and Page's wife, acquainted each other how they love me?

Quic. That were a jeft, indeed; they have not fo little grace, I hope; that were a trick, indeed! but mistress Page would defire you to fend her your little page, of all loves: her husband has a marvellous infection to the little page; and, truly, mafter Page is an honeft man. Never a wife in Windfor leads a better life, than she does; do what fhe will, fay what she will, take all, pay all, go to bed when she lift, rife when she lift, all is as fhe will; and truly she deserves it; for if there be a kind woman in Windfor, truly, fhe is one. You must fend her your page; no re

medy.
Fal. Why, I will.

Quic. Nay, but do fo then; and look you, he may come and go between you both, and in any cafe have a nay-word, that you may know one another's mind: and the boy never need to understand any thing; for 'tis not good, that children should know any wickednefs old folks, you know, have difcretion, as they fay, and know the world.

Fal. Fare thee well; commend me to them both: there's my purse, I am yet thy debtor-Boy, go along with this woman.-This news diftracts me!

[Exeunt Quickly and Robin. Pift. This pink is one of Cupid's carriers:

6 In former Editions,
This PUNK is one of Cupid's

carriers,

Clap on more fails; purfue;

up with your fights,

Give fire; he is my prize.] This punk is one of Cupid's carriers, is a plaufible reading, yet abfurd on examination. For are not all punks Cupid's carriers? Shakespeare certainly wrote,

Clap

Clap on more fails; purfue; up with your fights; Give fire; fhe is my prize, or ocean whelm them all! [Exit Pistol.

Fal. Say'st thou fo, old Jack? go thy ways-I'll make more of thy old body, than I have done-will they yet look after thee? Wilt thou, after the expence of to much money, be now a gainer? Good body, I thank thee; let them fay, 'tis grofly done; fo it be fairly done, no matter.

Bard Sir John, there's one master Brook below would fain speak with you, and be acquainted with you; and hath fent your worship a morning's draught of fack. Fel. Brook, is his name?

Bard. Ay, Sir.

Fal. Call him in; [Exit Bardolph.] such Brooks are welcome to me that o'erflow with fuch liquor. Ah! ah! mistress Ford and miftrefs Page, have I encompafs'd you? go to, via !

This PINK, this painted foift,

this cockle boat,

To bang her fights out, and defy me, Friends!

A well-known man of warAs to the word fights, both in the text and in the quotation, it was then, and, for aught I know, may be now a common featerm. Sir Richard Hawkins in his voyages, p. 66. fays,

For once we cleared her deck, and bad we been able to have spared but a dozen men, doubtlefs we had done with her what we would; for she had no clofe FIGHTS, i. e. if I understand it right, no small arms. So that by fights is meant any manner of defence, either fmall arms or cannon. So Dryden, in his tragedy of Amboyna,

Up with your FIGHTS,

And your nettings prepare, &c. But, not confidering this, I led the Oxford Editor into a filly conje&ure, which he has done me the honour of putting into his text, which is indeed a proper place for it.

Up with YOND' FRIGAT. WARBURTON. The quotation from Dryden might at least have raised a sufpicion that fights were neither Small arms, nor cannon. Fights and nettings are properly joined. Fights, I find, are cloaths hung round the fhip to conceal the men from the enemy, and closefights are bulkheads, or any other fhelter that the fabrick of a ship affords.

Re

Re-enter Bardolph, with Ford difguis'd.

Ford. Blefs you, Sir.

Fal. And you, Sir, would you speak with me? Ford. I make bold to prefs with fo little preparation.

upon you.

Fal. You're welcome; what's your will? give us leave, drawer. [Exit Bardolph. Ford. Sir, I am a gentleman that have spent much; my name is Brook.

Fal. Good mafter Brook, I defire more acquaintance of you.

Ford. Good Sir John, I fue for yours; not to* charge you, for I must let you understand, I think myself in better plight for a lender than you are, the which hath fomething embolden'd me to this unfeafon'd intrufion; for they fay, if money go before, all ways do lye open.

Fal. Money is a good foldier, Sir, and will on.

Ford. Troth, and I have a bag of money, here, troubles me; if you will help me to bear it, Sir John, take all, or half, for eafing me of the carriage.

Fal. Sir, I know not how I may deferve to be your porter.

Ford. I will tell you, Sir, if you will give me the hearing.

Fal. Speak, good mafter Brook, I fhall be glad to be your fervant.

Ford. Sir, I hear, you are a fcholar (I will be brief with you); and you have been a man long known to me, tho' I had never fo good means, as defire, to make myself acquainted with you: I fhall difcover a thing to you, wherein I must very much lay open mine own imperfections; but good Sir John, as you have one eye upon my follies, as you hear them unfolded, turn another into the register of your own,

--not to charge you.] That ting you to expence, or being is, not with a purpose of put burthenfome.

that

that I may pafs with a reproof the easier; fith you yourself know, how eafy it is to be fuch an offender. Fal. Very well: Sir, proceed.

Ford. There is a gentlewoman in this town, her husband's name is Ford.

Fal. Well, Sir.

Ford. I have long lov'd her; and, I proteft to you, bestow'd much on her; follow'd her with a doating obfervance; engrofs'd opportunities to meet her; fee'd every flight occafion, that could but niggardly give me fight of her; not only bought many prefents to give her, but have given largely to many, to know what she would have given: briefly, I have purfu'd her, as love hath purfu'd me, which hath been on the wing of all occafions. But whatsoever I have merited, either in my mind, or in my means; meed, I am sure, I have received none; unless experience be a jewel; That I have purchas'd at an infinite rate, and That hath taught me to fay this;

"Love like a fhadow flies, when fubftance love purfues;

"Purfuing That that flies, and flying what pursues. Fal. Have you receiv'd no promise of fatisfaction at her hands?

Ford. Never.

Fal. Have you importun'd her to fuch a purpose? Ford. Never.

Fal. Of what quality was your love then?

Fal. Like a fair houfe built upon another man's ground; fo that I have loft my edifice, by mistaking the place where I have erected it.

Fal. To what purpose have you me?

unfolded this to

Ford. When I have told you that, I have told you all. Some say, that tho' fhe appear honeft to me, yet in other places fhe enlargeth her mirth fo far, that there is fhrewd conftruction made of her. Now, Sir John, here is the heart of my purpose: You are a gentleman

of

of excellent breeding, admirable discourse, of great admittance, authentick in your place and perfon, generally allow'd for your many war-like, court-like, and learned preparations.

Fal. O Sir!

Ford. Believe it, for you know it: there is money, fpend it, spend it; fpend more, fpend all I have, only give me fo much of your time in exchange of it, as to lay an amiable fiege to the honesty of this Ford's wife; ufe your art of wooing, win her to confent to you; any man may, you may as foon as any.

if

?

Fal. Would it apply well to the vehemence of your affection, that I fhould win what you would enjoy methinks, you prefcribe to yourself very prepofterously.

Ford. O, understand my drift; fhe dwells fo fecurely on the excellency of her honour, that the folly of my foul dares not prefent itself; fhe is too bright to be look'd againft. Now, could I come to her with any detection in my hand, my defires had' inftance and argument to commend themselves; I could drive her then from the ward of her purity, her reputation, her marriage-vow, and a thousand other her defences, which now are too ftrongly embattel'd against me. What fay you to't, Sir John?

Fal. Mafter Brock, I will first make bold with your money; next, give me your hand; and laft, as I am a gentleman, you fhall, if you will, enjoy Ford's wife. Ford. O good Sir !

Fal. Mafter Brook, I fay you fhall.

Ford. Want no money, Sir John, you fhall want

nore.

Fal. Want no mistress Ford, mafter Brock, you fhall want none. I fhall be with her, I may tell you, by her own appointment. Even as you came in to me, her affiftant, or go-between, parted from me; I

* Inftance and argument.] Inftance is example.

say,