The Merry Wives of Windsor The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.] · William Shakespeare
SCENE IV. _A room in PAGE’S house._
_Enter FENTON and ANNE PAGE._ _Fent._ I see I cannot get thy father’s love; Therefore no more turn me to him, sweet Nan. _Anne._ Alas, how then? _Fent._ Why, thou must be thyself. He doth object I am too great of birth; And that, my state being gall’d with my expense, 5 I seek to heal it only by his wealth: Besides these, other bars he lays before me,-- My riots past, my wild societies; And tells me ’tis a thing impossible I should love thee but as a property. 10 _Anne._ May be he tells you true. _Fent._ No, heaven so speed me in my time to come! Albeit I will confess thy father’s wealth Was the first motive that I woo’d thee, Anne: Yet, wooing thee, I found thee of more value 15 Than stamps in gold or sums in sealed bags; And ’tis the very riches of thyself That now I aim at. _Anne._ Gentle Master Fenton, Yet seek my father’s love; still seek it, sir: If opportunity and humblest suit 20 Cannot attain it, why, then,--hark you hither! [_They converse apart._ _Enter SHALLOW, SLENDER, and MISTRESS QUICKLY._ _Shal._ Break their talk, Mistress Quickly: my kinsman shall speak for himself. _Sle._ I’ll make a shaft or a bolt on’t: ’slid, ’tis but venturing. 25 _Shal._ Be not dismayed.
_Slen._ No, she shall not dismay me: I care not for that, but that I am afeard. _Quick._ Hark ye; Master Slender would speak a word with you. 30 _Anne._ I come to him. [_Aside_] This is my father’s choice. O, what a world of vile ill-favour’d faults Looks handsome in three hundred pounds a-year! _Quick._ And how does good Master Fenton? Pray you, a word with you. 35 _Shal._ She’s coming; to her, coz. O boy, thou hadst a father! _Slen._ I had a father, Mistress Anne;--my uncle can tell you good jests of him. Pray you, uncle, tell Mistress Anne the jest, how my father stole two geese out of a pen, 40 good uncle. _Shal._ Mistress Anne, my cousin loves you. _Slen._ Ay, that I do; as well as I love any woman in Gloucestershire. _Shal._ He will maintain you like a gentlewoman. 45 _Slen._ Ay, that I will, come cut and long-tail, under the degree of a squire. _Shal._ He will make you a hundred and fifty pounds jointure. _Anne._ Good Master Shallow, let him woo for himself. 50 _Shal._ Marry, I thank you for it; I thank you for that good comfort. She calls you, coz: I’ll leave you. _Anne._ Now, Master Slender,-- _Slen._ Now, good Mistress Anne,-- _Anne._ What is your will? 55 _Slen._ My will! od’s heartlings, that’s a pretty jest indeed! I ne’er made my will yet, I thank heaven; I am not such a sickly creature, I give heaven praise.
_Anne._ I mean, Master Slender, what would you with me? 60 _Slen._ Truly, for mine own part, I would little or nothing with you. Your father and my uncle hath made motions: if it be my luck, so; if not, happy man be his dole! They can tell you how things go better than I can: you may ask your father; here he comes. 65 _Enter PAGE and MISTRESS PAGE._ _Page._ Now, Master Slender: love him, daughter Anne.-- Why, how now! what does Master Fenton here? You wrong me, sir, thus still to haunt my house: I told you, sir, my daughter is disposed of. _Fent._ Nay, Master Page, be not impatient. 70 _Mrs Page._ Good Master Fenton, come not to my child. _Page._ She is no match for you. _Fent._ Sir, will you hear me? _Page._ No, good Master Fenton. Come, Master Shallow; come, son Slender, in. Knowing my mind, you wrong me, Master Fenton. 75 [_Exeunt Page, Shal., and Slen._ _Quick._ Speak to Mistress Page. _Fent._ Good Mistress Page, for that I love your daughter In such a righteous fashion as I do, Perforce, against all checks, rebukes and manners, I must advance the colours of my love, 80 And not retire: let me have your good will. _Anne._ Good mother, do not marry me to yond fool.
_Mrs Page._ I mean it not; I seek you a better husband. _Quick._ That’s my master, master doctor. _Anne._ Alas, I had rather be set quick i’ the earth, 85 And bowl’d to death with turnips! _Mrs Page._ Come, trouble not yourself. Good Master Fenton, I will not be your friend nor enemy: My daughter will I question how she loves you, And as I find her, so am I affected. 90 Till then farewell, sir: she must needs go in; Her father will be angry. _Fent._ Farewell, gentle mistress: farewell, Nan. [_Exeunt Mrs Page and Anne._ _Quick._ This is my doing now: ‘Nay,’ said I, ‘will you cast away your child on a fool, and a physician? Look on 95 Master Fenton:’ this is my doing. _Fent._ I thank thee; and I pray thee, once to-night Give my sweet Nan this ring: there’s for thy pains. _Quick._ Now heaven send thee good fortune! [_Exit Fenton._] A kind heart he hath: a woman would run 100 through fire and water for such a kind heart. But yet I would my master had Mistress Anne; or I would Master Slender had her; or, in sooth, I would Master Fenton had her: I will do what I can for them all three; for so I have promised, and I’ll be as good as my word; 105 but speciously for Master Fenton. Well, I must of another errand to Sir John Falstaff from my two mistresses: what a beast am I to slack it! [_Exit._
SCENE IV.] SCENE XII. Pope. 7: _Besides these, other_] Ff Q3. _Besides, these other_ S. Walker conj. 12: _my_] _the_ Capell (altered to _my_ in his own hand). 20: _opportunity_] _importunity_ Hanmer. 22: SCENE XIII. Pope. 28: _but that_] F1 Q3 F2. _but_ F3 F4. 40: _pen_] _henloft_ (Q1 Q2) Halliwell. 62: _my_] om. Q3. _hath_] _have_ F4. 65: _ask_] om. Q3. 66: SCENE XIV. Pope. 67: _Fenton_] _Fenter_ F1. 75: _mind_] _wind_ F2. 80: _of_] _or_ Q3. 85, 86: Anne. _Alas_, ... _turnips!_] Anne. _Alas, ... earth._ Quick. _And ... turnips_ Warburton. 92: _angry_] _angry else_ S. Verges conj. 93: _gentle_] _my gentle_ Capell. 95: _and_] _or_ Hanmer.
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