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MERRY WIVES

To-night at Herne's oak, just 'twixt twelve and one,
Must my sweet Nan present the fairy queen;
The purpose why, is here; in which disguise,
While other jests are something rank on foot,
Her father hath commanded her to slip
Away with Slender, and with him at Eton
Immediately to marry: she hath consented:
Now, sir,

Her mother, even strong against that match,
And firm for doctor Caius, hath appointed
That he shall likewise shuffle her away,
While other sports are tasking of their minds,
And at the deanery, where a priest attends,
Straight marry her: to this her mother's plot
She, seemingly obedient, likewise hath
Made promise to the doctor:-Now, thus it rests:
Her father means she shall be all in white;
And in that habit, when Slender sees his time
To take her by the hand, and bid her go,
She shall go with him; her mother hath intended,
The better to denote her to the doctor,
(For they must ail be mask'd and vizarded,)
That, quaint in green, she shall be loose enrob'd,
With ribands pendant, flaring 'bout her head;
And when the doctor spies his vantage ripe,
To pinch her by the hand, and, on that token,
The maid hath given consent to go with him.
Host. Which means she to deceive? father or mother?
Fent. Both, my good host, to go along with me:
And here it rests,-that you'll procure the vicar
To stay for me at church, 'twixt twelve and one,
And, in the lawful name of marrying,

To give our hearts united ceremony.

Host. Well, husband your device; I'll to the vicar! Bring you the maid, you shall not lack a priest. Fent. So shall I evermore be bound to thee; Besides, I'll make a present recompense.

ACT V.

SCENE I. A Room in the Garter Inn.

[Exeunt.

Enter FALSTAFF and Mrs. QUICKLY.

Fal. Pr'ythee, no more prattling-go.I'll hold: This is the third time; I hope, good luck lies in odd numbers. Away, go; they say, there is divinity in odd

numbers, either in nativity, chance, or

death.-Away.

Quick. I'll provide you a chain; and I'll do what I can to get you a pair of horns.

Fal. Away, I say; time wears: hold up your head, and mince. [Exit Mrs. Quickly.

Enter FORD.

How now, master Brook? Master Brook, the matter will be known to-night, or never. Be you in the park about midnight, at Herne's oak, and you shall see wonders.

Ford. Went you not to her yesterday, sir, as you told me you had appointed?

Fal. I went to her, master Brook, as you see, like a poor old man but I came from her, master Brook, like a poor old woman. That same knave, Ford her husband, hath the finest mad devil of jealousy in him, master Brook, that ever govern'd frenzy. I will tell you-He beat me grievously, in the shape of a woman; for in the shape of man, master Brook, I fear not Goliah with a weaver's beam; because I know also, life is a shuttle. I am in haste; go along with me; I'll tell you all, master Brook. Since I plucked geese, played truant, and whipped top, I knew not what it was to be beaten, till lately. Follow me: I'll tell you strange things of this knave Ford; on whom to-night I will be revenged, and I will deliver his wife into your hand. Follow: Strange things in hand, master Brook! follow. [Exeunt.

SCENE II. Windsor Park.

Enter PAGE, SHALLOW, and SLENDER. Page. Come, come; we'll conch i'the castle-ditch, till we see the light of our fairies.-Remember, son Slender, my daughter.

Slen. Ay, forsooth; I have spoke with her, and we have a nay-word, how to know one another. I come to her in white, and cry, mum; she cries budget; and by that we know one another.

Shal. That's good too: But what needs either your mum, or her budget? The white will decypher her well enough.--It hath struck ten o'clock.

Page. The night is dark; light and spirits will become it well. Heaven prosper our sport! No man means evil but the devil, and we shall know him by his horns. Let's away; follow me. [Exeunt.

SCENE III. The Street in Windsor. Enter Mrs. PAGE, Mrs. FORD, and Dr. CAIUS. Mrs. Page. Master doctor, my daughter is in green:

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MERRY WIVES.

when you see your time, take her by the hand, away with her to the deanery, and despatch it quickly: Go before into the park; we two must go together. Caius. I know vat I have to do; adieu.

Mrs. Page. Fare you well, sir. [Exit Caius] My husband will not rejoice so much at the abuse of l'al staff, as he will chafe at the doctor's marrying my daughter: but 'tis no matter; better a little chiding, than a great deal of heart-break.

Mrs. Ford. Where is Nan now, and her troop of fairies? and the Welsh devil, Hugh?

Mrs. Page. They are all couched in a pit hard by Herne's oak, with obscured lights; which, at the very instant of Falstaff's and our meeting, they will at once display to the night.

Mrs. Ford. That cannot choose but amaze him. Mrs. Page. If he be not amazed, he will be mock'd; if he be amaz'd, he will every way be mock'd. Mrs. Ford. We'll betray him finely.

Mrs. Page. Against such lewdsters, and their lechery, Those that betray them do no treachery.

Mrs. Ford. The hour draws on; To the oak, to the

oak!

SCENE IV. Windsor Park.

[Exeunt.

Enter Sir HUGH EVANS and Fairies. Eva. Trib, trib, fairies; come; and remember your parts: be pold, I pray you; follow me into the pit; and when I give the watch'ords, do as I pid you; Come, come; trib, trib.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V. Another part of the Park. Enter FALSTAFF, disguised, with a buck's head on. Fal. The Windsor bell hath struck twelve; the minute draws on; Now, the hot-blooded gods assist me!-Remember, Jove, thou wast a bull for thy Ea ropa; love set on thy horns.-O powerful love! that in some respects makes a beast a man; in some other, a man a beast.-You were also, Jupiter, a swan, for the love of Leda :-0, omnipotent love! how near the god drew to the complexion of a goose!-A fault a beastly

fault; and then another fault in the semblance of a fowl; think on't, Jove; a foul fault.—When gods have hot backs, what shall poor men do? For me, I am here a Windsor stag; and the fattest, I think, i'the forest: Send me a cool rut-time, Jove, or who can

d

blame me to piss my tallow? Who comes here? my doe?

Enter Mrs. FORD and Mrs PAGE.

Mrs. Ford. Sir John! art thou there, my deer? my male deer?

Fal. My doe with the black scut ?-Let the sky rain let it thunder to the tune of Green kissing-comfits, and snow eringoes; let there come a lempest of provocation, I will shelter me here. [Embracing her. Mrs. Ford. Mistress Page is come with me, sweet

Raise up the organs of her fantasy,
Sleep, she as sound as careless infancy,
But those as sleep, and think not on their sins,
Pinch them, arms, legs, backs, shoulders, sides, and
Quick. About, about;

(shins.
Search Windsor castle, elves, within and out:
Strew good luck, ouphes, on every sacred room ;
That it may stand till the perpetual doom,
In state as wholesome, as in state 'tis fit

;
Worthy the owner, and the owner it.
The several chairs of order look you scour
With juice of balm, and every precious flower :
Each fair instalment, coat, and several crest,
With loyal blazon, evermore be blest !
And nightly, meadow-fairies, look, yon sing,
Like to the Garter's compass, in a ring:
The expressure that it bears, green let it be,
More fertile-fresh than all the field to see;
And, Honi Soit Qui Mal y Pense, write,
In emerald tnfts, flowers purple, blue and white;
Like sapphire, pearl, and rich embroidery,
Buckled below fair knighthood's bending knee:
Fairies use flowers for their charactery.
Away; disperse : But, till 'tis one o'clock,
Our dance of custom, round about the oak
Of Herne the Hunter, let ng not forget.
Eva. Pray you Jock hand in hand;- yourselves in

order set :
And twenty glow-worms shall cor lanterns be,
To guide our measure round abont the tree.
But, stay ; I smell a man of middle earth.

Fal. Heaven's defend me from that Welsh fairy! lest he transforin me to a piece of cheese! Pist. Vile worm, thon wast o'erlook'd even in thy

birth.
Quick. With trial-fire, touch me his finger-end :
Tf be be chaste, the flame will back descend,
And turn him to no pain ; but if he start,
It is the flesh of a corrupted heart.

Pist. A trial, come.
Eva. Come, will this wood take fire?

[They burn him with their tapers. Fal. Oh, oh, oh!

Quick. Corrupt, corrapt, and tainted in desire!
About him, fairies; sing a scornful rhyme:
And, as yon trip, still pinch him to your time.

Eva. It is right; indeed he is full of lecheries and

iniquitý.