1

Nym. He was gotten in drink, is not the humor conceited? His mind is not heroick, and there's th humour of it.

Fal. I am glad, I am so quit of this tinderbox; h thefts were too open; his filching was like an unskilt finger, he kept not time.

reft.

6

Nym. The good humour is to steal at a minut

Pift. Convey, the Wise it call: steal? foh; a fr for the phrase !

Fal. Well, Sirs, I am almost out at heels.

Pist. Why then let kibes ensue.

Fal. There is no remedy: I must cony-catch,

must shift.

Pift. Young ravens must have food.

Fal. Which of you know Ford of this Town?
Pist. I ken the wight, he is of substance good.
Fal. My honest lads, I will tell you what I am about.
Pift. Two yards and more.

Fal. No quips now, Pistol: indeed, I am in the waste two yards about; but I am now about no waste, I am about thrift. Briefly, I do mean to make love to Ford's wife: I spy entertainment in her; she difcourses, she carves, she gives the leer of invitation: 1 can conftrue the action of her familiar stile, and the hardeft voice of her behaviour, to be english'd right, is, I am Sir John Falstaff's.

Pist. He hath study'd her well, and translated her well; out of honesty into English. Nym. The anchor is deep; 7 will that humour pass ?

relation the anchor has to tranflation. Perhaps we may read, the authour is deep; or perhaps the line is out of its place, and should be inferted lower after Falstaff has faid,

Sail like my pinnace to those golden shores.

Fal.

Fal. Now, the report goes, she has all the rule of her husband's purse she hath a legion of angels.

Pist. As many devils entertain; and to her, boy, fay I.

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

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

Pift. Then did the fun on dung hill shine.
Nym. I thank thee for that humour.

Fal. O, she did so course o'er my exteriors with fuch 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, the bears the purse too; she is a region in Guiana, all gold and bounty. I will be Cheater 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

8 she is a Region in Guiana, all Gold and Bounty) If the Tradition be true, (as I doubt not, but it is ;) of this Play being wrote at Queen Elizabeth's Command; this Paffage, perhaps, may furnish a probable Conjecture that it could not appear 'till after the Year 1598. The mention of Guiana, then so lately difcover'd to the English, was a very happy Compliment to Sir W. Ra'eigh, who did not begin his Expedition for South America 'till 1595, and return'd from it in 1590, with an advantageous Account of the great Wealth of Guiana. Such an Ad

VOL. II.

dress of the Poet was likely, I imagine, to have a proper Impreffion on the People, when the Intelligence of fuch a golden Country was fresh in their Minds, and gave them Expectations of immenfe Gain. THEOBALD.

9 I will be Cheater to them both, and they shall be Exchequers to me;-] The fame joke is intended here, as in the second part of Henry the fourth, Act 2. - I will bar no bonest man By

my house, now no Cheater. which is meant Efcheatours, an officer in the exchequer, in no good repute with the common people.

Hh

WARBURTON.

mistress Page; and thou this to mistress Ford: we will thrive, lads, we will thrive.

Pift. 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.

Fal. Hold, Sirrah, bear you these letters tightly, Sail like my pinnace to these golden shores. (To Robin. Rogues, hence, avaunt! vanish like hail-stones, go; Trudge, plod away o'th' hoof seek shelter, pack! Falstaff will learn the humour of the age, French thrift, you rogues; myself, and skirted page. [Ex. Falstaff and Boy.

Pift. 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 hu

mours of revenge.

Pift. Wilt thou revenge?

Nym. By welkin, and her star.

Pift. With wit, or steel?

Nym. With both the humours, I:

I will discuss the humour of this love to Ford.

lam holds:

for gourd, and Ful-cant term. Who, he ferve? Ho keeps high men and low men, be has a fair living at Fullam.As for Gourd, or rather Gord, it was another instrument of gaming, as appears from Beaumont and Fletcher's Scornful Lady. And thy dry bones can reach at nothing now, but CORDS or ninepins.

And high and low beguiles the rich and poor.] Fullam is a cant term for false dice, high and low. Torriano, in his Italian Dictionary, interprets Pise by falfe dice, bigh and low men, bigh Fullams, and low Fullams. Johnson, in his Every man out of his humour, quibbles upon this

WARBURTON.

:

Pift. And I to Page 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 incenfe Ford to deal with poison; I will possess him with yellowness; for the Revolt of Mien is dangerous: that is my true humour.

Pist. Thou art the Mars of male-contents: I second thee; troop on. [Exeunt.

SCENE IX.

Changes to Dr. Caius's House.

Enter Mrs. Quickly, Simple, and John Rugby.

Quic.

W

!I

HAT, John Rugby! pray thee, go to the cafement, and fee 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 old abufing of God's patience, and the King's Englsh.

Rug. I'll go watch.

Quic. Go, and we'll have a poffet for't soon at night, in faith, at the latter end of a fea-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 pray'r; he is something peevish that way; but no body but has his fault; but let that pass. Peter Simple, you say your name is. Sim. Ay, for fault of a better.

Quic. And master Slender's your master ?
Sim. Ay, forsooth.

the Revolt of Mien] I suppose we may read, the revolt of men. Sir T. Hanmer reads, this revolt of mine. Either may

serve, for of the present text I can find no meaning.

3

- at the latter end, &c.] That is, when my master is in bed. Quic.

Hh 2

Quic. Does he not wear a great round beard, like a glover's paring-knife?

Sim. No, forsooth; he hath but a little wee-face, with a little yellow beard, 4 a Cain-colour'd beard. Quic. A foftly-fprighted man, is he not?

Sim. 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; does he not hold up his head, as it were? and strut in his gate?

Sim. Yes, indeed, does he.

Quic. Well, heav'n send Anne Page no worse fortune! Tell master parson Evans, I'll do what I can for your master: Anne is a good girl, and I wish

Enter Rugby.

Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master.

Quic. We shall all be shent; run in here, good young man; go into this closet; [Shuts Simple in the clefet.] He will not 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, a-down-a, &c. [Sings.

SCENE

Enter Doctor Caius.

Caius. Vat is you fing? I do not like des toys; pray you, go and vetch me in my closet un boitier verd; a box, a green-a box; do intend vat I speak? a green-a box.

4

a cane-colour'd beard.] Thus the latter Editions. I have reftor'd with the old Copies.

Cain and Judas, in the Tapestries, and Pictures of old, were represented with yellow Beards THE BALD.