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Eva. So Heaven 'udge me, that is a virtuous mind. Fal. You hear all these matters deny'd, gentlemen; you hear it.

Enter ANNE PAGE with Wine, followed by MRS. PAGE. Page. Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we'll drink within.

[Exit ANNE PAGE. Slen. O Heaven! this is Mistress Anne Page.

Enter MRS. FORD.

Page. How now, Mistress Ford?

Fal. Mistress Ford, by my troth, you are very well met by your leave, good mistress.

[Kissing her. Page. Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome: Come, we have a hot venison pasty to dinner; come, gentlemen, I hope, we shall drink down all unkind

ness.

[Exeunt all but SHALLOW, SLENDER, and EVANS.

Slen. I had rather than forty shillings, I had my book of songs and sonnets here:

Enter SIMPLE.

How now, Simple?-where have you been? I must wait on myself, must I? You have not the book of riddles about you, have you?

Sim. Book of riddles! why, did you not lend it to Alice Shortcake upon Allhallowmas last, a fortnight

afore Michaelmas ?

A

Shal. Come, coz; come, coz; we stay for you. word with you, coz: marry, this, coz; There is, as 'twere, a tender, a kind of tender, made afar off, by Sir Hugh here;-Do you understand me?

Slen. Ay, sir, you shall find me reasonable; if it be so, I shall do that that is reason.

Shal. Nay, but understand me.

Slen. So I do, sir.

Eva. Give ear to his motions, Master Slender: I will description the matter to you, if you be capacity of it.

I

Slen. Nay, I will do, as my cousin Shallow says: pray you, pardon me; he's a justice of peace in his country, simple though I stand here.

Eva. But that is not the question; the question is concerning your marriage—

Shal. Ay, there's the point, sir.

Eva. Marry, is it; the very point of it;-to Mistress Anne Page.

Slen. Why, if it be so, I will marry her, upon any reasonable demands,

Eva. But can you affection the 'oman? let us command to know that of your mouth, or of your lips; for divers philosophers hold, that the lips is parcel of the mouth; Therefore, precisely, can you carry your good-will to the maid?

Shal. Cousin Abraham Slender, can you love her? Slen. I hope, sir-I will do, as it shall become one that would do reason.

Eva. Nay, you must speak possitable, if you can carry her your desires towards her.

Shal. That you must: Will you, upon good dowry, marry her?

Slen. I will do a greater thing than that, upon your request, cousin, in any reason.

Shal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, sweet coz; what I do, is to pleasure you, coz: Can you love the maid?

Slen. I will marry her, sir, at your request; but if there be no great love in the beginning, yet Heaven may decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are marry'd, and have more occasion to know one another: I hope, upon familiarity will grow more contempt; but if you say, marry her, I will marry her, that I am freely dissolv'd, and dissolutely.

C

Eva. It is a fery discretion answer; save, the faul' is in the 'ort dissolutely: the 'ort is, according to our meaning, resolutely;-his meaning is good.

Shal. Ay, I think my cousin meant well.
Slen. Ay, or else I would I might be hang'd, la.
Enter ANNE PAGE.

Shal. Here comes fair Mistress Anne;-Would I

were young, for your sake, Mistress Anne!

Anne. The dinner is on the table; my father desires your worship's company.

Shal. I will wait on him, fair Mistress Anne.

[Exit SHALLOW. Eva. Od's plessed will! I will not be absence at the grace. [Exit EVANS. Anne. Will't please your worship to come in, sir? Slen. No, I thank you, forsooth, heartily; I am very well.

Anne. The dinner attends

you, sir.

Slen. I am not a-hungry, I thank you, forsooth :Go, sirrah, for all you are my man, go, wait upon my Cousin Shallow:-[Exit SIMPLE.] A justice of peace sometime may be beholden to his friend for a man:-I keep but three men and a boy yet, till my mother be dead: But what though? yet I live like a poor gentleman born.

Anne. I may not go in without your worship: they will not sit, till you come.

Slen. I'faith, I'll eat nothing: I thank you as much as though I did.

Anne. I pray you, sir, walk in.

Slen. I had rather walk here, I thank you: I bruis'd my shin the other day with playing at sword and dagger with a Master of Fence; three veneys for a dish of stew'd prunes; and, by my troth, I cannot abide the smell of hot meat since.-Why do your dogs bark so? be there bears i'the town?

of.

Anne. I think, there are, sir; I heard them talk'd

Slen. I love the sport well; but I shall as soon quarrel at it as any man in England:-You are afraid, if you see the bear loose, are you not?

Anne. Ay, indeed, sir.

Slen. That's meat and drink to me now; I have seen Sackerson loose, twenty times; and have taken him by the chain: but, I warrant you, the women have so cry'd and shriek'd at it, that it pass'd :-but women, indeed, cannot abide 'em; they are very illfavour'd rough things.

Enter PAGE.

Page. Come, gentle Master Slender, come; we stay

for you.

Slen. I'll cat nothing; I thank you, sir;

Page. By cock and pye, you shall not chuse, sir; come, come.

Slen. Nay, pray you, lead the way.

Anne. Come on, sir.

[Exit PAGE.

Slen. Mistress Anne, yourself shall go first.

Anne. Not I, sir ; pray you, keep on.

Slen. Truly, I will not go first; truly-la: I will

not do

you that wrong.

Anne. I pray you, sir.

Slen. I'll rather be unmannerly, than troublesome :

you do yourself wrong, indeed-la.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A Room in PAGE's House.

Enter EVANS, with a Letter, and SIMPLE. Eva. Go your ways, and ask of Dr. Caius' house, which is the way: and there dwells one Mistress

Quickly, which is the manner of his nurse, or his dry nurse, or his cook, or his laundry, his washer, and his wringer.

Sim. Well, sir.

Eva. Nay, it is petter yet ;-give her this letter; for it is a 'oman that altogether's acquaintance with Mistress Anne Page; and the letter is, to desire and require her to solicit your master's desires to Mistress Anne Page: I pray you, be gone. [Exit SIMPLE.]

I will make an end of my dinner; there's pippins and cheese to come. [Exit EVANS.

SCENE III.

The Garter Inn.

Enter FALSTAFF, HOST, and BARDOLPH.

Fal. Mine host of the Garter,—

Host. What says my bully-rock? speak scholarly and wisely.

Fal. Truly, mine host, I must turn away some of my followers.

Host. Discard, bully Hercules; cashier: let them wag; trot, trot.

Fal. I sit at ten pounds a week.

Host. Thou'rt an emperor, Cæsar, Keisar, and Pheezar. I will entertain Bardolph; he shall draw, he shall tap; said I well, bully Hector?

Fal. Do so, good mine host.

Host. I have spoke; let him follow: Let me see thee froth, and lime: I am at a word; follow.

[Exit HOST. Fal. Bardolph, follow him; a tapster is a good trade; An old cloak makes a new jerkin: a wither'd servingman, a fresh tapster: Go; adieu.

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