William.
Mrs. Page.
Is he at master Ford's already,
think'st thou?
Quick.
Sure, he is by this; or will be presently:
but truly, he is very courageous mad, about his
throwing into the water. Mistress Ford desires you
to come suddenly.
Mrs. Page.
I'll be with her by and by; I'll but
bring my young man here to school: Look, where
his master comes; 'tis a playing-day, I see.
Enter Sir Hugh Evans.
How now, sir Hugh? no school to-day?
Eva.
No; master Slender is let the boys leave
to play.
Quick.
Blessing of his heart!
-- 145 --
Mrs. Page.
Sir Hugh, my husband says, my
son profits nothing in the world at his book; I pray
you, ask him some questions in his accidence.
Eva.
Come hither, William; hold up your head;
come.
Mrs. Page.
Come on, sirrah; hold up your head;
answer your master, be not afraid.
Eva.
William, how many numbers is in nouns?
Will.
Two.
Mrs. Quick.
Truly, I thought there had been one number
more; because they say, od's nouns.
Eva.
Peace your tatlings. What is fair, William?
Will.
Pulcher.
Quick.
Pole-cats! there are fairer things than
pole-cats, sure.
Eva.
You are a very simplicity 'oman; I pray
you, peace. What is lapis, William?
Will.
A stone.
Eva.
And what is a stone, William?
Will.
A pebble.
Eva.
No, it is lapis; I pray you remember in
your prain.
Will.
Lapis.
Eva.
That is good, William. What is he, William,
that does lend articles?
Will.
Articles are borrowed of the pronoun;
and be thus declined, Singulariter, nominativo, hic,
hæc, hoc.
Eva.
Nominativo, hig, hag, hog;—pray you,
mark: genitivo, hujus: Well, what is your accusative
case?
Will.
Accusativo, hinc.
Eva.
I pray you, have your remembrance, child;
Accusativo, hing, hang, hog.
Quick.
Hang hog is Latin for bacon, I warrant
you.
Eva.
Leave your prabbles, 'oman. What is the
focative case, William?
-- 146 --
Will.
O—vocativo, O.
Eva.
Remember, William; focative is, caret.
Quick.
And that's a good root.
Eva.
'Oman, forbear.
Mrs. Page.
Peace.
Eva.
What is your genitive case plural, William?
Will.
Genitive case?
Eva.
Ay.
Will.
Genitive,—horum, harum, horum4 note
.
Quick.
'Vengeance of Jenny's case! fie on her!
—never name her, child, if she be a whore.
Eva.
For shame, 'oman.
Quick.
You do ill to teach the child such words:
he teaches him to hick and to hack5 note, which they'll
do fast enough of themselves; and to call horum,
—fie upon you!
Eva.
'Oman, art thou lunatics? hast thou no
understandings for thy cases, and the numbers of
the genders? Thou art as foolish christian creatures
as I would desires.
Mrs. Page.
Pr'ythee hold thy peace.
Eva.
Shew me now, William, some declensions
of your pronouns.
Will.
Forsooth, I have forgot.
Eva.
It is ki, kæ, cod; if you forget your kies,
your kæs6 note, and your cods, you must be preeches7 note
.
Go your ways, and play, go.
-- 147 --
Mrs. Page.
He is a better scholar, than I
thought he was.
Eva.
He is a good sprag8 note
memory. Farewell,
mistress Page.
Mrs. Page.
Adieu, good sir Hugh. Exit Sir
Hugh.] Get you home, boy.—Come, we stay too
long.
[Exeunt.
James Boswell [1821], The plays and poems of William Shakspeare, with the corrections and illustrations of various commentators: comprehending A Life of the Poet, and an enlarged history of the stage, by the late Edmond Malone. With a new glossarial index (J. Deighton and Sons, Cambridge) [word count] [S10201].
