Enter PAGE, SHALLOW, SLENDER, Host, SIR HUGH EVANS, CAIUS, and RUGBY. SHAL., PAGE, etc. Well met, Master Ford. 50 FORD. Trust me, a good knot! I have good cheer at SHAL. We have linger'd about a match between Anne SLEN. I hope I have your good will, father Page. HOST. What say you to young Master Fenton ? 61 He capers, he dances, he has eyes of youth, he writes verses, he speaks holiday," he smells April and May: he will carry 't, he will carry 't; 'tis in his buttons; he will carry 't. PAGE. Not by my consent, I promise you. The gentle man is of no having: he kept company with the wild Prince and Poins; he is of too high a region, he knows too much. No, he shall not knit a knot in his fortunes with the finger of my substance: if he take her, let him take her simply; the wealth I have waits on my consent, and my consent goes not that way. FORD. I beseech you, heartily, some of you go home with me to dinner: besides your cheer you shall have sport; I will shew you a monster.-Master Doctor, you shall go;-so shall you, Master Page;-and you, Sir Hugh. 73 SHAL. Well, fare you well. We shall have the freer wooing at Master Page's. 80 [Exeunt SHALLOW and SLENDER. CAIUS. Go home, John Rugby; I come anon. ACT III Sc. II [Exit RUGBY. 1 society. 2 choicely. 3 he has it in him. 4 estate. ACT III HOST. Farewell, my hearts: I will to my honest Knight Falstaff, and drink canary1 with him. [Exit Host. FORD. [aside.] I think I shall drink in pipe2-wine first with him: I'll make him dance. [aloud.] Will you go, gentles? ALL. Have with you, to see this monster. [exeunt. SCENE III. A Room in FORD'S House. Enter MISTRESS FORD and MISTRESS PAGE. MRS. FORD. What, John! what, Robert! MRS. PAGE. Quickly, quickly! Is the buck-basket— Enter Servants with a Basket. MRS. PAGE. Come, come, come. ! MRS. FORD. Here, set it down. MRS. PAGE. You will do it? 14 MRS. FORD. I have told them over and over: they lack MRS. PAGE. Here comes little Robin. Enter ROBIN. MRS. FORD. How now, my eyas-musket? what news with you? 20 ROB. My master Sir John is come in at your back-door, MRS. PAGE. You little Jack-a-lent," have you been true ROB. Ay, I'll be sworn. My master knows not of your 1 (1) a dance, (2) a wine. 2 (1) a vessel, (2) a musical instrument. 3 bleachers. being here; and hath threaten'd to put me into ever- ACT III lasting liberty if I tell you of it; for he swears he'll Sc. III turn me away. MRS. PAGE. Thou art a good boy. This secrecy of thine shall be a tailor to thee, and shall make thee a new doublet and hose.-I'll go hide me. 31 MRS. FORD. Do so.-[to ROBIN.] Go tell thy master I am alone. Mistress Page, remember you your cue. [Exit ROBIN. MRS. PAGE. I warrant thee: if I do not act it, hiss me. Enter FALSTAFF. 40 FAL. Have I caught my heavenly jewel? Why, now 3 MRS. FORD. I your Lady, Sir John! Alas, I should be FAL. Let the Court of France shew me such another! 52 MRS. FORD. A plain kerchief, Sir John: my brows be- FAL. By the Lord, thou art a tyrant to say so! Thou 60 1 honest women. 2 (slang) harlots. 3 cheat. 4 head. 5 approved at Venice. ACT III FAL. What made me love thee? Let that persuade Sc. III thee there's something extraordinary in thee. Come, I cannot cog, and say thou art this and that, like a many of these lisping hawthorn-buds,' that come like women in men's apparel, and smell like Bucklersbury in simple2-time. I cannot: but I love thee; none but thee; and thou deservest it. MRS. FORD. Do not betray me, Sir. I fear you love 70 FAL. Thou might'st as well say I love to walk by the Counter-gate; which is as hateful to me as the reek of a lime-kiln. MRS. FORD. Well, Heaven knows how I love you; and you shall one day find it. FAL. Keep in that mind: I'll deserve it. MRS. FORD. Nay, I must tell you, so you do; or else I could not be in that mind. ROB. [within.] Mistress Ford, Mistress Ford! Here's Mistress Page at the door, sweating and blowing and looking wildly, and would needs speak with you presently. 82 FAL. She shall not see me; I will ensconce me behind woman. Enter MISTRESS PAGE and ROBIN. What's the matter? how now? MRS. PAGE. O Mistress Ford, what have you done? honest man to your husband, to give him such cause MRS. FORD. What cause of suspicion? MRS. PAGE. What cause of suspicion ?-Out upon you! MRS. FORD. Why, alas! what's the matter? Sc. III that, he says, is here now in the house, by your consent, ACT III to take an ill advantage of his absence. You are undone. MRS. FORD. 'Tis not so, I hope. 102 MRS. PAGE. Pray Heaven it be not so, that you have III MRS. PAGE. For shame, never stand You had rather and You had rather! Your husband's here at hand, bethink you of some conveyance in the house you cannot hide him.-O, how have you deceiv'd me!— Look, here is a basket: if he be of any reasonable stature, he may creep in here; and throw foul linen upon him, as if it were going to bucking. Or, it is whiting 1-time, send him by your two men to Datchet Mead. 124 MRS. FORD. He's too big to go in there. What shall FAL. [appearing.] Let me see 't; let me see 't! O, let Follow your friend's MRS. PAGE. What! Sir John Falstaff! Are these your letters, Knight? 131 FAL. I love thee! Help me away: let me creep in here. I'll never MRS. PAGE. Help to cover your master, boy. Call your 1 bleaching. I: CC 139 |