图书图片
PDF
ePub

Slen. By thefe gloves, then 'twas he.

Nym. Be advis'd, Sir, and pafs good humours: I will fay marry trap with you, if you run the base humour on me; that is the very note of it.

Slen. By this hat, then he in the red face had it; for tho' I cannot remember what I did when you made me drunk, yet I am not altogether an afs.

Fal. What fay you, Scarlet and John?

Bard. Why, Sir, for my part, I fay, the gentleman had drunk him felf out of his five fentences.

Eva. It is his five fenfes: fy, what the ignorance is! Bard. And being fap, Sir, was, as they say, cashier'd; and fo conclufions paft the car-eires.

Slen. Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter; I'll never be drunk whilft I live again, but in honeft, civil, godly company, for this trick; if I be drunk, I'll be drunk with thofe that have the fear of God, and not with drunken knaves.

Eva. So Got udg me, that is a virtuous mind. Fal. You hear all thefe matters deny'd, gentlemen; you hear it.

Enter Mistress Ann Page, with wine.

Page. Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we'll drink

within.

[Exit Ann Page.

Slen. O heav'n! this is miftrefs Ann Page.

Enter Mifirefs Ford and Miftrefs Page.

Page. How now, miftrefs Ford?

Fal. Miftrefs Ford, by my troth, you are very met; by your leave, good miftrefs.

well

[Kiffing her. Page. Wife, bid thefe gentlemen welcome: come, we have a hot venifon pafty to dinner; come, gentle. men; I hope, we fhall drink down all unkindness.

[Exe. Fal. Page, &c.

Manent Shallow, Evans, and Slender.

Slen. I had rather than forty fhillings, I had my book of fongs and fonnets here.

L 5

Enter

Enter Simple.

How now, Simple, where have you been? I muft wait on myself, muft I? you have not the book of riddles about have you?

you,

Simp. Book of riddles! why, did you not lend it to Alice Shortcake (4) upon All-ballowmas laft, a fortnight afore Martlemas?

Shal. Come, coz; come, coz; we ftay for you: a word with you, coz; marry this, coz; there is, as 'twere, a tender, a kind of tender, made afar off by Sir Hugh here; do you understand me?

Slen. Ay, Sir, you fhall find me reasonable: if it be fo, I fhall do that that is reason.

Shal. Nay, but understand me.

Slen. So I do, Sir.

Eva. Give ear to his motions, Mr. Slender: I will defcription the matter to you, if you be capacity of it. Slen. Nay, I will do, as my coufin Shallow fays: I pray you, pardon me; he's a juftice of peace in his country, fimple tho' I ftand here.

Eva. But that is not the queftion: the question is concerning your marriage.

Shal. Ay, there's the point, Sir.

Eva. Marry, is it; the very point of it, to Mrs. Ann Page.

Slen. Why, if it be fo, I will marry her upon any reafonable demands.

Eva. But can you affection the 'oman? let us command to know that of your mouth, or of your lips; for divers philofophers hold, that the lips is parcel of the

(4) Upon Allhallowmas laft, a fortnight afore Michaelmas.] Sure, Simple's a little out in his reckoning. Alballowmas is almoft five weeks after Michaelmas. But may it not be urg'd, it is defign'd, Simple fhould appear thus ignorant, to keep up character? I think, not. The fimpleft creatures (nay, even naturals) generally are very pecife in the knowledge of fetivals, and marking how the feafons run: And therefore I have ventur'd to fufpect, our Poet wrote Martlemas, es the vulgar call it; which is near a fortnight after AllSaints day, i. e. eleven days, both inclufive,

mind: therefore precisely, can you carry your good

will to the maid?

Shal. Coufin Abraham Slender, can you love her? Slen. I hope, Sir; I will do, as it shall become one that would do reason.

Eva. Nay, Got's Lords and his Ladies, you muft fpeak poffitable, if you can carry her your defires towards her.

Shal. That you muft: will you, upon good dowry, marry her

[ocr errors]

Slen. I will do a greater thing than that upon your request, coufin, in any reafon.

Shal. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, fweet coz ; what I do, is to pleasure you, coz: can you love the

maid ?

Slen. I will marry her, Sir, at your request: but if there be no great love in the beginning, yet heav'n may decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are 'd, and have more occafion to know one another: (5) I hope, upon familiarity will grow more contempt: but if you fay, marry her, I will marry her, that i am freely diffolved, and diffolutely.

marry'

Eva. It is a ferry discretion anfwer; fave, the fall is in th' ort diffolutely: the ort is, according to our meaning, refolutely; his meaning is good.

Shal. Ay, I think, my coufin meant well.

Sien. Ay, or elfe I would I might be hang'd, la.

Enter Miftrefs Ann Page.

Shal. Here comes fair miftrefs Ann: would I were for young your fake, mistress Ann.

Ann. The dinner is on the table; my father defires your worship's company.

(5) I hope, upon familiarity will grow more content.] Certainly, the Editors in their fagacity have murder'd a jeft here. It is defign'd, no doubt, that Slender should fay decrease, instead of increase; and dijfolved and diffolutely, instead of refolved and refolutely: but to make him fay, on the prefent occafion, that upon familiarity will grow more content, intead of contempt, is difarming the fentiment of all its falt and humour, and difappointing the audience of a reasonable cause for laughter.

Shal.

Shal. I will wait on him, fair mistress Ann. Eva. Od's pleffed will, I will not be abfence at the grace. [Exe. Shallow and Evans. Ann. Will't pleafe your worship to come in, Sir! Sien. No, I thank you, forfooth, heartily; I am very well.

Ann. The dinner attends you, Sir.

Slen. I am not a-hungry, I thank you, forfooth. Go, firrah, for all you are my man, go wait upon my coufin Shallow: [Exit Simple.] a juftice of peace fometime may be beholden to his friend for a man. I keep but three men and a boy yet, 'till my mother be dead; but what though, yet I live like a poor gentleman born. Ann. I may not go in without your worship; they will not fit, 'till you come.

Sien. I'faith, I'll eat nothing; I thank you as much as though I did,

Ann. I pray you, Sir, walk in.

Slen. I had rather walk here, I thank you: I bruis'd my thin th' other day with playing at fword and dagger with a mafter of fence, three veneys for a dish of stew'd prunes; and, by my troth, I cannot abide the smell of hot meat fince. Why do your dogs bark fo? be there bears i' th' town?

Ann. I think, there are, Sir; I heard them talk'd of. Slen. I love the fport well, but I fhall as foon quarrel fee at it as any man in England. You are afraid, if you the bear loofe, are you not?

Ann. Ay, indeed, Sir.

Slen. That's meat and drink to me now; I have feen Sackerfon loofe twenty times, and have taken him by the chain; but, I warrant you, the women have fo cry'd and fhriek'd at it, that it paft: but women, indeed, cannot abide 'em, they are very ill-favour'd rough things.

Enter Mr. Page.

Page Come, gentle Mr. Slender, come; we stay for you. Sen. I'll eat nothing, I thank you, Sir.

Page. By cock and pye, you fhall not chufe, Sir;

come; come.

Slen

do

Slen. Nay, pray you, lead the way.
Page. Come on, Sir.

Slen. Mistress Ann, yourself fhall go first.
Ann. Not I, Sir; pray you, keep on.

Slen. Truly, I will not go firft, truly-la: I will not

you that wrong.

Ann. I pray you, Sir.

Slen. I'll rather be unmannerly, than troublefome; you do yourself wrong, indeed-la.

Re-enter Evans and Simple.

[Exeunt.

Eva. Go your ways, and ask of doctor Caius' houfe which is the way; and there dwells one miftrefs Quickly, which is in the manner of his nurfe, or his dry nurse, or his cook, or his laundry, his washer, and his wringer. Simp. Well, Sir.

Eva. Nay, it is petter yet; give her this letter; for it is a o'man that altogethers acquaintance with miftrefs Ann Page; and the letter is to defire and require her to folicit your master's defires to miftrefs` Ann Page: I pray you, be gone; I will make an end of my dinner; there's pippins and cheefe to come. [Exeunt feverally.

SCENE changes to the Garter-Inn.

Enter Falftaff, Hoft, Bardolph, Nym, Piftol and Robin. INE hoft of the garter,

Fal.

M

Hoft. What fays my bully rock? speak fchollarly, and wifely.

Fal. Truly, mine hoft, I must turn away fome of my followers.

Hoft. Difcard, bully Hercules, cafhier; let them wag;

trot, trot.

Fal. 1 fit at ten pounds a week.

zar.

Hoft. Thou'rt an Emperor, Cafar, Keifar and PheaI will entertain Bardolph, he shall draw, he fhall tap; faid I well, bully Hector!

Fal. Do fo, good mine hoft.

[ocr errors][ocr errors]
« 上一页继续 »