have made you four tall fellows skip like rats.
HOST. Here, boys, here, here! Shall we wag?
PAGE. Have with you. I had rather hear them scold than
fight. Exeunt all but FORD
FORD. Though Page be a secure fool, and stands so
firmly on
his wife's
frailty, yet I cannot put off my opinion so
easily. She was in his company at Page's house, and what
they made there I know not. Well, I will look further into
't, and I have a
disguise to sound Falstaff. If I find her
honest, I lose not my labour; if she be
otherwise, 'tis labour
well bestowed. Exit
SCENE 2.
A room in the Garter Inn
Enter FALSTAFF and PISTOL
FALSTAFF. I will not lend thee a penny.
PISTOL. I will
retort the sum in equipage.
FALSTAFF. Not a penny.
PISTOL. Why, then the world's mine
oyster. Which I with
sword will open.
FALSTAFF. Not a penny. I have been content, sir, you should
lay my
countenance to pawn. I have grated upon my good
friends for three reprieves for you and your coach-fellow,
Nym; or else you had look'd through the grate, like a
geminy of baboons. I am damn'd in hell for swearing to
gentlemen my friends you were good soldiers and tall fellows;
and when Mistress Bridget lost the handle of her fan,
I took 't upon mine honour thou hadst it not.
PISTOL. Didst not thou share? Hadst thou not fifteen pence?
FALSTAFF. Reason, you rogue, reason. Think'st thou I'll
endanger my soul gratis? At a word, hang no more about me,
I am no gibbet for you. Go-a short knife and a throng!-
to your manor of Pickt-hatch; go. You'll not bear a letter
for me, you rogue! You stand upon your honour! Why,
thou unconfinable baseness, it is as much as I can do to
keep the terms of my honour
precise. I, I, I myself
sometimes, leaving the fear of God on the left hand, and hiding
mine honour in my necessity, am fain to
shuffle, to hedge,
and to lurch; and yet you, rogue, will ensconce your rags,
your cat-a-mountain looks, your red-lattice phrases, and
your bold-beating oaths, under the shelter of your honour!
You will not do it, you!
PISTOL. I do
relent; what would thou more of man?
Enter ROBIN
ROBIN. Sir, here's a woman would speak with you.
FALSTAFF. Let her approach.
Enter MISTRESS QUICKLY
QUICKLY. Give your
worship good
morrow.
FALSTAFF. Good
morrow, good wife.
QUICKLY. Not so, an't please your
worship.
FALSTAFF. Good maid, then.
QUICKLY. I'll be sworn;
As my mother was, the first hour I was born.
FALSTAFF. I do believe the swearer. What with me?
QUICKLY. Shall I
vouchsafe your
worship a word or two?
FALSTAFF. Two thousand, fair woman; and I'll
vouchsafethee the hearing.
QUICKLY. There is one Mistress Ford, sir-I pray, come a little
nearer this ways. I myself dwell with Master Doctor
Caius.
FALSTAFF. Well, on: Mistress Ford, you say-
QUICKLY. Your
worship says very true. I pray your
worshipcome a little nearer this ways.
FALSTAFF. I
warrant thee nobody hears-mine own people,
mine own people.
QUICKLY. Are they so? God bless them, and make them his
servants!
FALSTAFF. Well; Mistress Ford, what of her?
QUICKLY. Why, sir, she's a good creature. Lord, Lord, your
worship's a wanton! Well, heaven
forgive you, and all of
us, I pray.
FALSTAFF. Mistress Ford; come, Mistress Ford-
QUICKLY. Marry, this is the short and the long of it: you
have brought her into such a canaries as 'tis wonderful.
The best
courtier of them all, when the court lay at Windsor,
could never have brought her to such a
canary. Yet
there has been knights, and lords, and gentlemen, with
their coaches; I
warrant you, coach after coach, letter after
letter, gift after gift; smelling so
sweetly, all musk, and so
rushling, I
warrant you, in silk and gold; and in such alligant
terms; and in such wine and sugar of the best and the
fairest, that would have won any woman's heart; and I
warrant you, they could never get an eye-wink of her.
I had myself twenty angels given me this morning; but I
defy all angels, in any such sort, as they say, but in the
way of
honesty; and, I
warrant you, they could never get
her so much as sip on a cup with the proudest of them all;
and yet there has been earls, nay, which is more,
pensioners; but, I
warrant you, all is one with her.
FALSTAFF. But what says she to me? Be brief, my good she-
Mercury.
QUICKLY. Marry, she hath receiv'd your letter; for the
which she thanks you a thousand times; and she gives you
to
notify that her husband will be
absence from his house
between ten and eleven.
FALSTAFF. Ten and eleven?
QUICKLY. Ay, forsooth; and then you may come and see
the picture, she says, that you wot of. Master Ford, her
husband, will be from home. Alas, the sweet woman leads
an ill life with him! He's a very
jealousy man; she leads a
very frampold life with him, good heart.
FALSTAFF. Ten and eleven. Woman,
commend me to her; I
will not fail her.
QUICKLY. Why, you say well. But I have another messenger
to your
worship. Mistress Page hath her
heartycommendations
to you too; and let me tell you in your ear, she's as
fartuous a civil
modest wife, and one, I tell you, that will
not miss you morning nor evening prayer, as any is in
Windsor, whoe'er be the other; and she bade me tell your
worship that her husband is seldom from home, but she
hopes there will come a time. I never knew a woman so
dote upon a man: surely I think you have charms, la! Yes,
in truth.
FALSTAFF. Not I, I assure thee;
setting the
attraction of my
good parts aside, I have no other charms.
QUICKLY. Blessing on your heart for 't!
FALSTAFF. But, I pray thee, tell me this: has Ford's wife and
Page's wife acquainted each other how they love me?
QUICKLY. That were a jest indeed! They have not so little
grace, I hope-that were a trick indeed! But Mistress Page
would desire you to send her your little page of all loves.
Her husband has a marvellous
infection to the little page;
and truly Master Page is an honest man. Never a wife in
Windsor leads a better life than she does; do what she will,
say what she will, take all, pay all, go to bed when she
list, rise when she list, all is as she will; and truly she
deserves it; for if there be a kind woman in Windsor, she
is one. You must send her your page; no remedy.
FALSTAFF. Why, I will.
QUICKLY. Nay, but do so then; and, look you, he may come
and go between you both; and in any case 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 wickedness. Old folks, you
know, have
discretion, as they say, and know the world.
FALSTAFF. Fare thee well;
commend me to them both.
There's my purse; I am yet thy
debtor. Boy, go along with
this woman. [Exeunt QUICKLY and ROBIN] This news
distracts me.
PISTOL. [Aside] This punk is one of Cupid's carriers;
Clap on more sails;
pursue; up with your fights;
Give fire; she is my prize, or ocean whelm them all! Exit
FALSTAFF. Say'st thou so, 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 expense of so much money,
be now a gainer? Good body, I thank thee. Let them say
'tis grossly done; so it be fairly done, no matter.
Enter BARDOLPH
BARDOLPH. Sir John, there's one Master Brook below would
fain speak with you, and be acquainted with you; and hath
sent your
worship a moming's
draught of sack.
FALSTAFF. Brook is his name?
BARDOLPH. Ay, sir.
FALSTAFF. Call him in. [Exit BARDOLPH] Such Brooks are
welcome to me, that o'erflows such
liquor. Ah, ha! Mistress
Ford and Mistress Page, have I encompass'd you? Go to;
via!
Re-enter BARDOLPH, with FORD
disguised
FORD. Bless you, sir!
FALSTAFF. And you, sir! Would you speak with me?
FORD. I make bold to press with so little
preparation upon
you.
FALSTAFF. 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.
FALSTAFF. Good Master Brook, I desire more acquaintance
of you.
FORD. Good Sir John, I sue 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 something
embold'ned me to this unseason'd
intrusion; for they say, if
money go before, all ways do lie open.
FALSTAFF. Money is a good soldier, sir, and will on.
FORD. Troth, and I have a bag of money here troubles me; if
you will help to bear it, Sir John, take all, or half, for easing
me of the carriage.
FALSTAFF. Sir, I know not how I may
deserve to be your
porter.
FORD. I will tell you, sir, if you will give me the hearing.
FALSTAFF. Speak, good Master Brook; I shall be glad to be
your servant.
FORD. Sir, I hear you are a scholar-I will be brief with you
-and you have been a man long known to me, though I
had never so good means as desire to make myself acquainted
with you. I shall discover a thing to you, wherein
I must very much lay open mine own imperfection; 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, that I may pass with a
reproof the easier, sith you
yourself know how easy is it to be such an offender.
FALSTAFF. Very well, sir; proceed.
FORD. There is a
gentlewoman in this town, her husband's
name is Ford.
FALSTAFF. Well, sir.
FORD. I have long lov'd her, and, I protest to you, bestowed
much on her; followed her with a doting observance;
engross'd opportunities to meet her; fee'd every slight occasion
that could but niggardly give me sight of her; not
only bought many presents to give her, but have given
largely to many to know what she would have given;
briefly, I have pursu'd her as love hath
pursued me; which