1 Queen Elizabeth was fo well pleased with the admirable character of Falstaff in the Two Parts of Henry IV. that, as Mr. Rowe informs us, the commanded Shakspeare to continue it for one play more, and to shew him in love. To this command we owe The Merry Wives of Windfor: which, Mr. Gildon fays, he was very well affured our author finished in a fortnight. 2 This is the firft, of fundry instances in our poet, where a parfon is called fir; upon which it may be obferved, that anciently it was the common defignation both of one in holy orders and a knight. 3 The Star-chamber had a right to take cognizance of routs and riots. + Probably intended for a corruption of Cuftos Rotulorum. 5 The luce is a pike or jack. This paffage is alfo fuppofed to point at Sir Thomas Lucy, who was the cause of Shakspeare's leaving Stratford. Shal. Shal. The council shall hear it; it is a riot. Eva. It is not meet the council hear of a riot;10 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 a riot; take your vizaments in that. Sbal. Ha! o' my life, if I were young again, the fword should 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, which is daughter to mafter George Page, which is pretty virginity. Slen. Mistress Anne Page? fhe has brown hair, and speaks small like a woman. 15 Sbal. Sir, he's a good dog, and a fair dog; can 20there be more faid? he is good, and fair.-Is fir John Falstaff here? Eva. It is that very 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 25 his death's-bed, (Got deliver to a joyful refurrections!) give, when fhe is able to overtake seventeen years old: it were a goot motion, if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and defire a marriage between mafter Abraham and mistress Anne Page. Slen. Did her grandfire leave her feven hundred pounds? Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny. Page. Sir, he is within; and I would I could do a good office between you. Eva. It is fpoke as a christians ought to speak. 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; 30-Robert Shallow, esquire, saith, he is wrong'd. Page. Here comes Sir John. Slen. I know the young gentlewoman; he has 35 good gifts. Eva. Seven hundred pounds, and poffibilities, is good gifts. Shal. Well, let us fee honeft mafter Page: Is Falftaff there? 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? Fal. I will answer it ftrait;-I have done all 40 this :-That is now answer'd. Shal. The council fhall know this. Fal. 'Twere better for you, if 'twere known in counfel 3: you'll be laughed at. Eva. Pauca verba, fir John; good worts. Fal. Good worts 4! good cabbage:-Slender, I broke your head; What matter have you against me? Slen. Marry, fir, I have matter in my head against you; and against your coney-catching 5 rafcals, Bardolph, Nym, and Pistol. Bar. You Banbury cheese 6! Advisement is now an obfolete word. 2 He means Cotfrvold, in Gloucestershire; where in the beginning of the reign of James the First, by permission of the king, Dover, a public-spirited attorney of Barton on the Heath, in Warwickshire, instituted on the hills of Corfwold an annual celebration of games, confifting of rural sports and exercises. These he constantly conducted in person, well mounted, and accoutred in a fuit of his majesty's old cloaths; and they were frequented above forty years by the nobility and gentry for fixty miles round, till the grand rebellion abolished every liberal establishment. The games were, chiefly, wrestling, leaping, pitching the bar, handling the pike, dancing of women, various kinds of hunting, and particularly courfing the hare with greyhounds. 3 Falstaff here probably quibbles between council and counfel; the latter fignifies fecrecy; and his meaning seems to be, 'Twere better for you if it were known only in fecrecy, i. e. among your friends. 4 Worts was the ancient name of all the cabbage kind. 5 A coney-catcher was, in the time of Elizabeth, a common name for a cheat or sharper. 6 This alludes to the thin carcafe of Slender. Pift. How now, Mephostophilus 1? Nym. Slice, I say! pauca, pauca; flice! that's my humour. Slen. Where's Simple, my man?-can you tell, 5 coufin? Eva. Peace, I pray you! Now let us underftand: There is three umpires in this matter, as understand: that is-master Page, fidelicet, master Page; and there is myself, fidelicet, myfelf; and 10 the three party is, laftly and finally, mine host of the Garter. Page. We three to hear it, and end it between them. Eva. Fery goot: I will make a prief of it in 15 my note-book; and we will afterwards 'ork upon the caufe, with as great difcreetly as we can. Fal. Pistol, Pift. He hears with ears. Eva. The tevil and his tam! what phrafe is 20 this, He bears 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 2, and 25 two Edward fhovel-boards 3; that coft me two fhilling and two-pence a-piece of Yead Miller, by these gloves. Fal. Is this true, Pistol? Eva. No; it is falfe, if it is a pick-purse. I combat challenge of this latten bilboe 4: Slen. By this hat, then, he in the red face had it: for though I cannot remember what I did when you made me drunk, yet I am not altogether an afs. Fal. What say you, Scarlet and John? 30 35 40 45 Bard. And being fap, fir, was, as they fay, ca- 50 hier'd; and fo conclufions pafs'd the careires 3. Slez. Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter: I'll never be drunk whilst I live again, but in honeft, civil, godly company, for this trick: if I be drunk, I'll be drunk with those that have the fear of God, and not with drunken knayes. Eva. So Got 'udge me, that is a virtuous mind. Fal. You hear all these matters deny'd, gentlemen; you hear it. Enter Miftrefs Anne Page with wine; miftrefs Ford and miftrefs Page following. Page. Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we'll [Exit Anne Page. drink within. Slen. O heaven! this is mistress Anne Page. Page. How now, mistress Ford? Fal. Miftrefs Ford, by my troth, you are very well met: by your leave, good mistress. [Kiffing ber Page. Wife, bid thefe gentlemen welcome: Come, we have a hot venifon pafty to dinner; come, gentlemen, I hope, we shall drink down all unkindnefs. [Exe. all but Shal. Slend. and Evans. Slen. I had rather than forty fhillings, I had my book of fongs and fonnets here : Enter Simple. How now, Simple; where have you been? I must wait on myself, muft I? You have not the book of riddles about you, have you? Sim. Book of riddles! why, did you not lend it to Alice Shortcake upon Allhallowmas last, a fortnight afore Michaelmas ? Shal. Come, coz; come, coz; we stay for you. A word with you, coz; marry this, coz: There is, as 'twere, a tender, a kind of tender, made afar off by fir Hugh here;-do you understand me? Slen. Ay, fir, you fhall find me reasonable; if it be fo, I fhall do that that is reason. Shal. Nay, but understand me. Slen. So I do, fir. Eva. Give ear to his motions, mafter Slender: I will defcription 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 justice of peace in his country, fimple though I ftand here. Eva. But that is not the queftion; the question is concerning your marriage. Shal. Ay, there's the point, fir. Eva. Marry is it; the very point of it; to miftrefs Anne Page. Slen. Why, if it be fo, I will marry her, upon any reasonable demands. 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 'The name of a spirit or familiar, in the old story book of Sir John Fauftus, or Joan Fauft, and in thofe times a cant phrafe of abuse. 2 Mill'd-fixpences were used by way of counters to caft up money. 3 Thefe were the broad fhillings of Eduard VI. and at that time ufed at the play of fhovel-board. ✦ Mr. Theobald is of opinion, that by latten bilboe Pistol, seeing Slender fuch a slim, puny wight, would intimate, that he is as thin as a plate of that compound metal which is called latten; whilft Mr. Steevens thinks, that latten bilbe means no more than a blade as thin as a lath. 5 That is, bear the word of denial in my lips. Thou lyft. We often talk of giving the lie in a man's teeth, or in his throat. Piftol chooses to throw the word of denial in the lips of his adversary. own stratagem, the exclamation of infult probably was marry, trap! in cant strain; and, if you run the nutbook's humour on me, is in plain English, if you say I am a thief. A military phrase. 6 When a man was caught in his 7 Nutbook was a term of reproach parcel parcel of the mouth: Therefore, precifely, can you carry your good-will to the maid? Shal. Coufin Abraham Slender, can you love her? Slen. I hope, fir,-I will do, as it fhall become 5 one that would do reafon. Eva. Nay, Got's lords and his ladies, you must fpeak poffitable, if you can carry her your defires towards her. Shal. That you must: Will you, upon good dowry, marry her? Slen. I will do a greater thing than that, upon your request, cousin, in any reason. your dogs bark fo! be there bears i' the town? Anne. I think there are, fir; I heard them talk'd of. Slen. I love the fport well; but I fhall as foon quarrel at it, as any man in England:-You are afraid, if you fee the bear loose, are you not? Anne. Ay, indeed, fir. Slen. That's meat and drink to me now: I have feen Sackerfon loose, twenty times; and have taken to him by the chain: but, I warrant you, the women have fo cry'd and shriek'd at it, that it pass'd 3 :but women, indeed, cannot abide 'em; they are very ill-favour'd rough things. Shal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, fweet coz; what I do, is to pleasure you, coz: Can you 15 love the maid? Slen. I will marry her, fir, at your requeft; 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 occafion to 20 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 diffolved, and diffolutely. Eva. It is a fery difcretion answer; fave, the 25 faul' is in the 'ort 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'd, la. Re-enter Anne Page. Sbal. Here comes fair miftrefs 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. Shal, and Evans. Anne. Will't please your worship to come in, fir? Slen. No, I thank you, forfooth, heartily; I am very well. Anne. The dinner attends you, fir. 30 35 Re-enter Page. Page. Come, gentle master Slender, come; we ftay for you. Slen. I'll eat nothing, I thank you, fir. Page. By cock and pye4, you shall not choose, fir: come, come. Slen. Nay, pray you, lead the way. Page. Come on, fir. Eva. Nay, it is petter yet:-give her this letter; for it is a 'oman that altogether's acquaintance with mistress Anne Page; and the letter is, to de40fire and require her to folicit your master's defires to miftrefs Anne Page: I pray you be gone; I will make an end of my dinner; there's pippins and cheese to come. [Exeunt feverally. 1II. Slen. I am not a-hungry, I thank you, forfooth: -Go, firrah, for all you are my man, go, wait upon my cousin Shallow: [Exit Simple.] A justice of peace fometime may be beholden to his friend 45 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 fit till you come. Slen. I'faith, I'll eat nothing: I thank you as much as though I did. Anne. I pray you, fir, walk in. SCENE Enter Falfiaff, Hoft, Bardolph, Nym, Piftol, and Robin. Hoft. What fays my bully-rook? speak schol50larly, and wifely. Slen. I had rather walk here, I thank you: 1 bruis'd my fhin the other day with playing at fword 55 and dagger with a master of fence, three veneys' for a dish of stew'd pruens; and, by my troth, I cannot abide the smell of hot meat fince. Why do Fal. Truly, mine hoft, I must turn away fome of my followers. Heft. Difcard, bully Hercules; cashier: let them wag; trot, trot. Fal. I fit at ten pounds a week. Hoft. Thou'rt an emperor, Cæfar, Keifar, and Pheezar. I will entertain Bardolph; he shall draw, he fhall tap: faid I well, bully Hector? That is, three different fet-to's, bouts, a technical term from the French, venue. 2 The name of a bear. 3 Meaning, that it paffed all expreffion. 4 A popular adjuration of thofe times. Cock is no more than a corruption of the Sacred Name, as appears from cock's wounds, cock's bones, and cock's mother, and fome other exclamations which occur in the old Moralities and Interludes. The pye is a table in the old Roman offices, fhewing how to find out the fervice which is to be read on each day. Fal. Do fo, good mine hoft. Hoft. I have fpoke; let him follow: Let me fee thee froth, and lime 1; I am at a word; follow. [Exit Hoft. Fal. Bardolph, follow him; a tapfter is a good 5 trade: An old cloak makes a new jerkin; a wither'd ferving-man, a fresh tapfter: Go; adieu. Bard. It is a life that I have defir'd: I will thrive. [Exit Bard. Jeyes too; examin'd my parts with most judicious eyliads; fometimes the beam of her view gilded my foot, fometimes my portly belly. Pift. Then did the fun on dung-hill fhine. Nym. I thank thee for that humour. Fal. O, fhe did fo courfe o'er my exteriors with fuch a greedy intention, that the appetite of her eye did feem to fcorch me up like a burning-glafs! Here's another letter to her: fhe bears the purfe Pift. O base Gongarian wight 2! wilt thou the 10 too; the is a region in Guiana, all gold and fpigot wield? Nym. He was gotten in drink: Is not the humour conceited? His mind is not heroic, and there's the humour of it. Fal. I am glad, I am fo acquit of this tinderbox; 15 his thefts were too open: his filching was like an unfkilful finger, he kept not time. Nym. The good humour is, to steal at a minute's reft 3. bounty. I will be cheater 10 to them both, and they Pift. Shall I fir Pandarus of Troy become, Pift. Convey, the wife it call; Steal! foh; a 20 humour letter; I will keep the haviour of reputation. fico for the phrase! Fal. Well, firs, I am almost out at heels. Pit. Why then, let kibes enfue. Fal. There is no remedy; I must cony-catch, I muft shift. Pift. Young ravens must have food 4. Fal. Which of you know Ford of this town? Pift. I ken the wight; he is of fubftance good. Fal. My honeft lads, I will tell you what I am about. Pift. Two yards, and more. Fal. Hold, firrah, bear you these letters tightly; Sail like my pinnace 12 to these golden fhores. [To Robin. Rogues, hence, avaunt! vanish like hailstones, go; 25 Trudge, plod, away, o' the hoof; feek shelter, pack! Falftaff will learn the humour of this age, French thrift, you rogues; myself, and skirted page. [Exeunt Falstaff and Boy. 30 Fal. No quips now, Pistol: Indeed, I am in the waift two yards about: but I am now about no wafte; I am about thrift. Briefly, I do mean to make love to Ford's wife; I fpy entertainment in 35 her; the difcourfes, the carves 5, the gives the leer of invitation: I can conftrue the action of her familiar ftile; and the hardest voice of her behaviour, to be English'd rightly, is, I am fir Jobn Falstaffs. Pif. He hath ftudy'd her will, and tranflated her will; out of honesty into English. Nym. The anchor is deep: will that humour pafs? Fal. Now, the report goes, she has all the rule of her husband's purfe; the hath a legion of angels. Pift. As many devils entertain7; and, To ber, boy, fay I. Nym. The humour rifes; it is good: humour me the angels. Pift. Let vultures gripe thy guts! for gourd, And high and low beguiles the rich and poor: Nym. I have operations in my head, which be humours of revenge. Pift. Wilt thou revenge? Nym. By welkin, and her star! Nym. With both the humours, I: 40I will difcufs the humour of this love to Ford. Pift. And I to Page shall eke unfold, 45 Fal. I have writ me here a letter to her: and here 50 another to Page's wife; who even now gave me good How Falstaff, varlet vile, His dove will prove, his gold will hold, And his foft couch defile. Nym. My humour shall not cool: I will incenfe Ford to deal with poison; I will poffefs him with yellowness 14, for the revolt of mien 15 is dangerous: that is my true humour. Pift. Thou art the Mars of malecontents: I fecond thee; troop on. [Exeunt. This alludes to the tricks of frothing beer and liming fack, practifed in the time of Shakspeare. The first was done by putting foap into the bottom of the tankard when they drew the beer; the other, by mixing lime with the fack (i. e. fherry) to make it sparkle in the glass. 2 This is a parody on a line taken from one of the old bombaft plays. 3 Nym means to fay, that the perfection of ftealing is to do it in the shortest time poffible. 4 A proverb. 5 In those times the young of both fexes were inftructed in carving, as a neceffary accomplishment. 6 That is, explained. 9 That 7 The old quarto reads: As many devils attend her! 8 Probably from arillades, French. is, eagerness of defire. 19 By this is meant efcbeatour, an officer in the Exchequer, in no good repute with the common people. Perhaps we should read rightly. 12 A pinnace anciently feems to have fignified a small veffel or floop, attending on a larger. At prefent it fignifies only a man of war's boat. 13 Fullam is a cant term for false dice, bigb and low. Gourd was another instrument of gaming. 14 That is, jealousy. is Revolt of mien means change of countenance, one of the effects he has just been ascribing to jealousy, E SCENE |