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Before PAGE'S house.
[Enter MISTRESS PAGE, with a letter]
MISTRESS PAGE
What, have I scaped love-letters in the holiday-time of my beauty, and am I
now a subject for them? Let me see?
Ask me no reason why I love you,
for though Love use Reason for his physician, he admits him not for his
counsellor: you are not young, no more am I: go to then, there's sympathy:
you are merry, so am I: ha, ha, then there's more sympathy: you love sack,
and so do I: would you desire better sympathy? Let it suffice thee (Mistress
Page) at the least if the love of soldier can suffice, that I love thee:
I will not say pity me, 'tis not a soldier-like phrase; but I say, love me.
,
, ,
, ,
By me,| thine^own | true* knight,| by day | or
night:
,
, ,
, ,
Or an|y kind | of light,| with all | his might,
,
, oo T T
T
For thee | to fight.| | John
Falstaff.
(the following lines are usually not presented as verse in modern versions;
it can perhaps be scanned as hex as follows)
, , 2
x 2 ,
, ,
What a | Herod of | Jewry is this?| O^wick|ed, wick|ed world:
T T
. T T T .
T 2 ,
One that is well | nigh worn to
piec|es with age
, , , , ,
,
To show | himself | a young | gallant?| What an | unweighed
, , , ,
, ,
Behav|ior
hath | this Flem|ish drunk|ard pick|ed (with
x , , , , 2 ,
The devil's | name) out / of my
| conver|sation,| that he dares
, ,
, , 2 ,
,
In this | manner | assay | me? Why,| he hath not | been
thrice
2 , , ,
,
2 , ,
In my comp|any:| What should | I say | to him? I | was then
,
2 , x
, ,
Frugal | of my
mirth:| (heaven for|give me)| Why I'll
Exhibit a bill in the parliament for the
putting down of men: How shall I be revenged on him? for revenged I will be?
as sure as his guts are made of puddings.
[Enter MISTRESS FORD]
MISTRESS FORD
Mistress Page, trust me, I was going to your house.
MISTRESS PAGE
And trust me, I was coming to you: you look very ill.
MISTRESS FORD
Nay, I'll nere believe that; I have to show to the contrary.
MISTRESS PAGE
Faith but you do in my mind.
MISTRESS FORD
Well: I do then: yet I say, I could show you to the contrary: O Mistress
Page, give me some counsel.
MISTRESS PAGE
What's the matter, woman?
MISTRESS FORD
O woman: if it were not for one trifling respect, I could come to such
honor.
MISTRESS PAGE
Hang the trifle (woman) take the honor: What is it? dispense with trifles:
what is it?
MISTRESS FORD
If I would but go to hell, for an eternal moment, or so: I could be knighted.
MISTRESS PAGE
What thou liest? Sir Alice Ford? These knights will hack, and so thou
shouldst not alter the article of thy gentry.
MISTRESS FORD
We burn daylight: here, read, read: perceive how I might be knighted. I
shall think the worse of fat men, as long as I have an eye to make
difference of men's liking: and yet he would not swear: praised women's
modesty: and gave such orderly and well-behaved reproof to all uncomeliness,
that I would have sworn his disposition would have gone to the truth of his
words: but they do no more adhere and keep place together, than the Hundredth
Psalm to the tune of Greensleeves: What tempest (I trow) threw this whale,
(with so many tuns of oil in his belly) ashore at Windsor? How shall I be
revenged on him? I think the best way were to entertain him with hope, till
the wicked fire of lust have melted him in his own grease: Did you ever hear
the like?
MISTRESS PAGE
Letter for letter; but that the name of Page and Ford differs: to thy great
comfort in this mystery of ill opinions, here's the twin-brother of thy
letter: but let thine inherit first, for I protest mine never shall: I
warrant he hath a thousand of these letters, writ with blank space for
different names(sure more) and these are of the second edition: he will
print them out of doubt: for he cares not what he puts into the press, when
he would put us two: I had rather be a giantess, and lie under Mount Pelion:
Well; I will find you twenty lascivious turtles ere one chaste man.
MISTRESS FORD
Why this is the very same: the very hand: the very words: What doth he
think of us?
MISTRESS PAGE
Nay I know not: it makes me almost ready to wrangle with mine own honesty:
I'll entertain myself like one that I am not acquainted withal: for sure
unless he know some strain in me, that I know not myself, he would never
have boarded me in this fury.
MISTRESS FORD
Boarding, call you it? I'll be sure to keep him above deck.
MISTRESS PAGE
So will I: if he come under my hatches, I'll never to sea again: Let's be
revenged on him: let's appoint him a meeting: give him a show of comfort in
his suit, and lead him on with a fine-baited delay, till he hath pawned his
horses to mine host of the Garter.
MISTRESS FORD
Nay, I will consent to act any villany against him, that may not sully the
chariness of our honesty: oh that my husband saw this letter: it would give
eternal food to his jealousy.
MISTRESS PAGE
Why look where he comes; and my good man too: he's as far from jealousy, as
I am from giving him cause, and that (I hope) is an unmeasurable distance.
MISTRESS FORD
You are the happier woman.
MISTRESS PAGE
Let's consult together against this greasy knight: Come hither.
[They retire. Enter FORD with PISTOL, and PAGE with NYM]
FORD
Well: I hope, it be not so.
PISTOL
Hope is a curtal dog in some affairs: Sir John affects thy wife.
FORD
Why sir, my wife is not young.
PISTOL
He wooes both high and low, both rich and poor, both young and old, one with
another (Ford) he loves the gallimaufry (Ford) perpend.
FORD
Love my wife?
PISTOL
,
, , ,
oo
With liv|er, burn|ing hot:| prevent:|
,
, , , ,
Or go | thou like | Sir Ac|teon | he,
with
, ,
, , ,
,
Ringwood at thy heels: O, odious is the
name. ????
FORD
T T
T
What name sir?
PISTOL
, , ,
The horn | I say:| Farewell:
,
, , ,
, ,
Take heed,| have op|en eye,| for thieves | do
foot | by night.
,
, , , ,
,
Take heed,| ere sum|mer comes,| or cuck|oo-birds
| do sing. (hex w/prev)
, ,
, ___
Away | Sir Cor/poral | Nym:
, , T
T T
Believe | it (Page)| he speaks sense.
(tetra with prev)
[Exit]
FORD
I will be patient: I will find out this.
NYM [To PAGE]
And this is true: I like not the humor of lying: He hath wronged me in some
humors: I should have borne the humored letter to her: but I have a sword:
and it shall bite upon my necessity: He loves your wife; there's the short
and the long: My name is Corporal Nym: I speak, and I avouch; 'tis true: my
name is Nym: and Falstaff loves your wife: Adieu, I love not the humor of
bread and cheese: and there's the humor of it. Adieu.
[Exit]
PAGE
The humor of it (quoth he?) here's a fellow frights English out of his wits.
FORD
I will seek out Falstaff.
PAGE
I never heard such a drawling, affecting rogue.
FORD
If I do find it: well.
PAGE
I will not believe such a Cataian, though the priest of the town commended
him for a true man.
FORD
'Twas a good sensible fellow: well.
PAGE
How now, Meg?
[MISTRESS PAGE and MISTRESS FORD come forward]
MISTRESS PAGE
Whither go you (George?) Hark you.
MISTRESS FORD
How now (sweet Frank) why art thou melancholy?
FORD
I melancholy? I am not melancholy: Get you home: go.
MISTRESS FORD
Faith, thou hast some crotchets in thy head, Now: will you go, Mistress
Page?
MISTRESS PAGE
Have with you: You'll come to dinner, George.
Look who comes yonder: she shall be our messenger to this paltry knight.
MISTRESS FORD
Trust me, I thought on her: she'll fit it.
[Enter MISTRESS QUICKLY]
MISTRESS PAGE
You are come to see my daughter Anne?
MISTRESS QUICKLY
Aye forsooth: and I pray how does good Mistress Anne?
MISTRESS PAGE
Go in with us and see: we have an hour's talk with you.
[Exeunt MISTRESS PAGE, MISTRESS FORD, and MISTRESS QUICKLY]
PAGE
How now Master Ford?
FORD
You heard what this knave told me, did you not?
PAGE
Yes, and you heard what the other told me?
FORD
Do you think there is truth in them?
PAGE
Hang 'em slaves: I do not think the knight would offer it: but these that
accuse him in his intent towards our wives, are a yoke of his discarded men:
very rogues, now they be out of service.
FORD
Were they his men?
PAGE
Marry were they.
FORD
I like it never the better for that,
Does he lie at the Garter?
PAGE
Aye marry does he: If he should intend this voyage towards my wife, I would
turn her loose to him; and what he gets more of her, than sharp words, let it
lie on my head.
FORD
I do not misdoubt my wife: but I would be loath to turn them together: A man
may be too confident: I would have nothing lie on my head: I cannot be thus
satisfied.
PAGE
Look where my ranting host of the Garter comes: there is either liquor in
his pate, or money in his purse, when he looks so merrily: How now mine
host?
HOST
How now bully-rook: thou'rt a gentleman. Cavaleiro-justice, I say.
[Enter SHALLOW]
SHALLOW
I follow, (mine host) I follow: Good even, and twenty (good Master Page)
Master Page, will you go with us? we have sport in hand.
HOST
Tell him cavaleiro-justice: tell him bully-rook.
SHALLOW
Sir, there is a fray to be fought, between Sir Hugh the Welsh priest, and
Caius the French doctor.
FORD
Good mine host of the Garter a word with you.
[Drawing him aside]
HOST
What sayst thou, my bully-rook?
SHALLOW
Will you go with us to behold it? My merry host hath had the measuring of
their weapons; and (I think) hath appointed them contrary places: for (believe me) I hear the parson is no jester: Hark, I will tell you what our
sport shall be.
[They converse apart]
HOST
Hast thou no suit against my knight? my guest-cavaleire?
FORD
None, I protest: but I'll give you a bottle of burnt sack, to give me
recourse to him, and tell him my name is Brook: only for a jest.
HOST
My hand, (bully) thou shalt have egress and regress, (said I well?) and thy
name shall be Brook. It is a merry knight: Will you go An-heires?
SHALLOW
Have with you mine host.
PAGE
I have heard the Frenchman hath good skill in his rapier.
SHALLOW
Tut sir: I could have told you more: In these times you stand on distance:
your passes, stoccadoes, and I know not what: 'tis the heart (Master Page)
'tis here, 'tis here: I have seen the time, with my long sword, I would have
made you four tall fellows skip like rats.
HOST
Here boys, here, here: shall we wag?
PAGE
Have with you: I would rather hear them scold, than fight.
[Exeunt Host, SHALLOW, and PAGE]
FORD
Though Page be a secure fool, an 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
it, and I have a disguise, to sound Falstaff; if I find her honest, I lose
not my labor: if she be otherwise, 'tis labor well bestowed.
[Exit]