Groats in Mill-fixpences, and two Edward Shovelboards, that coft me two Shilling and two Pence a piece, of Yead Miller; by thefe Gloves.

Fal. Is this true, Piftol?

Eva. No; it is falfe, if it is a Pick-purfe.

Pift. Ha, thou Mountain Foreigner: Sir John, and Mafter mine, I combate Challenge of this Latin Bilboe: Word of Denial in thy Labras here; word of Denial; Froth and Scum, thou lyft.

Slen. By thefe Gloves, than 'twas he.

Nym. Be advis'd, Sir, and pass good Humours: I will fay marry trap with you, if you run the Nut-hooks Humour on me; this is the very Note of it.

Slen. By that Hat, then he in the red Face had it; for tho' I cannot remember what I did when you made me drunk, yet I am not altogether an Afs.

Fal. What fay you, Scarlet and John?

Bard. Why, Sir, for my part, I fay, the Gentleman had drunk himself out of his five Sentences.

Eva. It is his five Senfes: Fie, what the Ignorance is! Bard. And being fap, Sir, was, as they fay, cashier'd; and fo Conclufions paft the Car-eires.

Slen. Ay, you fpake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter; I'll ne'er be drunk whil'ft I live again, but in honeft, civil, godly Company for this Trick: If I be drunk, I'll be drunk with thofe that have the Fear of God, and not with drunken Knaves:

Eva. So Got udg me, that is a virtuous Mind.

Fal. You hear all thefe Matters deny'd, Gentlemen, you

hear it.

Enter Mistress Anne Page, with Wine. Page. Nay, Daughter, carry the Wine in; we'll drink within.

Slen. Oh Heav'n! this is Miftrefs Anne Page.

Enter Mistress Ford and Miftrefs Page.

Page. How now Miftrefs Ford.

Fal. Miftrefs Ford, by my Truth you are very well met; by your leave, good Miftrefs

Pages Wife, bid thefe Gentlemen Welcome: Come, we have a hot Venifon Pafty to Dinner; Come, Gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all Unkindnefs. [Ex, Fal. Page, &c. VOL. I.

K

Manent

Manent Shallow, Evans and Slender.

Slen. I had rather than forty Shillings, I had my Book of Songs and Sonnets here.

Enter Simple.

How now, Simple, where have you been? I must wait upon my self, muft I? You have not the Book of Riddles about you, have you?

Simp. Book of Riddles! Why, did you not lend it to Alice Short-cake upon Alhollowmas last, a Fortnight afore Micha

elmas.

Shal. Come Coz, come Coz; we ftay for you: A word with you Coz: Marry this, Coz, there is, as 'twere, a Tender, a kind of Tender, made afar off by Sir Hugh here: Do you understand me?

Slen. Ay Sir, you shall find me reasonable: If it be so, I fhall do that is Reason.

Shal. Nay, but understand me.

Slen. So I do, Sir.

Eva. Give Ear to his Motions, Mr. Slender: I will de fcription the Matter to you, if you be Capacity of it. Slen. Nay, I will do as my Coufin Shallow fays: I pray you pardon me; he's a Juftice of Peace in his Country, fimple tho' I ftand here.

Eva. But that is not the Queftion: The Question is concerning your Marriage.

Shal. Ay, there's the point, Sir.

Eva. Marry is it; the very point of it,
Page.
Slen. Why, if it be fo, I will marry her

fonable Demands.

to Mrs. Anne

upon any rea

Eva. But can you affection the 'oman? Let us command to know that of your Mouth, or of your Lips: For divers Philofophers hold, that the Lips is Parcel of the Mouth: Therefore precifely, can you marry your good

Will to the Maid?

Shal. Coufin Abraham Slender, can you love her?

Slen. I hope, Sir; I will do, as it shall become one that would do Reason,

Eva. Nay, Got's Lords and his Ladies, you muft fpeak poffitable, if you can carre-her your Defires towards her

Shal

Shal. That you muft:

Will you, upon good Dowry, marry her?

Slen. I will do a greater thing than that upon your Requeft, Coufin, in any Reason.

Shal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, fweet Coż, what I do is to pleasure you, Coz: Can you love the Maid?

Slen. I will marry her, Sir, at your Requeft: But if there be no great Love in the beginning, yet Heav'n may decrease it upon better Acqnaintance, when we are marry'd, and have more occafion to know one another; I hope upon Familiarity will grow more Content But if you fay, marry her, I will marry her, that I am freely diffolved, and diffolutely.

Eva. It is a ferry difcretion Anfwer; fave the fall is in th' Ord diffolutely: The Ort is, according to our meaning, refolutely; his meaning is good.

Shal. Ay, I think my Coufin meant well.

Slen. Ay, or elfe I would I might be hang', la,

Eater Mistress Anne Page.

Shal. Here comes fair Mistress Anne: Would I were Young for your fake, Mistress Anne.

Anne. The Dinner is on the Table; my Father defires your Worship's Company.

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

Eva. Od's pleffed Will, I will not be abfence at the Grace.

[Ex. Shallow and Evans. Anne. Wilt pleafe your Worship to come in, Sir? Slend. No, I thank you Forfooth heartily; I am very well. Anne. The Dinner attends you, Sir.

Slen. I am not a-hungry, I thank you Forfooth: Go Sir rah, for all you are my Man, go wait upon my Coufin Shallow; a Juftice of Peace fometime may be beholding 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 a poor Gentleman born.

Anne. I may not go in without your Worship; they will not fit 'till you come.

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 Shia th other Day, with playing at Sword and Dagger with a Mafter of Fence, three Veneys for a Dish of stew'd Prunes, and by my troth I cannot abide the fmell of hot Meat fince. Why do your Dogs bark fo? be there Bears i'th' Town?

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

Slen. I love the Sport well, but I fhall as foon quarrel at it as any Man in England. You are afraid if you fee the Bear loofe, are you not?

Anne. Ay indeed, Sir.

Slen. That's Meat and Drink to me now; I have seen Sackerfon loofe twenty times, and have taken him by the Chain; but, I warrant you, the Women have fo cry'd and 'fhriekt at it, that it paft: But Women indeed cannot abide 'em, they are very ill-favour'd rough things..

Enter Mr. Page.

Page. Come, gentle Mr. Slender, come; we stay for you. Slen. I'll eat nothing, I thank you, Sir.

Page. By Cock and Pye you fhall not chufe, Sif; come, come.

Slen. Nay, pray you lead the Way.

Page. Come on, Sir.

Slen. Miftrefs Anne, your felf fhall

go first.

Anne. Not I, Sir, pray you keep on.

Slen. Truly I will not go firft, truly-la: I will not do

you that wrong.

Anne. I pray you, Sir.

Slen. I'll rather be unmannerly than troublefome; you do wrong, indeed-la.

your felf

SCENE II.

Enter Evans and Simple.

[Exeunt.

Eva. Go your ways, and ask of Doctor Caius House which is the Way; and there dwells one Miftrefs Quickly, which is in the manner of his Nurfe, or his dry Nurie, or his Cook, or his Laundry, his Washer, and his Ringer. Şimp. Well, Sir.

Eva. Nay, it is petter yet; give her this Letter; for it is a 'oman that altogethers Acquaintance with Miftrefs Anne Page i and the Letter is to defire, and require her to follicit your Mafter's Defires to Miftiefs Anne Page: I pray you be gone; I will make an end of my Dinner; there's Pippins and Cheefe to come. [Exeunt.

SGENE III.

Enter Falftaff, Hoft, Bardolph, Nym, Piftol and Robin.
Fal. Mine Hoft of the Garter.

Hoft. What fays my Bully Rock? fpeak schollarly, and wifely.

Fal. Truly, mine Hoft, I must turn away fome of my Followers.

Hoft. Difcard, Bully Hercules, cafhier; let them wag; trot, trot.

Fal. I fit at ten Pounds a Wee':

Hoft. Thou're an Emperor, Cafar, Keifar and Phaezer. I will entertain Bardolph, he will draw, he will tap, faid I well, Bully Hector?

Fal. Do fo, good mine Hoft.

Hoft. I have fpoke, let him follow; let me fee thee froth and live: I am at a word; follow.

[Exit Hoft. Fal. Bardolph, follow him, a Tapfter is a good Trade; an old Cloak makes a new Jerkin; a wither'd Serving-man, a fresh Tapfter; go, adieu.

Bard. It is a Life that I have defir'd: I will thrive.

[Exit Bard. Pift. Obafe Hungarian Wight, wilt thou the Spigot wield. Nym. He was gotten in Drink; is not the Humour conceited. Fal. I am glad I am fo 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 fteal at a Minute's reft. Pift. Convey, the Wife it call: Steal? foh; a fico for the Phrafe.

Fal. Well, Sirs, I am almoft out at Heels.

Pift. Why then let Kibes enfue.

Fal. There is no remedy: I must conicatch, I must shift.' Pift. Young Ravens must have Food.

Fal. Which of you know Ford of this Town?

K 3

Pift.