735Ford. Good mine Host o'th' Garter: a word with you.

736Host. What saist thou, my Bully-Rooke?

737Shal. Will you goe with vs to behold it? My merry

738Host hath had the measuring of their weapons; and (I

739thinke) hath appointed them contrary places: for (be-

740leeue mee) I heare the Parson is no Iester: harke, I will

741tell you what our sport shall be.

742Host. Hast thou no suit against my Knight? my guest-

743Caualeire?

744Shal. None, I protest: but Ile giue you a pottle of

745burn'd sacke, to giue me recourse to him, and tell him

746my name is Broome: onely for a iest.

747Host. My hand, (Bully:) thou shalt haue egresse and

748regresse, (said I well?) and thy name shall be Broome. It

749is a merry Knight: will you goe An-heires?

750Shal. Haue with you mine Host.

751Page. I haue heard the French-man hath good skill

752in his Rapier.

753Shal. Tut sir: I could haue told you more: In these

754times you stand on distance: your Passes, Stoccado's, and

755I know not what: 'tis the heart (Master Page) 'tis heere,

756'tis heere: I haue seene the time, with my long-sword, I

757would haue made you fowre tall fellowes skippe like

758Rattes.

759Host. Heere boyes, heere, heere: shall we wag?

760Page. Haue with you: I had rather heare them scold,

761then fight.

762Ford. Though Page be a secure foole, and stands so

763firmely on his wiues frailty; yet, I cannot put-off my o-

764pinion so easily: she was in his company at Pages house:

765and what they made there, I know not. Well, I wil looke

766further into't, and I haue a disguise, to sound Falstaffe; if

767I finde her honest, I loose not my labor: if she be other-

768wise, 'tis labour well bestowed. Exeunt.

772Fal. I will not lend thee a penny.

773Pist. Why then the world's mine Oyster, which I,

774with sword will open.

775Fal. Not a penny: I haue beene content (Sir,) you

776should lay my countenance to pawne: I haue grated vp-

777on my good friends for three Repreeues for you, and

778your Coach-fellow Nim; or else you had look'd through

779the grate, like a Geminy of Baboones: I am damn'd in

780hell, for swearing to Gentlemen my friends, you were

781good Souldiers, and tall-fellowes. And when Mistresse

782Briget lost the handle of her Fan, I took't vpon mine ho-

783nour thou hadst it not.

784Pist. Didst not thou share? hadst thou not fifteene

785pence?

786Fal. Reason, you roague, reason: thinkst thou Ile en-

787danger my soule, gratis? at a word, hang no more about

788mee, I am no gibbet for you: goe, a short knife, and a

789throng, to your Mannor of Pickt-hatch: goe, you'll not

790beare a Letter for mee you roague? you stand vpon your

791honor: why, (thou vnconfinable basenesse) it is as much

792as I can doe to keepe the termes of my honor precise:

793I, I, I my selfe sometimes, leauing the feare of heauen on

794the left hand, and hiding mine honor in my necessity, am

795faine to shufflle: to hedge, and to lurch, and yet, you

796Rogue, will en-sconce your raggs; your Cat-a-Moun-

797taine-lookes, your red-lattice phrases, and your bold-

798beating-oathes, vnder the shelter of your honor? you

799will not doe it? you?

800Pist. I doe relent: what would thou more of man?

801Robin. Sir, here's a woman would speake with you.

802Fal. Let her approach.

803Qui. Giue your worship good morrow.

804Fal. Good-morrow, good-wife.

805Qui. Not so and't please your worship.

806Fal. Good maid then.

807Qui. Ile be sworne,

808As my mother was the first houre I was borne.

809Fal. I doe beleeue the swearer; what with me?

810Qui. Shall I vouch-safe your worship a word, or

811two?

812Fal. Two thousand (faire woman) and ile vouchsafe

813thee the hearing.

814Qui. There is one Mistresse Ford, (Sir) I pray come a

815little neerer this waies: I my selfe dwell with M. Doctor

816Caius:

817Fal. Well, on; Mistresse Ford, you say.

818Qui. Your worship saies very true: I pray your wor-

819ship come a little neerer this waies.

820Fal. I warrant thee, no-bodie heares: mine owne

821people, mine owne people.

822Qui. Are they so? heauen-blesse them, and make

823them his Seruants.

824Fal. Well; Mistresse Ford, what of her?

825Qui. Why, Sir; shee's a good-creature; Lord, Lord,

826your Worship's a wanton: well: heauen forgiue you,

827and all of vs, I pray ---.

828Fal. Mistresse Ford: come, Mistresse Ford.

829Qui. Marry this is the short, and the long of it: you

830haue brought her into such a Canaries, as 'tis wonder-

831full: the best Courtier of them all (when the Court lay

832at Windsor) could neuer haue brought her to such a Ca-

833narie: yet there has beene Knights, and Lords, and Gen-

834tlemen, with their Coaches; I warrant you Coach after

835Coach, letter after letter, gift after gift, smelling so sweet-

836ly; all Muske, and so rushling, I warrant you, in silke

837and golde, and in such alligant termes, and in such wine

838and suger of the best, and the fairest, that would haue

839wonne any womans heart: and I warrant you, they could

840neuer get an eye-winke of her: I had my selfe twentie

841Angels giuen me this morning, but I defie all Angels (in

842any such sort, as they say) but in the way of honesty: and

843I warrant you, they could neuer get her so much as sippe

844on a cup with the prowdest of them all, and yet there has

845beene Earles: nay, (which is more) Pentioners, but I

846warrant you all is one with her.

847Fal. But what saies shee to mee? be briefe my good

848shee-Mercurie.

849Qui. Marry, she hath receiu'd your Letter: for the

850which she thankes you a thousand times; and she giues

851you to notifie, that her husband will be absence from his

852house, betweene ten and eleuen.

853Fal. Ten, and eleuen.

854Qui. I, forsooth: and then you may come and see the

855picture (she sayes) that you wot of: Master Ford her hus-

856band will be from home: alas, the sweet woman leades

857an ill life with him: hee's a very iealousie-man; she leads

858a very frampold life with him, (good hart.)

859Fal. Ten, and eleuen.