Evans. A lousy knave, to have his gibes and his mockeries!

[Exeunt. 260

SCENE IV. A room in PAGE's house.

Enter FENTON and ANNE Page.

Fent. I see I cannot get thy father's love; Therefore no more turn me to him, sweet Nan. Anne. Alas, how then?

Fent.

Why, thou must be thyself.

He doth object I am too great of birth;

And that, my state being gall'd with my expense,
I seek to heal it only by his wealth:
Besides these, other bars he lays before me,
My riots past, my wild societies;
And tells me 'tis a thing impossible
I should love thee but as a property.
Anne. May be he tells you true.

Fent. No, heaven so speed me in my time to come!

Albeit I will confess thy father's wealth

Was the first motive that I woo'd thee, Anne:
Yet, wooing thee, I found thee of more value
Than stamps in gold or sums in sealed bags;
And 'tis the very riches of thyself

That now I aim at.

Anne.

Gentle Master Fenton,

Yet seek my father's love; still seek it, sir:

If opportunity and humblest suit

Cannot attain it, why, then,-hark you hither!

[They converse apart.

Enter SHALLOW, SLENDER, and MISTRESS

QUICKLY.

Shal. Break their talk, Mistress Quickly: my kinsman shall speak for himself.

VOL. II

305

X

10

20

Slen. I'll make a shaft or a bolt on 't: 'slid, 'tis but venturing.

Shal. Be not dismayed.

Slen. No, she shall not dismay me: I care not for that, but that I am afeard.

Quick. Hark ye; Master Slender would speak a word with you.

Anne. I come to him.

father's choice.

[Aside] This is my

O, what a world of vile ill-favour'd faults

Looks handsome in three hundred pounds a-year!
Quick. And how does good Master Fenton ?
Pray you, a word with you.

Shal. She's coming; to her, coz. O boy, thou hadst a father!

Slen. I had a father, Mistress Anne; my uncle can tell you good jests of him.

Pray you, uncle, tell Mistress Anne the jest, how my father stole two geese out of a pen, good uncle.

Shal. Mistress Anne, my cousin loves you. Slen. Ay, that I do; as well as I love any woman in Gloucestershire.

Shal. He will maintain you like a gentle

woman.

Slen. Ay, that I will, come cut and long-tail, under the degree of a squire.

Shal. He will make you a hundred and fifty pounds jointure.

Anne. Good Master Shallow, let him woo for himself.

24. make a shaft or a bolt on't, bring the matter to an issue one way or the other; one of Slender's sporting proverbs; literally, cut an unshaped piece of wood either into a long slender arrow, or into a broad blunt bird-bolt.

30

40

50

47. cut and long-tail, properly dock-tailed horses and horses with tails undocked, i.e. horses of all sorts; used by the 'horsey' Slender for 'men of all sorts,' 'anybody' ('under the degree of a squire ').

Shal. Marry, I thank you for it; I thank you for that good comfort. She calls you, coz: I'll leave you.

Anne. Now, Master Slender,—

Slen. Now, good Mistress Anne,-
Anne. What is your will?

Slen. My will! 'od's heartlings, that's a pretty jest indeed! I ne'er made my will yet, I thank 60 heaven; I am not such a sickly creature, I give heaven praise.

Anne. I mean, Master Slender, what would you with me?

Slen. Truly, for mine own part, I would little or nothing with you. Your father and my uncle hath made motions: if it be my luck, so; if not, happy man be his dole! They can tell you how things go better than I can: you may ask your father; here he comes.

Enter PAGE and MISTRESS PAGE.

Page. Now, Master Slender : love him, daughter
Anne.

Why, how now! what does Master Fenton here?
You wrong me, sir, thus still to haunt my house :
I told you, sir, my daughter is disposed of.

Fent. Nay, Master Page, be not impatient.
Mrs. Page. Good Master Fenton, come not to my
child.

Page. She is no match for you.

Fent. Sir, will you hear me?

Page.

No, good Master Fenton.

Come, Master Shallow; come, son Slender, in.

70

Knowing my mind, you wrong me, Master Fenton. 80 [Exeunt Page, Shal., and Slen.

67. motions, proposals.

proverb, 'may it be his portion

68. happy man be his dole, to be a happy man.'

Quick. Speak to Mistress Page.

Fent. Good Mistress Page, for that I love your

daughter

In such a righteous fashion as I do,

Perforce, against all checks, rebukes and manners,
I must advance the colours of my love

And not retire: let me have your good will.

Anne. Good mother, do not marry me to yond fool.

Mrs. Page. I mean it not; I seek you a better husband.

Quick. That's my master, master doctor.

Anne. Alas, I had rather be set quick i̇' the earth

And bowl'd to death with turnips!

Mrs. Page. Come, trouble not yourself. Good
Master Fenton,

I will not be your friend nor enemy:

My daughter will I question how she loves you,
And as I find her, so am I affected.

Till then farewell, sir: she must needs go in ;
Her father will be angry.

Fent. Farewell, gentle mistress: farewell, Nan.
[Exeunt Mrs. Page and Anne.

90

Quick. This is my doing, now: 'Nay,' said I, 'will you cast away your child on a fool, and a 100 physician? Look on Master Fenton :' this is my doing.

Fent. I thank thee; and I pray thee, once to-night

Give my sweet Nan this ring: there's for thy pains.

pressed in Jonson's Barth. Fair, 'Would I had been set in the ground, all but the head of me, and had my brains bowled

90. Alas, I had rather, etc., that is, be planted in the earth up to the neck and have her head bowled at; a form of protestation more distinctly ex- at.'

Quick. Now heaven send thee good fortune! [Exit Fenton.] A kind heart he hath: a woman would run through fire and water for such a kind heart. But yet I would my master had Mistress Anne; or I would Master Slender had her; or, in sooth, I would Master Fenton had her: I will 110 do what I can for them all three; for so I have promised, and I'll be as good as my word; but speciously for Master Fenton. Well, I must of another errand to Sir John Falstaff from my two mistresses: what a beast am I to slack it! [Exit.

SCENE V. A room in the Garter Inn.

Enter FALSTAFF and BARDOLPH.

Fal. Bardolph, I say,—

Bard. Here, sir.

Fal. Go fetch me a quart of sack; put a toast in't. [Exit Bard.] Have I lived to be carried in a basket, like a barrow of butcher's offal, and to be thrown in the Thames? Well, if I be served such another trick, I'll have my brains ta'en out and buttered, and give them to a dog for a newyear's gift. The rogues slighted me into the river with as little remorse as they would have 10