Scena Tertia.
300Enter Falstaffe, Host, Bardolfe, Nym, Pistoll, Page.
Fal. Mine Host of the Garter?
Ho. What saies my Bully Rooke? speake schollerly,
and wisely.
Fal. Truely mine Host; I must turne away some of my
305followers.
Ho. Discard, (bully Hercules) casheere; let them wag;
trot, trot.
Fal. I sit at ten pounds a weeke.
Ho. Thou'rt an Emperor (Cesar, Keiser and Pheazar)
310I will entertaine Bardolfe: he shall draw; he shall tap; said
I well (bully Hector?)
Fa. Doe so (good mine Host.
Ho. I haue spoke; let him follow; let me see thee froth,
and liue: I am at a word: follow.
315Fal. Bardolfe, follow him: a Tapster is a good trade:
an old Cloake, makes a new Ierkin: a wither'd Seruing-
man, a fresh Tapster: goe, adew.
Ba. It is a life that I haue desir'd: I will thriue.
Pist. O base hungarian wight: wilt yu the spigot wield.
320Ni. He was gotten in drink: is not the humor cōceited?
Fal. I am glad I am so acquit of this Tinderbox: his
Thefts were too open: his filching was like an vnskilfull
Singer, he kept not time.
Ni. The good humor is to steale at a minutes rest.
325Pist. Conuay: the wise it call: Steale? foh: a fico for
the phrase.
Fal. Well sirs, I am almost out at heeles.
Pist. Why then let Kibes ensue.
Fal. There is no remedy: I must conicatch, I must shift.
330Pist. Yong Rauens must haue foode.
Fal. Which of you know Ford of this Towne?
Pist. I ken the wight: he is of substance good.
Fal. My honest Lads, I will tell you what I am about.
Pist. Two yards, and more.
335Fal. No quips now Pistoll: (Indeede I am in the waste
two yards about: but I am now about no waste: I am a-
bout thrift) briefely: I doe meane to make loue to Fords
wife: I spie entertainment in her: shee discourses: shee
carues: she giues the leere of inuitation: I can construe
340the action of her familier stile, & the hardest voice of her
behauior (to be english'd rightly) is, I am Sir Iohn Falstafs.
Pist. He hath studied her will; and translated her will:
out of honesty, into English.
Ni. The Anchor is deepe: will that humor passe?
345Fal. Now, the report goes, she has all the rule of her
husbands Purse: he hath a legend of Angels.
Pist. As many diuels entertaine: and to her Boy say I.
Ni. The humor rises: it is good: humor me the angels.
Fal. I haue writ me here a letter to her: & here ano-
350ther to Pages wife, who euen now gaue mee good eyes
too; examind my parts with most iudicious illiads: some-
times the beame of her view, guilded my foote: some-
times my portly belly.
Pist. Then did the Sun on dung-hill shine.
355Ni. I thanke thee for that humour.
Fal. O she did so course o're my exteriors with such
a greedy intention, that the appetite of her eye, did seeme
to scorch me vp like a burning-glasse: here's another
letter to her: She beares the Purse too: She is a Region
360in Guiana: all gold, and bountie: I will be Cheaters to
them both, and they shall be Exchequers to mee: they
shall be my East and West Indies, and I will trade to
them both: Goe, beare thou this Letter to Mistris Page;
and thou this to Mistris Ford: we will thriue (Lads) we
365will thriue.
Pist. Shall I Sir Pandarus of Troy become,
And by my side weare Steele? then Lucifer take all.
Ni. I will run no base humor: here take the humor-Letter;
I will keepe the hauior of reputation.
370Fal. Hold Sirha, beare you these Letters tightly,
Saile like my Pinnasse to these golden shores.
Rogues, hence, auaunt, vanish like haile-stones; goe,
Trudge; plod away ith' hoofe: seeke shelter, packe:
Falstaffe will learne the honor of the age,
375French-thrift, you Rogues, my selfe, and skirted Page.
Pist. Let Vultures gripe thy guts: for gourd, and
Fullam holds: & high and low beguiles the rich & poore,
Tester ile haue in pouch when thou shalt lacke,
Base Phrygian Turke.
380Ni. I haue opperations,
Which be humors of reuenge.
Pist. Wilt thou reuenge?
Ni. By Welkin, and her Star.
Pist. With wit, or Steele?
385Ni. With both the humors, I:
I will discusse the humour of this Loue to Ford.
Pist. And I to Page shall eke vnfold
How Falstaffe (varlet vile)
His Doue will proue; his gold will hold,
390And his soft couch defile.
Ni. My humour shall not coole: I will incense Ford
to deale with poyson: I will possesse him with yallow-
nesse, for the reuolt of mine is dangerous: that is my
true humour.
395Pist. Thou art the Mars of Malecontents: I second
thee: troope on. Exeunt.