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Sten. I will do a greater thing than that, upon your request, cousin, in any reason.

Shal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, sweet coz; what I do, is to pleasure you, coz: Can you love the maid? 239

Slen. I will marry her, sir, at your request; but if there be no great love in the beginning, yet heaven may decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are marry'd, and have more occasion to know one another : I hope upon familiarity will grow more contempt: but if you say, marry her, I will marry her, that I am freely dissolved, and dissolutely.

Eva. It is a fery discretion answer; save the faul' is in the 'ort dissolutely: the 'ort is, according to our meaning, resolutely ;-his meaning is good. Shal. Ay, I think my cousin meant well. Slen. Ay, or else I would I might be hanged, la.

Re-enter ANNE PAGE.

250

Shal. Here comes fair mistress Anne :-Would I were young for your sake, mistress Anne!

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

Shal. I will wait on him, fair mistress Anne.

Eva. Od's plessed will! I will not be absence at the grace. [Ex. SHAL. and EVANS. Anne. Will't please your worship to come in, sir? Slen. No, I thank you, forsooth, heartily; I am very well.

Anne. The dinner attends you, sir.

261

Slen.

Slen. I am not a-hungry, I thank you, forsooth:

Go, sirrah, for all you are my man, go, wait upon my cousin Shallow: [Exit SIMP.] A justice of peace sometime may be beholden to his friend for a man: -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 sit, till you come.

271

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 shin the other day with playing at sword and dagger with a master of fence, three veneys for a dish of stew'd prunes; and, by my troth, I cannot abide the smell of hot meat since. Why do your dogs bark so? be there bears i' the town? 230

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

Slen. I love the sport well; but I shall as soon quarrel at it, as any man in England:-You are afraid, if you see the bear loose, are you not?

Anne. Ay, indeed, sir.

Slen. That's meat and drink to me now: I have seen Sackerson loose, twenty times; and have taken him by the chain: but, I warrant you, the women have so cry'd and shriek'd at it, that it pass'd but women, indeed, cannot abide 'em; they are very ill-favour'd rough things.

292 Re-enter

Re-enter PAGE.

Page. Come, gentle master Slender, come; we

stay for you.

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

Page. By cock and pye, you shall not choose, sir: come, come.

Slen. Nay, pray you lead the way.

Page. Come on sir.

Slen. Mistress Anne, yourself shall go first.
Anne. Not I, sir; pray you, keep on.

309

Slen. Truly, I will not go first; truly-la: I will

not do

you that wrong.

Anne. I pray you, sir.

Slen. I'll rather be unmannerly, than troublesome : you do yourself wrong, indeed-la.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Enter EVANS and SIMPLE.

Eva. Go your ways, and ask of Dr. Caius' house, which is the way and there dwells one mistress Quickly, which is in the manner of his nurse, or his dry nurse, or his cook, or his laundry, his washer, and his wringer.

Simp. Well, sir.

311

Eva. Nay, it is petter yet:-give her this letter for it is a 'oman that altogether's acquaintance with

mistress

mistress Anne Page; and the letter is, to desire and require her to solicit your master's desires to mistress Anne Page: I pray you, be gone; I will make an end of my dinner; there's pippins and cheese to [Exeunt severally.

come.

The Garter Inn.

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SCENE III.

Enter FALSTAFF, HOST, BAR

DOLPH, NYM, PISTOL, and ROBIN.

Fal. Mine host of the Garter,——

320

Host. What says my bully-rook? speak scholarly, and wisely.

Fal. Truly mine host, I must turn away some of my followers.

Host. Discard, bully Hercules; cashier: let them wag; trot, trot.

Fal. I sit at ten pounds a week.

Host. Thou'rt an emperor, Cæsar, Keisar, and Pheezar. I will entertain Bardolph; he shall draw, he shall tap: said I well, bully Hector?

Fal. Do so, good mine host.

330

Host. I have spoke; let him follow: Let me see thee froth, and lime: I am at a word; follow. [Exit Host. Fal. Bardolph, follow him; a tapster is a good trade: An old cloak makes a new jerkin; a wither'd servingman, a fresh tapster: Go, adieu.

Bard.

Bard. It is a life that I have desir'd: I will thrive. [Exit BARDOLPH. Pist. O base Gongarian wight! wilt thou the spi❤ got wield?

Nym. He was gotten in drink: Is not the humour conceited? His mind is not heroic, and there's the humour of it.

342 Fal. I am glad, I am so acquit of this tinderbox; his thefts were too open: his filching was like an unskilful singer, he kept not time...

Nym, The good humour is, to steal at a minute's

rest.

Pist. Convey, the wise it call: Steal! foh; a fico for the phrase!

Fal. Well, sirs, I am almost out at heels. 350 Pist. Why then let kibes ensue.

Fal. There is no remedy; I must coney-catch, I must shift.

Pist. Young ravens must have food.

Fal. Which of you know Ford of this town? Pist. I ken the wight; he is of substance good. Fal. My honest lads, I will tell you what I am about.

Pist. Two yards, and more,

359

Fal. No quips now, Pistol: Indeed, I am in the waist two yards about: but I am now about no waste; I am about thrift. Briefly, I do mean to make love to Ford's wife; I spy entertainment in her; she discourses, she carves, she gives the leer of invitation: I can construe the action of her fami

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