Ford. Good mine Host o"th" Garter: a word with you
Host. What saist thou, my Bully-Rooke?
Shal. Will you goe with vs to behold it? My merry Host hath had the measuring of their weapons; and (I thinke) hath appointed them contrary places: for (beleeue mee) I heare the Parson is no Iester: harke, I will tell you what our sport shall be
Host. Hast thou no suit against my Knight? my guest-Caualeire?
Shal. None, I protest: but Ile giue you a pottle of burn"d sacke, to giue me recourse to him, and tell him my name is Broome: onely for a iest
Host. My hand, (Bully:) thou shalt haue egresse and regresse, (said I well?) and thy name shall be Broome. It is a merry Knight: will you goe An-heires?
Shal. Haue with you mine Host
Page. I haue heard the French-man hath good skill in his Rapier
Shal. Tut sir: I could haue told you more: In these times you stand on distance: your Pa.s.ses, Stoccado"s, and I know not what: "tis the heart (Master Page) "tis heere, "tis heere: I haue seene the time, with my long-sword, I would haue made you fowre tall fellowes skippe like Rattes
Host. Heere boyes, heere, heere: shall we wag?
Page. Haue with you: I had rather heare them scold, then fight
Ford. Though Page be a secure foole, and stands so firmely on his wiues frailty; yet, I cannot put-off my opinion so easily: she was in his company at Pages house: and what they made there, I know not. Well, I wil looke further into"t, and I haue a disguise, to sound Falstaffe; if I finde her honest, I loose not my labor: if she be otherwise, "tis labour well bestowed.
Exeunt.
Scoena Secunda.
Enter Falstaffe, Pistoll, Robin, Quickly, Bardolffe, Ford.
Fal. I will not lend thee a penny
Pist. Why then the world"s mine Oyster, which I, with sword will open
Fal. Not a penny: I haue beene content (Sir,) you should lay my countenance to p.a.w.ne: I haue grated vpon my good friends for three Repreeues for you, and your Coach-fellow Nim; or else you had look"d through the grate, like a Geminy of Baboones: I am d.a.m.n"d in h.e.l.l, for swearing to Gentlemen my friends, you were good Souldiers, and tall-fellowes. And when Mistresse Briget lost the handle of her Fan, I took"t vpon mine honour thou hadst it not
Pist. Didst not thou share? hadst thou not fifteene pence?
Fal. Reason, you roague, reason: thinkst thou Ile endanger my soule, gratis? at a word, hang no more about mee, I am no gibbet for you: goe, a short knife, and a throng, to your Mannor of Pickt-hatch: goe, you"ll not beare a Letter for mee you roague? you stand vpon your honor: why, (thou vnconfinable basenesse) it is as much as I can doe to keepe the termes of my honor precise: I, I, I my selfe sometimes, leauing the feare of heauen on the left hand, and hiding mine honor in my necessity, am faine to shufflle: to hedge, and to lurch, and yet, you Rogue, will en-sconce your raggs; your Cat-a-Mountaine-lookes, your red-lattice phrases, and your boldbeating-oathes, vnder the shelter of your honor? you will not doe it? you?
Pist. I doe relent: what would thou more of man?
Robin. Sir, here"s a woman would speake with you
Fal. Let her approach
Qui. Giue your worship good morrow
Fal. Good-morrow, good-wife
Qui. Not so, and"t please your worship
Fal. Good maid then
Qui. Ile be sworne, As my mother was the first houre I was borne
Fal. I doe beleeue the swearer; what with me?
Qui. Shall I vouch-safe your worship a word, or two?
Fal. Two thousand (faire woman) and ile vouchsafe thee the hearing
Qui. There is one Mistresse Ford, (Sir) I pray come a little neerer this waies: I my selfe dwell with M[aster]. Doctor Caius: Fal. Well, on; Mistresse Ford, you say
Qui. Your worship saies very true: I pray your worship come a little neerer this waies
Fal. I warrant thee, no-bodie heares: mine owne people, mine owne people
Qui. Are they so? heauen-blesse them, and make them his Seruants
Fal. Well; Mistresse Ford, what of her?
Qui. Why, Sir; shee"s a good-creature; Lord, Lord, your Worship"s a wanton: well: heauen forgiue you, and all of vs, I pray -
Fal. Mistresse Ford: come, Mistresse Ford
Qui. Marry this is the short, and the long of it: you haue brought her into such a Canaries, as "tis wonderfull: the best Courtier of them all (when the Court lay at Windsor) could neuer haue brought her to such a Canarie: yet there has beene Knights, and Lords, and Gentlemen, with their Coaches; I warrant you Coach after Coach, letter after letter, gift after gift, smelling so sweetly; all Muske, and so rushling, I warrant you, in silke and golde, and in such alligant termes, and in such wine and suger of the best, and the fairest, that would haue wonne any womans heart: and I warrant you, they could neuer get an eye-winke of her: I had my selfe twentie Angels giuen me this morning, but I defie all Angels (in any such sort, as they say) but in the way of honesty: and I warrant you, they could neuer get her so much as sippe on a cup with the prowdest of them all, and yet there has beene Earles: nay, (which is more) Pentioners, but I warrant you all is one with her
Fal. But what saies shee to mee? be briefe my good sheeMercurie
Qui. Marry, she hath receiu"d your Letter: for the which she thankes you a thousand times; and she giues you to notifie, that her husband will be absence from his house, betweene ten and eleuen
Fal. Ten, and eleuen
Qui. I, forsooth: and then you may come and see the picture (she sayes) that you wot of: Master Ford her husband will be from home: alas, the sweet woman leades an ill life with him: hee"s a very iealousie-man; she leads a very frampold life with him, (good hart.)
Fal. Ten, and eleuen.
Woman, commend me to her, I will not faile her
Qui. Why, you say well: But I haue another messenger to your worship: Mistresse Page hath her heartie commendations to you to: and let mee tell you in your eare, shee"s as fartuous a ciuill modest wife, and one (I tell you) that will not misse you morning nor euening prayer, as any is in Windsor, who ere bee the other: and shee bade me tell your worship, that her husband is seldome from home, but she hopes there will come a time.
I neuer knew a woman so doate vpon a man; surely I thinke you haue charmes, la: yes in truth
Fal. Not I, I a.s.sure thee; setting the attraction of my good parts aside, I haue no other charmes
Qui. Blessing on your heart for"t
Fal. But I pray thee tell me this: has Fords wife, and Pages wife acquainted each other, how they loue me?
Qui. That were a iest indeed: they haue not so little grace I hope, that were a tricke indeed: But Mistris Page would desire you to send her your little Page of al loues: her husband has a maruellous infectio[n] to the little Page: and truely Master Page is an honest man: neuer a wife in Windsor leades a better life then she do"s: doe what shee will, say what she will, take all, pay all, goe to bed when she list, rise when she list, all is as she will: and truly she deserues it; for if there be a kinde woman in Windsor, she is one: you must send her your Page, no remedie
Fal. Why, I will
Qu. Nay, but doe so then, and looke you, hee may come and goe betweene you both: and in any case haue a nay-word, that you may know one anothers minde, and the Boy neuer neede to vnderstand any thing; for "tis not good that children should know any wickednes: olde folkes you know, haue discretion, as they say, and know the world