and let burnt sack be the issue.--Come, lay their swords to pawn:-Follow me, lad of peace; follow, follow, follow. Shal. Trust me, a mad host.—Follow, gentlemen, folow. Slen. O, sweet Anne Page! [Exeunt SHAL. SLEN. PAGE, and Host. Caius. Ha! do I perceive dat? have you make-a de sot of us ha, ha! 110 Eva. This is well; he has made us his vloutingstog. I desire you, that we may be friends; and let us knog our prains together, to be revenge on this same scald, scurvy, cogging companion, the host of the Garter. Caius. By gar, vit all my heart; he promise to bring me vere is Anne Page: by gar, he deceive me too. Eva. Well, I will smite his noddles ;-Pray you follow. SCENE II. The Street in Windsor. Enter Mistress PAGE and ROBIN. Mrs. Page. Nay, keep your way, little gallant; you were wont to be a follower, but now you are a leader: Whether had you rather, lead mine eyes, or eye your master's heels? Rob. Rob. I had rather, forsooth, go before you man, than follow him like a dwarf. like a Mrs. Page. O, you are a flattering boy; now, I see, you'll be a courtier. Enter FORD. Ford. Well met, mistress Page: Whither go you? Mrs. Page. Truly, sir, to see your wife; Is she at home? 131 Ford. Ay; and as idle as she may hang together, for want of company: I think, if your husbands were dead, you two would marry. Mrs. Page. Be sure of that,-two other husbands. Ford. Where had you this pretty weather-cock ? Mrs. Page. I cannot tell what the dickens his name is my husband had him of: What do you call your knight's name, sirrah? Rob. Sir John Falstaff. Ford. Sir John Falstaff! Mrs. Page. He, he; I can never hit on's name. There is such a league between my good man and he! -Is your wife at home, indeed ? Ford. Indeed, she is. Mrs. Page. By your leave, sir;-I am sick, 'till I see her. [Exeunt Mrs. PAGE and ROBIN. Ford. Has Page any brains? hath he any eyes? hath he any thinking? sure they sleep; he hath no use of them. Why, this boy will carry a letter twenty miles, as easy as a cannon will shoot point-blank twelve score. He pieces-out his wife's inclination; he gives her folly motion, and advantage; and now she's going to my wife, and Falstaff's boy with her. A man may hear this shower sing in the wind!-and Falstaff's boy with her!- -Good plots!-they are laid; and our revolted wives share damnation together. Well; I will take him, then torture my wife, pluck the borrow'd veil of modesty from the so seeming mistress Page, divulge Page himself for a secure and wilful Acteon; and to these violent proceedings all my neighbours shall cry aim. The clock gives me my cue, and my assurance bids me search; there I shall find Falstaff: I shall be rather prais'd for this, than mock'd; for it is as positive as the earth is firm, that Falstaff is there: I will go. 166 Enter PAGE, SHALLOW, SLENDER, Host, EVANS, and CAIUS. Shal. Page, &c. Well met, master Ford. Ford. Trust me, a good knot: I have good cheer at home; and, I pray you, all go with me. Shal. I must excuse myself, master Ford. Slen. And so must I, sir; we dine with mistress Are, her for more money t Shal. We have linge d Anne Page and my cousin & shall have our answer. Slen. I hope, I have your good have appointed to uld not break with of. a match between , and this day we vill, father Page. for for you:-but my wife, master doctor, is for you altogether. 180 Caius. Ay, by gar; and de maid is love-a me; my nursh-a Quickly tell me so mush. Host. What say you to young master Fenton ? he capers, he dances, he has eyes of youth, he writes verses, he speaks holy-day, he smells April and May: he will carry't, he will carry't; 'tis in his buttons; he will carry't. Page. Not by my consent, I promise you. The gentleman is of no having: he kept company with the wild prince and Poins; he is of too high a region, he knows too much. No, he shall not knit a knot in his fortunes with the finger of my substance : if he take her, let him take her simply; the wealth I have waits on my consent, and my consent goes not that way. 195 Ford. I beseech you, heartily, some of you go home with me to dinner: besides your cheer, you shall have sport; I will shew you a monster.-Master doctor, you shall go ;-so shall you, master Page ;—and you, sir Hugh. 200 Shal. Well, fare you well::-we shall have the freer wooing at master Page's. Caius. Go home, John Rugby; I come anon. Host. Farewel, my hearts: I will to my honest knight Falstaff, and drink canary with him. Ford. [Aside] I think, I shall drink in pipe-wine first with him; I'll make him dance. Will you go, gentles? F All. All. Have with you, to see this monster. [Exeunt. SCENE III. FORD's House. Enter Mrs. FORD, Mrs. PAGE, and Servants with a Basket. Mrs. Ford. What, John! what, Robert! 210 Mrs. Page. Quickly, quickly; is the buck-basketMrs. Ford. I warrant : -What, Robin, I say. Mrs. Page. Come, come, come. Mrs. Ford. Here, set it down. Mrs. Page. Give your men the charge; we must be brief. Mrs. Ford. Marry, as I told you before, John, and Robert, be ready here hard by in the brew-house; and when I suddenly call on you, come forth, and (without any pause or staggering) take this basket on your shoulders that done, trudge with it in all haste, and carry it among the whitsters in Datchet mead, and there empty it in the muddy ditch, close by the Thames side. 224 Mrs. Page. You will do it? Mrs. Ford. I have told them over and over; they lack no direction: Be gone, and come when you are call'd. [Exeunt Servants. Mrs. Page. Here comes little Robin. Enter |