The Merry Wives of Windsor The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.] · William Shakespeare
NOTES: SCENE V
_Pis._ I do recant: what woulst thou more of man? _Fal._ Well, gotoo, away, no more. _Enter Mistresse Quickly._ _Quic._ Good you god den sir. _Fal._ Good den faire wife. _Quic._ Not so ant like your worship. 25 _Fal._ Faire mayd then. _Quic._ That I am Ile be sworne, as my mother was The first houre I was borne. Sir I would speake with you in priuate. _Fal._ Say on I prethy, heeres none but my owne houshold. 30 _Quic._ Are they so? Now God blesse them, and make them his seruants. Syr I come from Mistresse _Foord_. _Fal._ So from Mistresse _Foord_. Goe on. _Quic._ I sir, she hath sent me to you to let you 35 Vnderstand she hath receiued your Letter, And let me tell you, she is one stands vpon her credit. _Fal._ Well, come Misteris _Ford_, Misteris _Ford_. _Quic._ I sir, and as they say, she is not the first Hath bene led in a fooles paradice. 40 _Fal._ Nay prethy be briefe my good she _Mercury_. _Quic._ Mary sir, sheed haue you meet her betweene eight and nine. _Fal._ So betweene eight and nine: _Qu._ I forsooth, for then her husband goes a birding, 45 _Fal._ Well commend me to thy mistris, tel her I will not faile her: Boy giue her my purse.
_Enter _Foord_ disguised like _Brooke_._ _For._ God saue you sir. _Fal._ And you too, would you speak with me? _For._ Mary would _I_ sir, _I_ am somewhat bolde to trouble you, My name is _Brooke_. _Fal._ Good M. _Brooke_ your verie welcome. 80 _For._ {I}faith sir _I_ am a gentleman and a traueller, That haue seen somewhat. And _I_ haue often heard That if mony goes before, all waies lie open. _Fal._ Mony is a good souldier sir, and will on. _For._ {I}faith sir, and _I_ haue a bag here, 85 Would you wood helpe me to beare it. _Fal._ O Lord, would _I_ could tell how to deserue To be your porter. _For._ That may you easily sir _Iohn:_ I haue an earnest Sute to you. But good sir _Iohn_ when I haue 90 Told you my griefe, cast one eie of your owne Estate, since your selfe knew what tis to be Such an offender. _Fal._ Verie well sir, proceed. _For._ Sir I am deeply in loue with one _Fords_ wife 95 Of this Towne. Now sir _Iohn_ you are a gentleman Of good discoursing, well beloued among Ladies, A man of such parts that might win 20. such as she. _Fal._ O good sir. _For._ Nay beleeue it sir _Iohn_, for tis time. Now my loue 100 Is so grounded vpon her, that without her loue I shall hardly liue.
_Ford._ Sir do you know _Ford?_ _Fal._ Hang him poore cuckally knaue, I know him not, And yet I wrong him to call him poore. For they Say the cuckally knaue hath legions of angels, For the which his wife seemes to me well fauored, 140 And Ile vse her as the key of the cuckally knaues Coffer, and there’s my randeuowes. _Foord._ Meethinkes sir it were good that you knew _Ford_, that you might shun him. _Fal._ Hang him cuckally knaue, Ile stare him 145 Out of his wits, Ile keepe him in awe With this my cudgell: It shall hang like a meator Ore the wittolly knaues head, M. _Brooke_ thou shalt See I will predominate ore the peasant, And thou shalt lie with his wife. M. _Brooke_ 150 Thou shalt know him for knaue and cuckold, Come to me soone at night. _Exit Falstaffe._ _Ford._ What a damned epicurian is this? My wife hath sent for him, the plot is laid: _Page_ is an Asse, a foole. A secure Asse, 155 Ile sooner trust an Irishman with my Aquauita bottle, Sir _Hu_ our parson with my cheese, A theefe to walke my ambling gelding, then my wife With her selfe: then she plots, then she ruminates, And what she thinkes in her hart she may effect, 160 Sheele breake her hart but she will effect it. God be praised, God be praised for my iealousie: Well Ile go preuent him, the time drawes on, Better an houre too soone, then a minit too late, Gods my life cuckold, cuckold. 165 _Exit Ford._
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