Shal. Knight, you have beaten my men, killed my deer, and broke open my lodge. Fal. But not kissed your keeper's daughter? Shal. Tut, a pin! this shall be answered. Fal. I will answer it straight; I have done all this. Shal. The council shall know this. Fal. 'Twere better for you if it were known in Evans. Pauca verba, Sir John; goot worts. Bard. You Banbury cheese! Slen. Ay, it is no matter. Pist. How now, Mephistophilus ! Slen. Ay, it is no matter. Nym. Slice, I say! pauca, pauca: slice! that's my humour. Slen. Where's Simple, my man? Can you tell, cousin? There is three umpires in this matter, as I 120 130 Page. We three, to hear it and end it between them. 140 note-book; and we will afterwards ork upon Fal. Pistol! Pist. He hears with ears. Evans. 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 I might never come in mine own great chamber again 150 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? Evans. No; it is false, if it is a pick-purse. Pist. Ha, thou mountain-foreigner! master mine, Sir John and I combat challenge of this latten bilbo. Word of denial in thy labras here! Word of denial: froth and scum, thou liest ! 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. 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? Evans. It is his five senses: fie, what the ignorance is ! 160 170 Bard. And being fap, sir, was, as they say, cashiered; and so conclusions passed the careires. Slen. Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter: I'll ne'er be drunk whilst I live again, Evans. So Got udge me, that is a virtuous mind. Enter Anne Page, with wine; Mistress Ford and Mistress Page, following. Page. Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we'll drink within. Slen. O heaven! this is Mistress Anne Page. [Exit Anne Page. 190 [Kisses her. Come, Fal. Mistress Ford, by my troth, you are very well met by your leave, good mistress. Page. Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome. we have a hot venison pasty to dinner: come, gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness. [Exeunt all except Shal., Slen., and Evans. Slen. I had rather than forty shillings I had my Book of Songs and Sonnets here. Enter Simple. How now, Simple! where have you been? must wait on myself, must I? You have not the 200 Book of Riddles about you, have you? Sim. Book of Riddles! why, did you not lend it to Alice Shortcake upon All-hallowmas last, a fort night afore Michaelmas ? Shal. Come, coz; come, coz; we stay for you. A word with you, coz; marry, this, coz : there is, Slen. Ay, sir, you shall find me reasonable; if it be so, 210 Shal. Nay, but understand me. Slen. So I do, sir. Evans. 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. Evans. But that is not the question: the question is 220 concerning your marriage. Shal. Ay, there's the point, sir. Evans. 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. Evans. But can you affection the 'oman? Let us command to know that of your mouth or of your Shal. Cousin Abraham Slender, can you love her ? would do reason. Evans. Nay, Got's lords and his ladies! you must speak possitable, if you can carry her your de sires towards her. Shal. That you must. marry her? Will you, upon good dowry, Slen. I will do a greater thing than that, upon your 240 request, cousin, in any reason. Shal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, sweet coz: what maid? Slen. 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, 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 250 her,' I will marry her; that I am freely dissolved, and dissolutely. Evans. It is a fery discretion answer; save the fall is in the ortdissolutely': the ort is, according to our meaning, resolutely:' his meaning is good. Shal. Ay, I think my cousin meant well. Slen. Ay, or else I would I might be hanged, la! Re-enter Anne Page. Would I were young for your sake, Mistress 260 Anne. The dinner is on the table; my father desires your worships' company. Shal. I will wait on him, fair Mistress Anne. |