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Mrs Ford. Nay, I will consent to act any villany against him, that may not sully the chariness of our honesty. O, that my husband saw this letter! it would give eternal food to his jealousy.

Mrs Page. Why, look where he comes; and my
good man too: he's as far from jealousy as I
am from giving him cause; and that, I hope,
is an unmeasurable distance.

Mrs Ford. You are the happier woman.
Mrs Page. Let's consult together against this greasy

knight. Come hither.

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[They retire.

Enter Ford, with Pistol, and Page, with Nym.

Ford. Well, I hope it be not so.

Pist. Hope is a curtal dog in some affairs :

Sir John affects thy wife.

Ford. Why, sir, my wife is not young.

Pist. He wooes both high and low, both rich and poor,
Both young and old, one with another, Ford;
He loves the gallimaufry: Ford, perpend.

Ford. Love my wife!

Pist. With liver burning hot. Prevent, or go thou,

Like Sir Actæon he, with Ringwood at thy heels:
O, odious is the name!

Ford. What name, sir?

Pist. The horn, I say. Farewell.

120

Take heed; have open eye; for thieves do foot by
night:

Take heed, ere summer comes, or cuckoo-birds do sing.
Away, Sir Corporal Nym!-

Believe it, Page; he speaks sense.

Ford. [Aside] I will be patient; I will find out this.

[Exit.

130

Nym. [To Page] And this is true; I like not the humour of lying. He hath wronged me in some humours: I should have borne the humoured letter to her; but I have a sword, and it shall bite upon my necessity. He loves your wife; there's the short and the long. My name is Corporal Nym; I speak, and I avouch; 'tis true: my name is Nym, and Falstaff loves your wife. Adieu. I love not the humour of bread and 140 cheese, and there's the humour of it. Adieu.

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Page. The humour of it,' quoth 'a! here's a fellow frights English out of his wits.

Ford. I will seek out Falstaff.

Page. I never heard such a drawling, affecting

rogue.

Ford. If I do find it:- well.

Page. I will not believe such a Cataian, though the priest o' the town commended him for a true

man.

Ford. 'Twas a good sensible fellow ;- well.

Page. How now, Meg!

[Exit.

150

[Mrs Page and Mrs Ford come forward.

Mrs Page. Whither go you, George? Hark you.

Mrs Ford. How now, sweet Frank! why art thou

melancholy ?

Ford. I melancholy! I am not melancholy. Get you
home, go.

Mrs Ford. Faith, thou hast some crotchets in thy head.
Now, will you go, Mrs Page?

Mrs Page. Have with you. You'll come to dinner, 160
George? [Aside to Mrs Ford] Look who comes

yonder: she shall be our messenger to this paltry
knight.

Mrs Ford. [Aside to Mrs Page] Trust me, I thought
on her: she 'll fit it.

Enter Mistress Quickly.

Mrs Page. You are come to see my daughter Anne ?
Quick. Ay, forsooth; and, I pray, how does good

Mistress Anne ?

Mrs Page. Go in with us and see: we have an hour's talk with you.

170

[Exeunt Mrs Page, Mrs Ford, and Mrs Quickly.

Page. How now, Master Ford!

Ford. You heard what this knave told me, did you
not?

Page. Yes: and you heard what the other told me ?
Ford. Do you think there is truth in them?

Page. Hang 'em, slaves! I do not think the knight
would offer it: but these that accuse him in his
intent towards our wives are a yoke of his dis-
carded men; very rogues, now they be out of
service.

Ford. Were they his men?

Page. Marry, were they.

Ford. I like it never the better for that. Does he lie

at the Garter ?

Page. Ay, marry, does he. If he should intend this voyage toward my wife, I would turn her loose to him; and what he gets more of her than sharp words, let it lie on my head.

Ford. I do not misdoubt my wife; but I would be

180

loath to turn them together. A man may be too 190
confident: I would have nothing lie on my head :
I cannot be thus satisfied.

Page. Look where my ranting host of the Garter
comes: there is either liquor in his pate, or
money in his purse, when he looks so merrily.

How now, mine host!

Enter Host.

Host. How now, bully-rook! thou'rt a gentleman.
Cavaleiro-justice, I say!

Enter Shallow.

Shal. I follow, mine host, I follow. Good even and twenty, good Master Page! Master Page, will 200 you go with us? we have sport in hand.

Host. Tell him, cavaleiro-justice; tell him, bully

rook.

Shal. Sir, there is a fray to be fought between Sir Hugh the Welsh priest and Caius the French doctor.

Ford. Good mine host o' the Garter, a word with you.

[Drawing him aside.

Host. What say 'st thou, my bully-rook ? Shal. [To Page] Will you go with us to behold it? 210 My merry host hath had the measuring of their weapons; and, I think, hath appointed them contrary places; for, believe me, I hear the parson is no jester. Hark, I will tell you what our sport shall be.

[They converse apart.

Host. Hast thou no suit against my knight, my guestcavaleire ?

Ford. None, I protest: but I'll give you a pottle of burnt sack to give me recourse to him, and tell him my name is Brook; only for a jest.

Host. My hand, bully; thou shalt have egress and
regress;-said I well?-and thy name shall be
Brook. It is a merry knight. Will you go,
min-heers ?

Shal. Have with you, mine host.
Page. I have heard the Frenchman hath good skill

in his rapier.

Shal. Tut, sir, I could have told you more.

220

In these times you stand on distance, your passes, stoccadoes, and I know not what; 'tis the heart, 230 Master Page; 'tis here, 'tis here. I have seen the time, with my long sword I would have made you four tall fellows skip like rats.

Host. Here, boys, here, here! shall we wag? Page. Have with you. I had rather hear them scold [Exeunt Host, Shal., and Page.

than fight.

Ford. Though Page be a secure fool, and stands so firmly on his wife's frailty, yet I cannot put off my opinion so easily: she was in his company at Page's house; and what they made there I know 240 not. Well, I will look further into't: and I have a disguise to sound Falstaff. If I find her honest, I lose not my labour; if she be otherwise, 'tis labour well bestowed.

[Exit.

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