Be gone, and come when you are call'd.
M.Page.
Here comes little Robin.
Mist.Ford.
How now my Eyas-Musket, what newes with you?
Rob.
My M[aster]. Sir Iohn is come in at your backe doore (Mist[ris]. Ford, and requests your company.
M.Page.
You litle Iack-a-lent, haue you bin true to vs
Rob.
I, Ile be sworne: my Master knowes not of your being heere: and hath threatned to put me into euerlasting liberty, if I tell you of it: for he sweares he'll turne me away.
Mist.Pag.
Thou'rt a good boy: this secrecy of thine shall be a Tailor to thee, and shal make thee a new doublet and hose. Ile go hide me.
Mi.Ford.
Do so: go tell thy Master, I am alone: Mistris
Page, remember you your Qu.
Mist.Pag.
I warrant thee, if I do not act it, hisse me
Mist.Ford.
Go-too then: we'l vse this vnwholsome humidity, this grosse-watry Pumpion; we'll teach him to know Turtles from Iayes.
Fal.
Haue I caught thee, my heauenly Iewell? Why now let me die, for I haue liu'd long enough: This is the period of my ambition: O this blessed houre.
Mist.Ford.
O sweet Sir Iohn.
Fal.
Mistris Ford, I cannot cog, I cannot prate (Mist[ris]. Ford) now shall I sin in my wish; I would thy Husband were dead, Ile speake it before the best Lord, I would make thee my Lady.
Mist.Ford.
I your Lady Sir Iohn? Alas, I should bee a pittifull Lady.
Fal.
Let the Court of France shew me such another: I see how thine eye would emulate the Diamond: Thou hast the right arched-beauty of the brow, that becomes the Ship-tyre, the Tyre-valiant, or any Tire of Venetian admittance.
Mist.Ford.
A plaine Kerchiefe, Sir Iohn: My browes become nothing else, nor that well neither.
Fal.
Thou art a tyrant to say so: thou wouldst make an absolute Courtier, and the firme fixture of thy foote, would giue an excellent motion to thy gate, in a semicircled Farthingale. I see what thou wert if Fortune thy foe, were not Nature thy friend: Come, thou canst not hide it.
Mist.Ford.
Beleeue me, ther's no such thing in me.
Fal.
What made me loue thee? Let that perswade thee. Ther's something extraordinary in thee: Come, I cannot cog, and say thou art this and that, like a-manie of these lisping-hauthorne buds, that come like women in mens apparrell, and smell like Bucklers-berry in simple time: I cannot, but I loue thee, none but thee; and thou deseru'st it.
M.Ford.
Do not betray me sir, I fear you loue M[istris]. Page.
Fal.
Thou mightst as well say, I loue to walke by the Counter-gate, which is as hatefull to me, as the reeke of a Lime-kill.
Mis.Ford.
Well, heauen knowes how I loue you, And you shall one day finde it.
Fal.
Keepe in that minde, Ile deserue it.
Mist.Ford.
Nay, I must tell you, so you doe;
Or else I could not be in that minde
Rob.
Mistris Ford, Mistris Ford: heere's Mistris Page at the doore, sweating, and blowing, and looking wildely, and would needs speake with you presently.
Fal.
She shall not see me, I will ensconce mee behinde the Arras.
M.Ford.
Pray you do so, she's a very tatling woman.
Whats the matter? How now?
Mist.Page.
O mistris Ford what haue you done?
You'r sham'd, y'are ouerthrowne, y'are vndone for euer.
M.Ford.
What's the matter, good mistris Page?
M.Page.
O weladay, mist[ris]. Ford, hauing an honest man to your husband, to giue him such cause of suspition.
M.Ford.
What cause of suspition?
M.Page.
What cause of suspition? Out vpon you:
How am I mistooke in you?
M.Ford.
Why (alas) what's the matter?
M.Page.
Your husband's comming hether (Woman) with all the Officers in Windsor, to search for a Gentleman, that he sayes is heere now in the house; by your
consent to take an ill aduantage of his absence: you are vndone.
M.Ford.
'Tis not so, I hope.
M.Page.
Pray heauen it be not so, that you haue such a man heere: but 'tis most certaine your husband's comming, with halfe Windsor at his heeles, to serch for such a one, I come before to tell you: If you know your selfe cleere, why I am glad of it: but if you haue a friend here, conuey, conuey him out. Be not amaz'd, call all your senses to you, defend your reputation, or bid farwell to your good life for euer.
M.Ford.
What shall I do? There is a Gentleman my deere friend: and I feare not mine owne shame so much, as his perill. I had rather then a thousand pound he were out of the house.
M.Page.
For shame, neuer stand (you had rather, and you had rather:) your husband's heere at hand, bethinke you of some conueyance: in the house you cannot hide him. Oh, how haue you deceiu'd me? Looke, heere is a basket, if he be of any reasonable stature, he may creepe in heere, and throw fowle linnen vpon him, as if it were going to bucking: Or it is whiting time, send him by your two men to Datchet-Meade.
M.Ford.
He's too big to go in there: what shall I do?
Fal.
Let me see't, let me see't, O let me see't:
Ile in, Ile in: Follow your friends counsell, Ile in.
M.Page.
What Sir Iohn Falstaffe? Are these your Letters, Knight?
Fal.
I loue thee, helpe mee away: let me creepe in heere: ile neuer—
M.Page.
Helpe to couer your master (Boy:) Call your men (Mist[ris]. Ford.) You dissembling Knight.
M.Ford.
What Iohn, Robert, Iohn; Go, take vp these cloathes heere, quickly: Wher's the Cowle-staffe? Look how you drumble? Carry them to the Landresse in Datchet mead: quickly, come.
Ford
'Pray you come nere: if I suspect without cause,
Why then make sport at me, then let me be your iest,
I deserue it: How now? Whether beare you this?
Ser
To the Landresse forsooth?
M.Ford.
Why, what haue you to doe whether they beare it? You were best meddle with buck-washing.
Ford
Buck? I would I could wash my selfe of y Buck:
Bucke, bucke, bucke, I bucke: I warrant you Bucke,
And of the season too; it shall appeare.
Gentlemen, I haue dream'd to night, Ile tell you my
dreame: heere, heere, heere bee my keyes, ascend my
Chambers, search, seeke, finde out: Ile warrant wee'le
vnkennell the Fox. Let me stop this way first: so, now
vncape.
Page
Good master Ford, be contented:
You wrong your selfe too much.
Ford
True (master Page) vp Gentlemen,
You shall see sport anon:
Page:Shakespeare - First Folio Faithfully Reproduced, Methuen, 1910.djvu/76
58
The Merry Wives of Windsor.
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