hold it? 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. our sport shall be. Hark, I will tell you what [They converse apart. Host. Hast thou no suit against my knight, my 220 guest-cavaleire? 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, An-heires? Shal. Have with you, mine host. Page. I have heard the Frenchman hath good 230 skill in his rapier. Shal. Tut, sir, I could have told you more. In these times you stand on distance, your passes, stoccadoes, and I know not what: 'tis the heart, 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 than fight. [Exeunt Host, Shal., and Page. 240 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 228. An-heires; this corruption doubtless represents some eccentric form of address, misread by the printers. Theobald's mynheers is as likely to be right as any other conjecture. 234. stoccadoes, thrusts; a VOL. II 273 technical term introduced with 241. secure, foolishly trustful. T there, I know 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. SCENE II. A room in the Garter Inn. Enter FALSTAFF and PISTOL. Fal. I will not lend thee a penny. Pist. Why, then the world's mine oyster, Which I with sword will open. Fal. Not a penny. I have been content, sir, you should lay my countenance to pawn: I have grated upon my good friends for three reprieves for you and your coach-fellow Nym; or else you had looked through the grate, like a geminy of baboons. I am damned in hell for swearing to gentlemen my friends, you were good soldiers 10 and tall fellows; and when Mistress Bridget lost the handle of her fan, I took 't upon mine honour thou hadst it not. Pist. Didst not thou share? hadst thou not Fal. Reason, you rogue, reason: thinkest thou I'll endanger my soul gratis? At a word, hang no more about me, I am no gibbet for you. Go. A short knife and a throng! To your manor of Pickt-hatch! Go. You'll not bear a letter for me, you rogue! you stand upon your 20 honour. Why, thou unconfinable baseness, it is as much as I can do to keep the terms of my 6. grated upon, harassed. 8. geminy, couple. 19. Pickt-hatch, a district of ill-repute in London. 21. unconfinable, unrestrainable. honour precise: I, I, I myself sometimes, leaving the fear of God on the left hand and hiding mine honour in my necessity, am fain to shuffle, to hedge and to lurch; and yet you, rogue, will ensconce your rags, your cat-a-mountain looks, your red-lattice phrases, and your bold-beating oaths, under the shelter of your honour! You will not do it, you! Pist. I do relent: what would thou more of man ? 30 Enter ROBIN. Rob. Sir, here's a woman would speak with you. Enter MISTRESS QUICKLY. Quick. Give your worship good morrow. Quick. Not so, an 't please your worship. Quick. I'll be sworn, As my mother was, the first hour I was born. Fal. I do believe the swearer. What with me? Quick. Shall I vouchsafe your worship a word or two? Fal. Two thousand, fair woman: and I'll vouchsafe thee the hearing. Quick. There is one Mistress Ford, sir :-I pray, come a little nearer this ways:-I myself dwell with Master Doctor Caius, Fal. Well, on: Mistress Ford, you say,— 27. cat-a-mountain, wild-cat. 28. red-lattice phrases, talk appropriate to taverns of the 40 Quick. Your worship says very true: I pray your worship, come a little nearer this ways. Fal. I warrant thee, nobody hears; mine own people, mine own people. Quick. Are they so? God bless them and make them his servants! Fal. Well, Mistress Ford; what of her? Quick. Why, sir, she's a good creature. Lord, Lord! your worship's a wanton! Well, heaven forgive you and all of us, I pray ! 50 Fal. Mistress Ford; come, Mistress Ford,Quick. Marry, this is the short and the long of 60 it; you have brought her into such a canaries as 'tis wonderful. The best courtier of them all, when the court lay at Windsor, could never have brought her to such a canary. Yet there has been knights, and lords, and gentlemen, with their coaches, I warrant you, coach after coach, letter after letter, gift after gift; smelling so sweetly, all musk, and so rushling, I warrant you, in silk and gold; and in such alligant terms; and in such wine and sugar of the best and the fairest, that would have won any woman's heart; and, I warrant you, they could never get an eye-wink of her: I had myself twenty angels given me this morning; but I defy all angels, in any such sort, as they say, but in the way of honesty: and, I warrant you, they could never get her so much as sip on a cup with the proudest of them all and yet there has been earls, nay, which is more, pensioners; but, I warrant you, all is one with her. Fal. But what says she to me? be brief, my good she-Mercury. 61. canaries, probably for ' quandary,'' scrape.' 70 80 79. pensioners, gentlemen of the royal bodyguard. Quick. Marry, she hath received your letter, for the which she thanks you a thousand times; and she gives you to notify that her husband will be absence from his house between ten and eleven. Fal. Ten and eleven? Quick. Ay, forsooth; and then you may come and see the picture, she says, that you wot of: Master Ford, her husband, will be from home. Alas! the sweet woman leads an ill life with him: he's a very jealousy man: she leads a very frampold life with him, good heart. Woman, commend me But I have another Mistress Page hath 90 Fal. Ten and eleven. to her; I will not fail her. Quick. Why, you say well. messenger to your worship. her hearty commendations to you too: and let me tell you in your ear, she's as fartuous a civil 100 modest wife, and one, I tell you, that will not miss you morning nor evening prayer, as any is in Windsor, whoe'er be the other: and she bade me tell your worship that her husband is seldom from home; but she hopes there will come a time. I never knew a woman so dote upon a man: surely I think you have charms, la; yes, in truth. Fal. Not I, I assure thee: setting the attraction of my good parts aside I have no other 110 charms. Quick. Blessing on your heart for 't! Fal. But, I pray thee, tell me this: has Ford's wife and Page's wife acquainted each other how they love me? Quick. That were a jest indeed! they have not so little grace, I hope: that were a trick in93. frampold, vexatious. 100. fartuous, for 'virtuous.' |