self the deceiver, but he is the deceived. The real jealousy of Ford most skilfully helps on the merry devices of his wife; and with equal skill does the poet make him throw away his jealousy, and assist in the last plot against the "unclean knight." The movement of the principal action is beautifully contrasted with the occasional repose of the other scenes. The Windsor of the time of Elizabeth is presented to us, as the quiet country town, sleeping under the shadow of its neighbour the castle. Amidst its gabled houses, separated by pretty gardens, from which the elm and the chestnut and the lime throw their branches across the unpaved road, we find a goodly company, with little to do but gossip and laugh, and make sport out of each other's cholers and weaknesses. We see Master Page training his "fallow greyhound;" and we go with Master Ford" a-birding." We listen to the " pribbles and prabbles" of Sir Hugh Evans and Justice Shallow with a quiet satisfaction; for they talk as unartificial men ordinarily talk, without much wisdom, but with good temper and sincerity. We find ourselves in the days of ancient hospitality, when men could make their fellows welcome without ostentatious display, and half a dozen neighbours "could drink down all unkindness" over a hot venison pasty." The more busy inhabitants of the town have time to tattle, and to laugh, and be laughed at. Mine Host of the Garter is the prince of hosts; he is the very soul of fun and good temper. His contrivances to manage the fray between the furious French doctor and the honest Welsh parson are productive of the happiest situations. Caius waiting for his adversary-" De herring is no dead so as I vill kill him"-is capital. But Sir Hugh, with his― "There will we make our peds of roses, And a thousand fragrant posies, To shallow Mercy on me! I have a great dispositions to cry,❞—is inimitable. With regard to the under-plot of Fenton and Anne Page the scheme of Page to marry her to Slender-the counterplot of her mother, " firm for Dr. Caius "-and the management of the lovers to obtain a triumph out of the devices against them-it may be sufficient to point out how skilfully it is interwoven with the Herne's Oak adventure of Falstaff. Over all the misadventures of that night, when "all sorts of deer were chas'd," Shakspere throws his own tolerant spirit of forgiveness and content : "Good husband, let us every one go home, PERSONS REPRESENTED. SIR JOHN FALSTAFF. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act II. sc. 2. Act III. sc. 3; sc. 5. Act. IV. sc. 2; sc. 5. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 5. FENTON. Appears, Act I. sc. 4. Act III. sc. 4. Act IV. sc. 6. Act V. sc. 5. SHALLOW, a country justice. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act III. sc. 1; Act IV. sc. 2. Act V. sc. 2. sc. 2; sc. 4. SLENDER, cousin to Shallow. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 3. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4. Act. V. sc. 2; sc. 5. MR. FORD, a gentleman dwelling at Windsor. Appears, Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 4. Act. III. sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 5. MR. PAGE, a gentleman dwelling at Windsor. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act. II. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 4. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 2; sc. 5. WILLIAM PAGE, a boy, son to Mr Page. Appears, Act IV. sc. 1. SIR HUGH EVANS, a Welsh parson. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3. sc. 5. Act V. sc. 4; sc. 5. DR. CAIUS, a French physician. Appears, Act I. sc. 4. Act II. sc. 3. Act. III. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 5. Act V. sc. 3; sc. 5. Host of the Garter Inn. Appears, Act I. sc. 3. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 3; sc. 5; sc. 6. BARDOLPH, a follower of Falstaff. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act II. sc. 2. Act III. sc. 5. Act IV. sc. 3; sc. 5. NYM, a follower of Falstaff. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act II. sc. 1. PISTOL, a follower of Falstaff. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act V. sc. 5. ROBIN, page to Falstaff. Appears, Act I. sc. 3. Act II. sc. 2. Act III. sc. 2; sc. 3. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4. Act III. sc. 1. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1. Act III. sc. 3. MRS. ANNE PAGE, daughter to Mrs Page. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act III. sc. 4. Act V. sc. 5. MRS. QUICKLY, servant to Dr. Caius. Appears, Act I. sc. 4. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act III. sc. 4; sc. 5. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 5, Act V. sc. 1; sc. 5. Servants to Page, Ford, &c. SCENE-WINDSOR. THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. ACT I. SCENE I.-Windsor. Garden Front of Page's House. Enter Justice SHALLOW, SLENDER, and SIR HUGH EVANS. Shal. Sir Hugh,a 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 Gloster, justice of peace, and coram. Shal. Ay, cousin Slender, and Cust-alorum.b Slen. Ay, and ratolorum too; and a gentleman born, master parson; who writes himself armigero; in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, armigero.c Shal. Ay, that I do; and have doned any time these three hundred years. Slen. All his successors, gone before him, have done 't; a We find several instances in Shakspere of a priest being called Sir; as, Sir Hugh in this comedy; Sir Oliver in As You Like It; Sir Topas in Twelfth Night;' and Sir Nathaniel in 'Love's Labour 's Lost,' b Cust-alorum is meant for an abridgment of Custos Rotulorum. Slender, not understanding the abbreviation, adds, "and rato lorum too." The justice signed his attestations, "jurat' coram me, Roberto Shallow, armigero." 4 Have done-we have done. |
