Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou, And think thee worthy of an emprefs' love: Duke. I grant it for thine own, whate'er it be. Val. These banish'd men, that I have kept withal, Are men endu'd with worthy qualities: Forgive them what they have committed here, Duke. Thou haft prevail'd, I pardon them and thee; Duke. I think, the boy hath grace in him; he blushes. Val. I warrant you, my lord, more grace than boy. Duke. What mean you by that faying? Val. Please you, I'll tell you as we pass along, That done, our day of marriage fhall be yours, [Exeunt omnes. THE SIR John Falftaff. Fenton, a young Gentleman of Small Fortune, in Love with Mrs. Anne Page. Shallow, a Country Justice. Slender, Coufin to Shallow, a foolish Country Squire. Sir Hugh Evans, a Welch Parfon. Dr. Caius, a French Doctor. Hoft of the Garter, a merry talking Fellow. Pistol, Sharpers, attending on Falstaff. Nym, Robin, Page to Falstaff. William Page, a Boy, Son to Mr. Page. Simple, Servant to Slender. Rugby, Servant to Dr. Caius. Mrs. Page, Wife to Mr. Page. Mrs. Ford, Wife to Mr. Ford. Mrs. Anne Page, Daughter to Mr. Page, in Love with Fenton. Mrs. Quickly, Servant to Dr. Caius. Servants to Page, Ford, &c. SCENE, Windfor: and the Parts adjacent. THE (1) MERRY WIVES of Windfor. A C T I. SCENE, before Page's Houfe in Windfor. Enter Justice Shallow, Slender, and Sir Hugh Evans. SHALLOW. IR Hugh, perfwade me not; I will make a Star-Chamber matter of it: if he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs, he shall not abufe Robert Shallow, Efq; Slen. In the county of Gloucefter, juftice of peace, and Coram, Shal. Ay, coufin Slender, and Cuftalorum. (1) The Merry Wives of Windfor.] Queen Elizabeth was fo well pleas'd with the admirable Character of Falstaff in the Two Parts of Henry IV, that, as Mr. Rowe informs us, She commanded Shakespeare to continue it for one Play more, and to fhew him in Love. To this Command We owe this Comedy of the Merry Wives of Windfor: which, Mr. Gildon fays, he was very well affur'd, our Author finish'd in a Fortnight. But this must be meant only, as Mr. Pope has obferv'd,. of the first imperfect Sketch of this Comedy, printed in 1619. The Notice of a Play, publifh'd feventeen years after Queen Elizabeth's Death, does no ways come in Support of the Tradition, that it was perform'd for that Princess's Entertainment. But I have another old Quarto Edition of this Comedy, (which, I prefume, Mr. Pope never faw;) printed in 1602; which fays in the Title-page- As it hath been diverfe times acted both before her Majefty and elsewhere. The Reader will find the Title of this old Play at length, in my Catalogue of Editions prefix'd to this Work. Slen. |