The Merry Wives of Windsor. William Shakespeare

varld I shall leave behind.

       QUICKLY

       [Aside] Ay me, he'll find the young man there, and be mad! CAIUS O diable, diable! vat is in my closet?—Villainy! larron!

      [Pulling SIMPLE out]

      Rugby, my rapier!

       QUICKLY

       Good master, be content.

       CAIUS

       Verefore shall I be content-a?

       QUICKLY

       The young man is an honest man.

       CAIUS

       What shall de honest man do in my closet? dere is no honest man dat shall come in my closet.

       QUICKLY

       I beseech you, be not so phlegmatic. Hear the truth of it: he came of an errand to me from Parson Hugh.

       CAIUS

       Vell.

       SIMPLE

       Ay, forsooth, to desire her to—

       QUICKLY

       Peace, I pray you.

       CAIUS

       Peace-a your tongue!—Speak-a your tale.

       SIMPLE

       To desire this honest gentlewoman, your maid, to speak a good word to Mistress Anne Page for my master, in the way of marriage.

       QUICKLY

       This is all, indeed, la! but I'll ne'er put my finger in the fire, and need not.

       CAIUS

       Sir Hugh send-a you?—Rugby, baillez me some paper: tarry you a little-a while. [Writes.] QUICKLY I am glad he is so quiet: if he had been throughly moved, you should have heard him so loud and so melancholy. But notwithstanding, man, I'll do you your master what good I can; and the very yea and the no is, the French doctor, my master—I may call him my master, look you, for I keep his house; and I wash, wring, brew, bake, scour, dress meat and drink, make the beds, and do all myself— SIMPLE 'Tis a great charge to come under one body's hand. QUICKLY Are you avis'd o' that? You shall find it a great charge; and to be up early and down late; but notwithstanding—to tell you in your ear—I would have no words of it—my master himself is in love with Mistress Anne Page; but notwithstanding that, I know Anne's mind, that's neither here nor there. CAIUS You jack'nape; give-a dis letter to Sir Hugh; by gar, it is a shallenge: I will cut his troat in de Park; and I will teach a scurvy jack-a-nape priest to meddle or make. You may be gone; it is not good you tarry here: by gar, I will cut all his two stones; by gar, he shall not have a stone to throw at his dog.

      [Exit SIMPLE.]

      QUICKLY

       Alas, he speaks but for his friend.

       CAIUS

       It is no matter-a ver dat:—do not you tell-a me dat I shall have Anne Page for myself? By gar, I vill kill de Jack priest; and I have appointed mine host of de Jartiere to measure our weapon. By gar, I vill myself have Anne Page.

       QUICKLY

       Sir, the maid loves you, and all shall be well. We must give folks leave to prate: what, the good-jer!

       CAIUS

       Rugby, come to the court vit me. By gar, if I have not Anne Page, I shall turn your head out of my door. Follow my heels, Rugby.

      [Exeunt CAIUS and RUGBY.]

      QUICKLY

       You shall have An fool's-head of your own. No, I know Anne's mind for that: never a woman in Windsor knows more of Anne's mind than I do; nor can do more than I do with her, I thank heaven.

       FENTON

      [Within]

      Who's within there? ho!

       QUICKLY

       Who's there, I trow? Come near the house, I pray you.

      [Enter FENTON.]

      FENTON

       How now, good woman! how dost thou?

       QUICKLY

       The better, that it pleases your good worship to ask.

       FENTON

       What news? how does pretty Mistress Anne?

       QUICKLY

       In truth, sir, and she is pretty, and honest, and gentle; and one that is your friend, I can tell you that by the way; I praise heaven for it.

       FENTON

       Shall I do any good, thinkest thou? Shall I not lose my suit?

       QUICKLY

       Troth, sir, all is in His hands above; but notwithstanding, Master Fenton, I'll be sworn on a book she loves you. Have not your worship a wart above your eye?

       FENTON

       Yes, marry, have I; what of that?

       QUICKLY

       Well, thereby hangs a tale; good faith, it is such another Nan; but, I detest, an honest maid as ever broke bread. We had an hour's talk of that wart; I shall never laugh but in that maid's company;—but, indeed, she is given too much to allicholy and musing. But for you—well, go to.

       FENTON

       Well, I shall see her to-day. Hold, there's money for thee; let me have thy voice in my behalf: if thou seest her before me, commend me.

       QUICKLY

       Will I? i' faith, that we will; and I will tell your worship more of the wart the next time we have confidence; and of other wooers.

       FENTON

       Well, farewell; I am in great haste now.

       QUICKLY

       Farewell to your worship. —

      [Exit FENTON.]

      Truly, an honest gentleman; but Anne loves him not; for I know Anne's mind as well as another does. Out upon 't, what have I forgot?

      [Exit.]

ACT II

       Table of Contents

SCENE I. Before Page's house

       Table of Contents

      [Enter MISTRESS PAGE, with a letter.]

       MRS. PAGE

       What! have I scaped love-letters in the holiday-time of my beauty, and am I now a subject for them? Let me see.

      "Ask me no reason why I love you; for though Love use Reason for his precisian, he admits him not for his counsellor. You are not young, no more am I; go to, then, there's sympathy: you are merry, so am I; ha! ha! then there's more sympathy; you love sack, and so do I; would you desire better sympathy? Let it suffice thee, Mistress Page, at the least, if the love of soldier can suffice, that I love thee. I will not say, pity me: 'tis not a soldier-like phrase; but I say, Love me. By me,

       Thine own true knight,

       By day or night,

       Or any kind of light,

       With all his might,

       For thee to fight,

       JOHN FALSTAFF."

      What a Herod of Jewry is this! O wicked, wicked world!