William.
M. Pa.
Is he at mistress 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.
M. Pa.
I'll be with her by and by; I'll but bring
my young man here to school: Look, where his master
-- 65 --
comes; 'tis a playing-day, I see:—
Enter Sir Hugh Evans.
How now, sir Hugh? no school to-day?
Sir H.
No; master Slender is let the boys leave to
play.
Quic.
Blessing of his heart!
M. Pa.
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.
Sir H.
Come hither, William; hold up your head;
come.
M. Pa.
Come on, sirrah; hold up your head; answer
your master, be not afraid.
Sir H.
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.
Sir H.
Peace your tattlings.—What is, fair, William?
Will.
Pulcher.
Quic.
Poulcats! there are fairer things than poulcats,
sure.
Sir H.
You are a very simplicity 'oman; I pray
you, peace.—What is, lapis, William?
Will.
A stone.
Sir H.
And what is a stone, William?
Will.
A pebble, note
Sir H.
No, it is lapis; I pray you, remember in
your prain.
Will.
Lapis.
Sir H.
That is a good William: What is he, William,
that does lend articles?
-- 66 --
Will.
Articles are borrowed of the pronoun; and
be thus declined, Singulariter nominativo, hic, hæc, hoc.
Sir H.
Nominativo, hig, hag, hog;—Pray you, mark:
genitivo, hujus: Well, what is your accusative case?
Will.
Accusativo, hinc.
Sir H.
I pray you, have your remembrance, child;
Accusativo, hing, hang, hog.
Quic.
Hang-hog is Latin note for bacon, I warrant you.
Sir H.
Leave your prabbles, 'oman.—What is the
focative case, William?
Will.
O—vocativo, o.
Sir H.
Remember, William; focative is, caret.
Quic.
And that's a good root.
Sir H.
'Oman, forbear.
M. Pa.
Peace.
Sir H.
What is your genitive case plural, William?
Will.
Genitive case?
Sir H.
Ay.
Will.
Genitive—horum, harum, horum.
Quic.
Vengeance of Jenny's case! fie on her!—never
name her, child, if she be a whore.
Sir H.
For shame, 'oman.
Quic.
You do ill to teach the child such words:—
he teaches him to hic, and to hac, which they'll do fast
enough of themselves; and to call, horum;—Fie upon
you!
Sir H.
'Oman, art thou lunaticks? note hast thou no
understandings for thy cases, and the numbers of the
genders? thou art as foolish christian creatures, as I
would desires.
M. Pa.
Pr'ythee, hold thy peace.
Sir H.
Shew me now, William, some declensions of
-- 67 --
your pronouns.
Will.
Forsooth, I have forgot.
Sir H.
It is, qui, quæ, quod: if you forget your
qui's, your quæ's, and your quod's, you must be preeches.
Go your ways, and play; go.
M. Pa.
He is a better scholar, than I thought he was.
Sir H.
He is a good sprag memory. Farewel, mistress
Page.
M. Pa.
Adieu, good sir Hugh.—Get you home, boy.
—Come, we stay too long.
[Exeunt.
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].
