SCENE IV.

I

DR. CAIUS' House.

Enter MRS. QUICKLY, with a Letter, and SIMPLE.

Quick. What; John Rugby!

Enter RUGBY.

pray thee, go to the casement, and see if you can see my master, Master Doctor Caius, coming: if he do, i' faith, and find any body in the house, here will be an old abusing of the king's English.

Rug. I'll go watch.

Quick. Go; and we'll have a posset for't soon at night, in faith, at the latter end of a sea-coal fire.— [Exit RUGBY.] An honest, willing, kind fellow, as ever servant shall come in house withal; and, I warrant you, no tell-tale, nor no breed-bate his worst fault is, that he is given to prayer; he is something peevish that way; but nobody but has his fault; -but let that pass.-Peter Simple, you say your

name is ?

Sim. Ay, for fault of a better.

Quick. And Master Slender's your master?
Sim. Ay, forsooth.

Quick. A softly-sprighted man, is he not?

Sim. Ay, forsooth; but he is as tall a man of his hands, as any is between this and his head; he hath fought with a warrener.

Quick. How

say you?

-O, I should remember him: Does he not hold up his head, as it were? and strut in his gai t?

Sim. Yes, in deed, does he.

Quick. Well, Heaven send Anne Page no worse fortune! Tell Master Parson Evans, I will do what I can for your master: Anne is a good girl, and I wish— Enter RUGBY.

Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master.

[Exit RUGBY. Quick. We shall all be shent: Run in here, good young man; go into this closet. [Shuts SIMPLE in the Closet.] He will not stay long.-What, John Rugby! John, what, John, I say!-Go, John, go inquire for my master; I doubt, he be not well, that he comes not home:—

And down, down, a-down-a, &c.

Enter DOCTOR CAIUS.

[Singing.

Caius. Vat is you sing? I do not like dese toys; Pray you, go and vetch me in my closet un botier terd; a box, a green-a box; Do intend vat I speak ? a green-a box.

Quick. Ay, forsooth, I'll fetch it you. I am glad he went not in himself: if he had found the young man, he would have been horn-mad.

[Exit MRS. QUICKLY. Caius. Fe, fe, fe, fe! ma foi, il fait fort chaud. Je me'en vais à la Cour,la grande affaire.

Enter MRS. QUICKLY, with a Green Box.

Quick. Is it this, sir?

Caius. Ouy; mettez le au mon pocket; Depéchez quickly;-Vere is dat knave Rugby?

Quick. What, John Rugby! John!

Rug. Here sir.

Enter RUGBY.

Caius. You are John Rugby, and you are Jack Rugby: Come, take-a your rapier, and come after my heel to de court.

Rug. "Tis ready, sir, here in the porch. Caius. By my trot, I tarry too long::-- -Od's me! Qu'ay j'oublié? dere is some simples in my closet, dat I vill not, for the varld, I shall leave behind.

[Exit CAIUS. Quick. Ah me! he'll find the young man there, and be mad.

Caius [Within.] O diable, diable! vat is in my closet?-Villainy, Larron! Rugby, my rapier.

Enter CAIUS, pulling SIMPLE out of the Closet.
Quick. Good master, be content.

Caius. Verefore shall I be content-a?
Quick. The young man is an honest man.

Caius. Vat shall de honest man do in my closet? dere is no honest man dat shall come in my closet. Quick. I beseech you, be not so flegmatic; hear the truth of it. He came of an errand to me from Parson Hugh.

Caius. Vell.

Sim. Ay, forsooth, to desire her to

Quick. Peace, I pray you.

Caius. Peace-a your tongue :-Speak-a your tale. Sim. To desire this honest gentlewoman, your maid, to speak a good word to Mistress Anne Page for my master in the way of marriage.

Quick. This is all, indeed-la; but I'll never put my finger in the fire, and need not.

Caius. Sir Hugh send-a you?-Rugby, baillez me some paper: Tarry you a little while.

[Exeunt CAIUS and RUGBY. Quick. I am glad he is so quiet: if he had been thoroughly mov'd, you should have heard him so loud and so melancholy;-But notwithstanding, man, I'll do your master what good I can: and the very yea and the no is, the French Doctor, my master,—I may call him my master, look you, for I keep his house;

and I wash, wring, brew, bake, scour, dress meat and drink, make the beds, and do all myself.

Sim. "Tis a great charge, to come under one body's hand.

Quick. Are you advis'd o'that? you shall find it a great charge: And to be up early, and down late ;but notwithstanding, (to tell you in your ear; I would have no words of it;) my master himself is in love with Mistress Anne Page: but, notwithstanding that, -I know Anne's mind,-that's neither here nor there.

Enter CAIUS and RUGBY.

Caius. You jack'napes; give-a dis letter to Sir Hugh: by gar, it is a shallenge: I vill cut his throat in de park; and I vill teach a scurvy jack-a-nape priest to meddle or make :- -you may be gone; it is not good you tarry here. [Exit SIMPLE. Quick. Alas, he speaks but for his friend. Caius. It is no matter-a for dat -do you not tell-a me dat I shall have Anne Page for myself?—By gar, I vill kill de jack priest: and I vill appoint mine host of de Jarterre to measure our weapon;-by gar, I vill myself have Anne Page.

Quick. Sir, the maid loves you, and all shall be well: we must give folks leave to prate.

Caius. Rugby, come to the court vit me.-By gar, if I have not Anne Page, I shall turn your head out of door:--Follow my heels, Rugby.

[Exeunt CAIUS and RUGBY. Quick. You shall have An fools-head of your own. No, I know Anne's mind for that; never a woman in Windsor knows more of Anne's mind than I do; nor can do more than I can do with her, I thank Hea

ven.

Fenton. [Within.] Who's within there, ho?
Quick. Who's there, I trow?