Pist. I ken the wight; he is of substance good. Fal. (R. C.) My honest lads, I will tell you what I am about.

Pist. (L. c.) Two yards, and more.

Fal. No quips now, Pistol: indeed I am in the waist two yards about; but I am now about no waste, I am about thrift. Briefly, I do mean to make love to Ford's wife; I spy entertainment in her; she discourses, she carves, she gives the leer of invitation: I can construe the action of her familiar smile; and the hardest voice of her behaviour, to be English'd rightly, is, "I am Sir John Falstaff's."

Pist. [To NYм.] He hath studied her well; and translated her well, out of honesty into English.

Fal. Now, the report goes, she has all the rule of her husband's purse; she hath a legion of angels.

Nym. (c.) The humour rises; it is good: humour me the angels.

Fal. I have writ me here a letter to her: and here another to Page's wife; who even now gave me good eyes too, examin'd my parts with most judicious eyelids; sometimes the beam of her view gilded my foot, sometimes my portly belly.

Pist. Then did the sun on dunghill shine.

Nym. I thank thee for that humour.

Fal. O, she did so course-o'er my exteriors with such a greedy intention, that the appetite of her eye did seem to scorch me up like a burning-glass!-She bears the purse too; she is a region in Guiana, all gold and bounty. (c.) I will be cheater to them both, and they shall be exchequers to me; they shall be my East and West Indies, and I will trade to them both. Go, bear thou this letter to Mistress Page; and thou this to Mistress Ford: we will thrive, lads, we will thrive.

Pist. (L. c.) Shall I Sir Pandarus of Troy become, And by my side wear steel? Then, Lucifer, take all. [Crosses to R.

Nym. (R. C.) I will run no base humour: here, take the humour letter. [Crosses to L. Fal. Hold, sirrah, [To Roв. who advances L.] bear you these letters tightly:

Sail like my pinnace to these golden shores.

[Exit ROBIN, L. Rogues, hence! avaunt! vanish like hail-stones, go: Trudge, plod, away, o'the hoof: seek shelter, pack!

Falstaff will learn the humour of this age,

French thrift, you rogues: myself, and skirted page.

Nym. (c.) I have operations in my head.

Pist. (R.) Wilt thou revenge?

Nym. By welkin, and her star!

Pist. With wit, or steel?

Nym. With both:

[Exit, L.

I will discuss the humour of this love to Page.
Pist. And I to Ford shall eke unfold, [Crosses to L
How Falstaff, varlet vile,

His dove will prove, his gold will hold,
And his soft couch defile.

[Exeunt, L.

SCENE IV.-Dr. Caius's House.

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

R. S. E.

Quick. (c.) What, John Rugby !

Enter RUGBY, L.

I 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, L.] An honest, willing, kind fellow, as ever servant shall come in house withal; and, I warrant you, no tell-tale: 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 gait?

Sim. Yes, indeed, 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, L.

Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master. [Exit, L. Quick. We shall all be shent: Run in here good young man; go into this closet. [Shuts SIMPLE in the closet, R.] 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." [Singing.

Enter DOCTOR CAIUS, L.

Caius. (L.) Vat is you sing? (c.) I do not like dese toys. Pray you, go and vetch me in my closet un boitier verd; 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, into R. Closet. Caius. (L.) "Fe, fe, fe, fe! ma, foi, il fait, fort chaud.

Je m'en vais à la Cour,- -la grande affaire."

Re-enter Mrs. QUICKLY, with a green box.

Quick. (R. C.) Is it this, sir?

Caius. Ouy; mette le au mon pocket. Depéche quickly. Vere is dat knave Rugby?

Quick. What, John Rugby! John!

Rug. Here, sir.

Enter RUGBY, L.

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'oubliè? dere is some simples in my closet, dat I vill not for the varld I shall leave behind.

[Eait, R. Closet. Quick. Ah me! he'll find the young man there, and be mad.

Caius. [Wilhin.] O diable! diable! Vat is in my closet?-Villainy, larron! Rugby, my rapier!

Enter CAIUS, pulling SIMPLE out of the Closet by the Collar.

Quick. [Coming down, c.] 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.

Cains. 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. [To SIMPLE.] Tarry you a little while on that spot all your life.

[Exeunt CAIUS and RUGBY, R. Closet. Quick. 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. (R. c.) 'Tis a great charge.

[Getting by degrees near L. c. Quick. (L. c.) Are you avis'd o' that? But notwithstanding, (to tell you in your ear), my master himself is in love with Mistress Anne Page: but, notwithstanding that, I know Anne's mind,-that's neither here nor there.

Caius. [In the Closet.] Come along, Jack-a Rugby! [SIMPLE runs to the spot where CAIUS placed him.

Enter CAIUS and RUGBY, from the Closet.

Caius. [To SIMPLE.] You jack'nape: give-a dis letter to Sir Hugh: by gar, it is a shallenge: I vill cut his troat in de Park; and I vill teach a scurvy jacka-nape priest to meddle or make.-You may be gone; it is not good you tarry here. [Exit SIMPLE, running, L.

Quick. Alas, he speaks but for his friend.

Caius. It is no matter-a for dat:-do not you 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 Jurterre to measure our weapon;-By gar, I vill myself have Anne Page.

Quick. Sir, the maid loves you, and all shall be well. Caius. [Goes back for his scarlet Cloak.] Rugby, come to the court vit me.-By gar, if I have not Anne Page, I shall turn your head out of my door :-Follow my heels, Rugby. [RUGBY runs and treads on his heels.] Ah! Jack-a dandy.

[Excunt CAIUS and RUGBY, L. Quick. Oh, I know Anne's mind! never a woman in Windsor knows more of Anne's mind than I do; nor can do more than I do with her, I thank heaven.

Fent. [Within, L. D. F.] Who's within there, ho? Quick. Who's there, I trow?

Enter FENTON, L. D. F.

Fent, (L.) How now, good woman: how dost thou ? Quick. (c.) The better, that it pleases your good worship to ask.

Fent. What news? how does pretty Mistress Anne? Quick. In truth, sir, and she is pretty, and honest, and gentle and one that is your friend, I can tell you that by the way; I praise heaven for it.

Fent. Shall I do any good, thinkest thou? shall I not lose my suit?

Quick. Troth, Master Fenton, I'll be sworn on a book, she loves you.

Fent. Well, I shall see her to-day. Hold, there's money for thee; let me have thy voice in my behalf: if thou seest her before me, commend me

Quick. Will I? ay, i' faith, that we will, and I will tell your worship more of other wooers the next time we have confidence.

Fent. Well, farewell,

Quick. Farewell to your worship.

[Exit, R.

Fent. Oh, how I hail this new-born passion! for till I felt love's anxious hopes and fears, I knew not happi

ness.

SONG.-FENTON.

With thee, fair summer's joys appear,

Oh, sweet Anne Page!

But thou away, dread winter's near,
And all around is dark and drear-