The Complete Works of Shakespeare. William Shakespeare

chanced on this letter.

       Ant.

      I am dumb.

       Bass.

      Were you the doctor, and I knew you not?

       Gra.

      Were you the clerk that is to make me cuckold?

       Ner.

      Ay, but the clerk that never means to do it,

      Unless he live until he be a man.

       Bass.

      Sweet doctor, you shall be my bedfellow—

      When I am absent, then lie with my wife.

       Ant.

      Sweet lady, you have given me life and living,

      For here I read for certain that my ships

      Are safely come to road.

       Por.

      How now, Lorenzo?

      My clerk hath some good comforts too for you.

       Ner.

      Ay, and I’ll give them him without a fee.

      There do I give to you and Jessica,

      From the rich Jew, a special deed of gift,

      After his death, of all he dies possess’d of.

       Lor.

      Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way

      Of starved people.

       Por.

      It is almost morning,

      And yet I am sure you are not satisfied

      Of these events at full. Let us go in,

      And charge us there upon inter’gatories,

      And we will answer all things faithfully.

       Gra.

      Let it be so. The first inter’gatory

      That my Nerissa shall be sworn on is,

      Whether till the next night she had rather stay,

      Or go to bed now, being two hours to day.

      But were the day come, I should wish it dark

      Till I were couching with the doctor’s clerk.

      Well, while I live I’ll fear no other thing

      So sore, as keeping safe Nerissa’s ring.

       Exeunt.

       ¶

       William Hodges, p. — John Browne, e.

      William Shakespeare

      THE MERRY WIVES

       OF WINDSOR

      ( 1597, revised 1600–1601 )

      “Bad” Quarto, 1602; First Folio, 1623.

      windsor

       ¶

      Act I

      Sc. I Sc. II Sc. III Sc. IV

      Act II

      Sc. I Sc. II Sc. III

      Act III

      Sc. I Sc. II Sc. III Sc. IV Sc. V

      Act IV

      Sc. I Sc. II Sc. III Sc. IV Sc. V Sc. VI

      Act V

      Sc. I Sc. II Sc. III Sc. IV Sc. V

      [Dramatis Personae

      Sir John Falstaff

      Fenton, a gentleman

      Robert Shallow, a country justice

      Abraham Slender, cousin to Shallow

      Francis Ford,

      George Page, gentlemen of Windsor

      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,

      Nym, followers of Falstaff

      Robin, page to Falstaff

      Peter Simple, servant to Slender

      John Rugby, servant to Doctor Caius

      –––––

       Mistress Alice Ford

       Mistress Margaret Page

      Mistress Anne Page, her daughter

      Mistress Quickly, servant to Doctor Caius

      –––––

      Servants to Page, Ford, etc.

      Scene: Windsor, and the neighborhood]

      ACT I

      Scene I

       Enter Justice Shallow, Slender, 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.

      Shal. Ay, cousin Slender, and Custa-lorum.

      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