The Merry Wives of Windsor The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.] · William Shakespeare
NOTE X.
The stage direction of the early Quartos is: _Enter Sir Hugh like a Satyre, and boyes drest like Fayries, Mistresse Quickly, like the Queene of Fayries; they sing a song about him and afterward speake._ The Folio enumerates at the commencement of the scene all who take part in it, including _Anne Page_, _Fairies_, _Quickly_ and _Pistol_, and in this place has merely _Enter Fairies_. Malone introduced _Anne Page as the Fairy Queen_, and at the end, _with waxen tapers on their heads_. He however still assigned the speeches 35-39, 53-74, 82-85, and 88-90 to _Quickly_. Recent Editors have generally given them to _Anne_, on the ground that it is proved by IV. 6. 20 and V. 3. 11, 12, that she was to ‘present the Fairy Queen,’ and that the character of the speeches is unsuitable to Mrs Quickly. It has been argued, too, that the _Qui._ of the folios, line 35, may be a misprint for _Qu._, i.e. _Queen_. This however is contradicted by the fact that Mrs Quickly plays the Queen in the early Quartos, and that the recurrence of _Qui._, line 88, proves that the printer of the first Folio used either _Qui._ or _Qu._ indifferently as the abbreviation of _Quickly_. Most likely, in this and other respects the play was altered by its author, but the stage MSS. were not corrected throughout with sufficient care. This will account for the mistake about the colours ‘green’ and ‘white’ in the final scene, lines 186, 190, 196.
_Sir Hu._ I pray you M. _Shallowes_ let it be so. The matter is pud to arbitarments. The first man is M. _Page_, videlicet M. _Page_. The second is my selfe, videlicet my selfe. The third and last man, is mine host of the gartyr. 20 _Enter Syr _Iohn Falstaffe_, _Pistoll_, _Bardolfe_, and _Nim_._ Heere is sir _Iohn_ himselfe now, looke you. _Fal._ Now M. _Shallow_, youle complaine of me to the Councell, I heare? _Shal._ Sir _Iohn_, sir _Iohn_, you haue hurt my keeper, [25] Kild my dogs, stolne my deere. _Fal._ But not kissed your keepers daughter. _Shal._ Well this shall be answered. _Fal._ He answere it strait. I haue done all this. This is now answred. _Shal._ Well, the Councell shall know it. 30 _Fal._ Twere better for you twere knowne in counsell, Youle be laught at. _Sir Hugh._ Good vrdes sir _Iohn_, good vrdes. _Fal._ Good vrdes, good Cabidge. _Slender_ I brake your head, 35 What matter haue you against mee? _Slen._ I haue matter in my head against you and your cogging companions, _Pistoll_ and _Nym._ They carried mee to the Tauerne, and made mee drunke, and afterward picked my pocket. _Fal._ What say you to this _Pistoll_, did you picke Maister 40 _Slenders_ purse _Pistoll_? _Slen._ I by this handkercher did he. Two faire shouell boord shillings, besides seuen groats in mill sixpences.
_Fal._ What say you to this _Pistoll_? _Pist._ Sir _Iohn_, and Maister mine, I combat craue 45 Of this same laten bilbo. I do retort the lie Euen in thy gorge, thy gorge, thy gorge. _Slen._ By this light it was he then. _Nym._ Syr my honor is not for many words, But if you run bace humors of me, 50 I will say mary trap. And there’s the humor of it. _Fal._ You heare these matters denide gentlemen, You heare it. _Enter Mistresse _Foord_, Mistresse _Page_, and her daughter _Anne_._ _Pa._ No more now, I thinke it be almost dinner time, 55 For my wife is come to meete vs. _Fal._ Mistresse _Foord_, I think your name is, If I mistake not. _Syr_ Iohn kisses her. _Mis. Ford._ Your mistake sir is nothing but in the Mistresse. But my husbands name is _Foord_ sir. 60 _Fal._ I shall desire your more acquaintance. The like of you good misteris _Page_. _Mis. Pa._ With all my hart sir _Iohn_. Come husband will you goe? Dinner staies for vs. 65 _Pa._ With all my hart, come along Gentlemen. _Exit all, but _Slender_ and Mistresse _Anne_._ _Anne._ Now forsooth why do you stay me? What would you with me? _Slen._ Nay for my owne part, I would litle or nothing with you. I loue you well, and my vncle can tell you how my liuing stands. 70 And if you can loue me why so. If not, why then happie man be his dole.
_An._ You say well M. _Slender_. But first you must giue me leaue to Be acquainted with your humor, 75 And afterward to loue you if I can. _Slen._ Why by God, there’s neuer a man in christendome can desire more. What haue you beares in your Towne mistresse _Anne_, your dogs barke so? _An._ I cannot tell M. _Slender_, I think there be. 80 _Slen._ Ha how say you? I warrant your afeard of a Beare let loose, are you not? _An._ Yes trust me. _Slen._ Now that’s meate and drinke to me, He run yon to a beare, and take her by the mussell, 85 You neuer saw the like. But indeed I cannot blame you, For they are maruellous rough things. _Anne._ Will yo go into dinner M. _Slendor?_ The meate staies for you. 90 _Slen._ No faith not I. I thanke you, I cannot abide the smell of hot meate Nere since I broke my shin. Ile tel you how it came By my troth. A Fencer and I plaid three venies For a dish of stewd prunes, and I with my ward 95 Defending my head, he hot my shin. Yes faith. _Enter Maister _Page_._ _Pa._ Come, come Maister _Slender_, dinner staies for you. _Slen._ I can eate no meate, I thanke you. _Pa._ You shall not choose I say. _Slen._ Ile follow you sir, pray leade the way. 100 Nay be God misteris _Anne_, you shall goe first, I haue more manners then so, I hope. _An._ Well sir, I will not be troublesome. _Exit omnes._
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