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Rogues, hence, avaunt! vanish like hail-ftones, go!
Trudge, plod away o' th' hoof, seek shelter, pack!
Falftaff will learn the humour of the age,

French thrift, you rogues, myself and skirted page.

[Ex. Falstaff and Boy.

SCENE VIII.

Pift. Let vultures gripe thy guts! for gourd and Fulhams hold, And high and low beguile the rich and poor.

Tester I'll have in pouch when thou fhalt lack,

Base Phrygian Turk!

Nym. I have operations in my head, which be humours of

revenge.

Pift. Wilt thou revenge?

Nym. By welkin, and her ftar.

Pift. With wit, or steel?

Nym. With both the humours, I:

I will disclose the humour of this love to Ford.

Pift. And I to Page shall eke unfold,

How Falstaff, varlet vile,

His dove will prove, his gold will hold,
And his foft couch defile.

Nym. My humour shall not cool; I will incenfe Ford to deal with poifon, I will poffefs him with jealoufies, for this revolt of mine is dangerous: that is my true humour.

Pift. Thou art the Mars of male-contents: I fecond thee; troop on. [Exeunt.

SCENE IX.

Changes to doctor Caius's house.

Enter mistress Quickly, Simple, and John Rugby.

Quic. W ment, and fee if you can fee my mafter, mafter

HAT, John Rugby! I pray thee, go to the case

doctor

doctor Caius, coming; if he do, i' faith, and find any body in the house, here will be old abufing of god's patience, and the king's English.

Rug. I'll go watch.

[Exit Rugby. Quic. Go, and we'll have a poffet for't foon at night, in faith, at the latter end of a sea-coal fire. An honest, willing, kind fellow, as ever fervant fhall come in house withal; and, I warrant you, no tell-tale, nor no breed-bate; his worft fault is that he is given to pray'r, he is something peevish that way; but no body but has his fault; but let that pafs. Peter Simple, you fay, your

name is ?

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Quic. Does he not wear a great round beard, like a glover's paring-knife?

Simp. No, forfooth; he hath but a little wee-face, with a little yellow beard, a cane-colour'd beard.

Quic. A foftly-fprighted man, is he not?

Simp. Ay, forfooth; but he is as tall a man of his hands, as any is between this and his head: he hath fought with a warrener. Quic. How fay you? o, I should remember him; does he not hold up his head, as it were? and ftrut in his gait?

Simp. Yes, indeed, does he.

Quic. Well, heav'n fend Anne Page no worfe fortune! Tell master parson Evans, I will do what I can for your master: Anne is a good girl, and I wish --

Enter Rugby.

Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master.

Quic. We fhall all be fhent; run in here, good young man; go into this closet ; [fhuts Simple in the clofet.] He will not stay long. What, John Rugby! John! what, John, I fay! go, John, go, inquire for my mafter; I doubt he be not well, that he comes not home: and down, down, a-down-a, &c.

Ff 2

[Singing.

SCENE

SCENE X.

Enter doctor Caius.

Caius. Vat is you fing? I do not like des toys; pray you, go, and vetch me in my clofet un boitier verd; a box, a green-a box; do intend vat I fpeak? a green-a box.

Quic. Ay, forfooth, I'll fetch it

you.

I am glad he went not in himself; if he had found the young man, he would have been horn-mad.

Lafide.

Caius. Fe, fe, fe, fe, ma foi il fait fort chaud, je m'en vais a la cour la grande affaire.

Quic. Is it this, fir?

Caius. Ouy, mette le au mon pocket; depech quickly: ver is dat knave Rugby?

Quic. What, John Rugby! John!

Rug. Here, fir.

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Caius. You are John Rugby, and you are Jack Rugby; come, take-a your rapier, and come after my heel to the court. Rug. 'Tis ready, fir, here in the porch.

Caius. By my trot, I tarry too long: odd's me! Que ay je oublié ? dere is fome fimples in my closet, dat I vill not for the varld I fhall leave behind.

Quic. Ah me he'll find the young man there, and be mad. Caius. O diable, diable! vat is in my closet? villaine, Larron! Rugby, my rapier.

Quic. Good master, be content.

Caius. Verfore fhould I be content-a?

Quic. The young man is an honest man.

Caius. Vat fhall de honest man do in my closet? dere is no honeft man dat fhall come in my clofet.

Quic. I beseech you, be not fo flegmatick; hear the truth of it. He came of an errand to me from parfon Hugh.

Caius. Vell.

Simp. Ay, forfooth, to defire her to

Quic. Peace, I pray you.

Caius. Peace-a your tongue; fpeak-a your tale.

Simp. To defire this honeft gentlewoman, your maid, to speak a good word to mistress Anne Page for my mafter in the way of marriage.

Quic. This is all, indeed-la; but T'll ne'er put my finger in the fire, indeed, not I.

Caius. Sir Hugh fend-a you? Rugby, baillez me fome paper; tarry you a little-a-while.

Quic. I am glad he is so quiet; if he had been throughly moved, you should have heard him so loud, and fo melancholy : but notwithstanding, man, I'll do for your mafter what good I can; and the very yea and the no is, the French doctor my master, (I may call him my mafter, look you, for I keep his houfe, and I wash, wring, brew, bake, scour, dress meat and drink, make the beds, and do all myself.)

you

Simp. 'Tis a great charge to come under one body's hand. Quic. Are shall find it a great charge; a-vis'd o'that? your and to be up early, and down late. But notwithstanding, to tell you in your ear, I would have no words of it, my mafter himself is in love with mistress Anne Page; but notwithstanding that, I know Anne's mind, that's neither here nor there.

Caius. You jack'nape; give-a dis letter to fir Hugh, by gar, it is a fhallenge: I will cut his troat in de park, and I vill teach a scurvy jack-a-nape priest to meddle or make-you may be gone, it is not good you tarry here; by gar, I vill cut all his two ftones; by gar, he fhall not have a ftone to trow at his dog. [Exit Simple. Quic. Alas, he speaks but for his friend.

Gaius. It is no matter'a for dat: do not you tell-a-me dat I shall have Anne Page for myfelf? by gar, I vill kill the jack priest; and I have appointed mine hoft of de jartere to measure our weapon; by gar, I vill myself have Anne Page.

Quic. Sir, the maid loves you, and all shall be well: we must give folks leave to prate; what, the goujeres!

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Caius. Rugby, come to the court vith me; by gar, if I have not Anne Page, I shall turn your head out of my door; follow my heels, Rugby. [Ex Caius and Rugby.

Quic. You fhall have An fools-head of your own. No, I know Anne's mind for that; never a woman in Windfor knows more of Anne's mind than I do, nor can do more than I can with her, I thank heav'n.

Fent. [within] Who's within there, hoa?

Quic. Who's there, I trow? come near the house, I pray you.

SCENE XI.

Enter mafter Fenton.

Fent. How now, good woman, how doft thou?
Quic. The better that it pleases your good worship to ask.
Fent. What news? how does pretty mistress Anne?

Quic. In truth, fir, and fhe is pretty, and honest, and gentle; and one that is your friend, I can tell you that by the way, I praise

heav'n for it.

Fent. Shall I do any good, think'ft thou? fhall I not lose my fuit? Quic. Troth, fir, all is in his hands above; but notwithstanding, mafter Fenton, I'll be fworn on a book she loves you: have not your worship a wart above your eye?

Fent. Yes, marry, have I; and what of that?

Quic. Well, thereby hangs a tale; good faith, it is such another Nan; but, I deteft, an honest maid as ever broke bread; we had an hour's talk of that wart: I fhall never laugh but in that maid's company: but, indeed, she is given too much to allicholly and mufing; but for you-well — go to —

Fent. Well, I shall fee her to-day; hold, there's money for thee: let me have thy voice in my behalf; if thou seest her before me, commend me

Quic. Will I? ay, faith, that I will: and I will tell your worship more of the wart the next time we have confidence, and of other wooers.

Fent. Well, farewel; I am in great hafte now. [Exit. Quic. Farewel to your worship. Truly, an honeft gentlemen; but Anne loves him not; I know Anne's mind as well as another does. Out upon't! what have I forgot?

[Exit.

ACT

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