A FEW of the incidents in this comedy might have been taken from an old translation of Il Peeurone by Giovanni Fiorentino. I have lately met with the same story in a very contemptible performance, intitled, The fortunate, the de ed, and the unfortunate Lovers. Of this book, as I am told, there are several impressions; but that in which I read it was published 1532, quarto. A somewhat similar story occurs Piacevoli Notti di Straparola, Nott. 4, Fav. 4. This comedy was first entered at Stationers' Hall, Jan. 18, 1691, by John Busby. STEEVENS. This play should be read between K. Henry IV. and K. Henry V. in Johnson's opinion. But Mr. Malone says, it ought rather to be read between the First and The Second Part of King Henry IV. in the latter of which young Henry ecomes king. In the last act, Falstaff says, "Herne the hunter, quoth you? am I a ghost? Sblood the fairies hath made a ghost of me. What, bunting at this time of night! I'le lay my life the mad prince of Wales Is stealing his father's deare." and in this play, as it now appears, Mr. Page discountenances the addresses of Fenton to his daughter, because "he keeps company with the W prince, and with Poins." The Fishwife's Tale of Brainford in WESTWARD FOR SMELTS, a book which Shakspeare ems to have read (having borrowed from it a part of the fable of Cymbeline), probably led him to lay the scene of Falstaff's love adventures at Windsor. It begins thus: "In Windsor not long agoe dwelt a sumpterman, who had to wife a very faire but wanton creature, over whom, not without cause, he was something jealous; yet had he never any proof of her inconstancy." MALONE. The adventures of Falstaff in this play seem to have been taken from the story of The Lovers of Pisa, in an old piece, called Tarleton's Newes out of Purgatorie. Mr. Warton observes, in a note to the last Oxford edition, that the play was probably not written as we now have it, before 1607, at the earliest. I agree with my very ingenious friend in this supposition, but yet the argument here produced for it may not be conclusive. Slender observes to Master Page, that his greyhound was out-run at Cotsale (Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire); and Mr. Warton thinks that the games established there by Captain Dover in the beginning of K. James's reign, are alluded to. But, perhaps, though the captain be celebrated in the Annalia Dubrensia as the founder of them, he might be the reviver only, or some way contribute to make them more famous; for in The Second Part of Henry IV. 1600, Justice Shallow reckons among the Swinge-bucklers, "Will Squeele,a Cotsole man." In the first edition of the imperfect play, Sir Hugh Evans is called, on the title-page, the Welsh Knight; and yet there are some persons who still affect to believe, that all our author's plays were originally published by himself. FARMER. Queen Elizabeth was so well pleased with the admirable character of Falstaff in The Two Parts of Henry IV. that, as Mr. Rowe informs us, she commanded Shakspeare to continue it for one play more, and show him in love. To this command we owe The Merry Wives of Windsor; which, Mr. Gildon says (Remarks on Shakspeare's Plays, 8vo. 1710), he was very well assured our author finished in a fortnight. He quotes no authority. The circumstance was first mentioned by Mr. Dennis. "This comedy," says he, in his Epistle Dedicatory to The Comical Gallant (an alteration of the present play), 1702, "was written at her (Queen Elizabeth's) command, and by her direction, and she was so eager to see it acted, that she commanded it to be finished in fourteen days; and was afterwards, as tradition tells us, very well pleased at the representation." The information, it is probable, came originally from Dryden, who, from his intimacy with Sir William Davenant, had an opportunity of learning many particulars concerning our author At what period Shakspeare new-modelled The Merry Wives of Windsor is unknown. I believe it was enlarged in 1603. MALONE. It is not generally known, that the first edition of The Merry Wives of Windsor, in its present state, is in the valuable folio printed 1623, from whence the quarto of the same play, dated 1630, was evidently copied. The two earlier quartos, 1602, and 1619, only exhibit this comedy as it was originally written, and are so far curious as they contain Shakspeare's first conceptions in forming a drama, which is the most complete specimen of his comic powers. T. WARTON. MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. Of this play there is a tradition preserved by Mr. Rowe, that it was written at the command of Queen Elizabeth, sin was so delighted with the character of Falstaff, that she wished it to be diffused through more plays; but suspecting that it might pall by continued uniformity, directed the poet to diversify his manner, by shewing him in love. No tisk is harder than that of writing to the ideas of another. Shakspeare knew what the queen, if the story be true, sers not to have known, that by any real passion of tenderness, the selfish craft, the careless jollity, and the lazy Kiary of Falstaff must have suffered so much abatement, that little of his former cast would have remained. Falstaff cd not love, but by ceasing to be Falstaff. He could only counterfeit love, and his professions could be prompted, But by the hope of pleasure, but of money. Thus the poet approached as near as he could to the work enjoined lem, yet having perhaps in the former plays completed his own idea, seems not to have been able to give Falstaff his former power of entertainment. This comedy is remarkable for the variety and number of the personages, who exhibit more characters appropriaded and discriminated, than perhaps can be found in any other play. Whether Shakspeare was the first that produced upon the English stage the effect of language distorted and depraved br provincial or foreign pronunciation, I cannot certainly decide. This mode of forming ridiculous characters can confer praise only on him who originally discovered it, for it requires not much of either wit or judgment; its access must be derived almost wholly from the player, but its power in a skilful mouth, even he that despises it as able to resist. The conduct of this drama is deficient; the action begins and ends often, before the conclusion, and the different farts might change places without inconvenience; but its general power, that power by which all works of genius shall ally be tried, is such, that perhaps it never yet had reader or spectator who did not think it too soon at the end. Johnson. ACT I. BARDOLPH,-PISTOL,-NYM, Followers of Falstaff. Mrs. PAGE. Mrs. ANNE PAGE, her Daughter, in love with Fenton. SCENE, Windsor, and the Parts adjacent. [coat. Era. The dozen white louses do become an old coat well; it agrees well, passant: it is a familiar beast to man, and signifies-love. Shal. The luce is the fresh fish; the salt fish is an old coat. Sten. I may quarter, coz? Shal. You may, by marrying. Era. It is marring, indeed, if he quarter it. Eva. Yes, py'r-lady; if he has a quarter of your coat, there is but three skirts for yourself, in my simple conjectures: but this is all one: if sir John Falstaff have committed disparagements unto you, I am of the church, and will be glad to do my betevolence, to make atonements and compromises between you. Shal. The Council shall hear it; it is a riot. Era. 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 another device in my prain, which, peradventure, prings goot discretions 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. It is that fery verson for all the 'orld, as just as you will desire; and seven hundred pounds of monies, and gold, and silver, is her grandsire, upon his death's-bed, (Got deliver to a joyful resurrections!) give, when she is able to overtake seventeen years old: it were a goot motion, if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and desire a marriage between master Abraham, and mistress Anne Page. [pound? Shal. Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred 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? Eva. Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar, as I do despise one that is false; or, as I despise 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, peradventures, shall tell you another tale, matters grow to your likings. 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 killed :-How doth good mistress Page?-and I love you always with my heart, la Page. Sir, I thank you. [with my heart Shal. Sir, I thank you; by yea and no, I do. Page. I am glad to see you, good master Slender. | hook's humour on me; that is the very note of it. Slen. How does your fallow greyhound, sir? I heard say, he was out-run on Cotsale. Page. It could not be judged, 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.-Is 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. | Slen. By this hat, then he in the red face had it: for though I cannot remember what I did when you made me drunk, yet I am not altogether an ass. Fal. What say you, Scarlet and John? Bard. Why, sir, for my part, I say, the gentleman had drunk himself out of his five sentences. Eva. It is his five senses: fie, what the ignorance is' Bard. And being fap, sir, was, as they say, ca. shier'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 God 'udge me, that is a virtuous mind. Fal. You hear all these matters denied, gentiemen; you hear it. Enter Mistress ANNE PAGE, with wine; Mistress FORD and Mistress PAGE following. Page. Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we'l [Exit Anne Page. Slen. O heaven! this is mistress Anne Page. Page. How now, mistress Ford? Fal. Mistress Ford, by my troth, you are very well met: by your leave, good mistress. (Kissing her) Enter Sir JOHN FALSTAFF, BARDOLPH, NYM, and drink within. Fal. Now, master Shallow; you'll complain of me to the king! 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. The Council shall know this. Eva. Pauca verba, sir John, goot worts. Bard. You Banbury cheese! Pist. How now, Mephistophilus? Nym. Slice, I say! pauca, pauca; slice! that's my humour. [cousin? Slen. Where's Simple, my man?-can you tell, Eva. Peace: I pray you! Now let us under stand 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. [them. Page. We three, to hear it, and end it between Eva. Ferry goot: I will make a prief of it in my ote-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 ears? Why, it is affectations. Fal. Pistol, did you pick master Slender's purse? Slen. Ay, by these gloves, did he, (or I would I might never come in mine own great chamber again else,) of seven groats in mill sixpences, and two Edward shovel-boards, that cost me two shilling and two pence a piece of Yead Miller, by these gloves. Fal. Is this true, Pistol? Page. Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome :Come, we have a hot venison pasty to dinner; come, gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkind[Exeunt all but Shal. Slen, and Evans. Slen. I had rather than forty shillings, I had my book of Songs and Sonnets here: ness. Enter SIMPLE. 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 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 cousin Shallow says: I 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 mistress 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 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 Eva. No; it is false, if it is a pick-purse. I combat challenge of this latten bilbo : Nym. Be advis'd, sir, and pass good humours; I will say, marry trap, with you, if you run the nut Shal. That you must will you, upon good dowry, marry her? Slen. I will do a greater thing than that, upos your request, cousin, in any reason. Shal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, sweel coz; what I do, is to pleasure you, coz: can you love the maid? |