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- Edition: The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor (Modern, Quarto)
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Mine host of the Garter.
What says my bully rook?138 Speak scholarly and wisely.
Discard, bully Hercules, cashier.142 Let them wag, trot, trot.
I sit at ten pound a week.
Thou art an emperor: Caesar, vizier, and145 Kaiser, bully.310146 I'll entertain Bardolph. He shall tap, he shall draw.311147 Said I well, bully Hector?
Do, good mine host.
I have spoke. Let him follow. -- Bardolph,150 let me see thee froth and lime. I am at314151 a word. Follow, follow.
Do, Bardolph; a tapster is a good trade.316154 An old cloak will make a new jerkin,155 a withered servingman, a fresh tapster.317156 Follow him, Bardolph.
I will, sir. I'll warrant you I'll make a good158 shift to live. [Exit.]
O base gongarian wight, wilt thou the161 spigot wield?
Well my lads, I am almost out at the165 heels.
Why then let kibes ensue.
I thank thee for that humor.
Well, I am glad I am so rid of this tinder169 boy.170 His stealth was too open; his filching was like322171 an unskilful singer: he kept not time.
The good humor is to steal at a minute's173 rest.
'Tis so indeed, Nym, thou hast hit it right.
Well, afore God, I must cheat, I must coney-176catch. --331177 Which of you knows Ford of this town?
I ken the wight; he is of substance good.
Well, my honest lads, I'll tell you what180 I am about.
Two yards and more.
No gibes now, Pistol. Indeed I am two yards183 in the waist, but now I am about no waste.337184 Briefly, I am about thrift, you rogues you!185 I do intend to make love to Ford's wife.338186 I espy entertainment in her. She carves, she187 discourses, she gives the lure of invitation,339188 and every part to be construed rightly is "I am341189 Sir John Falstaff's."
He hath studied her well, out of honesty
Now the report goes, she hath all the rule193 of her husband's purse. She hath legions of angels.
As many devils attend her,
[Holds up two letters.] Here's a letter to her. Here's another to350197 Mistress Page.198 who even now gave me good eyes too, examined356199 my exteriors with such a greedy intentiom, with the352200 beams of her beauty, that it seemed as she would358201 'a' scorched me up like a burning-glass. Here is361202 another letter to her: she bears the purse too. They203 shall be exchequers to me, and I'll be cheaters to204 them both. They shall be my East and West Indies362205 and I'll trade to them both. [Offering a letter to Pistol] Here, bear thou this363206 letter to Mistress Ford. [Offering another to Nym] And thou this to Mistress207 Page. We'll thrive, lads, we will thrive.
Shall I Sir Pandarus of Troy become?
Here, take your humor letter again.369212 For my part, I will keep the 'havior213 of reputation. And there's the humor of it.
[To the Boy] Here, sirrah, bear me these letters tightly;
And art thou gone? Tester I'll have in pouch
Wilt thou revenge?
By welkin and her fairies.
By wit, or sword?
With both the humors I will disclose this386229 love to Page. I'll possess him with yellows,386.1230 and there's the humor of it.
And I to Ford will likewise tell
235 Nym
Let us about it then.
I'll second thee, Sir Corporal Nym, troop on!