Quickly, which is the manner of his nurse, or his dry nurse, or his cook, or his laundry, his washer, and his wringer.

Sim. Well, sir.

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 desire and require her to solicit your master's desires to Mistress Anne Page: I pray you, be gone. [Exit SIMPLE.] I will make an end of my dinner; there's pippins and cheese to come. [Exit EVANS.

SCENE III.

The Garter Inn.

Enter FALSTAFF, HOST, and Bardolph.

Fal. Mine host of the Garter,—

Host. What says my bully-rock? speak scholarly and wisely.

Fal. Truly, mine host, I must turn away some of my followers.

Host. Discard, bully Hercules; cashier: let them wag; trot, trot.

Fal. I sit at ten pounds a week.

Host. Thou'rt an emperor, Cæsar, Keisar, and Pheezar. I will entertain Bardolph; he shall draw, he shall tap; said I well, bully Hector ?

Fal. Do so, good mine host.

Host. I have spoke; let him follow: Let me see thee froth, and lime: I am at a word; follow.

[Exit HOST. Fal. Bardolph, follow him; a tapster is a good trade; An old cloak makes a new jerkin: a wither'd servingman, a fresh tapster: Go; adieu.

Bard. It is a life that I have desir'd: I will thrive. [Exit BARDOLPH.

Fal. I am glad, I am so acquit of this tinderbox; his thefts were too open; his filching was like an unskilful singer, he kept not time.

Enter PISTOL, NYM, and ROBIN.

Which of you know Ford of this town?

Pist. I ken the wight; he is of substance good. Fal. My honest lads, I will tell you what I am about.

Pist. Two yards and more.

Fal. No quips now, Pistol: Indeed, I am in the waist two yards about: but I am now about no waste; I am about thrift. Briefly, I do mean to make love to Ford's wife: I spy entertainment in her; she discourses, she carves, she gives the leer of invitation : I can construe the action of her familiar style; and the hardest voice of her behaviour, to be english'd rightly, is, "I am Sir John Falstaff's."

Pist. He hath study'd her will; and translated her will; out of honesty into English.

Fal. Now, the report goes, she has all the rule of her husband's purse; she hath a legion of angels. Nym. The humour rises; it is good: humour me the angels.

Fal. I have writ me here a letter to her: and here another to Page's wife; who even now gave me good eyes too, examin'd my parts with most judicious eyliads sometimes the beam of her view gilded my foot, sometimes my portly belly,

Pist. Then did the sun on dunghill shine.

Nym. I thank thee for that humour.

Fal. O, she did so course-o'er my exteriors with such a greedy intention, that the appetite of her eye did seem to scorch me up like a burning-glass! She

bears the purse too; she is a region in Guiana, all gold and bounty. I will be cheater to them both, and they shall be exchequers to me; they shall be my East and West Indies, and I will trade to them both. Go, bear thou this letter to Mistress Page; and thou this to Mistress Ford; we will thrive, lads, we will thrive.

Pist. Shall I Sir Pandarus of Troy become,

And by my side wear steel? then, Lucifer take all. Nym. I will run no base humour: here, take the humour letter; I will keep the 'haviour of reputation. Fal. Hold, sirrah, bear you these letters tightly; Sail like my pinnace to these golden shores.

[Exit ROBIN. Rogues, hence, avaunt! vanish like hail-stones, go; Trudge, plod, away, o'the hoof; seek shelter, pack! Falstaff will learn the humour of this age,

French thrift, you rogues: myself, and skirted page.

[Exit FALSTAFF. Nym. I have operations in my head, which be hu

mours of revenge,

Pist. Wilt thou revenge?

Nym. By welkin, and her star?

Pist. With wit, or steel?

Nym. With both the humours I :

I will discuss the humour of this love to Page.

Pist. And I to Ford shall eke unfold,

How Falstaff, varlet vile,

His dove will prove, his gold will hold,
And his soft couch defile.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

DR. CAIUS' House.

Enter MRS. QUICKLY, with a Letter, and SIMPLE. Quick. What; John Rugby!—

Enter RUGBY.

I pray thee, go to the casement, and see if you can see my master, Master Doctor Caius, coming if he do, i' faith, and find any body in the house, here will be an old abusing of the king's English.

Rug. I'll go watch.

Quick. Go; and we'll have a posset for't soon at night, in faith, at the latter end of a sea-coal fire.[Exit RUGBY.] An honest, willing, kind fellow, as ever servant shall come in house withal; and, I warrant you, no tell-tale, nor no breed-bate: his worst fault is, that he is given to prayer; he is something peevish that way; but nobody but has his fault; but let that pass.-Peter Simple, you say your

name is ?

Sim. Ay, for fault of a better.

Quick. And Master Slender's your master?
Sim. Ay, forsooth.

Quick. A softly-sprighted man, is he not?

Sim. Ay, forsooth; but he is as tall a man of his hands, as any is between this and his head; he hath fought with a warrener.

Quick. How say you?- -O, I should remember him: Does he not hold up his head, as it were? and strut in his gait?

Sim. Yes, indeed, does he.

Quick. Well, Heaven send Anne Page no worse fortune! Tell Master Parson Evans, I will do what I can for your master: Anne is a good girl, and I wish— Enter RUGBY.

Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master.

[Exit RUGBY. Quick. We shall all be shent: Run in here, good young man; go into this closet. [Shuts SIMPLE in the Closet.] He will not stay long.-What, John Rugby! John, what, John, I say!-Go, John, go inquire for my master; I doubt, he be not well, that he comes not home:

And down, down, a-down-a, &c.

Enter DocTOR CAIUS.

[Singing.

Caius. Vat is you sing? I do not like dese toys; Pray you, go and vetch me in my closet un botier verd; a box, a green-a box; Do intend vat I speak ? a green-a box.

Quick. Ay, forsooth, I'll fetch it you.-I am glad he went not in himself: if he had found the young man, he would have been horn-mad.

Caius. Fe, fe, fe, fe!

me'en vais à la Cour,

[Exit MRS. QUICKLY. ma foi, il fait fort chaud. Je la grande affaire.

Enter MRS. QUICKLY, with a Green Box.

Quick. Is it this, sir?

Caius. Ouy; mettez le au mon pocket; Depéchez

quickly;-Vere is dat knave Rugby?

Quick. What, John Rugby! John!

Rug. Here sir.

Enter RUGBY.

Caius. You are John Rugby, and you are Jack Rugby: Come, take-a your rapier, and come after my heel to de court.