me good eyes too, examined my parts with most judicious œillades; 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 burningglass! Here's another letter to her: 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; 80 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. [To Robin] Hold, sirrah, bear you these Sail like my pinnace to these golden shores. pack! Falstaff will learn the humour of the age, 76. a region in Guiana; Raleigh had returned thence in 1596, and shortly after published his account of The Discovery of the Empire of Guiana. 77. cheater, escheater, an officer of the exchequer employed to exact fines (with a play on the ordinary sense). 83. Sir Pandarus of Troy, the go-between in the amours of Troilus and Cressida, famous from Chaucer's poem. Pistol asks whether he, a soldier, shall condescend to play this part. 88. tightly, promptly, effectively. 70 French thrift, you rogues; myself and skirted page. [Exeunt Falstaff and Robin. Pist. Let vultures gripe thy guts! for gourd and fullam holds, And high and low beguiles the rich and poor : Nym. I have operations which be humours 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. How Falstaff, varlet vile, His dove will prove, his gold will hold, Nym. My humour shall not cool: I will incense Page to deal with poison; I will possess him with yellowness, for the revolt of mine is dangerous: that is my true humour. Pist. Thou art the Mars of malecontents: I second thee; troop on. [Exeunt. 100 110 93. French thrift, the economical practice of employing a page instead of a band of retainers. 94. gourd, fullam, species of false dice, 95. high and low, high and low throws at dice. IOI. her star, the sun. III. yellowness, the sign of jealousy. III. revolt of mine; doubtful reading. If right, it can only mean 'of my humour.' Theobald altered to mien, which gives a good sense rather strangely expressed: the change of colour (to 'yellowness') makes a man dangerous. SCENE IV. A room in DOCTOR CAIUS's house. Enter MISTRESS QUICKLY, SIMPLE, and RUGBY. Quick. What, John 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 God's patience and 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, 10 you say your name is ? Sim. Ay, for fault of a better. Quick. And Master Slender's your master? Quick. Does he not wear a great round beard, like a glover's paring-knife? Sim. No, forsooth: he hath but a little wee face, with a little yellow beard, a Cain-coloured beard. Quick. A softly-sprighted man, is he not? Sim. Ay, forsooth: but he is as tall a man of 20 5. old, extraordinary. 8. posset, a hot drink taken before going to bed. 12. breed - bate, quarrel-provoker. 14. peevish, foolish. 23. Cain coloured beard; both Cain and Judas appeared with yellow and red beards in tapestry and pictures. 26. as tall a man of his hands, as effective in fight. 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, 30 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 Re-enter RUGBY. Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master. Quick. We shall all be shent. Run in here, good young man; go into this closet: he will not stay long. [Shuts Simple in the closet.] What, John Rugby! John! what, John, I say! Go, John, go inquire for my master; I doubt he be 40 not well, that he comes not home. [Singing] And down, down, adown-a, etc. Enter Doctor Calus. Caius. Vat is you sing? I do not like des toys. Pray you, go and vetch me in my closet un boitier vert, a box, a green-a box: do intend vat I speak? a green-a box. Quick. Ay, forsooth; I'll fetch it you. [Aside] I am glad he went not in himself: if he had found the young man, he would have been hornmad. Caius. Fe, fe, fe, fe! ma foi, il fait fort chaud. Je m'en vais a la cour-la grande affaire. Quick. Is it this, sir? Caius. Oui; mette le au mon pocket: depeche, quickly. Vere is dat knave Rugby? 50 Quick. What, John Rugby! John! Rug. Here, sir! Caius. You are John Rugby, and you are 60 Jack Rugby. Come, take-a your rapier, and come after my heel to the court. Od's Rug. "Tis ready, sir, here in the porch. Caius. By my trot, I tarry too long. me! Qu'ai-j'oublie ! dere is some simples in my closet, dat I vill not for the varld I shall leave behind. Quick. Ay me, he'll find the young man there, and be mad! Caius. O diable, diable! vat is in my closet ? Villain! larron! [Pulling Simple out.] Rugby, my rapier! Quick. Good master, be content. Caius. Wherefore shall I be content-a? Quick. The young man is an honest man. Caius. What shall de honest man do in my closet? dere is no honest man dat shall come in my closet. 70 Quick. I beseech you, be not so phlegmatic. Hear the truth of it: he came of an errand to me 80 from Parson Hugh. Caius. Vell. Sim. Ay, forsooth; to desire her to- Caius. Peace-a your tongue. Speak - a your tale. Sim. To desire this honest gentlewoman, your maid, to speak a good word to Mistress Anne Page for my master in the way of marriage. Quick. This is all, indeed, la! but I'll ne'er 90 put my finger in the fire, and need not. 79. phlegmatic for choleric. choleric. Mrs. Quickly conSimilarly, melancholy (1. 96) for founds the 'humours.' |