The Merry Wives of Windsor Part 10

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 wors.h.i.+p good morrow. 30

_Fal._ Good morrow, good wife.

_Quick._ Not so, an't please your wors.h.i.+p.

_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 wors.h.i.+p 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 wors.h.i.+p says very true:--I pray your wors.h.i.+p, 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 wors.h.i.+p'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.