The Merry Wives of Windsor Part 44

_Mis. Pa._ Misteris _Ford_, why woman your husband is in his old vaine againe, hees comming to search for your sweet heart, but I am glad he is not here.

_Mis. {F}or._ O G.o.d misteris _Page_ the knight is here, 75 What shall I do?

_Mis. Pa._ Why then you'r vndone woman, vnles you make some meanes to shift him away.

_Mis. For._ Alas I know no meanes, unlesse we put him in the basket againe. 80

_{F}al._ No Ile come no more in the basket, Ile creep vp into the chimney.

Mis _For._ There they use to discharge their Fowling peeces.

_{F}al._ Why then Ile goe out of doores.

_Mi. Pa._ Then your vndone, your but a dead man. 85

_Fal._ For G.o.ds sake deuise any extremitie, Rather then a mischiefe.

_Mis. Pa._ Alas I know not what meanes to make, If there were any womans apparell would fit him, He might put on a gowne and a mufler, 90 And so escape.

_Mi. For._ Thats wel remembred, my maids Aunt _Gillian_ of _Brainford_, hath a gowne aboue.

_Mis. {P}a._ And she is altogether as fat as he.

_Mis. For._ I that will serue him of my word. 95

_Mis. Pa._ Come goe with me sir _Iohn_, Ile helpe to dresse you.

_Fal._ Come for G.o.d sake, any thing.

_Exit Mis. Page and Sir Iohn._

_Enter M. Ford, {P}age, Priest, Shallow, the two men carries the basket, and Ford meets it._

_For._ Come along _I_ pray, you shal know the cause, How now whither goe you? Ha whither go you?

Set downe the basket you ssaue, 100 You panderly rogue, set it downe.

_Mis. {F}or._ What is the reason that you vse me thus?

_For._ Come hither set downe the basket, Misteris _{F}ord_ the modest woman, Misteris _{F}ord_ the vertuous woman, 105 She that hath the iealous foole to her husband, I mistrust you without cause do I not?

_Mis. For._ I G.o.ds my record do you. And if you mistrust me in any ill sort.

_Ford._ Well sed brazen face, hold it out, 110 You youth in a basket, come out here, Pull out the cloathes, search.

_Hu._ Ieshu plesse me, will you pull vp your wiues cloathes.

_Pa._ Fie M. _{F}ord_, you are not to go abroad if you be in these fits.

_Sir Hugh._ By so kad vdge me, tis verie necessarie 115 He were put in pethlem.

_For._ M. _{P}age_, as _I_ am an honest man M. _{P}age_, There was one conueyd out of my house here yesterday out of this basket, why may he not be here now?

_Mi. For._ Come mistris _{P}age_, bring the old woman downe. 120

_For._ Old woman, what old woman?

_Mi. {F}or._ Why my maidens Ant, _Gillian_ of _Brainford_.

A witch, haue I not forewarned her my house, Alas we are simple we, we know not what _Is_ brought to pa.s.se vnder the colour of fortune-Telling. Come 125 downe you witch, come downe.

_Enter Falstaffe disguised like an old woman, and misteris Page with him, Ford beates him, and hee runnes away._

Away you witch get you gone.

_{Sir H}u._ By Ieshu I verily thinke she is a witch indeed, I espied vnder her mufler a great beard.

_Ford._ Pray come helpe me to search, pray now. 130

_Pa._ Come weele go for his minds sake.

_Exit omnes._

_Mi. For._ By my troth he beat him most extreamly.

_Mi. Pa._ I am glad of it, what shall we proceed any further?

_Mi. For._ No faith, now if you will let vs tell our husbands of it.

For mine I am sure hath almost fretted himselfe to death. 135

_Mi. Pa._ Content, come weele go tell them all, And as they agree, so will we proceed.

_Exit both._

NOTES: SCENE XII

[SC. XII.] _Page_] _Anne Page_.

16: [Quic:] from the Catchword.

69: _home_] om.

98: Priest] Hugh.

115: _By so_] _So_.

120: _Come_] om.

123: _A witch._] For. _A witch._

_Enter Host and Bardolfe._ [SC. XIII.]

_Bar._ Syr heere be three Gentlemen come from the Duke the Stanger sir, would haue your horse.

_Host._ The Duke, what Duke? let me speake with the Gentlemen, do they speake English?