And, fairy-like, to-pinch the unclean knight;
And ask him, why, that hour of fairy revel,
In their so sacred paths he dares to tread,

We'll all present ourselves; dis-horn the spirit,
And mock him home to Windsor.

Ford.

The children must

Be practis'd well to this, or they 'll ne'er do 't.
Eva. I will teach the children their behaviours; and
I will be like a jack-an-apes also, to burn the knight with
my taber.

in which he calls a dress of which the different parts were made after the fashions of different countries," a diffused attire."

Malone.

4 And, fairy-like, to-pinch the unclean knight;] This use of to in composition with verbs, is very common in Gower and Chaubut must have been rather antiquated in the time of Shakspeare. See, Gower, De Confessione Amantis, B. IV, fol. 7: "All to-tore is myn araie."

cer,

The construction will otherwise be very hard. Tyrwhitt. I add a few more instances, to show that this use of the preposition to was not entirely antiquated in the time of our author. So, in Spenser's Faery Queen, B. IV, c. 7:

"With briers and bushes all to-rent and scratched.

Again, B. V, c. 8:

"With locks all loose, and raiment all to-tore."

Again, in The Three Lords of London, 1590:

"The post at which he runs, and all to-burns it."

Again, in Philemon Holland's Translation of the 10th Book of Pliny's Nat. Hist. ch. 74: “—shee againe to be quit with them, will all to-pinch and nip both the fox and her cubs." Steevens.

The editor of Gawin Douglas's Translation of the Æneid, fol. Edinb. 1710, observes, in his General Rules for the Understanding the Language, that to prefixed, in ancient writers, has little or no significancy, but with all put before it, signifies altogether. Since, Milton has 66 were all to-ruffled." See Comus, v. 380. Warton's edit. It is not likely that this practice was become antiquated in the time of Shakspeare, as Mr. Tyrwhitt supposes. H. White. -pinch him sound,] i. e. soundly. The adjective used as an adverb. The modern editors read-round. Steevens.

5

I will teach the children their behaviours; and I will be like a

Ford. That will be excellent. I'll go buy them

vizards.

Mrs. Page. My Nan shall be the queen of all the fairies,

Finely attired in a robe of white.

Page. That silk will I go buy;—and in that time Shall master Slender steal my Nan away, [Aside. And marry her at Eton.-Go, send to Falstaff straight. Ford. Nay, I'll to him again in name of Brook: He'll tell me all his purpose: Sure, he 'll come.

Mrs. Page. Fear not you that: Go, get us properties, And tricking for our fairies.9

Eva. Let us about it: It is admirable pleasures, and fery honest knaveries. [Exeunt PAGE, FORD, and EVA. Mrs. Page. Go, mistress Ford,

Send Quickly to sir John, to know his mind.

[Exit Mrs. FORD.

I'll to the doctor; he hath my good will,
And none but he, to marry with Nan Page.

jack-an-apes also,] The idea of this stratagem, &c. might have been adopted from part of the entertainment prepared by Thomas Churchyard for Queen Elizabeth at Norwich: "And these boys, &c. were to play by a deuise and degrees the Phayries, and to daunce (as neere as could be ymagined) like the Phayries. Their attire, and comming so strangely out, I know made the Queenes highnesse smyle and laugh withall, &c. I ledde the yong foolishe Phayries a daunce, &c. and as I heard said, it was well taken." Steevens.

That silk will I go buy ;-and in that time-] Mr. Theobald, referring that time to the time of buying the silk, alters it to tire. But there is no need of any change; that time evidently relating to the time of the mask with which Falstaff was to be entertained, and which makes the whole subject of this dialogue. Therefore the common reading is right. Warburton.

8 properties,] Properties are little incidental necessaries to a theatre, exclusive of scenes and dresses. So, in The Tam

ing of a Shrew: “ a shoulder of mutton for a property." See A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act I, sc. ii.

Steevens.

9 tricking for our fairies.] To trick, is to dress out. So, in Milton:

"Not trick'd and frounc'd as she was wont,
"With the Attic boy to hunt;

"But kerchief'd in a homely cloud." Steevens.

That Slender, though well landed, is an ideot;
And he my husband best of all affects:

The doctor is well money'd, and his friends
Potent at court; he, none but he, shall have her,
Though twenty thousand worthier come to crave her.

[Exit.

SCENE V.

A Room in the Garter Inn.

Enter Host and SIMPLE.

Host. What would'st thou have, boor? what, thickskin?1 speak, breathe, discuss; brief, short, quick, snap.

Sim. Marry, sir, I come to speak with sir John Falstaff from master Slender.

Host. There's his chamber, his house, his castle, his standing bed, and truckle bed;2 'tis painted about with the story of the prodigal, fresh and new: Go, knock and call; he 'll speak like an Anthropophaginian3 unto thee: Knock, I say.

1 what, thick-skin?] I meet with this term of abuse in Warner's Albion's England, 1602, Book VI, chap. 30:

"That he, so foul a thick-skin, should so fair a lady catch.” The eleventh Book, however, of Pliny's Nat. Hist. (I shall quote from P. Holland's Translation, 1601, p. 346,) will best explain the meaning of this term of obloquy: " -men also, who are thicke skinned, be more grosse of sence and understanding," &c.

Steevens.

2 standing bed, and truckle-bed;] The usual furniture of chambers in that time was a standing-bed, under which was a trochle, truckle, or running bed. In the standing-bed, lay the master, and in the truckle bed the servant. So, in Hall's Account of a Servile Tutor:

"He lieth in the truckle-bed,

"While his young master lieth o'er his head." Johnson. So, in The Return from Parnassus, 1606:

"When I lay in a trundle-bed under my tutor."

And here the tutor has the upper bed. Again in Heywood's Royal King, &c. 1637: “ shew these gentlemen into a close room with a standing-bed in 't, and a truckle too." Steevens.

3

Anthropophaginian] i. e. a cannibal. See Othello, Act I, sc. iii. It is here used as a sounding word to astonish Simple. Ephesian, which follows, has no other meaning. Steevens.

Sim. There's an old woman, a fat woman, gone up into his chamber; I'll be so bold as stay, sir, till she come down: I come to speak with her, indeed.

Kost. Ha! a fat woman! the knight may be robbed: I'll call.-Bully knight! Bully sir John! speak from thy lungs military: Art thou there? it is thine Host, thine Ephesian, calls.

4

Fal. [above] How now, mine host?

Host. Here's a Bohemian-Tartar5 tarries the coming down of thy fat woman: Let her descend, bully, let her descend; my chambers are honourable: Fye! privacy? fye!

Enter FALSTAFF.

Fal. There was, mine host, an old fat woman even now with me: but she's gone.

Sim. Pray you, sir, was 't not the wise woman of Brentford? 6

Fal. Ay, marry, was it, muscle-shell? What would you with her?

4

thine Ephesian,] This was a cant term of the time. So, in K. Henry IV, P. II, Act II, sc. ii: "P. Henry. What company? Page. Ephesians, my lord, of the old church." See the note there. Malone.

Hanmer supposes Ephesian to be a designed blunder for Ephestion. Steevens.

5 Bohemian Tartar-] The French call a Bohemian what we call a Gypsey, but I believe the Host means nothing more than, by a wild appellation, to insinuate that Simple makes a strange appearance. Johnson.

66

In Germany there were several companies of vagabonds, &c. called Tartars and Zigens. "These were the same in my opinion," says Mezeray, as those the French call Bohemians, and the English Gypsies." Bulteel's Translation of Mezeray's History of France, under the year 1417. Tollet.

6 wise woman of Brentford?] In our author's time female dealers in palmistry and fortune-telling were usually denominated wise women. So the person from whom Heywood's play of The wise woman of Hogsden, 1638, takes its title, is employed in answering many such questions as are the objects of Simple's inquiry. Reed.

This appellation occurs also in our version of the Bible: "Her wise ladies answered her, yea she returned answer to herself.” Fudges, v. 29. Steevens.

7 muscle-shell;] He calls poor Simple muscle-shell, because he stands with his mouth open. Johnson.

Sim. My master, sir, my master Slender, sent to her, seeing her go thorough the streets, to know, sir, whether one Nym, sir, that beguiled him of a chain, had the chain,

or no,

Fal. I spake with the old woman about it.
Sim. And what says she, I pray,

sir?

Fal. Marry, she says, that the very same man, that beguiled master Slender of his chain, cozened him of it.

Sim. I would, I could have spoken with the woman herself; I had other things to have spoken with her too, from him.

Fal. What are they? let us know.
Host. Ay, come; quick.

Sim. I may not conceal them, sir.

Fal. Conceal them, or thou diest.8

Sim. Why, sir, they were nothing but about mistress Anne Page; to know, if it were my master's fortune to have her, or no.

Fal. 'Tis, 'tis his fortune.

Sim. What, sir?

Fal. To have her, or no: Go; say, the woman told

me so.

Sim. May I be so bold to say so, sir?

Fal. Ay, sir Tike; who more bold?9

Sim. I thank your worship: I shall make my master glad with these tidings. [Exit SIM. Host. Thou art clerkly, thou art clerkly, sir John: Was there a wise woman with thee?

Fal. Ay, that there was, mine host; one, that hath taught me more wit than ever I learned before in my

Sim. I may not conceal them, sir.

Fal. Conceal them, or thou diest.] In both these instances Dr. Farmer thinks we should read-reveal. Steevens.

9 Ay, sir Tike; who more bold?] In the first edition, it stands; "I Tike, who more bolde." And should plainly be read here, Ay, sir Tike, &c. Farmer.

1 clerkly,] i. e. scholar-like. So, in Sidney's Arcadia,

Lib. III:

Lanquet, the shepheard best swift Ister knew "For clearkly reed," &c.

Again, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act II, sc. i; 'tis very clerkly done." Steevens.