Shallow, a Country Justice. Mr. Ford, S two Gentlemen dwelling at Windfor. Sir Hugh Evans, a Welch Parfon. Dr. Caius, a French Doctor. Hoft of the Garter. Bardolph. Piftol. Nym. Robin, Page to Falstaff. William Page, a Boy, Son to Mr. Page. Simple, Servant to Slender. Rugby, Servant to Dr. Caius. Mrs. Page. Mrs. Ford. Mrs. Ann Page, Daughter to Mr. Page, in love with Fenton. Mrs. Quickly, Servant to Dr. Caius. Servants to Page, Ford, &c. SCENE, Windfor; and the Parts adjacent. Enter Justice Shallow, Slender, and Sir Hugh Evans. S SHALLOW. I will make a IR Hugh, perfuade me not. Star Chamber matter of it. If he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs, he fhall not abuse Robert Shallow, Efq. * The Merry Wives of Wind for.] Queen Elizabeth was fo well pleased with the admirable Character of Falstaff in the two Parts of Henry IV. that, as Mr. Rowe informs us, She com Slen. Slen. In the county of Gloucester, juftice of peace, and Coram. Shal. Ay, coufin Slender, and Cuftalorum". Slen. Ay, and Rato-lorum too; and a gentleman born, master parfon, who writes himself Armigero in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation; Armigero. Shal. Ay, that I do, and have done any time these three hundred years. Slen. All his fucceffors, gone before him, have don't; and all his ancestors that come after him, may; they may give the dozen white luces in their Coat. Shal. It is an old Coat. Eva. The dozen white lowfes do become an old coat well; it agrees well, paffant; it is a familiar beast to man, and fignifies love. Shal. The luce is the fresh fifh, the falt-fifh is an old Coat. Slen. I may quarter, coz. Shal. You may by marrying. Eva. It is marring, indeed, if he quarter it. Eva. Yes, per-lady; if he has a quarter of your coat, there is but three fkirts for yourfelf, in my fimple conjectures. But that is all one; if Sir John FalStaff have committed difparagements upon you, I am gives Shallow folly enough, Shal. Ay, coufin Slender, and Slen. Ay, and Ratulorum too. The luce, &c.] I fee no confequence in this anfwer. Perhaps we may read, the falt-fifh is not an old coat. That is, the fresh-fish is the coat of an ancient family, and the falt-fifb is the coat of a merchant grown rich by trading over the fea. of of the Church, and would be glad to do my benevolence, to make atonements and compromises between you. Shal. The Council fhall hear it; it is a riot. Eva. It is not meet, the Council hear of a riot; there is no fear of Got in a riot: the Council, look you, fhall defire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear a riot, take your viza-ments in that. Shal. Ha! o' my life, if I were young again, the fword fhould end it. Eva. It is petter that friends is the fword, and end it; and there is also another advice in my prain, which, peradventure, prings good difcretions with it; there is Anne Page, which is daughter to master George Page, which is pretty virginity. Slen. Mistress Anne Page? fhe has brown hair, and speaks small like a woman'. Eva. It is that ferry person for all the orld, as just as you will defire; and feven hundred pounds of monies, and gold and filver, is her grandfire upon his death's-bed (Got deliver to a joyful refurrections) give, when she is able to overtake feventeen years old: it were a good motion, if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and defire a marriage between mafter Abraham and mistress Anne Page.. Slen. Did her grandfire leave her seven hundred pounds? Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny. which is Daughter to Mafter. Thomas Page.] The whole Set of Editions have negligently blunder'd one after another in Page's Chriftian Name in this place; tho' Mrs. Page calls him George afterwards in at leaft fix feveral Paffages. THEOBALD. 5 Speaks SMALL like a woman.] This is from the Folio of 1623, and is the true reading. He admires her for the sweetness of her voice. But the expreffion is highly humourous, as making her speaking small like a woman one of her marks of distinction ; and the ambiguity of small, which fignifies little as well as low, makes the expreffion ftill more pleasant. WARBURTON. Gg3 Slen |