hold: This is the third time; I hope good luck |the very instant of Falstaff's and our meeting, they lies in odd numbers. Away, go; they say, there will at once display to the night. is divinity in odd numbers, either in nativity, Mrs. Ford. That cannot choose but amaze him. chance, or death.-Away. Mrs. Page. If he be not amazed, he will be mocked; if he be amazed, he will every way be mocked. Quick. I'll provide you a chain; and I'll do what I can to get you a pair of horns. Ful. Away, I say; tine wears; hold up your nead, and mince. [Erit Mrs. Quickly. Enter Ford. How now, master Brook? Master Brook, the matter will be known to-night, or never. Be you in the Park about midnight, at Herne's oak, and you shall see wonders. Ford. Went you not to her yesterday, sir, as you told me you had appointed? Mrs. Ford. We'll betray him finely. Mrs. Page. Against such lewdsters, and their SCENE IV.-Windsor Park. Enter Sir Hugh Eva. Trib, trib, fairies; come; and remember Fal. I went to her, master Brook, as you see, your parts : be pold, I pray you; follow me into like a poor old man; but I came from her, master the pit; and when I give the watch-'ords, do as I Brook, like a poor old woman. That same knave, pid you: Come, come; trib, trib. [Exeunt, Ford her husband, hath the finest mad devil of Jealousy in him, master Brook, that ever governed | SCENE ...Another part of the Park Enter phrensy. I will tell you.-He beat me grievously, in the shape of a woman; for in the shape of man, master Brook, I fear not Goliath with a weaver's minute draws on: Now, the hot-blooded gods assist Fal. The Windsor bell hath struck twelve; the beam; because I know also, life is a shuttle. I am Falstaff disguised, with a buck's head on. in haste; go along with me; I'll tell you all, mas- me!-Remember, Jove, thou wast a bull for thy ter Brook. Since I plucked geese, played truant, Europa; love set on thy horns.-O powerful love! and whipped top, I knew not what it was to be that, in some respects, makes a beast a man; in beaten, till lately. Follow me : I'll tell you strange some other, a man a beast. - You were also, Jupiter, things of this knave Ford: on whom to-night I will swan, for the love of Leda; 0, omnipotent be revenged, and I will deliver his wife into your love! how near the god drew to the complexion of hand.Follow: Strange things in hand, master a goose -- A fault done first in the form of a beast; [Exeunt. -O Jove, a beastly fault! and then another fault in the semblance of a fowl; think on't, Jove; a SCENE II.-Windsor Park, Enter Page, Shal- foul fault.-When gods have hot backs, what shall poor men do? For me, I am here a Windsor stag; and the fattest, I think, i' the forest: send me a Page. Come, come; we'll couch i' the castle-cool rut-time, Jove, or who can blame me to piss ditch, till we see the light of our fairies.-Remem-my tallow! Who comes here? my doe? ber, son Slender, my daughter. Brook! follow. low, and Slender. 2 Slen. Ay, forsooth; I have spoke with her, and we have a nay-word, how to know one another. I come to her in white, and cry, mum; she cries, budget; and by that we know one another. Shal. That's good too: But what needs either your mum, or her budget? the white will decipher her well enough.-It hath struck ten o'clock, Page. The night is dark; light and spirits will become it well. Heaven prosper our sport! No man means evil but the devil, and we shall know him by his horns, Let's away; follow me. SCENE III.-The Street in Windsor. Enter Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page. Mrs. Ford. Sir John? art thou there, my deer? my male deer? rain potatoes, let it thunder to the tune of Green Mrs. Ford, Mistress Page is come with me, sweetheart, Fal. Divide me like a bribe-buck, each a haunch: [Exeunt. I will keep my sides to myself, my shoulders for the fellow of this walk, and my horns I bequeath your Enter husbands. Am I a woodman? ha! Speak I like Herne the hunter?-Why, now is Cupid a child of conscience; he makes restitution. As I am a true spirit, welcome! [Noise within. Mrs. Page, Mrs. Ford, and Dr. Caius. Mrs. Page. Master doctor, my daughter is in greer: when you see your time, take her by the hand, away with her to the deanery, and despatch it quickly: Go before into the park; we two must go together. Caius. I know vat I have to do; Adieu. Mrs. Page. Fare you well, sir. [Exit Caius.] My husband will not rejoice so much at the abuse of Falstaff, as he will chafe at the doctor's marry ing my daughter: but 'tis no matter; better a little chiding, than a great deal of heart-break. Mrs. Ford. Where is Nan now, and her troop of fairies? and the Welsh devil, Hugh? Mrs. Page. They are all couched in a pit hard by Herne's oak, with obscured lights; which, at (1) Keep to the time, (2) Watch-word. Mrs. Page. Alas! what noise? [They run off. Mrs. Page. Away, away, Enter Sir Hugh Evans, like a satyr; Mrs. Quickly You moon-shine revellers, and shades of night, Pist. Elves, list your names; silence, you airy Cricket, to Windsor chimneys shalt thou leap: There pinch the maids as blue as bilberry:2 shall die. I'll wink and couch: No man their works must eye. [Lies down upon his face. Eva. Where's Pede ?-Go you, and where you That, ere she sleep, has thrice her prayers said, But those as sleep, and think not on their sins, and shins. Quick. About, about; Search Windsor castle, elves, within and out: And nightly, meadow-fairies, look, you sing, In emerald tufts, flowers purple, blue, and white; And twenty glow-worms shall our lanterns be, Fal. Heavens defend me from that Welch fairy, lest he transform me to a piece of cheese! Pist. Vile worm, thou wast o'er-look'd even in thy birth. Quick. With trial-fire touch me his finger end: If he be chaste, the flame will back descend, And turn him to no pain; but if he start, It is the flesh of a corrupted heart. Pist. A trial, come. Eva. Come, will this wood take fire? [They burn him with their tapers. Fal. Oh, oh, oh! Quick. Corrupt, corrupt, and tainted in desire! About him, fairies; sing a scornful rhyme: And, as you trip, still pinch him to your time. Eva. It is right; indeed he is full of lecheries and iniquity. you now; Will none but Herne the hunter serve your turn? Now, good sir John, how like you Windsor wives? Ford. Now, sir, who's a cuckold now?-Master Brook, Falstaff's a knave, a cuckoldly knave; here are his horns, master Brook: And, master Brook, he hath enjoyed nothing of Ford's but his buckbasket, his cudgel, and twenty pounds of money ; which must be paid to master Brook; his horses are arrested for it, master Brook. Mrs. Ford. Sir John, we have had ill luck; we could never meet. I will never take you for my love again, but I will always count you my deer. Fal. I do begin to perceive that I am made an ass. Fal. And these are not fairies? I was three or when 'tis upon ill employment! Eva. And leave you your jealousies too, I pray you. Ford. I will never mistrust my wife again, till thou art able to woo her in good English. Fal. Have I laid my brain in the sun, and dried it, that it wants matter to prevent so gross o'erreaching as this? Am I ridden with a Welch goat too? Shall I have a coxcomb of frize? 'tis time were choaked with a piece of toasted cheese. I Eva. Seese is not good to give putter; your pelly is all putter. Fal. Seese and putter! Have I lived to stand at the taunt of one that makes fritters of English? This is enough to be the decay of lust and latewalking, through the realm. Mrs. Page. Why, sir John, do you think, though we would have thrust virtue out of our hearts by (4) Horns which Falstaff had. (5) A fool's cap of Welch materials, the head and shoulders, and have given ourselves cozened; I ha' married un garçon, a boy; un paiwithout scruple to hell, that ever the devil could san, by gar, a boy; it is not Anne Page: by gar, I have made you our delight? am cozened. Ford. What, a hodge-pudding? a bag of flax? Page. Old, cold, withered, and of intolerable entrails. Mrs. Page. Why, did you take her in green? Caius. Ay, be gar, and 'tis a boy be gar, I'll raise all Windsor. [Exit Caius. Ford. This is strange: Who hath got the right Ford. And one that is as slanderous as Satan? Anne? Ford. And as wicked as his wife? Eva. And given to fornications, and to taverns, and sack, and wine, and metheglins, and to drinkings, and swearings, and starings, pribbles and prabbles? Fal. Well, I am your theme: you have the start of me; I am dejected; I am not able to answer the Welch flannel; ignorance itself is a plummet o'er me: use me as you will. Page. My heart misgives me: Here comes master Fenton. Enter Fenton and Anne Page. How now, master Fenton? Anne. Pardon, good father! good my mother, pardon ! Page. Now, mistress? how chance you went not with master Slender? Mrs. Page. Why went you not with master doc Ford. Marry, sir, we'll bring you to Windsor, to one master Brook, that you have cozened of tor, maid? money, to whom you should have been a pander: over and above that you have suffered, I think, to repay that money will be a biting affliction. Mrs. Ford. Nay, husband, let that go to make amends: Fent. You do amaze1 her: Hear the truth of it, You would have married her most shamefully, Where there was no proportion held in love. The truth is, she and I, long since contracted, Are now so sure that nothing can dissolve us. The offence is holy, that she hath committed: And this deceit loses the name of craft, Of disobedience, or unduteous title; Page. Yet be cheerful, knight: thou shalt eat a Since therein she doth evitate and shun posset to-night at my house; where I will desire A thousand irreligious cursed hours, Forgive that sum, and so we'll all be friends. last. her. thee to laugh at my wife, that now laughs at thee: Which forced marriage would have brought upon Tell her, master Slender hath married her daughter. Mrs. Page. Doctors doubt that: If Anne Page be my daughter, she is, by this, doctor Caius' wife. [Aside. Enter Slender. Slen. Whoo, ho! ho! father Page! Page. Son! how now ? how now, son? have you despatched? Slen. Despatched-I'll make the best in Glocestershire know on't; would I were hanged, la, else. Page. Of what, son? Ford. Stand not amaz'd: here is no remedy :In love, the heavens themselves do guide the state; Moncy buys lands, and wives are sold by fate. Fal. I am glad, though you have ta'en a special stand to strike at me, that your arrow hath glanced. Page. Well, what remedy? Fenton, heaven give thee joy! What cannot be eschew'd, must be embrac'd. Eva. I will dance and eat plumbs at your wed- Slen. I came yonder at Eton to marry mistress Mrs. Page. Well, I will muse no further:- Page. Upon my life then, you took the wrong. Slen. What need you tell me that? I think so, when I took a boy for a girl: If I had been married to him, for all he was in woman's apparel, I would not have had him. Page. Why, this is your own folly. Did not I tell you, how you should know my daughter by her garments? Slen. I went to her in white, and cry'd num, and she cry'd budget, as Anne and I had appointed; and yet it was not Anne, but a post-master's boy. Eva. Jeshu! Master Slender, cannot you see but marry poys? Sir John and all. Let it be so:-Sir John, To master Brook you yet shall hold your word; For he, to-night, shall lie with Mrs. Ford. [Exeunt. Of this play there is a tradition preserved by Mr. Rowe, that it was written at the command of Queen Elizabeth, who was so delighted with the character of Falstaff, that she wished it to be difPage. O, I am vexed at heart: What shall I do? fused through more plays; but suspecting that it Mrs. Page. Good George, be not angry: I might pall by continued uniformity, directed the knew of your purpose; turned my daughter into poet to diversify his manner, by showing him in green; and, indeed, she is now with the doctor at love. No task is harder than that of writing to the the deanery, and there married. ideas of another. Shakspeare knew what the queen, if the story be true, seems not to have known, that by any real passion of tenderness, the selfish craft, the careless jollity, and the lazy luxury of Falstaff, must have suffered so much abatement, that little of his former cast would have remained. Falstaff could not love, but by ceasing to be Falstaff. He L could only counterfeit love, and his professions of forming ridiculous characters can confer praise This comedy is remarkable for the variety and tion begins and ends often, before the conclusion, JOHNSON ACT I. SCENE I. An apartment in the Duke's palace. IF music be the food of love, play on, no more; Even in a minute! so full of shapes is fancy, Cur. Will you go hunt, my lord? Cur. What, Curio? The hart. Duke. Why, so I do, the noblest that I have: O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first, Methought, she purg'd the air of pestilence; That instant was I turn'd into a hart; And my desires, like fell and cruel hounds, E'er since pursue me.-How now? what news from her? Enter Valentine. Val. So please my lord, I might not be admitted, But from her handmaid do return, this answer : The element itself, till seven years heat,' Shall not behold her face at ample view; But, like a cloistress, she will veiled walk, And water once a day her chamber round, With eye-offending brine: all this, to season A brother's dead love, which she would keep fresh, And lasting, in her sad remembrance. Duke. O, she that hath a heart of that fine frame, To pay this debt of love but to a brother, How will she love, when the rich golden shaft Hath kill'd the flock of all affections else That live in her! when liver, brain, and heart, These sovereign thrones, are all supplied, and fill'd, (Her sweet perfections,) with one self king!Away before me to sweet beds of flowers; Love-thoughts he rich, when canopied with bowers [Exeunt SCENE II.-The sea-coast. Enter Viola, Cap tain, and Sailors. Vio. What country, friends, is this? Сар. Illyria, lady. My brother he is in Elysium. Vio. And what should I do in Illyria ? Perchance, he is not drown'd:-What think you, sailors? tice) To a strong mast, that lived upon the sea; Vio. Not three hours' travel from this very place. Cap. As in his name. Vio. Сар. A noble duke, in nature, What is his name? Orsino. Vio. Orsino! I have heard my father name him: He was a bachelor then. (3) Heated. |