Shal. I must excufe myfelf, Mr. Ford.

Sten. And fo muft I, Sir, we have appointed to dine with Mrs. Ann, and I would not break with her for more money than I'll fpeak of. i

Shal. We have linger'd about a match between Ann Page and my coufin Slender, and this day we hall have our answer.

1. Slen. I hope, I have your good will, father Page.. Page. You have, Mr. Slender; I ftand wholly for you; but my wife, mafter Doctor, is for you altogethera Cai. Ay, by gar, and de maid is love-a-me: ^my nurfh-a-quickly tell me fo much.

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Hoft. What fay you to young Mr. Fenton ? hecapers, he dances, he has eyes of youth, he writes verses, he fpeaks holy-day, he fmells April and May; he will carry't, he will carry't; tis in his buttons, he will carry man condi

Page. Not by my confent, I promife you: the Gentleman is of no having, he kept company with the wild prince and Poinz: he is of too high a region, he knows two much, no, he shall not knit a knot in his fortunes with the finger of my fubftance.) If he take her, let him take her fimply the wealth. I have waits on my confent, and my confent goes not that way.

Ford. befeech you, heartily, fome of you go homewith me to dinner; befide, your cheer you, fhall have fport; I will fhew you a monfter. Mr. Do&tor, you fhall go fo fhall you, Mr. Page; and you, Sir Hugh

Shal. Well, fare you well: we shall have the freer wooing at Mr. Page's...

1. Gaius. Go home, John Rugby, I come anon... ab Hoft. Farewel, my hearts; will to my honeft knight Fastaff, and drink canary with him.

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Ford. I think, I thall drink in pipe-wine firft with him: I'll make him dance. Will you go, gentles ? All. Have with you, to fee this monster. [Exeunt.

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SCENE

SCENE changes to Ford's House.

Enter Mrs Ford, Mrs. Page, and Servants with a basket.

Mrs. Ford. WHAT, John, what, Robert &

buck-basket

Mrs. Puge. Quickly, quickly; is the

Mrs. Ford. I warrant, What, Robin, I fay.
Mrs. Page. Come, come, come.rot

925 Sin 19t won Mrs. Ford. Here, fet it downli lis ym to bebea súc 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 fuddenly call you, come forth, and without any pause or ftaggering take this bafket on your fhoulders; that done, trudge with it in all hafte, and carry it among the whitters in Datchet-Mead, and there empty it in the muddy ditch close by the Thames-fide. 764 901 Mrs. Page. You will do it o

Mrs. Fords I ha' told them over and over; they lack no direction. Be gone, and come when you are call'd. Mrs. Page. Here comes little Robin, ya dica omoɔse 0: 4 0; 106171 & his podT Enter Robin..

000 tuloids as 9280 Mrs. Ford. How now, my eyas-mulket, what news blaymdred Bolotio-imsh with you? mark Judy

Rob. My mafter, Sir John, is come in at your back door, Miftrefs Ford, and requefts your company. Mrs. Page. You little jack-a-lent, have you been true to us Piq 511

Sbora and WING Rob. Ay, I'll be sworn; my mafter knows not of, your being here, and hath threaten'd to put me into ! everlasting liberty, if I tell you of it; for he fweats! he'll turn me away.

Mrs. Page. Thou'rt a good boy; this fecrecy of thine fhall be a taylor to thee, and fhall make thee a new doublet and hose. I'll go hide mell

Mrs. Ford. Do fo; go tell thy Mafter, I am alone,

Miltrels Page, remember you your cue.

[Exit Robin.

Mrs.

me.

Mrs. Page. I warrant thee; if I do not act it, hifs [Exit Mrs. Page. Mrs. Ford. Go to then; we'll ufe this unwholsome humidity, this grofs watry pumpion-we'll teach him to know turtles from jays.

Enter Falstaff.

Fal. Have I caught thee, my heav'nly jewel? why, now let me die; for I have liv'd long enough: this is the period of my ambition: O this bleffed hour! Mrs. Ford. O fweet Sir John !

Fal. Mrs. Ford, I cannot cog; I cannot prate, Miftrefs Ford: now fhall I fin in my wifh. I would, thy husband were dead; I'll speak it before the best Lord, I would make thee my Lady, or it

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Mrs. Ford. I your Lady, Sir John? alas, I fhould be a pitiful Lady, as ons is not dir

Fal. Let the Court of France fhew me fuch another; I fee how thine eye would emulate the diamond: thou haft the right arched bent of the brow, that becomes the fhip-tire, the tire-valiant, or any Venetian attire. Mrs. Ford. A plain kerchief, Sir John: my brows>> become nothing elfe, nor that well neither.

Fal. Thou art a

to fay fo; thou would't and the firm fixture of thy foot would give an excellent motion to thy gate, in a femi-circled farthingale. I fee what thou wert; if fortune thy foe were not, nature is thy friend: come, thou canst not hide it,

make an abfolute con

Mrs. Ford. Believe me, there's no fuch thing in me. Fal. What made me love thee? let that perfuade thee. There's fomething extraordinary in thee. Come 1 cannot coga and fayl thou art this and that, like a many of thefe lifping haw-thorn buds, that come like, women in men's apparel, and fmell like Bucklers-Berry, in fimpling time; I cannot but I love thee, none but thee; and thou deferveft it,

Mrs. Ford. Do not betray me, Sir; I fear, you love Mitrefs Page tofa M vád lis cod b

Fal, Thou might'ft as well fay, I love to walk by

the

the Counter-gate, which is as hateful to me as the reek of a lime-kiln.

Mrs. Ford. Well, heav'n knows how I love you, and you fhall one day find it.

Fal. Keep in that mind; I'll deferve it.

Mrs. Ford, Nay, I must tell you, so you do; or else I could not be in that mind.

Rob. [within.] Miftrefs Ford, Mistress Ford, here's Miftrefs Page at the door, fweating, and blowing, and looking wildly, and would needs fpeak with you pretently. Fal. She fhall not fee me; I will enfconce me behind the arras.

Mrs. Ford. Pray you, do fo; fhe's a very tattling [Falstaff hides himself.

woman.

Enter Miftrefs Page.

What's the matter? how now?

Mrs. Page. O Mistress Ford, what have you done? you're fham'd, y'are overthrown, you are undone for

ever.

Mrs. Ford. What's the matter, good Miftrefs Page? Mrs. Page. O well-a day, Miftrefs Ford, having an honeft man to your husband, to give him fuch caufe of fufpicion.

Mrs Ford. What caufe of fufpicion ?

Mrs. Page. What cause of fufpicion ? out upon you! how am I miftook in you?

Mrs. Ford. Why, alas! what's the matter?

Mrs. Page. Your hufband's coming hither, woman, with all the officers in Windfor, to search for a Gentleman, that, he fays, is here now in the house, by your confent, to take an ill advantage of his abfence. You are undone.

Mrs. Ford. Speak louder-[Afide.] "Tis not fo, I hope. Mrs. Page. Pray heav'n it be no fo, that you have fuch a man here; but 'tis moft certain, your husband's coming with half Windfor at his hee's, to fearch for fuch a one. I come before to tell you: if you know yourfelf clear, why, I am glad of it; but if you have a friend here, convey, convey him out. Be not amaz'd, call

call all your fenfes to you, defend your reputation, or bid farewel to your good life for ever.

Mrs. Ford. What shall I do? there is a Gentleman, my dear friend; and I fear not mine own, fhame, so much as his peril. I had rather than a thousand pound, he were out of the house.

Mrs. Page. For fhame, never ftand you had rather, and you had rather; your husband's here at hand; bethink of fome conveyance, in the house you canyou not hide him. Oh, how have you deceiv'd me? look, here is a basket, if he be of any reasonable ftature, he may creep in here, and throw foul linnen upon him, as if it were going to bucking; or it is whiting time, fend him by your two men to Datchet-mead.

Mrs. Ford. He's too big to go in there: what fhall I do?

Re-enter Falftaff.

Fal. Let me fee't, let me fee't, O let me fee't; I'll in, I'll in; follow your friend's counsel ; I'll in.

Mrs. Page. What! Sir John Falstaff? are thefe your letters, Knight?,

Fal. I love thee, help me away; let me creep in here: I'll never

[He goes into the bofket, they cover him with foul linnen. Mrs. Page. Help to cover your Mafter, boy: call your men, Miftrefs Ford. You diffembling Knight !

Mrs. Ford. What, John, Robert, Jaba, go take np thefe cloaths here, quickly. Where's the cowl-staff ? look, how you drumble: carry them to the landrefs in Datchet-mead; quickly, come..

Enter Ford, Page, Caius, and Evan's.

Ford. Pray you, come near; if I fufpect without cause, why then make sport at me, then let me be your jeft, I deferve it. How now whither, hear you this? Serv. To the landrefs, forfooth.

Mrs. Ford. Why, what have you to do whither they bear it? You were beft meddle with buck-wafhing. Ford. Buck? I would I could wash myself of the VOL. 1. buck:

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