Mist. Page. Against such Lewdsters, and their lechery, Those that betray them, do no treachery.

Mist. Ford. The houre drawes-on: to the Oake, to the

Oake.

Scena Quarta.

[Windsor Park.]

Euter Evans [disguised] and Fairies.

Exeunt.

Evans. Trib, trib Fairies: Coue, and remember your parts: be pold (I pray you) follow me into the pit, and when I give the watch-'ords, do as I pid you: Come, come, trib, trib. Exeunt

Scena Quinta.

[Another part of the Park.]

Enter Falstaffe, Mistris Page, Mistris Ford, Evans, Anne Page, Fairies, Page, Ford, Quickly, Slender, Fenton, Caius, Pistoll.

Fal. [Disguised as Herne] The Windsor-bell hath stroke twelve: the Mi- | nute drawes-on: Now the hotbloodied-Gods assist me: | Remember Jove, thou was't a Bull for thy Europa, Love | set on thy hornes. powerfull Love, that in some re- | spects makes a Beast a Man: in som other, a Man a beast. | You were also (Jupiter) a Swan, for the love of Leda: O | omnipotent Love, how nere the God drew to the com- plexion of a Goose: a fault done first in the forme of a beast, (O Jove, a beastly fault:) and then another fault, | in the semblance of a Fowle, thinke on't (Jove) a fowle- | fault. When Gods have hot backes, what shall poore men do? For me, I am heere a Windsor Stagge, and the fattest (I thinke) i'th Forrest. Send me a coole rut-time 2. Euter: Enter-2-4F. 3. Come: Come-2-4F.

(Jove) or who can blame me to pisse my Tallow? Who comes heere? my Doe?

[Enter Mistress Ford and Mistress Page.]

19

M. Ford. Sir John? Art thou there (my Deere?) My male-Deere?

Fal. My Doe, with the blacke Scut? Let the skie raine Potatoes: let it thunder, to the tune of Greenesleeves, haile-kissing Comfits, and snow Eringoes: Let there come a tempest of provocation, I will shelter mee heere.

M Ford. Mistris Page is come with me (sweet hart.) Fal. Divide me like a brib'd-Bucke, each a Haunch: I will keepe my sides to my selfe, my shoulders for the fellow of this walke; and my hornes I bequeath your husbands. Am I a Woodman, ha? Speake I like Herne the Hunter? Why, now is Cupid a child of conscience, he makes restitution. As I am a true spirit, welcome. [Noise within.]

M.Page. Alas, what noise?

M. Ford. Heaven forgive our sinnes.
Fal. What should this be?

34

M. Ford. M. Page. Away, away. [They run off.] Fal. I thinke the divell wil not have me damn'd, Least the oyle that's in me should set hell on fire; He would never else crosse me thus.

40

Enter Fairies [Evans, disguised as before, Pistol as Hobgoblin, Quickly, Anne Page, and others, with tapers].

Qui. Fairies blacke, gray, greene, and white, You Moone-shine revellers, and shades of night. You Orphan heires of fixed destiny,

28. brib'd: bribe-THEOBALD.

38-40. prose-Capell.

Attend your office, and your quality.

Crier Hob-goblyn, make the Fairy Oyes.

Pist. Elves, list your names: Silence you aiery toyes. Cricket, to Windsor-chimnies shalt thou leape; Where fires thou find'st unrak'd, and hearths unswept, There pinch the Maids as blew as Bill-berry, 50 Our radiant Queene, hates Sluts, and Sluttery.

Fal. They are Fairies, he that speaks to them shall die, Ile winke, and couch: No man their workes must eie. [Lies down upon his face.]

Ev. Wher's Bede? Go you, and where you find a maid That ere she sleepe has thrice her prayers said, Raise up the Organs of her fantasie,

Sleepe she as sound as carelesse infancie,

But those as sleepe, and thinke not on their sins,
Pinch them armes, legs, backes, shoulders, sides, & shins.
Qu. About, about:

Search Windsor Castle (Elves) within, and out.
Strew good lucke (Ouphes) on every sacred roome,
That it may stand till the perpetuall doome,
In state as wholsome, as in state 'tis fit,
Worthy the Owner, and the Owner it.

The severall Chaires of Order, looke you scowre
With juyce of Balme; and every precious flowre,
Each faire Instalment, Coate, and sev'rall Crest,
With loyall Blazon, evermore be blest.
And Nightly-meadow-Fairies, looke you sing
Like to the Garters-Compasse, in a ring,
Th'expressure that it beares: Greene let it be,
Mote fertile-fresh then all the Field to see:
And, Hony Soit Qui Mal-y-Pence, write

In Emrold-tuffes, Flowres purple, blew, and white,

60

70

70. Nightly-meadow-Fairies: nightly, meadow-fairies-Capell. 73. Mote: More-Q9.2-4F. 75. Emrold-tuffes: emerald tufts-2-4F.

Like Saphire-pearle, and rich embroiderie,

Buckled below faire Knight-hoods bending knee;
Fairies use Flowres for their characterie.
Away, disperse: But till 'tis one a clocke,

Our Dance of Custome, round about the Oke
Of Herne the Hunter, let us not forget.

80

Evan. Pray you lock hand in hand: your selves in order set: |

And twenty glow-wormes shall our Lanthornes bee
To guide our Measure round about the Tree.
But stay, I smell a man of middle earth.

Fal. Heavens defend me from that Welsh Fairy, Least he transforme me to a peece of Cheese.

Pist. Vilde worme, thou wast ore-look'd even in thy birth.

Qu. With Triall-fire touch me his finger end:
If he be chaste, the flame will backe descend
And turne him to no paine: but if he start,
It is the flesh of a corrupted hart.

Pist. A triall, come.

Eva. Come: will this wood take fire?

90

[They burn him with their tapers.]

Fal. Oh, oh, oh.

Qui. Corrupt, corrupt, and tainted in desire.
About him (Fairies) sing a scornfull rime,
And as you trip, still pinch him to your time.

Fie on sinnefull phantasie: Fie on Lust, and Luxurie: Lust is but a bloudy fire, kindled with unchaste desire, Fed in heart whose flames aspire,

As thoughts do blow them higher and higher.

76. Saphire-pearle: sapphire, pearl-THEOBALD.

86-7. prose-POPE.

90

101. 2 rhymed 11.-POPE.

Pinch him (Fairies) mutually: Pinch him for his villanie. Pinch him, and burne him, and turne him about, Till Candles, & Star-light, & Moone-shine be out. [During this song they pinch Falstaff. Doctor Caius comes one way, and steals away a boy in green; Slender another way, and takes off a boy in white; Fenton comes and steals away Anne Page. A noise of hunting is heard within. All the Fairies run away. Falstaff pulls off his buck's head, and rises.]

[Enter Page, Ford, Mistress Page, Mistress Ford.]

Page. Nay do not flye, I thinke we have watcht you now: Will none but Herne the Hunter serve your turne?

IIO

M. Page. I pray you come, hold up the jest no higher. Now (good Sir John) how like you Windsor wives? See you these husband? Do not these faire yoakes Become the Forrest better then the Towne?

Ford. Now Sir, whose a Cuckold now?

Mr Broome, Falstaffes a Knave, a Cuckoldly knave, Heere are his hornes Master Broome:

And Master Broome, he hath enjoyed nothing of Fords, but his Buck-basket, his cudgell, and twenty pounds of money, which must be paid to Mr Broome, his horses are arrested for it, Mr Broome.

121

M. Ford. Sir John, we have had ill lucke: wee could never meete: I will never take you for my Love againe, but I will alwayes count you my Deere.

Fal. I do begin to perceive that I am made an Asse. Ford. I, and an Oxe too: both the proofes are ex

tant.

Fal. And these are not Fairies:

128

I was three or foure times in the thought they were not

108-10. 2 five-accent ll.-ROWE.