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And nightly, meadow-fairies, look, you fing,
Like to the Garter's compafs, in a riag
The expreffure that it bears, green let it be,
More fertile-fresh than all the field to fee;
And Honi Soit Qui Mal y Penfe, write,

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In emerald tufts, flowers purple, blue, and white;
Like faphire, pearl, and rich embroidery,
Buckled below fair knighthood's bending knee;
Fairies ufe flowers for their charactery 1.
Away; difperfe: But, till 'tis one o'clock,
Our dance of cuftom, round about the oak
Of Herne the hunter, let us not forget. [order fet:
Eva. Pray you, lock hand in hand; yourfelves in
And twenty glow-worms fhall our lanthorns be
To guide our meafure round about the tree.
But, ftay; Ifmell a man of middle 2 earth.

Fal. Heavens defend me from that Welch fairy!
Left he transform me to a piece of cheese! [birth.
Eva. Vile worm, thou waft o'erlook'd even in thy
Quie. With trial-fire touch me his finger end:
If he be chafte, the flame will back descend,
And turn him to no pain; but if he start,
It is the flesh of a corrupted heart.

Eva. A trial, come.---

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Become the forest better than the town?

Ford. Now, fir, who's a cuckold now? Mafter Brook, Falstaff's a knave, a cuckoldly knave: here are his horns, master Brook: And, mafter Brook, he hath enjoyed nothing of Ford's but his buckbafket, his cudgel, and twenty pounds of money; which must be paid to mafter Brook; his horíes are arrested for it, mafter Brook.

Mrs. Ford. Sir John, we have had ill luck; we could never meet. I will never take you for my love again, but I will always count you my deer.

Fal. I do begin to perceive that I am made an afs.

Ford. Ay, and an ox too; both the proofs are

extant.

Fal. And thefe are not fairies? I was three or four times in the thought they were not fairies: and yet the guiltinefs of my mind, the fudden furprize of my powers, drove the groffnefs of the foppery into a receiv'd belief, in despight of the teeth of all rhime and reafon, that they were fairies. See now, how wit may be made a Jack-alent 5, when 'tis upon ill employment!

Eva. Sir John Falstaff, ferve Got, and leave

[They bun him with their tapers, and pinch him. your defires, and fairies will not pinfe you. Come, will this wood take fire?

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The SONG.

Fis on fiaful phantafy!
Fie on luft and luxury 3!
Luft is but a bloody fire 4,
Kindled with unchafte defire,

Fed in heart; whofe flames afpire,

As thoughts du blow them, higher and higher.
Pinch bin, fairies, mutually:

Pinch him for his villainy;

Pinch bim, and bun him, and turn him about, 'Till candles, and flar-light, and moon-fhine be out. [During this fong, they pinch bim. Doctor Caius comes one way, and feals away a fairy in green; Slender another way, and he takes away a fairy in white; and Fenton comes, and feals away Mrs. Anne Page. A noife of bunting is made within. All the fairies run away. Falstaff pulls off his buck's bead, and rifes.]

Enter Page, Ford, G. They lay hold on bim. Page. Nay, do not fly: I think, we have watch'd you now;

Will none but Herne the hunter ferve your turn? Mrs. Page. I pray you come; hold up the jeft no higher :

Now, good fir John, how like you Windfor wives? See you these, husband do not these fair yoaks

Ford. Well faid, fairy Hugh.

Eva. And leave your jealoufies alfo, I pray you. Ford. I will never miftruft my wife again, till thou art able to woo her in good English.

Fal. Have I lay'd my brain in the fun, and dried it, that it wants matter to prevent fo grofs o'erreaching as this? Am I ridden with a Welch goat too? fhall I have a coxçomb of frize? 'tis time I were choak'd with a piece of toasted cheese.

Eva. Seefe is not good to give putter; your pelly is all putter.

Fal. Seefe and putter! have I liv'd to stand in the taunt of one that makes fritters of English? this is enough to be the decay of luft and latewalking, through the realm.

Mrs. Page. Why, fir John, do you think, though we would have thruft virtue out of our hearts by the head and shoulders, and have given. ourselves without fcruple to hell, that ever the devil could have made you our delight?

Ford. What, a hodge-pudding a bag of flax?
Mrs. Page. A puff'd man 2

Page. Old, cold, wither'd, and of intolerable entrails?

Ford. And one that is as flanderous as Satan?
Page. And as poor as Job?

Ford. And as wicked as his wife?

Eva. And given to fornications, and to taverns and facks, and wines, and metheglins, and to drinkings, and fwearings, and flarings, pribbles and prabbles?

Fal. Well, I am your theme; you have the ftart of me; I am dejected; I am not able to an

1 Or the matter with which they make letters. ? Spirits being fuppofed to inhabit the ætherial regions, and fairies to dwell under ground, men therefore are in a middle station. 3 Luxury here, fignifies incontinence. 4 That is, the fire in the blood. 5 A Jack o' Lent was a puppet thrown at in Lent, like Shrove-tide cocks, That is, a fool's cap made out of Welch cloth.

fwer

fwer the Weich flannel; ignorance itfelf is a plummet o'er me 2: ufe me as you will.

Ford. Marry, fir, we'll bring you to Windfor, to one mafter Brook, that you cozened of money, to whom you should have been a pandar: over and above that you have fuffer'd, I think, to repay that money will be a biting affliction. [amends: Mrs. Ford. Nay, hufband, let that go to make Forgive that fum, and fo we'll all be friends.

Fard. Well, here's my hand; all's forgiven at laft. Page. Yet be cheerful, knight: thou fhalt eat a poffet to-night at my houfe; where I will defire thee to laugh at my wife, that now laughs at thee: Tell her, mafter Slender hath married her Laughter.

Mrs. Page. Doctors doubt that; if Anne Page be my daughter, the is, by this, doctor Caius' wife.

Enter Slender.

[Afide.

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Page. Of what, fon?

Sten. I came yonder at Eaton to marry mistress Anne Page, and fhe's a great lubberly boy: If it had not been i' the church, I would have fwing'd him, or he should have twing'd me. If I did not think it had been Anne Page, would I might never ftir, and 'tis a post-mafter's boy.

Page. Upon my life then you took the wrong. Slen. What need you tell me that? I think fo, when I took a boy for a girl; If I had been married to him, for all he was in woman's apparel, 1] would not have had him.

Page. Why, this is your own folly Did not I tell you, how you fhould know my daughter by her garments?

Slen. I went to her in white, and cry'd mum, and the cry'd budget, as Anne and I had appointed; and yet it was not Anne, but a poft-mafter's boy.! Eva. Jefhu! Mafter Slender, cannot you fee but marry poys?

Page. O, I am vex'd at heart: What shall I do? Mrs. Page. Good George, be not angry; I knew of your purpofe; turn'd my daughter into green; and, indeed, the is now with the doctor at the deanery, and there married.

Enter Caius.

Caius. Vere is miftrefs Page? By gar, I am co

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zen'd; I ha' married un garcon, a boy; un paifan, by gar, a boy; it is not Anne Page: by gar, I am cozen'd.

Mrs. Page. Why, did you not take her in green?

Caius. Ay, be gar, and 'tis a boy: be gar, I' raife all Windfor. [Exit Caius Ford. This is ftrange; Who hath got the right Anne ?

Page. My heart mifgives me :-Here comes mafter Fenton.

Enter Fenton and Anne Page.

How now, master Fenton ?

Anne. Pardon, good father! good my mother, pardon!

Page. Now, mistress, how chance you went not with mafter Slender ?

Mrs. Page. Why went you not with master doctor, maid?

Fent. You do amaze her: Hear the truth of it. You would have married her most shamefully, Where there was no proportion held in love. The truth is, She and I, long fince contracted, Are now fo fure, that nothing can diffolve us. The offence is holy, that the hath committed: And this deceit lofes the name of craft, Of difobedience, or unduteous title. Since therein the doth evitate and fhun A thoufand irreligious curfed hours, Which forced marriage would have brought upon Ford. Stand not amaz'd: here is no remedy :--In love, the heavens themfelves do guide the ftate; Money buys lands, and wives are fold by fate.

[her.

Fal. I am glad, though you have ta'en a special ftand to strike at me, that your arrow hath glanc'd. Page. Well, what remedy? Fenton, heaven

give thee joy!

What cannot be efchew'd, must be embrac'd.
Eva. I will dance and eat plums at your wedding.
Fal. When night-dogs run, all forts of deer are
chac’d.

Mrs. Page. Well, I will mufe no further:-Mafter
Fenton,

Heaven give you many, many merry days!-
Good husband, let us every one go home,
And laugh this fport o'er by a country fire;
Sir John and all.

Ford. Let it be fo:- -Sir John,
To mafter Brook you yet fhall hold your word;
For he, to-night, fhall lye with mistress Ford.

[Exeunt omnes.

1 Flannel was originally the manufacture of Wales. 2 On the meaning of this difficult paffage commentators are greatly divided. Dr. Farmer's conjecture, that we should read, “Ignorance itself is a planet o'er me," appears to be the most intelligible,

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SCENE I.

The Duke's Palace.

ACT

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I,

But that your fufficiency, as your worth is able,
And let them work 4. The nature of our people
Our city's inftitutions, and the terms

For common juftice, you are as pregnant 5 in,
As art and practice hath enrich'd any
That we remember: There is our commiffion,
From which we would not have you warp.-Call
I fay, bid come before us Angelo.- [hither,
What figure of us think you he will bear?
For you must know, we have with special foul 6
Elected him our abience to fupply;

1 The ftory of this play is taken from the Promos and Caffandra of George Whetstone, published in 1578, and which was probably originally borrowed from Cinthio's Novels. 2 Meaning, I ain

obliged to acknowledge. 3 Limits. 4 This paffage has much exercifed the fagacity of different editors. Theobald is of opinion, that either from the impertinence of the actors, or the negligence of the copyifts, it has come mutilated to us by a fine being accidentally left out, and propofes te read thus:

Then no more remains,

But that to your fufficiency you add
Due diligency, as your worth is able,
And let them work.

Sir Tho. Hanmer endeavours to fupply the deficiency as follows:

Then no more remains,

But that to your fufficiency you join

A will to ferve us, as your worth is able.

Dr. Warburton is for reading, inftead of But that, Put to your fufficiency, which he fays here means authority, and then the fenfe will be as follows: Put your skill in governing (lays the duke) to the power which I give you to exercife it, and let them work together. Dr. Johnfon, however, approves neither of Theobald's conjecture, nor of Warburton's amendment, 5 That is, ready, or knowing in. That is, of special favour or affection,

Lent

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There is a kind of character in thy life,
That, to the obferver, doth thy history
Fully unfold: Thyfelf and thy belongings
Are not thine own fo proper 1, as to wafte
Thyfelf upon thy virtues, them on thee.
Heaven doth with us, as we with torches do;
Not light them for themselves: for if our virtues
Did not go forth with us, 'twere all alike

As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd,|
But to fine iffues: nor nature never 3 lends
The fmalleft fcruple of her excellence,
But, like a thrifty goddefs, the determines
Herfelf the glory of a creditor,

Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speech
To one that can my part in him advertise 4:
Hold therefore Angelo 5:

In our remove, be thou at full ourself:
Mortality and mercy in Vienna

Live in thy tongue and heart: Old Escalus,
Though first in question, is thy fecondary.
Take thy commillion.

Ang. Now, good my lord,

Let there be fome more teft made of my metal,
Before fo noble and fo great a figure

Be ftamp'd upon it.

Duke. No more evasion:

We have with a leaven'd 7 and prepared choice
Proceeded to you; therefore take your honours.
Qur hafte from hence is of fo quick condition,
That it prefers itfelf, and leaves unquestion'd
Matters of needful value. We fhall write to you,
As time and our concernings fhall importune,
How it goes with us; and do look to know
What doth befall you here. So, fare you well:
To the hopeful execution do I leave you
Of your commiffions.

Ang. Yet, give leave, my lord,
That we may bring you fomething on the way.
Duke. My hafte may not admit it;

8

Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do
With any fcruple: your fcope is as mine own;
So to inforce, or qualify the laws,

As to your foul feems good. Give me your hand;
I'll privily away: I love the people,
But do not like to ftage me to their eyes;

Though it do well, I do not relish well
Their loud applaufe, and ve's vehement;
Nor do I think the man of fafe difcretion,
That does affect it. Once more, fare you well.
Ang. The heavens give fafety to your purposes!
Efcal. Lead forth, and bring you back in happiness!
Duke. I thank you: Fare you well. [Exit.
Efcal. I fhall defire you, fir, to give me leave
To have free fpeech with you; and it concerns me
To look into the bottom of my place :

A power I have; but of what strength and nature
I am not yet inftructed.
[ther,
Ang. 'Tis fo with me :-Let us withdraw toge-
And we may foon our fatisfaction have
Touching that point.

Efcal. I'll wait upon your honour.

SCENE II.

The Street.

Enter Lucio and two Gentlemen.

[Exeunt.

Lucio. If the duke, with the other dukes, come not to compofition with the king of Hungary, why, then all the dukes fall upon the king.

1 Gent. Heaven grant us its peace, but not the king of Hungary's!

2 Gent. Amen.

Lucio. Thou conclud'ft like the fanctimonious pirate, that went to fea with the ten commandments, but fcrap'd one out of the tabic. 2 Gent. Thou shalt not steal?

Lucio. Ay, that he raz'd.

1 Gent. Why, 'twas a commandment to command the captain and all the reft from their functions; they put forth to fteal: There's not a foldier of us all, that, in the thanksgiving before meat, doth relish the petition well that prays for peace.

2 Gent. I never heard any foldier diflike it. Lucio. I believe thee; for, I think, thou never waft where grace was faid.

2 Gent. No? a dozen times at least.
1 Gent. What? in metre??

Lucio. In any proportion 10, or in any language.
1 Gent. I think, or in any religion.

Lucio. Ay! why not? Grace is grace, defpight of all controverfy: As for example; Thou thyfelf art a wicked villain, defpight of all grace.

1 Gent. Well, there went but a pair of sheers between us "1.

Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lifts and the velvet: Thou art the lift.

1 Gent. And thou the velvet: thou art good velvet; thou art a three-pil'd piece, I warrant thee; I had as lief be a lift of an English kerfey, as be pil'd, as thou art pil'd, for a French velvet. Do I speak feelingly now?

Lucio. I think thou doft; and, indeed, with moft 'painful feeling of thy fpeech: I will, out of thine

To great confequences.

3 Two negatives

1 That is, are not fo much thy own property. not used to make an affirmative, are common in Shakspeare's plays. 4 That is, one that can; inform him fell of that which otherwife it would be my part to tell him. 5 That is, continue to be Angelo. That is, firit appointed. 7 A leavened choice means a choice not hafty, but confiderate. 8 That is, Your fullaefs of power. 9 There are metrical graces in the Primers, which probably were used in Shakspeare's time. 10 That is, in any form. Meaning, we are both of

the fame piece.

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