THE MERRY WIVES of Windfor. ACTI SCENE, before Page's Houfe in Windfor. Enter Juftice Shallow, Slender, and Sir Hugh Evans. S SHALLO w. IR Hugh, perfuade me not; I will make a Star-Chamber matter of it: if he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs, he shall not abufe Robert Shallow, Efq; Slen. In the county of Gloucester, justice of peace, and Coram. Shal. Ay, coufin Slender, and Cuftalorum. (1) The Merry Wives of Windfor.] Queen Elizabeth was fo well pleas'd with the admirable Character of Falstaff in the two Parts of Henry IV, that, as Mr. Rowe informs us, She commanded Shakespeare to continue it for one Play more, and to fhew him in Love. To this Command We owe the Merry Wives of Windfor: which, Mr. Gildon fays, he was very well affur'd, our Author finish'd in a Fortnight. But this must be meant only of the first imperfect Sketch of this Comedy, an Old Quarto Edition whereof I have, printed in 1602; which fays in the Title-pageAs it hath been divers times afted both before: mafter her Majesty and elsewhere. mafter parfon, who writes himself Armigero in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation; Armigero. Shal. Ay, that I do, and have done any time these three hundred years. Slen. All his fucceffors, gone before him, have don't; and all his ancestors, that come after him, may; they may give the dozen white luces in their Coat. Shal. It is an old Coat. Eva. The dozen white lowfes do become an old coat well; it agrees well, paffant; it is a familiar beast to man, and fignifies love. Shal. The luce is the frefh-fifh, the falt-fish is an old Coat. Slen. I may quarter, coz. Shal. You may by marrying. Eva. It is marring, indeed, if he quarter it. Eva. Yes, per-lady; if he has a quarter of your coat, there is but three skirts for your felf, in my fimple conjectures; but that is all one: if Sir John Falstaff have committed difparagements upon you, I am of the Church, and will be glad to do my benevolence, to make atone. ments and compromises between you. Sal. The Council fhall hear it; it is a riot. Eva. It is not meet, the Council hear of a riot; there is no fear of Got in a riot: the Council, look you, fhall defire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear e riot; take your viza-ments in that. Shal. Ha! o' my life, if I were young again, the fword fhould end it. Eva. It is petter that friends is the sword, and end it; and there is also another device in my prain, which, peradventure, prings good difcretions with it: there is Anne Page, (2) which is daughter to mafter George Page, which is pretty virginity. · (2) which is Daughter to Master Thomas Page,] The whole Set of Editions have negligently blunder'd one after another in Page's Chriftian-Name in this place; tho' Mrs. Page calls him George afterwards in at least fix feveral Paffages. Slen. Slen. Mistress Anne Page? he has brown hair, and fpeaks fmall like a woman. Eva. It is that ferry perfon for all the orld, as juft 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 he is able to overtake feventeen years old: it were a good motion, if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and defire a marriage between maler Abra= ham and mistress Anne Page. Slen. Did her grand-fire leave her seven hundred pounds? Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny. Slen. I know the young gentlewoman; the 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 falfe; 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 bless your house here. Enter Mr. Page. Page. Who's there? Eva. Here is Got's pleffing, and your friend, and Juftice Shallow; and here's young mafter Slender; that, peradventures, fhall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings. Page. I am glad to fee your worships well. I thank you for my venifon, mafter 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. Page. Sir, I thank you. Sha.. 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 speak. Page. Sir, he doth in fome fort confefs 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 Elquire 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 King? 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 anfwer'd. Fal. I will answer it ftrait: I have done all this. That is now answer'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-rascals Bardolph, Nym, and Piftol Bar. Bar. You Banbury cheese! Slen. Ay, it is no matter. Nym. Slice, I fay; pauca, pauca: flice, 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. Page. 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 difcreetly as we can. 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 cost me two fhilling and two pence a-piece of read Miller, by thefe gloves. Fal. Is this true, Piftol? Eva. No; it is falfe, if it is a pick-purse. Pift. Ha, thou mountain-foreigner! Sir John, and mafter mine, I Combat challenge of this latten bilboe: (3) Word (3) I combat challenge of this Latin bilboe.] Our modern Editors have diftinguifh'd this Word, Latin, in Italic Characters, as if it was addrefs'd to Sir Hugh, and meant to call him pedantic Blade, on account of his being a Schoolmafter, and teaching Latin. But I'll be bold to fay, in This they do not take the Poet's Conceit. Piftol barely calls Sir Hugh Mountain-foreigner, because he had interpos'd in the Dispute: but then immediately demands the Combat of Slender, for having charg'd him with picking his Pocket. The old Quarto's write it |