97: [They retire] Theobald.
98: SCENE III. Pope.
102-104: Printed as prose in Ff Q3.
103: _one_] _and one_ F4.
104: _the_] F1 Q3. _thy_ F2 F3 F4. _a_ Anon. (N. & Q.) conj.
107: _he_] om. F3 F4.
113, 114: _Away_ ... _sense_] _Away Sir Corporal!_ Nym.
_Believe_ ... _sense._ Johnson conj.
117: _hath_] _have_ Q3.
119: _bite_ ... _He_] _bite_--_upon my necessity, he_ Warburton conj.
121: _avouch; "tis_] F1 Q3 F2. _avouch, tis_ F3 F4.
123: [_and there"s the humour of it_] These words, not found in Ff Q3 are added from Q1 Q2 by Capell.
126: _English_] humour Pope (from Q1 Q2).
_his_] _its_ Pope.
128: _drawling, affecting_] F2 F3 F4. _drawling-affecting_ F1 Q3.
133: [Mrs ... forward.] Theobald.
SCENE IV. Page and Ford meeting their wives. Pope.
140: _head. Now,_] _head, Now:_ F1. _head, Now,_ Q3.
_head. Now:_ F2 F3 F4. _head now_. Johnson.
149: _have_] _would have_ S. Walker conj.
151: SCENE V. Pope.
163: _this_] _his_ Pope.
175: SCENE VI. Pope.
176, 180: _Cavaleiro_] F1 Q3 F2. _Cavalerio_ F3 F4.
184: _my_] om. Rowe 186: _hath_] om. Q3. _he hath_ Warburton.
192-194: This speech is given to Shallow in Ff, to Ford in Q3.
194, 196: _Brook_] (Q1 Q2) Pope. Broome Ff Q3. See note (VI).
197: _An-heires_] F1 Q3 F2. _An-heirs_ F3. _an-heirs_ F4.
_mynheers_ Theobald conj. _on, here_ Id. conj. _on, heris_ Warburton. _on, hearts_ Heath conj. _on, heroes_ Steevens conj.
_and hear us_ Malone conj. _cavaleires_ Singer (Boaden conj.).
_eh, sir_ Becket conj.
207: _hear_] _have_ Hanmer.
209: _stands_] _stand_ F4.
210: _frailty_] _fealty_ Theobald. _fidelity_ Collier MS.
SCENE II. _A room in the Garter Inn._
_Enter FALSTAFF and PISTOL._
_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 have been content, sir, you should lay my countenance to p.a.w.n: I have grated upon 5 my good friends for three reprieves for you and your coach-fellow Nym; or else you had looked through the grate, like a geminy of baboons. I am d.a.m.ned in h.e.l.l for swearing to gentlemen my friends, you were good soldiers and tall fellows; and when Mistress Bridget lost the handle of 10 her fan, I took"t upon mine honour thou hadst it not.
_Pist._ Didst not thou share? hadst thou not fifteen pence?
_Fal._ Reason, you rogue, reason: thinkest thou I"ll endanger my soul gratis? At a word, hang no more about 15 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 20 myself sometimes, leaving the fear of G.o.d 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 25 your honour! You will not do it, you!
_Pist._ I do relent: what would thou more of man?
_Enter ROBIN._
_Rob._ Sir, here"s a woman would speak with you.
_Fal._ Let her approach.
_Enter MISTRESS QUICKLY._
_Quick._ Give your worship good morrow. 30
_Fal._ Good morrow, good wife.
_Quick._ Not so, an"t please your worship.
_Fal._ Good maid, then.
_Quick._ I"ll be sworn; As my mother was, the first hour I was born. 35
_Fal._ I do believe the swearer. What with me?
_Quick._ Shall I vouchsafe your worship a word or two?
_Fal._ Two thousand, fair woman: and I"ll vouchsafe thee the hearing.
_Quick._ There is one Mistress Ford, sir:--I pray, come 40 a little nearer this ways:--I myself dwell with Master Doctor Caius,--
_Fal._ Well, on: Mistress Ford, you say,--
_Quick._ Your worship says very true:--I pray your worship, come a little nearer this ways. 45
_Fal._ I warrant thee, n.o.body hears;--mine own people, mine own people.
_Quick._ Are they so? G.o.d bless them, and make them his servants!
_Fal._ Well, Mistress Ford;--what of her? 50
_Quick._ Why, sir, she"s a good creature. --Lord, Lord!
your worship"s a wanton! Well, heaven forgive you and all of us, I pray!
_Fal._ Mistress Ford;--come, Mistress Ford,--
_Quick._ Marry, this is the short and the long of it; you 55 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, 60 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 65 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; 70 but, I warrant you, all is one with her.
_Fal._ But what says she to me? be brief, my good she-Mercury.
_Quick._ Marry, she hath received your letter; for the which she thanks you a thousand times; and she gives you 75 to notify, that her husband will be absence from his house between ten and eleven.