The Merry Wives of Windsor Part 31

_Anne._ Pardon, good father! good my mother, pardon!

_Page._ Now, mistress, how chance you went not with Master Slender? 205

_Mrs Page._ Why went you not with master doctor, maid?

_Fent._ You do amaze her: hear the truth of it.

You would have married her most shamefully, Where there was no proportion held in love.

The truth is, she and I, long since contracted, 210 Are now so sure that nothing can dissolve us.

The offence is holy that she hath committed; And this deceit loses the name of craft, Of disobedience, or unduteous t.i.tle; Since therein she doth evitate and shun 215 A thousand irreligious cursed hours, Which forced marriage would have brought upon her.

_Ford._ Stand not amazed; here is no remedy: In love the heavens themselves do guide the state; Money buys lands, and wives are sold by fate. 220

_Fal._ I am glad, though you have ta'en a special stand to strike at me, that your arrow hath glanced.

_Page._ Well, what remedy? Fenton, heaven give thee joy!

What cannot be eschew'd must be embraced. 225

_Fal._ When night-dogs run, all sorts of deer are chased.

_Mrs Page._ Well, I will muse no further. Master Fenton, Heaven give you many, many merry days!

Good husband, let us every one go home, And laugh this sport o'er by a country fire; 230 Sir John and all.

_Ford._ Let it be so. Sir John, To Master Brook you yet shall hold your word; For he to-night shall lie with Mistress Ford. [_Exeunt._

NOTES: V, 5

SCENE V.] SCENE III. Pope.

Enter F...] Enter Sir John with a Buck's head upon him (Q1 Q2).

22: _bribe_] Theobald. _brib'd_ Ff Q3.

32-34: Printed as verse in Ff Q3.

34: Enter ... tapers] See note (X).

35: Quick.] Qui. Ff Q3.

37: _orphan_] _ouphan_ Theobald (Warburton).

41: _shalt thou leap_] _when thou'st leapt_ Collier MS. _having leapt_ Singer.

42: _unswept_] _to sweep_ S. Verges conj.

46: [Lies ... face] Rowe.

47: _Bede_] Ff Q3. _Pede_ Theobald. _Pead_ (Q1 Q2).

51: _as_] _that_ F4.

53: Quick.] Qu. F1 Q3 F2. Qui. F3 F4.

57: _state as_] _site as_ Hanmer. _seat as_ S. Walker conj.

58: _and_] _as_ Theobald (Warburton).

63: _nightly, meadow-fairies,_] Capell. _Nightly-meadow-Fairies_ Ff Q3.

66: _More_] _Mote_ F1 Q3.

68: _emerald tufts_] _Emrold-tuffes_ Ff Q3.

_purple_] _purfled_ Warburton.

69: _sapphire, pearl_] Theobald. _saphire-pearle_ Ff Q3.

_and_] _in_ Warburton.

75: _Pray you_] om. Pope.

86: [They burn ... tapers.] Rowe.

90: _time_] _time._ Eva. _It is right, indeed, he is full of lecheries and iniquity._ Theobald (from Q1 Q2).

91: _sinful_] _simple_ Pope.

93: _a b.l.o.o.d.y fire_] _i' th' blood a fire_] Hanmer.

95: _heart_] _the heart_ Hanmer.

97: _Mutually_] _mutuall_ Q3.

100: The stage direction which follows was inserted by Theobald from Q1 Q2, with some verbal changes.

101: Enter...] Enter... They lay hold on him. Rowe.

101, 102: Printed as prose in Ff Q3.

105: _these, husband_] _these husband_ F1 Q3. _these husbands_ F2 F3 F4. _these, husbands_ Hanmer.

_yokes_] _yoakes_ F1 Q3. _okes_ F2 F3. _oaks_ F4. _oaks_ [Pointing to the horns. Hanmer.

_fair yokes_] _fairy jokes_ Jackson conj.

111: _paid to Master Brook_] _paid to M. Foord_ (Q1 Q2).

_pay'd too, Master Brook_ Capell.

120: _the sudden_] _with the sudden_ Hanmer.

136: _pelly_] F2 F3 F4. _belly_ F1 Q3.

148: _as slanderous_] _slanderous_ Q3.

152: _sack, and wine_] _sacks, and wines_ Pope.

153: _starings_] F1 Q3. _staring_ F2 F3 F4.

156: _is a plummet o'er me_] _is plummet o'er me_ Q3. _has a plume o' me_ Johnson conj. _is a planet o'er me_ Farmer conj.

162: After this line Theobald inserts from Q1 Q2: Mrs Ford. _Nay, husband, let that go to make amends; Forgive that sum, and so we'll all be friends._ Ford. _Well, here's my hand: all is forgiven at last._ 167, 168: Given to Mrs Ford in Q3. [Aside] Theobald.

169: SCENE VI. Pope.

_Whoa_] _What_ Rowe.

177: _i' the_] _i't_ F2.

186: _white_] Pope. _green_ Ff Q3.

190, 196: _green_] Pope. _white_ Ff Q3.

190: _into_] _in_ Q3.

193: SCENE VII. Pope.

194: _un garcon_] Capell. _oon garsoon_ F1 Q3. _one garsoon_ F2 F3 F4.

_un paysan_] Capell. _oon pesant_ Ff Q3.

_boy_] _boe_ F2 F3 F4.

196: _did you_] _did you not_ Rowe.

214: _t.i.tle_] _guile_ Collier MS.

225: After this line Pope, followed by Theobald, inserts from Q1 Q2: Evans [aside to Fenton] _I will dance and eat plums at your wedding._ 231: _Let it be so. Sir John,_] _Let it be so (Sir John:)_ Ff Q3.

NOTES.

NOTE I.

I. 1. 41. Master Page is called 'George' in three places, II. 1. 135 and 143, and V. 5. 189, but we have left the text of the Folios uncorrected, as the mistake may have been Shakespeare's own. It is however possible that a transcriber or printer may have mistaken 'Geo.' for 'Tho.'

In I. 3. 89, 90, on the other hand, we have not hesitated to correct the reading of the Folio, subst.i.tuting 'Page' for 'Ford,' and 'Ford' for 'Page,' because, as the early Quartos have the names right, it seems likely that the blunder was _not_ due to Shakespeare.

NOTE II.