3 Out. Being nimble-footed, he hath outrun us, But Moyses and Valerius follow him. Go thou with her to the west end of the wood, There is our captain: we'll follow him that's fled: The thicket is beset, he cannot 'scape. 1 Out. Come, I must bring you to our captain's

cave:

Pro. But love will not be spurr'd to what it loaths.

Thu. What says she to my face?
Pro. She says it is a fair one.

Thu. Nay, then the wanton lies; my face is black.

Pro. But pearls are fair; and the old saying is, Black men are pearls in beauteous ladies' eyes. Jul. 'Tis true; such pearls as put out ladies' eyes;

For I had rather wink than look on them.

Thu. How likes she my discourse ? Pro. Ill, when you talk of war.

Thu. But well, when I discourse of love and peace?

Aside.

Jul. But better indeed, when you hold your peace.

[Aside.

Thu. What says she to my valour?
Pro. O, sir, she makes no doubt of that.
Jul. She needs not, when she knows it cow-
ardice.

[Aside.

Val. How nse doth breed a habit in a man! This shadowy desert, unfrequented woods, I better brook than flourishing peopled towns Here can I sit alone, unseen of any, And, to the nightingale's complaining notes, Tune my distresses, and record my woes. O thou that dost inhabit in my breast, Leave not the mansion so long tenantless; Lest, growing ruinous, the building fall, And leave no memory of what it was! Repair me with thy presence, Silvia;

Thu. What says she to my birth?

Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain!

Pro. That you are well deriv'd.

What halloin and what stir, is this to-day ?

Thu Considers she my possessions?

law,

Pro. O, ay; and pities them.

Thu. Wherefore?

Have some unhappy passenger in chase:
They love me well; yet I have much to do
To keep them from uncivil outrages.
Withdraw thee, Valentine; who's this comes
[Steps aside.

Enter Duke.

Jul Pore comes the duke.

Enter Proteus, Silvia, and Julia.

And Eglamour is in her coтрану.

Tis true, for friar Laurence met them both, As he in penance wander'd through the forest Him he knew well, and guess'd that it was she: But, being mask'd, he was not sure of it: Besides, she did intend confession

At Patrick's cell this even: and there she was not:
These likelihoods confirm her flight from hence.
Therefore, I pray you, stand not to discourse,
But mount you presently; and meet with me
Upon the rising of the mountain foot
That leads towards Mantua, whither they are

And that's far worse than none; better have Than plural faith, which is too much by one: Thou counterfeit to thy true friend 1

Mongst all foes, that a friend should be the worst!
Pro. My shame and guilt confound me.-
Forgive me, Valentine if hearty sorrow
Be a sufficient ransom for offence,

I tender it here; 1 do as truly suffer,
As e'er 1 did commit.

Val. Then I am paid;

And once again I do receive thee honest:-
Who by repentance is not satisfied,

Is nor of heaven, nor earth; for these are pleas'd;
By penitence th' Eternal's wrath's appeas'd:-
And, that my love may appear plain and free,
All that was mine in Silvia, I give thee.

Jul. O me, unhappy!

Pro. Look to the boy.

[Faints.

Val. Why, boy! why, wag! how now? what is the matter? Look up; speak.

Jul. O good sir, my master charg'd me to deliver a ring to Madam Silvia; which, out of my neglect, was never done.

Pro. Where is that ring, boy?

Jul. Here 'tis: this is it.

[Gives a ring. Pro. How! let me see why this is the ring I gave to Julia.

Jul. O, cry you mercy, sir, I have mistook; this is the ring you sent to Siivia.

[Shows another ring.

Pro. But, how cam'st thou by this ring? at my depart, I gave this unto Julia.

Jul. And Julia herself did give it me; And Julia herself hath brought it hither.

Pro. How! Julia!

a

Come not within the measure of my wrath:
Do not name Silvia thine if once again,
Verona shall not hold thee. Here she stands,
Take but possession of her with touch-
I dare thee but to breathe upon my love.
Thu. Sir Valentine, I care not for her, I;
I hold him but a fool, that will endanger
His body for a girl that loves him not:
I claim her not, and therefore she is thine.
Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou,
To make such means for her as thou hast done.
And leave her on such slight conditions.-
Now, by the honour of my ancestry,

I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine,

And think thee worthy worthy of an empress' love.
Know then, I here forget all former griefs,
Cancel all grudge, repeal thee home again.
Plead a new state in thy unrivall'd merit,
To which I thus subscribe, Sir Valentine,
Th Thou art a gentleman, and well deriv'd:
Take thou thy Silvia, f for thou hast deserv'd her.
Val. I thank your grace; the gift hath made

me happy.

I now beseech you, for your daughter's sake,
To grant one boon that I shall ask of you.
Duke. I grant it for thine own, whate'er it be.
Val. These ba banish'd men, that I have kept
withal,

Are men endued with worthy qualities;
Forgive them what they have committed here,
And let them be recalled from their exile:
They are reformed, civil, full of good,
And fit for great employment, worthy lord.
Duke. Thou hast prevail'd: I pardon them,

and thee;

How oft hast thou with perjury cleft the root?
O Proteus, let this habit make thee blush!
Be thou asham'd, that I have took upon me
Such an immodest raiment; if shame live
In a disguise of love:

It is the lesser blot modesty finds,

With our discourse to make your grace to smile: What think you of this page, my lord?

Duke. I think the boy hath grace in him; he blushes.

Val. I warrant you, my lord; more grace than boy.

Duke. What mean you by that saying?

minds.

Pro. Than men their minds? 'tis true! O hea

ven! were man

But constant, he were perfect that one error Fills him with faults; makes him run through all the sins:

That you will wonder what hath fortuned.-
Come, Proteus, 'tis your penance but to hear
The story of your loves discovered:
That done, our day of marriage shall be yours:
One feast, one house, one mutual happiness.

Exeunt

DR. CAIUS, a French Physician.

Host of the Garter Inn.

BARDOLPH, Follower of Falstaff.

PISTOL, Followers of Falstaff.

NYM,

ROBIN, Page to Falstaff.

SIMPLE, Servant to Slender.

RUGBY, Servant to Dr. Caius.

MRS. FORD.

MRS. PAGE.

MRS. ANNE PAGE, her Daughter, in love

with Fenton.

and coram.

we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and desire a marriage between master Abraham and mis tress Anne Page.

Shal. Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred pounds?

Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny.

Shal. I know the young gentlewoman; she has good gifts.

Eva. Seven hundred pounds, and possibilities, is good gifts. Shal. Well, let us see honest master Page: Is Falstaff there?

tion, armigero.

Shal. Ay, that I do; and have done any time these three hundred years.

Slen. All his successors, gone before him, have done't; and all his ancestors, that come after him, may: they may give the dozen white luces in their coat.

Shal. It is an old coat.

Eva. The dozen white louses do become an old coat well; it agrees well, passant: it is a familiar heast to man, and signifies-love.

Shal. The luce is the fresh fish; the salt fish is an old coat.

Slen. I may quarter, coz ?

Shal. You may, by marrying.

Eva. It is marring, indeed, if he quarter it.
Shal. Not a whit.

Eva. Yes, pe'r-lady; if he has a quarter of your coat, there is but three skirts for yourself, in my simple conjectures: but that is all one: If Sir John Falstaff have committed disparagements unto you, I am of the church, and will be glad to do my benevolence, to make atonements and compromises between you.

Shal. The Council shall hear it; it is a riot. Eva. It is not meet the Council hear a riot; there is no fear of Got in a riot; the Council, look you, shall desire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear a riot; take your vizaments in that.

Shal. Ha! o' my life, if I were young again, the sword should end it.

Eva. It is petter that friends is the sword, and end it and there is also another device in my prain, which, peradventure, prings goot discretion with it: There is Anne Page, which is daughter to master George Page, which is pretty virginity.

Slen. Mistress Anne Page? She has brown hair, and speaks small like a woman.

Eva. Shall I tell you a lie ? I do despise a liar,

one that is not true. The knight, Sir John, is there; and, I beseech you, be ruled by your wellwillers. I will peat the door [knocks) for master Page. What, hoa! Got pless your house here!

Enter Page.

Page. Who's there?

Eva. Here is Got's plessing, and your friend, and justice Shallow and here young master Slender; that, peradventure, shall tell you another tale, if matters grows to your likings. Page. Page. I am glad to see your worships well: I thank you for my venison, master Shallow.

Shal. Master Page, I am glad to see you; much good do it your good heart! I wished your venison better; it was ill kill'd:-How doth good mistress Page?-and I love you always with with my heart, la; with my heart.

Page. Sir, I thank you.

Shal. Sir, I thank you; by yea and no, I do. Page. I am glad to see you, good master Slender. Slen. How does your fallow greyhound, sir ? I heard say, he was out-run on Cotsale.

Page. It could not be judg'd, sir.

Slen. You'll not confess, you'll not confess. Shal. That he will not; -'tis your fault, 'tis your fault:-'Tis a good dog.

Page. A cur, sir.

Shal. Sir, he's a good dog, and a fair dog; Can there be more said? he is good, and fair.-ls Sir John Falstaff here ?

Page. Sir, he is within; and I would, I could do a good office between you.

Eva. It is spoke as a Christians ought to speak. Shal. He hath wrong'd me, master Page. Page. Sir, he doth in some sort confess it. Shal. If it be confess'd, it is not redress'd: is not that so, master Page? He hath wrong'd me; indeed he hath;-at a word, he hath;-believe me; -Robert Shallow, esquire, saith he is wrong'd. Page. Here comes Sir John.

Enter Sir John Falstaff, Bardolph, Nym, and

Pistol.

⚫upon

Shal. Knight, you have beaten my men, killed my deer, and broke open my lodge. Fal. But not kiss'd your keeper's daughter? Shal. Tut, a pin! this shall be answer'd. Fal. I will answer it straight;-I have done all this:-That is now answer'd.

Shal. The Council shall know this.

Fal. "Twere better for you, if it were known in counsel: you'll be laugh'd at.

Eva. Po Pauca verba, Sir John, good worts.

Fal. Good worts! good cabbage. Slender, I

broke your head: What matter have you against

me?

Slen. Marry, sir, I have matter in my head against you you; and against your coney-catching rascals, Bardolph, Nym, and Pistol. They carried me to the tavern, and made me drunk, and afterwards picked my pocket. Bar. You banbury cheese 1

Sten. Ay, it is no matter.

Pist. How now, Mephostophilus ?

Slen. Ay, it is no matter

Nym. Slice, I say! pauca, pauca; slice! that's ay humour.

Slen. Where's Simple, my man? can you tell, consin?

Eva. Peace; I pray you! Now let us understand: There is three umpires in this matter, as I understand: That is-master Page, fidelicet, master Page; and there is myself, fidelicet, myself: and the three party is, lastly, and finally, mine host of the Garter.

Page. We three, to hear it, and end it between them.

Eva. Fery goot: I will make a prief of it in my note-book; and we will afterwards'ork upon the cause with as great discreetly as we can. Fal. Pistol,

Pist. He hears with ears.

Eva. The tevil and his tam; what phrase is this, He hears with ear? Why, it is affectations. Fal. Pistol, did you pick master Slender's purse ?

Slen. Ay, by these gloves, did he (or I would, . might never come into my own great chamber again else,) of seven groats in mill-sixpences, and two Edward shovel-boards, that cost me two shilling and twopence a-piece of Yead Miller, by these gloves.

Fal. Is this true, Pistol?

Eva. No; it is false, if it is a pick-purse. Pist. Ha ! thou mountain-foreigner!-Sir John,

and master mine,

I combat challenge of this latten bilbo:
Word of denial in thy labras here;

Word of denial; froth and scum, thou hest.
Slen. By these gloves, then, 'twas he.

Nym. Be avised, sir, and pass good humours; I will say, marry, trap, with you, if you run the nuthook's humour on me; that is the very note of it.

for though I cannot remember what I did when Slen. By this hat, then he in the red face had it: you made me drunk, yet I am not altogether an

Eva. It is his five senses: fie, what the ignorance is!

Bard. And being fap, sir, was, as they say, cashier'd; and so conclusions pass'd the careires. Slen. Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter: I'll ne'er be drunk whilst I live again, but in honest, civil, godly company, for this trick: If I be drunk, I'll be drunk with those that have the fear of God, and not with drunken knaves.

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

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?

Shal Come, coz; come, coz; we stay for you. A 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.

Slen. Nay, I will do as my consin Shallow says: 1 pray you, pardon me; he's a justice of peace in his country, simple though I stand here.

Eva. But this 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 mis. tress 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 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, Got's lords and his ladies, 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.

coz; what do is Shal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, sweet. to pleasure you, coz: Can you love the maid ? Sten. 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, racquaintanc when we are married, 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 dissolved, and dissolutely.

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

Shal. Ay, I think my cousin meant well.
Slen. Ay, or else I would I might be hanged, la.
Re-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 worships' company.

Shal. I will wait on him, fair mistress Anne. Eva. Od's plessed will! I will not be absence at the grace.

☐ Exeunt Shallow and Sir H. 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 [Ezit Siniple. A justice of peace sometimes 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? vet 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; 1 thank you as much as though I did.

Anne. I pray you, sir, walk in.

Slen. I had rather waik here, I thank you: I bruised my shin the other day with playing at sword and dagger with a master of fence, three veneys for a dish of stewed 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?

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

Slen. 1 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 cried and shriek'd at it, that it pass'd:-but women, indeed, cannot abide 'em; they are very ill-favour'd rough things.

Re-enter Page.

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, Keiser, and Pheezar, I will entertain Bardolph; he shall draw, he shall tap: said 1 well, bully Hectoг 7 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. [Erit Host.

Fal. Bardolph, follow him; a tapster is a good trade: an old cloak makes a new jerkin; a withered servingman, a fresh tapster: Go; adien. Bard. It is a life that I have desired; thrive.

I will

Erit Bard. Pist. O base Gongarian wight! wilt thou the spigot wield?

Nym. He was gotten in drink: Is not the hu mour conceited? His mind is not heroick, and here's the humour of it.

Fal. I am glad I am so acquit of this tinderbox; his thefts were too open: his filching was like an unskilful singer, he kept not time.

Nyr.. The good humour is, to steal at a mi nute's rest.

Pist. Convey, the wise it call: Steal! foh; & fico for the phrase!

Fal. Well, sirs, I am almost out at heels.
Pist. Why then let kibes ensue

Fal. There is no remedy; I must coney-catch;
I must shift.

Pist. Young ravens must have food.

Fal. Which of you know Ford of this town? Pist. I ken the wight; he is of substance good. Fal. My honest lads, I will tell you what I am about.

Pist. 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

stay for you.

Slen. I'll eat nothing; I thank you, sir.
Page. By cock and pye, you shall not choose,

sir: come, come.

Slen. Nay, 'pray you, lead the way.

Page. Come on, sir.

Slen. Mistress Anne, yourself shall go first. Anne. Not I, sir:

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.

SCENE II. The same.

[Exeunt.

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,

her familiar style, and the hardest voice of her behaviour, to be English'd rightly, is, I am Sir John Falstaff's.

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

Nym. The anchor is deep: will that humour pass ?

Fal. Now, the report goes, she has all the rule of her husband's purse; she hath legions of angels. Pist. As many devils entertain and, To her, boy, say J.

Nym. 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, examined my parts with most judicious eyliads: 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! Here's another letter to her: she bears the purse too: she is a region in Guiana, all gold and bounty. I wiit be cheater to them both, and

desires to mistress Anne Page: I pray you, be gone I will make an end of my dinner; there's pippins and cheese to come. [Exeunt.

SCENE III. A Room in the Garter Inn.

Enter Falstaff, Host, Bardolph, Nym, Pistol,

and Robin.

Fal. Mine host of the Garter,