Do intend40 vat I speak? A green-a box.

MISTRESS QUICKLY    Ay, forsooth, I’ll fetch it you.— I am

Aside

glad he went not in himself. If he had found the young man,

he would have been horn-mad43.

She goes into the closet

CAIUS    Fe, fe, fe, fe, ma foi, il fait fort chaud. Je m’en vais voir à44

le Court la grande affaire.

[Enter Mistress Quickly with a box]

MISTRESS QUICKLY    Is it this, sir?

CAIUS    Oui, mette-le au mon pocket. Dépêche47, quickly. Vere is

dat knave Rugby?

MISTRESS QUICKLY    What, John Rugby? John?

[Enter Rugby]

RUGBY    Here, sir!

CAIUS    You are John Rugby, and you are Jack Rugby. Come,

take-a your rapier, and come after my heel to the court.

RUGBY    ’Tis ready, sir, here in the porch.

CAIUS    By my trot, I tarry too long. Od’s me, que ai-je oublié54.

Dere is some simples55 in my closet dat I vill not for the varld I

shall leave behind.

He goes into the closet

MISTRESS QUICKLY    Ay me, he’ll find the young man there and

be mad.

CAIUS    O diable, diable! Vat is in my closet? Villain, larron59!

Rugby, my rapier!

Within/Pulls Simple out

MISTRESS QUICKLY    Good master, be content.

CAIUS Wherefore shall I be content-a?

MISTRESS QUICKLY    The young man is an honest man.

CAIUS What shall de honest man do in my closet? Dere is

no honest man dat shall come in my closet.

MISTRESS QUICKLY    I beseech you be not so phlegmatic66. Hear the

truth of67 it: he came of an errand to me, from Parson Hugh.

CAIUS    Vell.

SIMPLE    Ay, forsooth, to desire her to—

MISTRESS QUICKLY    Peace, I pray you.

CAIUS    Peace-a your tongue. Speak-a

your tale.

To Mistress Quickly/To Simple

SIMPLE    To desire this honest gentlewoman, your maid, to

speak a good word to Mistress Anne Page for my master in

the way of marriage.

MISTRESS QUICKLY    This is all, indeed, la! But I’ll ne’er put my76

finger in the fire, and need not.

CAIUS Sir Hugh send-a you? Rugby, baillez78 me some paper.

Tarry you a little-a while.

Rugby brings paper. Caius writes

MISTRESS QUICKLY    I am glad he is so quiet. If he

Aside to Simple

had been throughly moved, you should have heard him so

loud and so melancholy82. But notwithstanding, man, I’ll do

you your master what good I can: and the very yea and the83

no is, the French doctor, my master — I may call him my

master, look you, for I keep his house, and I wash, wring, brew,

bake, scour, dress meat86 and drink, make the beds and

do all myself—

SIMPLE    ’Tis a great charge88 to come under one

Aside to Mistress Quickly

body’s hand.

MISTRESS QUICKLY    Are you avised o’that? You90

Aside to Simple

shall find it a great charge, and to be up early and down late.

But notwithstanding — to tell you in your ear, I would have92

no words of it — my master himself is in love with Mistress

Anne Page. But notwithstanding that, I know Anne’s mind

95— that’s neither here nor there.

CAIUS You jack’nape96, give-a this letter to

Gives a letter to Simple

Sir Hugh. By gar97, it is a shallenge. I will cut his

troat in de park98, and I will teach a scurvy jack-a-nape priest

to meddle or make99.— You may be gone. It is not

To Simple

good you tarry here.— By gar, I will cut all his two stones100. By

gar, he shall not have a stone to throw at his dog.

[Exit Simple]

MISTRESS QUICKLY    Alas, he speaks but for his friend.

CAIUS It is no matter-a ver103 dat: do not you tell-a me dat I

shall have Anne Page for myself? By gar, I vill kill de Jack104

priest: and I have appointed mine host of de Jarteer105 to

measure our weapon106. By gar, I will myself have Anne Page.

MISTRESS QUICKLY    Sir, the maid loves you, and all shall be well.

We must give folks leave to prate. What the good-year108!

CAIUS    Rugby, come to the court with me.—

To Mistress Quickly

By gar, if I have not Anne Page, I shall turn your

head out of my door. Follow my heels, Rugby.

MISTRESS QUICKLY    You shall have An112—

[Exeunt Caius and Rugby]

fool’s-head of your own. No, I know Anne’s mind for that:

never a woman in Windsor knows more of Anne’s mind than

I do, nor can do more than I do with her, I thank heaven.

FENTON    Who’s within there, ho?

Within

MISTRESS QUICKLY    Who’s there, I trow? Come near117 the house, I

pray you.

[Enter Fenton]

FENTON    How now, good woman? How dost thou?

MISTRESS QUICKLY    The better that it pleases your good worship

to ask.

FENTON    What news? How does pretty Mistress Anne?

MISTRESS QUICKLY    In truth, sir, and she is pretty, and honest123,

and gentle, and one that is your friend124— I can tell you that

by the way — I praise heaven for it.

FENTON    Shall I do any good, thinkest thou? Shall I not lose

my suit?

MISTRESS QUICKLY    Troth, sir, all is in his hands above: but

notwithstanding, Master Fenton, I’ll be sworn on a book129 she

loves you. Have not your worship a wart above your eye?

FENTON    Yes, marry, have I. What of that?

MISTRESS QUICKLY    Well, thereby hangs a tale: good faith, it is132

such another Nan —but, I detest133, an honest maid as ever

broke bread. We had an hour’s talk of that wart. I shall

never laugh but in that maid’s company. But, indeed, she is

given too much to allicholy136 and musing. But for you — well,

go to137—

FENTON    Well, I shall see her today. Hold, there’s money for

thee: let me have thy voice139 in my behalf. If thou see’st her

before me, commend me—

MISTRESS QUICKLY    Will I? I’faith, that we will. And I will tell your

worship more of the wart the next time we have confidence142,

and of other wooers.

FENTON    Well, farewell, I am in great haste now.

MISTRESS QUICKLY    Farewell to your worship.

[Exit Fenton]

Truly, an honest gentleman.