SCENE I.
Page's house.
Enter Mrs. Page, Mrs. Quickly, and William.
Mrs. Page.
Is he at master Ford's already, think'st
thou?
Quic.
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
-- 327 --
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.
Quic.
Blessing of his heart!
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.
Quic.
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.
Quic.
Poulcats! there are fairer things than poulcats,
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 a good William: What is he, William,
that does lend articles?
Will.
Articles are borrow'd of the pronoun; and
be thus declin'd, Singulariter, nominativo, hic, hæc, hoc.
Eva.
Nominativo, hig, hag, hog;—pray you, mark:
genitivo, hujus: Well, what is your accusative case?
Will.
Accusative, hinc.
-- 328 --
Eva.
I pray you, have your remembrance, child;
Accusativo, hung, hang, hog.
Quic.
Hang hog is Latin for bacon, I warrant you.
Eva.
Leave your prabbles, 'oman. What is the
focative case, William?
Will.
O—vocativo, O.
Eva.
Remember, William; focative is, caret.
Quic.
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, horum9 note
.
Quic.
'Vengeance of Giney's case! fie on her!—never
name her, child, if she be a whore.
Eva.
For shame, 'oman.
Quic.
You do ill to teach the child such words: he
teaches him to hick and to hack, which they'll do fast
enough of themselves; and to call horum:—fie upon
you!
Eva.
'Oman art thou lunatics? hast thou no understanding
for thy cases, and the numbers of the
genders? thou art a 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 kies1 note,
-- 329 --
your kæs, and your cods, you must be preeches2 note
. Go
your ways and play, go.
Mrs. Page.
He is a better scholar, than I thought
he was.
Eva.
He is a good sprag3 note memory. Farewell,
mistress Page.
Mrs. Page.
Adieu, good sir Hugh. Get you home,
boy.—Come, we stay too long.
[Exeunt.
Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].
