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down of thy fat woman: let her defcend, bully, let her defcend; my chambers are honourable. Fie, privacy? fie!

Enter Falstaff.

Fal. There was, mine Hoft, an old fat woman even now with me, but she's gone.

Simp. Pray you, Sir, was't not the wife woman of Brainford?

Fal. Ay, marry was it, muffel-fhell', what would you with her?

Simp. My mafter, Sir, my mafter Slender, fent to her, feeing her go thro' the street, to know, Sir, whether one Nym, Sir, that beguil'd him of a chain, had the chain, or no.

Fal. Ifpake with the old woman about it.
Simp. And what fays fhe, I pray, Sir?

Fal, Marry, fhe fays, that the very fame man, that beguil'd mafter Slender of his chain, cozen'd him of

it.

Simp. I would, I could have fpoken with the woman herfelf; I had other things to have fpoken with her too, from him.

Fal. What are they? let us know.
Hoft. Ay, come; quick.

Simp. I may not conceal them, Sir.

Fal. Conceal them, or thou dy't.

Simp. Why, Sir, they were nothing but about miftrefs Anne Page; to know, if it were my mafter's for

tune to have her or no.

Fal. "Tis, 'tis his fortune.

Simp. What, Sir?

Fal. To have her, or no: go; fay, the woman told me fo.

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Simp. May I be fo bold to fay fo, Sir?

Fal. Ay, Sir; like who more bold.

Muffel-fell.] He calls poor Simple muffel fhell, because he

ftands with his mouth open.

Simp. Thank your worship: I fhall make my mafter glad with thefe tidings. [Exit Simple. Hoft. Thou art clarkly; thou art clarkly, Sir John: was there a wife woman with thee?

Fal. Ay, that there was, mine Hoft; one, that hath taught me more wit than ever I learned before in my life; and I paid nothing for it neither, but was paid for my learning.

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Bard. Out, alas, Sir, cozenage! meer cozenage! Hoft. Where be my horfes, fpeak well of them, varletto.

Bard. Run away with the cozeners; for fo foon as I came beyond Eaton, they threw me off from behind one of them in a flough of mire, and fet fpurs, and away, like three German devils, three Doctor Fauftus's.

Hoft. They are gone but to meet the Duke, villain; do not fay, they are fled; Germans are honeft men.

Enter Evans.

Eva. Where is mine Hoft?

Hoft. What is the matter, Sir?

Eva. Have a care of your entertainments; there is a friend o'mine come to town, tells me, there is three cozen-jermans that has cozen'd all the Hofts of Reading, of Maidenhead, of Colebrook, of horfes and mony. I tell you for good will, look you; you are wife, and full of gibes and vlouting-stocks, and 'tis not convenient you fhould be cozen'd; fare you well. [Exit. Enter Caius.

Caius. Ver' is mine Hoft de Jarterre?

Hoft.

Hoft. Here, mafter Doctor, in perplexity and doubtful dilemma.

Caius. I cannot tell vat is dat; but it is tell-a-me, dat you make a grand preparation for a Duke de Jamany; by my trot, der is no Duke, dat the Court is know, to come. I tell you for good will; adieu.

[Exit. Hoft. Hue and cry, villain, go! affift me, Knight, I am undone; fly, run, hue and cry! Villain, I am

undone !

[Exit.

Fal. I would, all the world might be cozen'd, for I have been cozened and beaten too. If it fhould come to the ear of the Court, how I have been tranfformed, and how my transformation hath been wafh'd and cudgel'd, they would melt me out of my fat, drop by drop, and liquor fishermen's boats with me. I warrant, they would whip me with their fine wits, 'till I were as creft-fall'n as a dry'd pear. I never profper'd fince I forfwore myself at Primero. Well, if my wind were but long enough to fay my prayers, I would repent.

SCENE X.

Enter Miftrefs Quickly,

Now, whence come you?

Quic. From the two parties, forfooth.

Fal. The devil take one party, and his dam the other, and fo they fhall be both beftow'd. I have fuffer'd more for their fakes, more than the villainous inconftancy of man's difpofition is able to bear.

Quic. And have not they fuffer'd? yes, I warrant, fpecioufly one of them; miftrefs Ford, good heart, is beaten black and blue, that you cannot fee a white fpot

about her.

2 Primero.] A game at cards.

Fal. What tell'ft thou me of black and blue? I was beaten myself into all the colours of the rainbow; and I was like to be apprehended for the witch of Brainford; but that my admirable dexterity of wit, counterfeiting the action of an old woman, deliver'd me, the knave conftable had fet me i'th' ftocks, i'th' common stocks, for a witch.

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Quic. Sir, let me speak with you in your chamber; you shall hear how things go, and, I warrant, to your content. Here is a letter will fay fomewhat. Good hearts, what ado is here to bring you together? fure, one of you does not ferve heav'n well, that you are fo crofs'd.

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Fal. Come up into my chamber.

SCENE XI.

Enter Fenton and Hoft.

[Exeunt.

Hoft. Mafter Fenton, (talk not to me; my mind is heavy,

I will give over all,

Fent. Yet hear me fpeak; affift me in my purpofe, And, as I am a gentleman, I'll give thee

A hundred pounds in gold more than your lofs.

3 Action of an old Woman.] What! was it any Dexterity of Wit in Sir John Falstaff, to counterfeit the Action of an old Woman, in order to escape being apprehended for a Witch? Surely, one would imagine, This was the readielt Means to bring him into fuch a Scrape: for none but Old Women have ever been fufpected of being Witches. The Text muft certainly be reftor'd, arwood Woman, a crazy, frantick Woman; one too wild, and filly, and unmeaning, to have

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either the Malice or mischiev ous Subtlety of a Witch in her.

THEOBALD.

This emendation is received by Sir Thomas Hanmer, but rejected by Dr. Warburton. To me it appears reasonable enough.

The great fault of this play is the frequency of expreffions fo profane, that no neceffity of preferving character can juftify them. There are laws of higher authority than those of criticifm.

Hoft.

Hoft. I will hear you, mafter Fenton; and I will, at the leaft, keep your counfel.

Fen. From time to time I have acquainted you
With the dear love I bear to fair Anne Page;
Who, mutually, hath anfwer'd my affection
(So far forth as herself might be her chufer)
Ev'n to my wish. I have a letter from her
Of fuch contents, as you will wonder at;
The mirth whereof's fo larded with my matter,
That neither fingly can be manifested,

Without the fhew of both. Fat Sir John Falstaff
Hath a great Scene; the image of the jeft

[Shewing a letter.
I'll fhew you here at large.
here at large. Hark, good mine Hoft;
To night at Herne's Oak, just 'twixt twelve and one,
Muft my fweet Nan prefent the Fairy Queen;
The purpose why, is here; in which difguife,
While other jefts are fomething rank on foot,
Her father hath commanded her to flip
Away with Slender, and with him at Eaton
Immediately to marry; fhe hath confented-Now,
Sir,

Her mother, ever ftrong against that match,
And firm for Doctor Caius, hath appointed.
That he fhall likewife fhuffle her away,
While other fports are talking of their minds;
And at the Deanry, where a pricft attends,
Straight marry her; To this her mother's Plot
She, feemingly obedient, likewife hath

Made promife to the Doctor. Now. thus it rests;
Her father means the fhall be all in white,
And in that drefs when Slender fecs his time
To take her by the hand, and bid her go,
She fhall go with him.-Her mother hath intended,
The better to devote her to the Doctor,
(For they must all be mafk'd and vizarded)
That, quaint in green, fhe fhall be loose enrob'd,
With ribbands-pendant, flaring 'bout her head;

And

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