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  • Title: The Merry Wives of Windsor (Modern, Quarto)
  • Editor: Helen Ostovich
  • Markup editor: Janelle Jenstad
  • Coordinating editor: Janelle Jenstad

  • Copyright Helen Ostovich. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Editor: Helen Ostovich
    Not Peer Reviewed

    The Merry Wives of Windsor (Modern, Quarto)

    [Scene 4]
    Enter Mistress Quickly and Simple.
    Quickly
    Master Slender is your master's name, say you?
    Simple
    Ay, indeed, that is his name.
    416.1 Quickly
    How say you? I take it he is somewhat a weakly man, and he has, as it were, a whey-colored beard.
    420 Simple
    Indeed, my master's beard is cane-colored.
    420.1 Quickly
    Cane-color, you say well. And is this letter from sir yon about Mistress Anne, is it not?
    Simple
    Ay, indeed, is it.
    420.5 Quickly
    So. And your master would have me as it were to speak to Mistress Anne concerning him. I promise you my master hath a great-affectioned mind to Mistress Anne himself. And if he should know that I should, as they say, give my verdict for anyone420.10 but himself, I should hear of it thoroughly. For I tell you, friend, he puts all his privities in me.
    429.1 Simple
    Ay, by my faith, you are a good stay to him.
    Quickly
    Am I? Ay, an you knew all, you'd say so!485 Washing, brewing, baking, all goes through my hands,485.1 or else it would be but a woe house.
    Simple
    Ay, beshrow me, one woman to do all this488.1 is very painful.
    490 Quickly
    Are you avised of that? Ay, I warrant you, and he is such a honest man, an he should chance To come home and find a man here, we should403.1 have no "who?" with him. He is a parlous man.
    Simple
    Is he indeed?
    Quickly
    "Is he," quoth you? God keep him abroad -- [Knocking at the door] Lord bless me, who knocks there? For God's sake, step into the counting-house,433.1 while I go see who's at door.
    He steps into the counting-house.
    What, John Rugby, John -- And she opens the door. Are you come home, sir, already?
    [Enter Doctor Caius.]
    433.5 Caius
    Ay, begar, I be forget my ointment. Where be John Rugby?
    448.1 Enter John [Rugby].
    450 Rugby
    Here, sir, do you call?
    Caius
    Ay, you be John Rugby, and you be Jack Rugby! Go run up vit your heels and bring away452.1 de ointment in de vindow present.455 Make haste, John Rugby. Oh, I am almost forget my simples in a box in de counting-house -- [He opens the door to the counting-house.] O Jeshu, vat be here, a devil-la, a devil-la?460 My rapier, John Rugby. -- [To Simple] Vat be you, vat make you in my counting-house?458.1 I tink you be a tief.
    Quickly
    Jesu bless me, we are all undone.
    Simple
    O Lord, sir, no! I am no thief. I am a servingman.458.5 My name is John Simple. I brought a letter, sir, from my Master Slender about Mistress Anne Page,474.1 sir. Indeed, that is my coming.
    Caius
    Ay, begar, is dat all? -- John Rugby, give-a moi pen an' ink. -- [To Simple] Tarde un petit peu, tarde a little.
    478.1 The Doctor writes.
    Simple
    O God, what a furious man is this?
    Quickly
    Nay, it is well he is no worse:480 I am glad he is so quiet.
    Caius
    Here give dat same to Sir Hugh: it bear ze challenge. Begar, tell him I will cut his nase, will you?
    497.1 Simple
    Ay, sir, I'll tell him so.
    Caius
    Dat be vell. -- My rapier, John Rugby. Follow moi .
    512.1 Exit Doctor [with Rugby].
    Quickly
    Well, my friend, I cannot tarry. Tell your master I'll do what I can for him, and so farewell.
    512.5 Simple
    Marry, will I. -- [Aside] I am glad I am got hence.
    Exeunt.