But if there be

no great love in the beginning, yet heaven may decrease212 it

upon better acquaintance, when we are married, and have

more occasion to know one another. I hope upon familiarity

will grow more contempt. But if you say ‘Marry her’, I will

marry her — that I am freely dissolved, and dissolutely216.

EVANS    It is a fery discretion answer. Save the fall217 is in the

’ord218 ‘dissolutely’ — the ’ort is, according to our meaning,

‘resolutely’ — his meaning is good.

SHALLOW Ay, I think my cousin meant well.

SLENDER    Ay, or else I would I might be hanged, la!

SHALLOW Here comes fair Mistress Anne.

[Enter Anne]

Would I were young for your sake, Mistress Anne.

ANNE    The dinner is on the table, my father desires your

worships’ company.

SHALLOW I will wait on him, fair Mistress Anne.

EVANS    ’Od’s plessèd will! I will not be absence at the grace.

[Exeunt Shallow and Evans]

ANNE    Will’t please your worship to come in, sir?

SLENDER    No, I thank you, forsooth229, heartily. I am very well.

ANNE    The dinner attends230 you, sir.

SLENDER I am not a-hungry, I thank you, forsooth.—

To Simple

Go, sirrah, for all232 you are my man, go wait upon my cousin

Shallow.

[Exit Simple]

A justice of peace sometime may be beholding234 to his friend

for a man. I keep but three men and a boy yet, till my mother

be dead: but what though236, yet I live like a poor gentleman

born.

ANNE    I may not go in without your worship: they will not

sit till you come.

SLENDER    I’faith, I’ll eat nothing. I thank you as much as

though I did.

ANNE    I pray you, sir, walk in.

SLENDER    I had rather walk here, I thank you. I bruised my

shin th’other day with playing at sword and dagger with a

master of fence— three veneys for a dish of stewed prunes245—

and, by my troth, I cannot abide the smell of hot meat246 since.

Why do your dogs bark so? Be there bears i’th’town?

ANNE    I think there are, sir. I heard them talked of.

SLENDER    I love the sport249 well, but I shall as soon quarrel at it,

as any man in England. You are afraid if you see the bear

loose, are you not?

ANNE    Ay, indeed, sir.

SLENDER    That’s meat and drink to me, now. I have seen

Sackerson254 loose twenty times, and have taken him by the

chain: but, I warrant255 you, the women have so cried and

shrieked at it that it passed256. But women, indeed, cannot

abide ’em: they are very ill-favoured257 rough things.

[Enter Page]

PAGE    Come, gentle Master Slender, come: we stay for you.

SLENDER    I’ll eat nothing, I thank you, sir.

PAGE    By cock and pie, you shall not choose260, sir. Come,

come.

SLENDER    Nay, pray you lead the way.

PAGE    Come on, sir.

SLENDER    Mistress Anne, yourself shall go first.

ANNE    Not I, sir, pray you, keep on265.

SLENDER    Truly, I will not go first. Truly, la! I will not do you

that wrong.

ANNE    I pray you, sir.

SLENDER    I’ll rather be unmannerly than

Goes first

troublesome. You do yourself wrong, indeed, la!

Exeunt

Act 1 Scene 2

running scene 2

Enter Evans and Simple

EVANS    Go your ways, and ask of1 Doctor Caius’ house,

which is the way; and there dwells one Mistress Quickly,

which is in the manner of his nurse, or his dry nurse3, or his

cook, or his laundry, his washer and his wringer4.

SIMPLE Well, sir.

EVANS Nay, it is petter yet. Give her this letter.

Gives letter

For it is a ’oman that altogether’s acquaintance7 with Mistress

Anne Page. And the letter is to desire and require her to

solicit9 your master’s desires to Mistress Anne Page. I pray

you, be gone: I will make an end of my dinner, there’s pippins10

and cheese to come.

Exeunt

Act 1 Scene 3

running scene 3

Enter Falstaff, Host, Bardolph, Nim, Pistol [and] page [Robin]

FALSTAFF    Mine host of the Garter!

HOST    What says my bully rook2? Speak scholarly and

wisely.

FALSTAFF    Truly, mine host, I must turn away some of my

followers.

HOST    Discard, bully Hercules, cashier. Let them wag6. Trot,

trot.

FALSTAFF    I sit at8 ten pounds a week.

HOST    Thou’rt an emperor: Caesar, Kaiser and Pheazar9. I

will entertain Bardolph: he shall draw, he shall tap10. Said I

well, bully Hector11?

FALSTAFF    Do so, good mine host.

HOST    I have spoke. Let him follow.— Let me

To Bardolph

see thee froth and lime. I am at a word14: follow.

[Exit]

FALSTAFF    Bardolph, follow him. A tapster15 is a good trade. An

old cloak makes a new jerkin16: a withered servingman a fresh

tapster. Go, adieu.

BARDOLPH    It is a life that I have desired. I will thrive.

[Exit Bardolph]

PISTOL    O base Hungarian wight, wilt thou the spigot19 wield?

NIM    He was gotten in drink. Is not the humour conceited20?

FALSTAFF I am glad I am so acquit of this tinderbox21. His thefts

were too open22: his filching was like an unskilful singer, he

kept not time.

NIM    The good humour is to steal at a minute’s rest24.

PISTOL    ‘Convey’, the wise it call.