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call all your fenfes to you, defend your reputation, or bid farewel to your good life for ever.

Mrs. Ford. What shall I do? there is a Gentleman, my dear friend; and I fear not mine own fhame, fo much as his peril. I had rather than a thousand pound, he were out of the house.

Mrs. Page. For fhame, never ftand you had rather, and you had rather; your husband's here at hand; bethink you of fome conveyance, in the house you cannot hide him. Oh, how have you deceiv'd me? look, here is a basket, if he be of any reasonable ftature, he may creep in here, and throw foul linnen upon him, as if it were going to bucking: or it is whiting time, fend him by your two men to Datchet-mead.

Mrs. Ford. He's too big to go in there: what fhall I do?

Re-enter Falftaff.

Fal. Let me fee't, let me fee't, O let me fee't; I'll in, I'll in; follow your friend's counfel; I'll in.

Mrs. Page. What! Sir John Falftaff? are thefe your letters, Knight?

Fal. I love thee, help me away; let me creep in here:

I'll never

[He goes into the basket, they cover him with foul linnen. Mrs. Page. Help to cover your Mafter, boy: call your men, Miftrefs Ford. You diffembling Knight!

Mrs. Ford. What, John, Robert, Joha, go take up thefe cloaths here, quickly. Where's the cowl-ftaff? look, how you drumble: carry them to the landrefs in Datchet-mead; quickly, come.

Enter Ford, Page, Caius, and Evans.

Ford. Pray you, come near; if I fufpect without cause, why then make fport at me, then let me be your jeft, I deferve it. How now? whither bear you this? Serv. To the landrefs, forfooth.

Mrs. Ford. Why, what have you to do whither they bear it? You were beft meddle with buck-washing. Ford. Buck I would I could wash myself of the VOL. I. buck:

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buck buck, buck, buck? ay, buck: I warrant you, buck, and of the season too, it fhall appear. [Exeunt Servants with the basket.] Gentlemen, I have dream'd to-night, I'll tell you my dream: here, here, here be my keys: afcend my chambers, fearch, seek, find out. I'll warrant, we'll unkennel the fox. Let me ftop this way firft. So, now uncape.

Page. Good matter Ford, be contented: you wrong yourself too much.

Ford. True, mafter Page. Up, Gentlemen, you shall fee fport anon; follow me, Gentlemen.

Eva. This is ferry fantaftical humours and jealoufies. Caius. By gar, 'tis no the fashion of France; it is not jealous in France.

Page. Nay, follow him, Gentlemen, fee the iffue of his fearch.

Manent Mifrefs Page and Miftrefs Ford.

[Exeunt

Mrs. Page. Is there not a double excellency in this? Mrs. Ford. I know not which pleases me better, that my husband is deceiv'd, or Sir John.

Mrs. Page. What a taking was he in, when your husband afk'd who was in the basket?

Mrs. Ford. I am half afraid, he will have need of wafhing; fo throwing him into the water will do him a benefit.

Mrs. Page. Hang him, difhoneft rafcal; I would all of the fame ftrain were in the fame diftrefs.

Mrs. Ford. I think, my husband hath fome special fufpicion of Falftaff's being here! I never faw him fo grofs in his jealoufy till now.

Mrs. Page. I will lay a plot to try that, and we will yet have more tricks with Falstaff: his diffolute disease will fcarce obey this medicine.

Mrs. Ford. Shall we fend that foolish carrion, Miftrefs Quickly, to him, and excufe his throwing into the water, and give him another hope, to betray him to another punishment ?

Mrs. Page. We'll do it; let him be fent for to-mornow by eight a clock, to have amends.

Re-enter

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Re-enter Ford, Page, &c.

Ford. I cannot find him; may be, the knave bragg'd of that he could not compass.

Mrs. Page. Heard you that?

Mrs. Ford. 1, I; peace:-You use me well, mafter Ford, do you?

Ford. Ay, ay, I do fo.

Mrs. Ford. Heav'n make you better than your thoughts!

Ford. Amen.

Mrs. Page. You do yourself mighty wrong, Mr. Ferd.
Ford. Ay, ay; I must bear it.

Eva. If there be any pody in the houfe, and in the chambers, and in the coffers, and in the preffes, heav'n forgive my fins at the day of judgment.

Caius. By gar, nor I too; there is no bodies.

Page. Fy, fy, Mr. Ford, are you not afham'd? what fpirit, what devil fuggefts this imagination? I would not ha' your distemper in this kind, for the wealth of Windfor Castle..

Ford. 'Tis my fault, Mr. Page: I fuffer for it.

Eva. You fuffer for a pad confcience; your wife is as honeft a o'mans, as I will defires among five thoufand, and five hundred too.

Caius. By gar, I fee 'tis an honest woman.

Ford. Well, I promis'd you a dinner; come, come, walk in the park. I pray you, pardon me; I will hereafter make known to you, why I have done this. Come, wife; come, Mistress Page; I pray you, pardon me pray heartily, pardon me.

Page. Let's go in, Gentlemen; but trust me, we'll mock him. I de invite you to-morrow morning to my houfe to breakfast; after, we'll a birding together; I have a fine hawk for the bush. Shall it be fo?

Ford. Any thing.

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Eva. If there is one, I fhall make two in the company. Caius. If there be one or two, I fhall make-a the turd. Eva. In your teeth, for fhame. N 2

Ford.

Ford. Pray you go, Mr. Page.

Eva. I pray you now, remembrance to-morrow on the loufy knave, mine hoft.

Caius. Dat is good, by gar, with all my heart. Eva. A loufy knave, to have his gibes, and his mockeries. [Exeunt.

Fent.

I

SCENE changes to Page's House.

Enter Fenton and Mistress Ann Page.

See, I cannot get thy father's love ;

Therefore no more turn me to him, fweet Nan.

Ann. Alas! how then?

Fent. Why, thou must be thyfelf.

He doth object, I am too great of birth;

And that my state being gall'd with my expence,
I feek to heal it only by his wealth.

Befides thefe, other bars he lays before me,
My riots paft, my wild focieties:

And tells me, 'tis a thing impoffible

I fhould love thee, but as a property.
Ann. May be, he tells you true.

Fent. No, heav'n fo speed me in my time to come!
Albeit, I will confefs, thy father's wealth
Was the firft motive that I woo'd thee, Ann:
Yet wooing thee, I found thee of more value
Than ftamps in gold, or fums in feaked bags;
And 'tis the very riches of thyfelf

That now I aim at.

Ann. Gentle Mr. Fenton,

Yet feek my father's love: ftill seek it, Sir;
If opportunity and humbleft fuit (19)

Cannot attain it, why then-hark you hither.
[Fenton and Mrs. Ann go apart.

(10)

opportunity and humbleft fuit] Dr. Thirlby imagines, that our Author with more propriety wrote;

If importunity and humbleft fuit

I have not veutur'd to di urb the text, becaufe, tho' an equal exactnefs be not maintain' in the expreffion, it may mean, "If the frequent opportunitie you find of folliciting my father, and your cules to him, cannot get him over to your party, &c.

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Enter

Enter Shallow, Slender, and Mistress Quickly. Shal. Break their talk, Miftrefs Quickly; my kinfman fhall fpeak for himself.

Slen. I'll make a fhaft or a bolt on't; 'd'slid, 'tis but venturing.

Shal. Be not dismay'd.

Slen. No, fhe fhall not dismay me: I care not for that, but that I am affeard.

Quick. Hark ye, Mr. Slender, would speak a word with you.

Ann. I come to him.-This is my father's choice. O, what a world of vile ill-favour'd faults Look handfome in three hundred pounds a year!

Quic. And how does good mafter Fenton? pray you, a word with you.

Shal. She's coming; to her, coz. a father!

O boy, thou hadst

Slen. I had a father, Mrs. Ann; my uncle can tell. you good jefts of him. Pray you, uncle, tell Mrs. Ann the jeft, how my father ftole two geefe out of a pen, good uncle.

Shal. Miftrefs Ann, my coufin loves you.

Slen. Ay, that I do, as well as I love any woman in Gloucestershire.

Shal. He will maintain you like a gentlewoman. 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.

Ann. Good mafter Shallow, let him woo for himfelf.

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

Ann. Now, mafter Slender.

Slen. Now, good mistress Ann.

Ann. What is your will?

Slen. My will od's-heart-lings, that's a pretty jeft,

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indeed,

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