The Merry Wives of Windsor Part 1

The Merry Wives of Windsor.

by William Shakespeare.

Besides the copies of the _Merry Wives of Windsor_ appearing in the folios and modern editions, a quarto, Q3, has been collated in these Notes, of which the following is the t.i.tle:

The | Merry Wives | of Windsor. | with the humours of Sir _John Falstaffe_, | as also, The swaggering Vaine of Ancient | _Pistoll_, and Corporall _Nym_. |WRITTEN BY _William Shake-speare_. | Newly corrected. | LONDON: | printed by _T. H._ for _R. Meighen_ and are to be sold | at his Shop, next to the Middle-Temple Gate, and in | S. _Dunstan's_ Church-yard in _Fleet Street_. | 1630.

Q1 and Q2 are editions of an early sketch of the same play. The variations between the text of these quartos and the received text are so great that collation cannot be attempted. The text printed at the end of the play is taken _literatim_ from Q1, the edition of 1602, of which a copy is preserved among Capell's SHAKESPEARIANA, and this text is collated _verbatim_ with Q2, the second quarto printed in 1619. Q1 was reprinted in 1842 for the Shakespeare Society by Mr J. O. Halliwell.

This text, which differs in one or two places from Capell's Q1, has also been collated. Q2 is given among TWENTY OF THE PLAYS OF SHAKESPEARE, edited by Steevens. Their t.i.tles are as follows:

(1) A | Most pleasaunt and | excellent conceited Co-|medie, of Syr _John Falstaffe_, and the | Merrie Wiues of _Windsor_. | Enter-mixed with sundrie | variable and pleasing humors of Syr _Hugh_ | the Welch Knight, Justice _Shallow_, and his | wise Cousin M. _Slender_.

| With the Swaggering vaine of Auncient | _Pistoll_, and Corporall _Nym_. | By _William Shakespeare_. | As it hath been diuers times Acted by the right Honorable | my Lord Chamberlaines seruants. Both before her | Maiestie, and else-where. | London. | Printed by T. C.

for Arthur Johnson, and are to be sold at | his shop in Powles Church-yard, at the signe of the | Flower de Leuse and the Crowne.

| 1602.

[This consists of 7 Quires of 4. In the Quire G one line, which we have included in brackets, has been cut away by the binder. We have supplied it from Halliwell's edition and Q2.]

(2) A | Most pleasant and ex-|cellent Comedy, | _of Sir John Falstaffe, and the | merry Wives of Windsor_. | With the swaggering vaine of An|cient _Pistoll_, and Corporall _Nym_. | Written by W. SHAKESPEARE. | Printed for _Arthur Johnson_, 1619.

DRAMATIS PERSONae[1].

SIR JOHN FALSTAFF.

FENTON, a gentleman.

SHALLOW, a country justice.

SLENDER, cousin to Shallow.

FORD, } two gentlemen dwelling at Windsor.

PAGE, } WILLIAM PAGE, a boy, son to Page.

SIR HUGH EVANS, a Welsh parson.

DOCTOR CAIUS, a French physician.

Host of the Garter Inn.

BARDOLPH, } PISTOL, } sharpers attending on Falstaff.

NYM, } ROBIN, page to Falstaff.

SIMPLE, servant to Slender.

RUGBY, servant to Doctor Caius.

MISTRESS FORD.

MISTRESS PAGE.

ANNE PAGE, her daughter.

MISTRESS QUICKLY, servant to Doctor Caius.

Servants to Page, Ford, &c.

SCENE--_Windsor, and the neighbourhood._

[Footnote 1: Not in Qq Ff. Inserted by Rowe.]

THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

ACT I.

SCENE I. _Windsor. Before PAGE'S house._

_Enter JUSTICE SHALLOW, SLENDER, and SIR HUGH EVANS._

_Shal._ Sir Hugh, persuade me not; I will make a Star-chamber matter of it: if he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs, he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, esquire.

_Slen._ In the county of Gloucester, justice of peace and 'Coram.' 5

_Shal._ Ay, cousin Slender, and 'Custalorum.'

_Slen._ Ay, and 'Rato-lorum' too; and a gentleman born, master parson; who writes himself 'Armigero,' in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, 'Armigero.'

_Shal._ Ay, that I do; and have done any time these 10 three hundred years.

_Slen._ All his successors gone before him hath done't; and all his ancestors that come after him may: they may give the dozen white luces in their coat. 15

_Shal._ It is an old coat.

_Evans._ The dozen white louses do become an old coat well; it agrees well, pa.s.sant; it is a familiar beast to man, and signifies love.

_Shal._ The luce is the fresh fish; the salt fish is an old coat. 20

_Slen._ I may quarter, coz.

_Shal._ You may, by marrying.

_Evans._ It is marring indeed, if he quarter it.

_Shal._ Not a whit.

_Evans._ Yes, py'r lady; if he has a quarter of your 25 coat, there is but three skirts for yourself, in my simple conjectures: but that is all one. If Sir John Falstaff have committed disparagements unto you, I am of the church, and will be glad to do my benevolence to make atonements and compremises between you. 30

_Shal._ The council shall hear it; it is a riot.