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Mrs. Ford. I'll first direct my men what they shall do with the basket. Go up, I'll bring linen for him straight. [Exit MRS. FORD. Mrs. Page. Hang him, dishonest varlet! we cannot misuse him enough.

We'll leave a proof, by that which we will do,
Wives may be merry, and yet honest too;
We do not act, that often jest and laugh;
"Tis old, but true," Still swine eat all the draff.”

[Exit.

Enter MRS. FORD, with a Kerchief in her Hand,JOHN and ROBERT.

Mrs. Ford. Go, sirs, take the basket again on your shoulders; your master is hard at door; if he bid you set down, obey him-quickly, despatch.

[Exit MRS. FORd.

Enter EVANS, FORD, PAGE, and CAIUS.

Ford. Ay, but if it prove true, Master Page, have you any way then to unfool me again?-Set down the basket, villains:-Somebody call my wife. [Exit JOHN.] You, youth in a basket!--Ŏ, you panderly rascals! there's a knot, a gang, a pack, a conspiracy, against me: Now shall the devil be sham'd.-What! wife, I say! come, come forth; behold what honest clothes you send forth to bleaching.

Page. Why, this passes! Master Ford, you are not to go loose any longer; you must be pinion'd. Eva. Why, this is lunatics! this is mad as a mad dog.

foi.

Caius. Ma foi, Master Ford, dis is not vell; ma

Enter JOHN and MRS. FORD.

Ford. So say I too, sir.-Why, wife, wife,-Come hither, Mistress Ford;-Mistress Ford, the honest wo

man, the modest wife, the virtuous creature, that hath the jealous fool to her husband!-I suspect without cause, mistress, do I?

Mrs. Ford. Heaven be my witness, you do, if you suspect me in any dishonesty.

Ford. Well said, brazen-face; hold it out.-Come forth, sirrah. [Pulls the Clothes out of the Basket.

Page. This passes.

Mrs. Ford. Are you not asham'd? let the clothes alone.

Ford. I shall find you anon.

Eva. "Tis unreasonable! Will you take up your wife's clothes? come away.

Ford. Master Page, as I am a man, there was one convey'd out of my house yesterday in this basket: Why may not he be there again? In my house I am sure he is my intelligence is true; my jealousy is reasonable.-Pluck me out all the linen.

Mrs. Ford. If you find a man there, he shall die a flea's death.

Page. Here's no man.

Caius. I shall tink, dis is not vell, Master Ford; dis wrong-a you.

Ford. Well, he's not here I seek for.

Page. No, nor no where else, but in your brain. Ford. Help to search my house this one time: if I find not what I seek, show no colour for my extremity, let me for ever be your table sport; let them say of me, "As jealous as Ford, that scarch'd a hollow walnut for his wife's leman." Satisfy me once more, once more search with me.

[Exeunt JoHN and ROBERT. Mrs. Ford. What hoa, Mistress Page! come you and the old woman down; my husband will come into the chamber.

Ford. Old woman! what old woman's that?

Mrs. Ford. Why, it is my maid's aunt of Brent

ord.

Ford. A witch, a quean, an old cozening quean! Have I not forbid her my house? She comes of errands, does she? We are simple men; we do not know what's brought to pass under the profession of fortune-telling. She works by charms, by spells, by the figure, and such daubery as this is, beyond our element: we know nothing.-Come down, you

witch, you hag you, come down, I say.

Mrs. Ford. Nay, good sweet husband:-good gentlemen, let him not strike the old woman.

Enter FALSTAFF in Woman's Clothes, led by
MRS. PAGE.

Mrs. Page. Come, Mother Pratt, come, give me your hand.

Ford. I'll prat her:-Out of my doors, you witch! [Beats him.] you hag, you baggage, you polecat, you ronyon! out! out! I'll conjure you, I'll fortune-tell [Exit FALSTAFF. Mrs. Page. Are you not asham'd? I think, you kill'd the poor woman.

you.

have

Mrs. Ford. Nay, he will do it :-"Tis a goodly cre

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Ford. Hang her, witch!

Era. By yea and no, I think, the 'oman is a witch indeed: I like not when a 'omans has a great peard; I spy a great peard under her muffier.

Ford. Will you follow, gentlemen? I beseech you, follow: see but the issue of my jealousy: If I cry out thus upon no trial, never trust me when I open again. [Exit FORD. Page, Let's obey his humour a little further: Come, gentlemen.

[Exeunt all but MRS, FORD and MRS. PAGE. Mrs. Page. Trust me, he beat him most pitifully. Mrs. Ford. Nay, by the mass, that he did not; he beat him most unpitifully, methought.

Mrs. Page. I'll have the cudgel hallowed, and hung o'er the altar; it hath done meritorious service.

Mrs. Ford. What think you? may we, with the warrant of womanhood, and the witness of a good conscience, pursue him with any further revenge?

Mrs. Page. The spirit of wantonness is, sure, scar'd out of him.

Mrs. Ford. Shall we tell our husbands how we have serv'd him?

Mrs. Page. Yea, by all means; if it be but to scrape the figures out of your husband's brains. If they can find in their hearts, the poor unvirtuous fat knight shall be further afflicted, we two will still be the ministers.

Mrs. Ford. I'll warrant, they'll have him publicly sham'd: and, methinks, there would be no period to the jest, should he not be publicly sham'd.

Mrs. Page. Come, to the forge with it then,-shape it: I would not have things cool.

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[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

The Garter Inn.

Enter FENTON and Host.

Host. Master Fenton, talk not to me.

Fent. Yet hear me speak; Assist me in my pur

pose;

And, as I am a gentleman, I'll give thee

A hundred pound in gold.

Host. I will hear you, Master Fenton.

Fent. From time to time I have acquainted you With the dear love I bear to fair Anne Page;

Who mutually, hath answer'd my affection:-
Now, here it rests,-that you'll procure the vicar

To stay for us at church, 'twixt twelve and one;
And, in the lawful name of marrying,
To give our hearts united ceremony.
Host. Well, I'll to the vicar:

Bring you the maid, you shall not lack a priest:
Fent. So shall I evermore be bound to thee.

[Exeunt FENTON and HOST.

SCENE III.

FORD'S House.

Enter EVANS, PAGE, MRS. PAGE, FORD, MRS. Ford, and CAIUS.

Eva. "Tis one of the best discretions of an 'omans as ever I did look upon.

Page. And did he send you both these letters at an instant?

Mrs. Page. Within a quarter of an hour.

Ford. Pardon me, wife: Henceforth do what thou wilt;

I rather will suspect the sun with cold,

Than thee with wantonness: now doth thy honour stand,

In him that was of late a heretic,

As firm as faith.

Page. 'Tis well, 'tis well; no more;But let our plot go forward: let our wives Yet once again, to make us public sport, Appoint a meeting with this old fat fellow, Where we may take him, and disgrace him for it. Ford. There is no better way than that they spoke of.

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