Rugby.
Quic.
What; John Rugby!—I pray thee, go to the
casement; and see if you can see my master, master
doctor Caius, coming: if he do, i'faith, and find any
body in the house, here will be an old abusing of God's
patience, and the king's English.
Rugb.
I'll go watch.
[Exit Rugby.
Quic.
Go; and we'll have a posset for't soon at
night, i'faith, at the latter end of a sea-coal fire.—
An honest, willing, kind fellow, as ever servant shall
come in house withal; and, I warrant you, no tell-tale,
nor no breed-bate: his worst fault is, that he is given
to prayer; he is something peevish that way: but no
body but has his fault;—but let that pass. Peter Simple,
you say, your name is?
Simp.
Ay, for fault of a better.
Quic.
And master Slender's your master?
Simp.
Ay, forsooth.
Quic.
Does he not wear a great round beard, like a
glover's paring-knife?
Simp.
No, forsooth: he hath but a little whey-face note,
with a little yellow beard; a cane-colour'd note beard.14Q0055
Quic.
A softly-sp'rited man, is he not?
Simp.
Ay, forsooth: but he is as tall a man of his
hands, as any is between this and his head; he hath
fought with a warrener.
Quic.
How say you?—oh, I should remember him;
-- 18 --
Does he not hold up his head, as it were, and strut in
his gait?
Simp.
Yes, indeed, does he.
Quic.
Well, heaven send Anne Page no worse fortune!
Tell master parson Evans, I will do what I can
for your master: Anne is a good girl; and I wish—
Re-enter Rugby, hastily.
Rugb.
Out, alas! here comes my master.
Quic.
We shall all be shent:—Run in here, good
young man; go into this closet; [Shuts him in.] he will
not stay long.—What, John Rugby; John! what, John
I say!—Go, John, go, enquire for my master; I doubt
he be not well, that he comes not home:—and down,
down, adown-a, &c.
[singing.
Enter Doctor Caius.
D. Cai.
Vat is you sing? I do not like dese toys:
Pray you, go and vetch me in my closet un boitier note
verd; a box, a green-a box;—Do intend vat I speak?—
a green-a note box.
Quic.
Ay, forsooth, I'll fetch it you. &clquo;I am glad
he went not in himself: if he had found the young
man, he would have been horn-mad.&crquo;
D. Cai.
Fe, fe, fe, fe! ma foi, il fait fort chaud. Je
m'en vai a la cour,—la grande affaire.
Quic.
Is it this, sir?
D. Cai.
Oui, mette le au mon pocket; depeche, quickly:
—Vere is dat knave Rugby?
Quic.
What, John Rugby; John!
Rugb.
Here, sir.
D. Cai.
You are John Rugby, and you are Jack
Rugby: Come, take-a your note rapier, and come after my
heel to de court.
-- 19 --
Rugb.
'Tis ready, sir, here in the porch.
D. Cai.
By my trot, I tarry too long:—Od's me! qu'
ay je oubliè? dere is some simples in my closet, dat I
vil not for de varld I shall leave behind.
Quic.
Ah me! he'll find the young man there, and
be mad.
D. Cai.
O diable, diable! vat is in my closet?—Villany, note
larron!—[pulling Simple out.] Rugby, my rapier.
Quic.
Good master, be content.
D. Cai.
Verefore shall I note be content-a?
Quic.
The young man is an honest man.
D. Cai.
Vat shall de honest man do in my closet?
dere is note no honest man dat shall come in my closet.
Quic.
I beseech you, be not so flegmatic; hear the
truth of it. He came of an errand to me from parson
Hugh:
D. Cai.
Vell.
Simp.
Ay, forsooth; to desire her to—
Quic.
Peace, I pray you.
D. Cai.
Peace-a your tongue;—Speak-a your tale.
Simp.
To desire this honest gentlewoman, your
maid, to speak a good word to mistress Anne Page for
my master in the way of marriage.
Quic.
This is all, indeed-la; but I'll ne'er put my
finger in the fire, and need not.
D. Cai.
Sir Hugh send-a note you?—Rugby, baillez me note
some paper:—Tarry you a little-a while.
[sitting note down to write.
Quic.
I am glad, he is so quiet: if he had been
throughly moved, you should have heard him so loud
and so melancholy;—But notwithstanding, man, I'll do
your note master what good I can: and the very yea and the
-- 20 --
no is, the French note doctor my master,—I may call him
my master, look you, for I keep his house; and I wash,
wring, brew, bake, scour, dress meat and drink,14Q0056 make
the beds, and do all myself.
Simp.
'Tis a great charge, to come under one body's
hand.
Quic.
Are you avis'd o' that? you shall find it a
great charge: And to be up early, and down late;—
but notwithstanding, (to tell you in your ear; I would
have no words of it) my master himself is in love with
mistress Anne Page: but notwithstanding that,—I know
Anne's mind,—that's neither here nor there.
D. Cai.
You, jack'nape; give-a dis &dagger2; letter to sir
Hugh; by gar, it is a shallenge: I vill cut his troat in
de park; and I vill teach a scurvy jackanape priest to
meddle or make:—you may be gone; it is not good
you tarry here:—by gar, I vill cut all his two stones;
by gar, he shall not have a stone to trow at his dog.
[Exit Simple.
Quic.
Alas, he speaks but for his friend.
D. Cai.
It is no matter-a for dat:—do not you tell-a
me, dat I shall have Anne Page for myself?—by gar,
I vill kill de jack priest; and I have appointed mine
host of de jarteer to measure our weapon:—by gar, I
vill myself have Anne Page.
Quic.
Sir, the maid loves you, and all shall be
well: we must give folks leave to prate; What, the
good year note!
D. Cai.
Rugby, come to de court vit me:—By gar,
if I have not Anne Page, I shall turn your head out of
door: note—Follow my heels, Rugby.
[Exeunt Caius, and Rugby.
-- 21 --
Quic.
You shall have An 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.
Fent. [within.]
Who's within there, ho?
Quic.
Who's there, I trow? come near the house, I
pray you.
Enter Fenton.
Fent.
How now, good woman; how dost thou?
Quic.
The better that it pleases your good worship
to ask.
Fent.
What news? how does pretty mistress Anne?
Quic.
In truth, sir, and she is pretty, and honest,
and gentle; and one that is your friend, I can tell you
that by the way, I praise heaven for it.
Fent.
Shall I do any good, think'st thou? shall I
not lose my suit?
Quic.
'Troth, sir, all is in his hands above: but
notwithstanding, master Fenton, I'll be sworn on a book,
she loves you; Have not your worship a wart above your
eye?
Fent.
Yes, marry, have I; What of that?
Quic.
Well, thereby hangs a tale;—good faith, it
is such another Nan;—but, I detest, 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 allicholly and musing:
But, for you—well, go to.
Fent.
Well, I shall see her to-day: Hold, there's &dagger2;
money for thee; let me have thy voice in my behalf:
if thou see'st her before me, commend me—
Quic.
Will I? i'faith, that we will: and I will tell
-- 22 --
your worship more of the wart, the next time we have
confidence; and of other wooers.
Fent.
Well, farewel; I am in great haste now.
[Exit.
Quic.
Farewel to your worship.—Truly, an honest
gentleman; but Anne loves him not; for I know Anne's
mind as well as another does: Out upon't! what have
I forgot?
[Exit.
Edward Capell [1767], Mr William Shakespeare his comedies, histories, and tragedies, set out by himself in quarto, or by the Players his Fellows in folio, and now faithfully republish'd from those Editions in ten Volumes octavo; with an introduction: Whereunto will be added, in some other Volumes, notes, critical and explanatory, and a Body of Various Readings entire (Printed by Dryden Leach, for J. and R. Tonson [etc.], London) [word count] [S10601].
