio in blowing; and as though hee came to looke fomewhat in hafte, called for the keyes of his chambers, and looked in euerye place, fearching fo narrowlye in euerye corner of the house, that he left not the very priuie vnfearcht. Seeing he could not finde him, hee faide nothing, but fayning himselfe not well at eafe, ftayde at home, so that poore Lionello was faine to ftaye in the drifatte till the olde churle was in bed with his wife: and then the maide let him out at a backe doore, who went home with a flea in his eare to his lodging. "Well, the next daye he went againe to meete his doctor, whome hee found in his woonted walke. What news, quoth Mutio? How haue you fped? A poxe of the olde flaue, quoth Lionello, I was no fooner in, and had giuen my miftreffe one kiffe, but the jealous afle was at the door; the maide spied him, and, cryed, ber maifter: fo that the poore gentlewoman for verye fhifte, was faine to put me in a driefatte of feathers that stoode in an olde chamber, and there I was faine to tarrie while he was in bed and asleepe, and then the maide let me out, and I departed. But it is no matter; 'twas but a chaunce; and I hope to crye quittance with him ere it be long. As how, quoth Mutio? Marry thus, quoth Lionello: fhe fent me woord by her maide this daye, that upon Thursday next the old churle fuppeth with a patient of his a mile out of Pifa, and then I feare not but to quitte him for all. It is well, quoth Mutio; fortune bee your freende. I thank you, quoth Lionello; and fo after a little more prattle they departed. "To be shorte, Thursday came; and about fixe of the clocke foorth goes Mutio, no further than a freendes house of his, from whence hee might defcrye who went into his house. Straight hee fawe Lionello enter in; and after goes hee, infomuche that hee was scarfelye fitten downe, before the mayde cryed out againe, my maifter comes. The good wife that before had provided for afterclaps, had found out a priuie place between two feelings of a plauncher, and there the thrust Lionello; and her husband came fweting. What news, quoth fhee, driues you home * See The Merry Wives of Windfor, p. 168. againe fo foone, husband? Marrye, sweete wife, (quoth he) a fearfull dreame that I had this night, which came to my remembrance; & that was this: Methought there was a villeine that came fecretly into my house with a naked poinard in his hand, and hid himfelfe; but I could not finde the place: with that mine nose bled, and I came backe; and by the grace of God I will feeke eury corner in the house for the quiet of my minde. Marry I pray you doo, husband, quoth fhe. With that he lockt in all the doors, and began to fearch euery chamber, euery hole, euery cheft, euery tub, the very well; he ftabd euery fetherbed through, and made hauocke, like a mad man, which made him thinke all was in vaine, and hee began to blame his eies that thought they saw that which they did not. Upon this he refte halfe lunaticke, and all night he was very wakefull; that towards the morning he fell into a dead fleepe, and then was Lionello conueighed away. "In the morning when Mutio wakened, hee thought how by no meanes hee fhould be able to take Lyonello tardy: yet he laid in his head a most dangerous plot, and that was this. Wife, quoth he, I muft the next Monday ride to Vycenfa to vifit an olde patient of mine; till my returne, which will be fome ten dayes, I will haue thee ftay at our little graunge house in the countrey. Marry very well content, husband, quoth the with that he kist her, and was verye pleafant, as though he had fufpected nothing, and away hee flinges to the church, where hee meetes Lionello. What fir, quoth he, what newes? Is your miftreffe yours in poffeffion? No, a plague of the old flaue, quoth he: I think he is either a witch, or els woorkes by magick: for I can no fooner enter in the doors, but he is at my backe, and fo he was againe yesternight; for I was not warm in my feat before the maide cried, my maifter comes; and then was the poore foule faine to conuiegh me between two feelings of a chamber in a fit place for the purpose: wher I laught hartely to myself, to fee how he fought cuery corner, ranfackt euery tub, and ftabd euery featherbed, but in vaine; I was fafe enough till the morning, and then when he was faft afleepe, I lept out. Fortune frowns on you, quoth Mutio: Ay, but I hope, quoth Lionello, this is the last time, and now thee will begin to fmile; for on Monday next he rides to Vicenfa, and his wife lyes at a grange houfe a little of the towne, and there in his abfence I will reuenge all forepaffed misfortunes. God fend it be fo, quoth Mutio; and took his leaue. Thefe two louers longed for Monday, and at last it came. Early in the morning Mutio horft himselfe, and his wife, his maide, and a man, and no more, and away he rides to his grange houfe; where after he had brok his faft he took his leaue, and away towards Vicenfa. He rode not far ere by a falfe way he returned into a thicket, and there with a company of cuntry peasants lay in an ambufcade to take the young gentleman. In the afternoon comes Lionello gallopping; and affoon as he came within fight of the house, he fent back his horfe by his boy, & went eafily afoot, & there at the very entry was entertained by Margaret, who led him vp ye ftaires, and conuaid him into her bedchamber, faying he was welVOL. I. Y come come into fo mean a cottage: but quoth the, now I hope fortune fhal not enuy the purity of our loues. Alas, alas, miftris, (cried the maid,) heer is my maifter, and 100 men with him, with bils and ftaues. We are betraid, quoth Lionel, and I am but a dead man. Feare not, quoth fhe, but follow me; and ftraight fhe carried him downe into a lowe parlor, where ftoode an old rotten cheft full of writinges. She put him into that, and couered him with old papers and euidences, and went to the gate to meet her husband. Why fignior Mutio, what means this hurly burly, quoth the? Vile & fhameleffe ftrumpet as thou art, thou shalt know by and by, quoth he. Where is thy loue? All we haue watcht him, & feen him enter in: now quoth he, fhal neither thy tub of feathers nor thy feeling ferue, for perish he shall with fire, or els fall into my hands. Doo thy worst, iealous foole, quoth fhe; I ask thee no fauour. With that in a rage he befet the house round, and then fet fire on it. Oh! in what a perplexitie was poore Lionello, that was thut in a cheft, and the fire about his eares? And how was Margaret paisionat, that knew her louer in fuch danger? Yet he made light of the matter, and as one in a rage called her maid to her and faid: Come on, wench; feeing thy maifter mad with ieloufie hath fet the houfe and al my living on fire, I will be reuenged vpon him; help me heer to lift this old cheft where all his writings and deeds are; let that burne first; and affoon as I fee that on fire, I will walk towards my freends: for the old foole wil be beggard, and I will refufe him. Mutio that knew al his obligations and ftatutes lay there, puld her back, and bad two of his men carry the cheft into the feeld, and fee it were fafe; himself ftanding by and feeing his house burnd downe, flicke and ftone. Then quieted in his minde he went home with his wife, and began to flatter her, thinking affuredly yt he had burnd her paramour; caufing his cheft to be carried in a cart to his houfe at Pifa. Margaret impatient went to her mothers, and complained to her and to her brethren of the iealouse of her husband; who maintained her it be true, and defired but a daies refpite to proue it. Wel, hee was bidden to fupper the next night at her mothers, the thinking to make her daughter and him freends againe. In the meane time he to his woonted walk in the church, & there præter expectationem he found Lionello walking. Wondring at this, he ftraight enquires, what news? What newes, maifter doctor, quoth he, and he fell in a great laughing: in faith yesterday I fcapt a fcowring; for, fyrrah, I went to the grange houfe, where I was appointed to come, and I was no fooner gotten vp the chamber, but the magicall villeine her husband befet the houfe with bils & ftaues, and that he might be fure no feeling nor corner thould throwde me, he fet the houfe on fire, and fo burnt it to the ground. Why, quoth Mutio, and how did you efcape? Alas, quoth he, wel fare a womans wit! She conueighed me into an old cheft ful of writings, which the knew her husband durft not burne; and fo was I faued and brought to Pifa, and yefternight by her maide let home to my lodging. This, quoth he, is the pleasanteft iest that euer I heard and vpon this I haue a fute to you. I am this night bidden foorth to fupper; you fhall be my guest; onelye I will craue fo much favour, as after fupper for a pleasant fporte to make relation what fuccefle you haue had in your loues. For that I will not fticke, quoth he; and fo he carried Lionello to his mother-in-lawes houfe with him, and difcoured to his wiues brethren who he was, and how at fupper he would difclofe the whole matter: for quoth he, he knowes not that I am Margarets husband. At this all the brethren bad him welcome, & fo did the mother too; and Margaret fhe was kept out of fight. Supper-time being come, they fell to their victals, & Lionello was carrowit vnto by Mutio, who was very pleasant, to araw him to a merry humor, that he might to the ful difcourfe the effect & fortunes of his loue. Supper being ended, Mutio requested him to tel to the gentlemen what had hapned between him & his miftreffe. Lionello with a fmiling countenance began to defcribe his mittreffe, the house and ftreet where the dwelt, how he fell in loue with her, and how he vied the counfell of this doctor, who in al his affaires was his fecretarye. Margaret heard all this with a great feare; & when he came at the laft point the caused a cup of wine to be given him by one of her fifters wherein was a ring that he had giuen Margaret. As he had told how he efcapt burning, and was ready to confirm all for a troth, the gentlewoman drunke to him; who taking the cup, and seeing the ring, hauing a quick wit and a reaching head, fpide the fetch, and perceiued that all this while this was his louers husband, to whome hee had reuealed thefe efcapes. At this drinking ye wine, and fwallowing the ring into his mouth, he went forward: Gentlemen, quoth he, how like you of my loues and my fortunes? Wel, quoth the gentlemen; I pray you is it true? As true, quoth he, as if I would be fo fimple as to reueal what I did to Margarets husband: for know you, gentlemen, that I knew this Mutio to be her husband whom I notified to be my louer; and for yt he was generally known through Pifa to be a iealous fool, therefore with thefe tales I brought him into this paradice, which indeed are follies of mine owne braine: for trust me, by the faith of a gentleman, I neuer fpake to the woman, was neuer in her companye, neither doo I know her if I fee her. At this they all fell in a laughing at Mutio, who was afhamde that Lionello had fo fcoft him: but all was well, they were made friends; but the ieft went fo to his hart, that he fhortly after died, and Lionello enioyed the ladye and for that they two were the death of the old man, now are they plagued in purgatory, and he whips them with nettles." It is obfervable that in the foregoing novel (which, I believe, Shakspeare had read,) there is no trace of the buck-basket.-In the first tale of The Fortunate, the Deceived, and Unfortunate Lovers, (of which I have an edition printed in 1684, but the novels it contains had probably appeared in English in our author's time,) a young ftudent of Bologna is taught by an old doctor how to make love; and his firft effay is practifed on his inftructor's wife. The jealous husband having tracked his pupil to his houfe, enters unexpectedly, fully per fuaded fuaded that he should detect the lady and her lover together; but the gallant is protected from his fury by being concealed under a beap of linen balf-dried; and afterwards informs him, (not knowing that his tutor was likewife his mistress's husband,) what a lucky escape he had. It is therefore, I think, highly probable that Shakspeare had read both ftories. MALONE. |