SHAL. Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred pound? Eva. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny. SHAL. I know the young gentlewoman; she has good gifts.

Era. Seven hundred pounds, and possibilities, is good gifts.

SHAL. Well, let us see honest master Page: Is Falstaff there?

Eva. Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar, as I do despise one that is false; or, as I despise one that is not true. The knight, fir John, is there; and, I beseech you, be ruled by your well-willers. I will peat the door (knocks] for master Page. What, hoa! Got pless your house here!

PAGE. Who's there?

Enter PAGE.

Eva. Here is Got's plessing, and your friend, and juftice Shallow: and here young master Slender; that, peradventures, shall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings.

PAGE. I am glad to see your worships well: I thank you for my venifon, master Shallow.

SHAL. Master Page, I am glad to see you; Much good do it your good heart! I wish'd your venison better; it was ill kill'd:How doth good mistress Page?-and I love you always with my heart, la; with my heart.

PAGE. Sir, I thank you.

SHAL. Sir, I thank you; by yea and no, I do.
PAGE. I am glad to fee you, good master Slender.

SLEN. How does your fallow greyhound, fir? I heard

fay, he was out-run on Cotsale.

PAGE. It could not be judg'd, fir.

SLEN. You'll not confess, you'll not confess.

SHAL. That he will not; _ 'tis your fault, 'tis your fault:-'Tis a good dog.

PAGE. A cur, fir.

SHAL. Sir, he's a good dog, and a fair dog; Can there be more faid? he is good, and fair. Is fir John Falstaff here ?

PAGE. Sir, he is within; and I would I could do a good office between you.

Eva. It is spoke as a christians ought to fpeak.
SHAL. He hath wrong'd me, master Page.
PAGE. Sir, he doth in some fort confefs it.

SHAL. If it be confefs'd, it is not redress'd; is not that so, master Page? He hath wrong'd me; indeed, he hath;-at a word, he hath;-believe me ;-Robert Shallow, Esquire, faith, he is wrong'd. PAGE. Here comes fir John.

Enter Sir JOHN FALSTAFF, BARDOLPH, NYM, and PISTOL.

FAL. Now, master Shallow; you'll complain of me to the king ?

SHAL. Knight, you have beaten my men, kill'd my deer, and broke open my lodge.

FAL. But not kiss'd your keeper's daughter ?

SHAL. Tut, a pin! this shall be answer'd.

FAL. I will answer it straight ;-I have done all this:

That is now answer'd.

SHAL. The Council shall know this.

FAL. 'Twere better for you, if it were known in counfel: you'll be laugh'd at.

Eva. Pauca verba, fir John; good worts,

FAL. Good worts! good cabbage._Slender, I broke

your head; What matter have you against me?

SLEN. Marry, fir, I have matter in my head against you; and against your coney-catching rascals, Bardolph, Nym, and Pistol. They carried me to the tavern, and made me drunk, and afterwards pick'd my pocket,

BAR. You Banbury cheese!

SLEN. Ay, it is no matter.

PIST. How now, Mephostophilus ?

SLEN. Ay, it is no matter.

Nrm. Slice, I say! pauca, pauca; flice! that's my hu

mour.

SLEN. Where's Simple, my man? can you tell, cousin? Eva. Peace: I pray you! Now let us understand: There is three umpires in this matter, as I understand: that is master Page, fidelicet, master Page; and there is myself, fidelicet, myself; and the three party is, lastly and finally, mine host of the Garter.

PAGE. We three, to hear it, and end it between them, Eva. Fery goot: I will make a prief of it in my notebook; and we will afterwards 'ork upon the cause, with as great difcreetly as we can,

FAL. Pistol,

PIST. He hears with ears.

Eva. The tevil and his tam! what phrafe is this, He

bears with ear? Why, it is affectations.

FAL. Pistol, did you pick Mr. Slender's purse ?

SLEN. Ay, by these gloves, did he, (or I would I might never come in mine own great chamber again elfe,) of seven groats in mill-fixpences, and two Edward shovelboards, that cost me two shilling and two pence a piece of Yead Miller, by these gloves.

FAL. Is this true, Pistol?

Eva. No; it is false, if it is a pick-purse.

Pist. Ha, thou mountain-foreigner! Sir John, and

I combat challenge of this latten bilbo :
Word of denial in thy labras here;
Word of denial: froth and scum, thou lieft.

SLEN. By these gloves, then 'twas he.

Nrm. Be avis'd, fir, and pass good humours: I will say, marry trap, with you, if you run the nuthook's humour on me; that is the very note of it.

SLEN. By this hat, then he in the red face had it: for though I cannot remember what I did when you made me drunk, yet I am not altogether an ass.

FAL. What say you, Scarlet and John? BARD. Why, fir, for my part, I say, the gentleman had drunk himself out of his five sentences.

Eva. It is his five senses: fie, what the ignorance is! BARD. And being fap, fir, was, as they say, cashier'd; and so conclufions pass'd the careires.

SLEN. Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no matter: I'll ne'er be drunk whilst I live again, but in honest, civil, godly company, for this trick; if I be drunk, I'll be drunk with those that have the fear of God, and not with drunken knaves,

Eva. So Got 'udge me, that is a virtuous mind.

FAL. You hear all these matters denied, gentlemen; you hear it.

Enter Mistress ANNE PAGE with wine; Mistress FORD and Mistress PAGE following.

PAGE. Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we'll drink within. [Exit ANNE PAGE.

SLEN. O heaven! this is mistress Anne Page.

PAGE. How now, mistress Ford?

FAL. Mistress Ford, by my troth, you are very well

met: by your leave, good mistress.

[kiffing her.

PAGE. Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome: Come,

ד

we have a hot venison pasty to dinner; come, gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness.

[Exeunt all but SHAL. SLENDER and Evans.

SLEN. I had rather than forty shillings, I had my book of Songs and Sonnets here :

Enter SIMPLE.

How now, Simple! where have you been? I must wait on myself, must I? You have not The Book of Riddles about you, have you?

SIM. Book of Riddles! why, did you not lend it to Alice Shortcake upon Allhallowmas last, a fortnight afore Michaelmas?

SHAL. Come, coz; come, coz; we stay for you. A word with you, coz: marry, this, coz; There is, as 'twere, a tender, a kind of tender, made afar off by Sir Hugh here; Do you understand me?

SLEN. Ay, fir, you shall find me reasonable; if it be fo, I shall do that that is reason.

SHAL. Nay, but understand me.

SLEN. SO I do, fir.

Eva. Give ear to his motions, master Slender: I will description the matter to you, if you be capacity of it.

SLEŃ. Nay, I will do as my coufin Shallow fays: I pray you, pardon me; he's a justice of peace in his country, fimple though I stand here.

Eva. But that is not the question; the question is concerning your marriage.

SHAL. Ay, there's the point, fir.

Eva. Marry, is it; the very point of it; to mistress Anne Page.

SLEN. Why, if it be so, I will marry her, upon any reasonable demands.

Eva. But can you affection the 'oman? Let us com