Caius. Ha! do I perceive dat? have you make a de-fot of us, ha, ha? Eva. This is well, he has made us his vlóutingftog. I defire you, that we may be friends; and let us knog our prains together to be revenge on this fame fcald fcurvy cogging companion, the Hoft of the Garter. Caius. By gar, with all my heart; he promise to bring me where is Anne Page; by gar, he deceive me too. Eva. Well, I will fmite his noddles.-Pray you fol Enter Mrs. Page, and Robin. Mrs. Page. NAY, keep your way, little gallant; you were wont to be a follower, but now you are a leader. Whether had you rather lead mine eyes, or eye your mafter's heels? Rob. I had rather, forfooth, go before you like man, than follow him like a dwarf. Mrs. Page. O, you are a flattering boy; now, I fee, you'll be a Courtier. Enter Ford. Ford. Well met, miftrefs Page; whither go you? Mrs. Page. Truly, Sir, to fee your wife; is the at home? Ford. Ay; and as idle as the may hang together, 3 Scall feurvy.] Scall was an old word of reproach, as Scab was afterwards. Chaucer imprecates on his Scrivener, Under thy longe lockes mayet thou have the Scalle. for for want of company; I think, if your hufbands were dead, you two would marry. Mrs. Page. Be fure of that, two other husbands. Ford.Where had you this pretty weather-cock? Mrs. Page. I cannot tell what the dickens his name my hufband had him of: what do you call your Knight's name, firrah? is Rob. Sir John Falstaff. Ford. Sir John Falstaff? Mrs. Page. He, he; I can never hit on's name; there is fuch a league between my good man and he. Is your wife at home, indeed? Ford. Indeed, fhe is. Mrs. Page. By your leave, Sir.-I am fick, 'till I fee her. [Exeunt Mrs. Page and Robin. SCENE V.. Ford. Has Page any brains? hath he any eyes? hath he any thinking? fure, they fleep; he hath no ufe of them. Why, this boy will carry a letter twenty mile, as eafy as a cannon will shoot point blank twelve-fcore, He pieces out his wife's inclination; he gives her folly motion and advantage; and now fhe's going to my wife, and Falstaff's boy with her. A man may hear this shower fing in the wind-and Falstaff's boy with her!-good plots-they are laid, and our revolted wives fhare damnation together. Well, I will take him, then torture my wife; pluck the borrow'd veil of modefty from the fo feeming Mrs. Page, divulge Page himself for a fecure and wilful Acteon, and to thefe violent proceedings all my neighbours fhall cry aim. The clock gives me my cue, and my affurance bids me search, there I fhall find Falstaff. Ifhall be rather praised for this, than mocked; for it is as pofitive as the earth is firm, that Falstaff is there: I will go. SCENE Kk 4 SCENE VI. To him, Enter Page, Shallow, Slender, Hoft, Evans, and Caius. Shal. Page, &c. Well met, Mr. Ford. Ford. Truft me, a good knot: I have good cheer at home, and, I pray you, all go with me. Shal. I muft excufe myfelf, Mr. Ford.. Slen. And fo muft 1, Sir; we have appointed to dine with Mrs. Anne, and I would not break with her for more money than I'll speak of. Shal. We have linger'd about a match between Anne Page and my coufin Slender, and this day we fhall have our answer. Slen. I hope, I have your good will, father Page. Page. You have, Mr. Slender; I ftand wholly for you; but my wife, master Doctor, is for you altogether. Caius. Ay, by gar, and de maid is love-a-me e; my nurfh-a-Quickly tell me fo mush. Hoft. What fay you to young Mr. Fenton ? he capers, he dances, he has eyes of youth, he writes verses, he speaks holy-day, he smells April and May; he will carry't, he will carry't; 'tis in his buttons; he will carry't. Page. Not by my confent, I promise you. The Gentleman is of no having, he kept company with the wild Prince and Poins. He is of too high a region, he knows too much. No, he fhall not knit a knot in his fortunes with the finger of my fubftance. If he take her, let him take her fimply; the wealth I have waits on my confent, and my confent goes not that way. Ford. I beseech you heartily, fome of you go home with me to dinner; befides your cheer, you fhall have fport; I will fhew you a monster. Mr. Do&or, you fhall go; fo fhall you, Mr. Page; and you, Sir Hugh. Shal. Well, fare you well, we fhall have the freer wooing at Mr. Page's. Caius. Go home, John Rugby, I come anon. Hot. Farewel, my hearts; I will to my honest Knight Falstaff, and drink Canary with him." Ford. [Afide.] I think, I fhall drink in Pipe-wine firft with him: I'll make him dance. Will you go, gentles? All. Have with you, to fee this monfter. [Exeunt. Changes to Ford's Heufe. Enter Mrs. Ford, Mrs. Page, and Servants with a Mrs. Ford. W the buck-basket basket. HAT; John! what, Robert! Mrs. Ford. I warrant.--What, Robin, I say. Mrs. Ford. Here, fet it down. Mrs Page. Give your men the charge, we must be brief. Mrs. Ford. Marry, as I told you before, John and Robert, be ready here hard by in the brew-houfe, and when I fuddenly call on you, come forth, and without any any pause or staggering take this basket on your shoulders; that done, trudge with it in all hafte, and carry it among the whitfters in Datchet-Mead, and there empty it in the muddy ditch close by the Thames fide. Mrs. Page. You will do it? Mrs. Ford. I ha' told them over and over; they lack no direction. Be gone, and come when you are call'd. [Exeunt Servants. Mrs. Page. Here comes little Robin. Enter Robin. Mrs. Ford. How now, my Eyas-mufket 7, what news with you? Rob. My master, Sir John, is come in at your backdoor, mistress Ford, and requests your company. Mrs. Page. You little Jack-a-lent, have you been true to us? Rob. Ay, I'll be fworn: my mafter knows not of your being here, and hath threaten'd to put me into everlafting liberty, if I tell you of it; for he swears, he'll turn me away. Mrs. Page. Thou'rt a good boy; this fecrecy of thine fhall be a tailor to thee, and shall make thee a new doublet and hofe. I'll go hide me. Mrs. Ford. Do fo; go tell thy master, I am alone; miftrefs Page, remember you your cue. [Exit Robin. Mrs. Page. I warrant thee; if I do not act it, hifs [Exit Mrs. Page, me. 7 How now, my Eyas-mufket.] Eyas is a young unfledg'd hawk. I fuppofe from the Italian Niafo, which originally fignified any young bird taken from the neft unfledg'd, afterwards, a young hawk. The French, from hence, took their niais, and used it in both thofe fignifications; towhich they added a third, metaphorically a filly fellow; un garçon fort -Musket figni niais, un niais.- WARBURTON. |