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A street.
[Enter MISTRESS PAGE, MISTRESS QUICKLY, and WILLIAM PAGE]
MISTRESS PAGE
Is he at Master Ford's already thinkst thou?
MISTRESS QUICKLY
Sure he is by this; or will be presently; but truly he is very courageous
mad; about his throwing into the water. Mistress Ford desires you to come
suddenly.
MISTRESS PAGE
I'll be with her by and by: I'll but bring my young man here to school:
look where his master comes; 'tis a playing-day I see. How now Sir Hugh,
no school today?
SIR HUGH EVANS
No: Master Slender is let the boys leave to play.
MISTRESS QUICKLY
Blessing of his heart.
MISTRESS PAGE
Sir Hugh, my husband says my son profits nothing in the world at his book: I
pray you ask him some questions in his accidence.
SIR HUGH EVANS
Come hither William; hold up your head; come.
MISTRESS PAGE
Come on sirrah; hold up your head; answer your master, be not afraid.
SIR HUGH EVANS
William, how many numbers is in nouns?
WILLIAM PAGE
Two.
MISTRESS QUICKLY
Truly, I thought there had been one number more, because they say 'Od's
nouns.
SIR HUGH EVANS
Peace your tattlings. What is (fair) William?
WILLIAM PAGE
Pulcher.
MISTRESS QUICKLY
Polecats? there are fairer things than polecats, sure.
SIR HUGH EVANS
You are a very simplicity woman: I pray you peace. What is (lapis) William?
WILLIAM PAGE
A stone.
SIR HUGH EVANS
And what is a stone (William)?
WILLIAM PAGE
A pebble.
SIR HUGH EVANS
No; it is lapis: I pray you remember in your prain.
WILLIAM PAGE
Lapis.
SIR HUGH EVANS
That is a good William. What is he (William) that does lend articles.
WILLIAM PAGE
Articles are borrowed of the pronoun; and be thus declined. Singulariter
nominativo hic haec, hoc.
SIR HUGH EVANS
Nominativo hig, hag, hog: pray you mark: genitivo, hujus. Well, what is
your accusative case?
WILLIAM PAGE
Accusativo hinc.
SIR HUGH EVANS
I pray you have your remembrance (child) accusative hing, hang, hog.
MISTRESS QUICKLY
Hang-hog, is Latin for bacon, I warrant you.
SIR HUGH EVANS
Leave your prabbles (woman) What is the focative case (William)?
WILLIAM PAGE
O, vocativo, O.
SIR HUGH EVANS
Remember William, focative, is caret.
MISTRESS QUICKLY
And that's a good root.
SIR HUGH EVANS
Woman, forbear.
MISTRESS PAGE
Peace.
SIR HUGH EVANS
What is your genitive case plural (William)?
WILLIAM PAGE
Genitive case?
SIR HUGH EVANS
Aye.
WILLIAM PAGE
Genitive horum, harum, horum.
MISTRESS QUICKLY
Vengeance of Jenny's case; fie on her; never name her (child) if she be a
whore.
SIR HUGH EVANS
For shame woman.
MISTRESS QUICKLY
You do ill to teach the child such words: he teaches him to hick, and to
hack; which they'll do fast enough of themselves, and to call horum; fie
upon you.
SIR HUGH EVANS
Woman, art thou lunaties? Hast thou no understandings for thy cases, and the
numbers of the genders? Thou art as foolish Christian creatures, as I would
desires.
MISTRESS PAGE
Prithee hold thy peace.
SIR HUGH EVANS
Show me now (William) some declensions of your pronouns.
WILLIAM PAGE
Forsooth, I have forgot.
SIR HUGH EVANS
It is qui, quae, quod: if you forget your quies, your quaes, and your quods,
you must be preeches: Go your ways and play, go.
MISTRESS PAGE
He is a better scholar than I thought he was.
SIR HUGH EVANS
He is a good sprag memory: Farewell Mistress Page.
MISTRESS PAGE
Adieu good Sir Hugh:
Get you home boy, Come we stay too long.
[Exeunt]