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of honesty into English.

NYM.

The anchor is deep; will that humour pass?

FALSTAFF.

Now, the report goes she has all the rule of her

husband's purse; he hath a legion of angels.

PISTOL.

As many devils entertain; and 'To her, boy,' say I.

NYM.

The humour rises; it is good; humour me the angels.

FALSTAFF.

I have writ me here a letter to her; and here

another to Page's wife, who even now gave me good eyes

too, examin'd my parts with most judicious oeillades;

sometimes the beam of her view gilded my foot, sometimes my portly belly.

PISTOL.

Then did the sun on dunghill shine.

NYM.

I thank thee for that humour.

FALSTAFF.

O, she did so course o'er my exteriors with such

a greedy intention that the appetite of her eye did seem to

scorch me up like a burning-glass! Here's another letter to

her. She bears the purse too; she is a region in Guiana, all

gold and bounty. I will be cheaters to them both, and they

shall be exchequers to me; they shall be my East and West

Indies, and I will trade to them both. Go, bear thou this

letter to Mistress Page; and thou this to Mistress Ford. We

will thrive, lads, we will thrive.

PISTOL.

Shall I Sir Pandarus of Troy become,

And by my side wear steel? Then Lucifer take all!

NYM.

I will run no base humour. Here, take the

humour-letter; I will keep the haviour of reputation.

FALSTAFF.

[To ROBIN] Hold, sirrah; bear you these letters tightly;

Sail like my pinnace to these golden shores.

Rogues, hence, avaunt! vanish like hailstones, go;

Trudge, plod away i' th' hoof; seek shelter, pack!

Falstaff will learn the humour of the age;

French thrift, you rogues; myself, and skirted page.

Exeunt FALSTAFF and ROBIN

PISTOL.

Let vultures gripe thy guts! for gourd and fullam holds,

And high and low beguiles the rich and poor;

Tester I'll have in pouch when thou shalt lack,

Base Phrygian Turk!

NYM.

I have operations in my head which be humours of revenge.

PISTOL.

Wilt thou revenge?

NYM.

By welkin and her star!

PISTOL.

With wit or steel?

NYM.

With both the humours, I.

I will discuss the humour of this love to Page.

PISTOL.

And I to Ford shall eke unfold

How Falstaff, varlet vile,

His dove will prove, his gold will hold,

And his soft couch defile.

NYM.

My humour shall not cool; I will incense Page to deal

with poison; I will possess him with yellowness; for the

revolt of mine is dangerous. That is my true humour.

PISTOL.

Thou art the Mars of malcontents; I second thee;

troop on. Exeunt

SCENE 4.

DOCTOR CAIUS'S house

Enter MISTRESS QUICKLY, SIMPLE, and RUGBY

QUICKLY.

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 anybody in the

house, here will be an old abusing of God's patience and

the King's English.

RUGBY.

I'll go watch.

QUICKLY.

Go; and we'll have a posset for't soon at night, in

faith, at the latter end of a sea-coal fire. [Exit RUGBY]

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 nobody but has his fault;

but let that pass. Peter Simple you say your name is?

SIMPLE.

Ay, for fault of a better.

QUICKLY.

And Master Slender's your master?

SIMPLE.

Ay, forsooth.

QUICKLY.

Does he not wear a great round beard, like a

glover's paring-knife?

SIMPLE.

No, forsooth; he hath but a little whey face, with a

little yellow beard, a Cain-colour'd beard.

QUICKLY.

A softly-sprighted man, is he not?

SIMPLE.

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.

QUICKLY.

How say you? O, I should remember him. Does

he not hold up his head, as it were, and strut in his gait?

SIMPLE.

Yes, indeed, does he.

QUICKLY.

Well, heaven send Anne Page no worse fortune!

Tell Master Parson Evans I will do what I can for your

master.