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Mrs. Ford. O fweet Sir John! :

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Fal. Miftrefs Ford, I cannot cog; I cannot prate, mif trels Ford: now fhall I fin in my wifh. I would, thy husband were dead; I'll speak it before the best lord, I would make thee my lady.

Mrs. Ford. I your lady, Sir John? alas, I fhould be a pitiful lady..

Fah Let the Court of France fhew me fuch another; I fee how thine eye would emulate the diamond : thou haft the right arched bent of the brow, that becomes the fhip-tire, the tire-valiant, or any Venetian attire.

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Mrs. Ford. A plain kerchief, Sir John: my brows become nothing else, nor that well neither.

Fal. Thou art a tyrant to fay fo; thou would'st make an abfolute Courtier; and the firm fixture of thy foot would give an excellent motion to thy gate, in a femicircled farthingale. I fee what thou wert; if fortune thy foe were not, nature is thy friend: come, thou canít not hide it..

Mrs. Fard. Believe me, there's no fuch thing in me.

Fal. What made me love thee? let that perfuade thee, there's fomething extraordinary in thee. Come, I cannot cog, and fay, thou art this and that, like a-many of thefe lifping haw-thorn buds, that come like women in men's apparel, and smell like Bucklers-Bury in fimpling time; I cannot: but I love thee, none but thee; and thou deservest it.

Mrs. Ford. Do not betray me, Sir; I fear, you love miftrefs Page.

Fal. Thou might'ft as well fay, I love to walk by the Counter-gate, which is as hateful to me as the reek of a lime-kiln.

Mrs. Ford. Well, heav'n knows how I love you, and you shall one day find it.

Fal. Keep in that mind; I'll deserve it.

Mrs. Ford. Nay, I must tell you, so you do; or elfe I could not be in that mind.

Rob. [within.] Miftrefs Ford, miftrefs Ford, here's miftrefs Page at the door, fweating, and blowing, and looking wildly, and would needs fpeak with you prefently.

Fal.

Fal. She fhall not fee me; I will enfconce me behind the arras.

Mrs. Ford. Pray you, do fo; fhe's a very tattling [Falftaff bides himself.

woman.

Enter mifirefs Page.

What's the matter? how now?

Mrs. Page. O miftrefs Ford, what have you done? you're fham'd, y'are overthrown, you are undone for

ever.

Mrs. Ford. What's the matter, good miftrefs Page?

Mrs. Page. O well-a-day, miftrefs Ford, having an honeft man to your husband, to give him fuch cause of fufpicion!

Mrs. Ford. What caufe of fufpicion ?

Mrs. Page. What caufe of fufpicion out upon you! how am I mistook in you?

Mrs. Ford. Why, alas! what's the matter?

Mrs. Page. Your husband's coming hither, woman, with all the officers in Windfor, to fearch for a gentleman, that, he fays, is here now in the houfe, by your confent, to take an ill advantage of his abfence. You are undone.

Mrs. Ford. Speak louder-[Afide.] 'Tis not fo, I hope. Mrs. Page. Pray heav'n it be not fo, that you have fuch a man here; but 'tis moft certain, your husband's coming with half Windfor at his heels, to fearch for fuch a one. I come before to tell you: if you know yourfelf clear, why, I am glad of it; but if you have a friend here, convey, convey him out. Be not amaz'd, call all your fenfes to you, defend your reputation, or bid farewell to your good life for ever.

Mrs. Ford. What fhall I do? there is a gentleman, my dear friend; and I fear not mine own fhame, fo much as his peril. I had rather than a thousand pound, he were out of the house.

Mrs. Page. For fhame, never ftand you had rather, and you bad rather; your husband's here at hand; bethink you of fome conveyance, in the houfe you cannot hide him. Oh, how have you deceiv'd me ? look,

here

here is a basket, if he be of any reasonable ftature, he may creep in here, and throw foul linen upon him, as if it were going to bucking: or it is whiting time, fend him by your two men to Datchet Mead.

Mrs. Ford. He's too big to go in there: what shall I do?

Re-enter Falstaff.

Fal. Let me fee't, let me fee't, O let me fee't; I'll in, I'll in; follow your friend's counfel; I'll in.

Mrs. Page. What! Sir John Falfaff! are these your letters, Knight!

Fal. I love thee, help me away; let me creep in here; I'll never

[He goes into the basket, they cover him with foul linen. Mrs. Page. Help to cover your mafter, boy; call your men, miftrefs Ford. You diffembling Knight!

Mrs, Ford. What John, Robert, John, go take up thefe clothes here, quickly. Where's the cowl-staff?

look, how you drumble: carry them to the landrefs in Datchet-Mead; quickly, come.

Enter Ford, Page, Caius, and Evans.

Ford. Pray you, come near; if I fufpect without caufe, why then make sport at me, then let me be your jeft, I deferve it. How now? whither bear you this? Serv. To the landrefs, forfooth.

Mrs. Ford. Why, what have you to do whither they bear it? You were beft meddle with buck-washing.

Ford. Buck I would, I could, wash myself of the buck: buck, buck, buck? ay, buck: I warrant you, buck, and of the feafon too, it fhall appear. [Exeunt Servants with the basket.] Gentlemen, I have dream'd to-night, I'll tell you my dream: here, here, here be my keys; afcend my chambers, fearch, feek, find out, I'll warrant, we'll unkennel the fox. Let me ftop this way firft. So, now uncape.

Page. Good mafter Ford, be contented: you wrong yourself too much.

Ford.

Ford. True, mafter Page. Up, gentlemen, you shall fee fport anon; follow me, gentlemen.

Eva. This is ferry fantastical humours and jealoufies, Caius. By gar, 'tis no the fashion of France; it is not jealous in France..

Page. Nay, follow him, gentlemen, fee the iffue of his fearch.

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[Exeunt.

Mrs. Page. Is there not a double excellency in this? Mrs. Ford. I know not which pleafes me better, that my husband is deceiv'd, or Sir John.

Mrs. Page. What a taking was he in, when your husband ask'd who was in the basket!

Mrs. Ford. I am half afraid he will have need of wafhing; fo throwing him into the water will do him a benefit.

Mrs. Page. Hang him, difhoneft rafcal; I would, all of the fame ftrain were in the fame diftrefs.

Mrs. Ford. think, my husband hath fome fpecial fufpicion of Falstaff's being here! I never faw him fo grofs in his jealoufy till now.

Mrs. Page. I will lay a plot to try that, and we will yet have more tricks with Falstaff: his diffolute disease will fcarce obey this medicine.

Mrs. Ford. Shall we fend that foolish carrion, mif. trefs Quickly, to him, and excufe his throwing into the water, and give him another hope, to betray him to another punishment?

Mrs. Page. We'll do it; let him be fent for to-mor row by eight o'clock, to have amends.

Re-enter Ford, Page, &c.

Ford. I cannot find him; may be, the knave brag'd

of that he could not compass.

Mrs. Page. Heard you that?
Mrs. Ford. I, I; peace:

Ford, do you?

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Ford. Ay, ay, I do fo.

You ufe me well, mafter

Mrs. Ford.

t

of Windfor. Mrs. Ford. Heav'n make you better than your thoughts! Ford. Amen.

Mrs. Page. You do yourself mighty wrong, Mr. Ford. Ford. Ay, ay; I must bear it.

Eva. If there be any pody in the house, and in the chambers, and in the coffers, and in the preffes, heav'n forgive my fins at the day of judgment!

Caius. By gar, nor I too; there is no bodies.

Page. Fie, fie, Mr. Ford, are you not afham'd? what fpirit, what devil fuggefts this imagination? I would not ha' your distemper in this kind, for the wealth of Windfor Caftle.

Ford. "Tis my fault, Mr. Page: I fuffer for it.

Eva. You fuffer for a pad confcience; your wife is as honeft a o'mans, as I will defires among five thoufand, and five hundred too.

Caius. By gar, I fee, 'tis an honest woman.

Ford. Well, I promis'd you a dinner; come, come, walk in the park. I pray you, pardon me; I will hereafter make known to you, why I have done this. Come, wife; come, miftrefs Page; I pray you pardon me: pray heartily, pardon me.

Page. Let's go in, gentlemen; but trust me, we'll mock him. I do invite you to-morrow morning to my houfe to breakfaft; after, we'll a birding together; I have a fine hawk for the bufh. Shall it be fo?

Ford. Any thing.

Eva. If there is one, I shall make two in the company.

Caius. If there be one or two, I fhall make-a de turd. Eva. In your teeth, for shame.

Ford. Pray you go, Mr. Page.

Eva. I pray you now, remembrance to-morrow on the loufy knave, mine Hoft.

Caius. Dat is good, by gar, with all my heart.

Eva. A loufy knave, to have his gibes, and his mockeries.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

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