The Merry Wives of Windsor Part 18

_Page._ Good Master Ford, be contented: you wrong yourself too much.

_Ford._ True, Master Page. Up, gentlemen; you shall see sport anon: follow me, gentlemen. [_Exit._

_Evans._ This is fery fantastical humours and jealousies. 150

_Caius._ By gar, 'tis no the fashion of France; it is not jealous in France.

_Page._ Nay, follow him, gentlemen; see the issue of his search. [_Exeunt Page, Caius, and Evans._

_Mrs Page._ Is there not a double excellency in this? 155

_Mrs Ford._ I know not which pleases me better, that my husband is deceived, or Sir John.

_Mrs Page._ What a taking was he in when your husband asked who was in the basket!

_Mrs Ford._ I am half afraid he will have need of washing; 160 so throwing him into the water will do him a benefit.

_Mrs Page._ Hang him, dishonest rascal! I would all of the same strain were in the same distress.

_Mrs Ford._ I think my husband hath some special suspicion of Falstaff's being here; for I never saw him so gross 165 in his jealousy till now.

_Mrs Page._ I will lay a plot to try that; and we will yet have more tricks with Falstaff: his dissolute disease will scarce obey this medicine.

_Mrs Ford._ Shall we send that foolish carrion, Mistress 170 Quickly, to him, and excuse his throwing into the water; and give him another hope, to betray him to another punishment?

_Mrs Page._ We will do it: let him be sent for to-morrow, eight o'clock, to have amends. 175

_Re-enter FORD, PAGE, CAIUS, and SIR HUGH EVANS._

_Ford._ I cannot find him: may be the knave bragged of that he could not compa.s.s.

_Mrs Page._ [_Aside to Mrs Ford_] Heard you that?

_Mrs Ford._ You use me well, Master Ford, do you?

_Ford._ Ay, I do so. 180

_Mrs Ford._ Heaven make you better than your thoughts!

_Ford._ Amen!

_Mrs Page._ You do yourself mighty wrong, Master Ford.

_Ford._ Ay, ay; I must bear it. 185

_Evans._ If there be any pody in the house, and in the chambers, and in the coffers, and in the presses, heaven forgive my sins at the day of judgement!

_Caius._ By gar, nor I too: there is no bodies.

_Page._ Fie, fie, Master Ford! are you not ashamed? 190 What spirit, what devil suggests this imagination? I would not ha' your distemper in this kind for the wealth of Windsor Castle.

_Ford._ 'Tis my fault, Master Page: I suffer for it.

_Evans._ You suffer for a pad conscience: your wife is 195 as honest a 'omans as I will desires among five thousand, and five hundred too.

_Caius._ By gar, I see 'tis an honest woman.

_Ford._ Well, I promised you a dinner. --Come, come, walk in the Park: I pray you, pardon me; I will hereafter 200 make known to you why I have done this. --Come, wife; come, Mistress Page. --I pray you, pardon me; pray heartily pardon me.

_Page._ Let's go in, gentlemen; but, trust me, we'll mock him. I do invite you to-morrow morning to my 205 house to breakfast: after, we'll a-birding together; I have a fine hawk for the bush. Shall it be so?

_Ford._ Any thing.

_Evans._ If there is one, I shall make two in the company. 210

_Caius._ If dere be one or two, I shall make-a the t.u.r.d.

_Ford._ Pray you, go, Master Page.

_Evans._ I pray you now, remembrance to-morrow on the lousy knave, mine host.

_Caius._ Dat is good; by gar, with all my heart! 215

_Evans._ A lousy knave, to have his gibes and his mockeries! [_Exeunt._

NOTES: III, 3

SCENE III.] SCENE VII. Pope.

7, 8: Mrs Ford. _Marry ... Robert_] omitted in Q3.

20: _your_] _the_ Q3.

36: SCENE VIII. Pope. _thee_] Ff Q3 om. (Q1 Q2) Dyce.

38: _my_] om. Q3.

41: _Mistress_] _Master_ Q3.

49: _tire-valiant_] Ff Q3. _tire-vellet_ (Q1 Q2). _tire-vailant_ Warburton. _tire-velvet_ Heath conj. _tire-volant_ Becket conj.

_tire of Venetian admittance_] Ff Q3. _Venetian attire_ (Q1 Q2) Pope. _tire of Venetian addition_ Hanmer.

52: _By the Lord, thou art a traitor_] (Q1 Q2) Singer. _Thou art a tyrant_ Ff Q3. _Thou art a traitor_ Warburton. _By the Lord, thou art a tyrant_ Collier.

53: _fixture_] F1 Q3. _fixure_ F2 F3 F4.

55, 56: _foe were not, Nature_] F2 F3 F4. _foe, were not Nature_ F1 Q3. _foe were not; Nature is_ Capell.

58: _persuade thee there's_] _persuade thee There's_ (Q1 Q2).

_persuade Thee. There's_ Ff Q3.

62: _simple_] F1 Q3 F2. _simpling_ F3 F4.

74: [Within] F2. Re-enter Robin. Capell.

75: _sweating_] F1 Q3. _swearing_ F2 F3 F4.

81: SCENE IX. Pope.

Re-enter...] Enter Mis. Page. F2.

96: _'Tis not so_] _Speak louder. 'Tis not so_ Theobald (from Q1 Q2).

110: _and_] om. Q3.