Pistol.
Fal.
Now, master Shallow, you'll complain of me
to the Council?
Shal.
Knight, you have beaten my men, kill'd my
deer, and broke open my lodge.* note
Fal.
But not kiss'd your keeper's daughter.
Shal.
Tut, a pin; this shall be answer'd.
Fal.
I will answer it strait: I have done all this.
That is now answer'd.
Shal.
The Council shall know this.
Fal.
'Twere better for you, if 'twere not known in
Council; you'll be laugh'd at.
Eva.
Pauca verba, Sir John, good worts.
Fal.
Good worts? good cabbage. Slender, I broke
your head; what matter have you against me?
Slen.
Marry, Sir, I have matter in my head against
you, and against your 6 notecony-catching-rascals Bardolph,
Nym and Pistol.
-- 456 --
Bar.
You Banbury cheese!
Slen.
Ay, it is no matter.
Pist.
How now, Mephostophilus6Q0095?
Slen.
Ay, it is no matter.
Nym.
Slice, I say; pauca, pauca: slice, that's my
humour.
Slen.
Where's Simple, my man? can you tell, cousin?
Eva.
Peace: I pray you: now let us understand;
there is three umpires in this matter, as I understand;
that is, master Page; fidelicet, master Page; and there
is myself; fidelicet, myself; and the three party is,
lastly and finally, mine Host of the Garter.
Page.
We three to hear it, and end it between them.
Eva.
Ferry goot; I will make a prief of it in my
note-book, and we will afterwards ork upon the cause
with as great discreetly as we can.
Fal.
Pistol.—
Pist.
He hears with ears.
Eva.
The tevil and his tam! what phrase is this,
he hears with ear? why, it is affectations.
Fal.
Pistol, did you pick master Slender's purse?
Slen.
Ay, by these gloves, did he; (or I would I
might never come in mine own great chamber again
else,) of seven groats in mill-sixpences, and two 7 noteEdward
shovel-boards, that cost me two shilling and two
pence a-piece of Yead Miller, by these gloves.
Fal.
Is this true, Pistol?
Eva.
No; it is false, if it is a pick-purse.
Pist.
Ha, thou mountain-foreigner!—Sir John, and master mine.
I Combat challenge of this latten bilboe:8 note
-- 457 --
Word of denial in thy Labra's here;9 note
Word of denial. Froth and scum, thou ly'st.
Slen.
By these gloves, then 'twas he.
Nym.
Be advis'd, Sir, and pass good humours: I
will say marry trap* note with you, if you run the 1 notebase
humour on me; that is the very note of it.
Slen.
By this hat, then he in the red face had it; for
tho' I cannot remember what I did when you made me
drunk, yet I am not altogether an ass.
Fal.
What say you, Scarlet and John?2 note
-- 458 --
Bard.
Why, Sir, for my part, I say, the gentleman
had drunk himself out of his five sentences.
Eva.
It is his five senses: fie, what the Ignorance is!
Bard.
And being fap, Sir, was, as they say, cashier'd;
and so conclusions past the car-eires.* note
Slen.
Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no
matter; I'll never be drunk whilst I live again, but in
honest, civil, godly company, for this trick: if I be
drunk, I'll be drunk with those that have the fear of
God, and not with drunken knaves.
Eva.
So Got udg me, that is a virtuous mind.
Fal.
You hear all these matters deny'd, gentlemen;
you hear it.
Enter Mistress Anne Page, with wine.
Page.
Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we'll
drink within.
[Exit Anne Page.
Slen.
O heav'n! this is mistress Anne Page.
Enter Mistress Ford and Mistress Page.
Page.
How now, mistress Ford?
Fal.
Mistress Ford, by my troth, you are very well
met; by your leave, good mistress.
[Kissing her.
Page.
Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome: come,
we have a hot venison pasty to dinner; come, gentlemen;
I hope, we shall drink down all unkindness.
[Exe. Fal. Page, &c.
Samuel Johnson [1765], The plays of William Shakespeare, in eight volumes, with the corrections and illustrations of Various Commentators; To which are added notes by Sam. Johnson (Printed for J. and R. Tonson [and] C. Corbet [etc.], London) [word count] [S11001].
