Fal. Ten and eleven: Woman, commend me to her; I will not fail her.

Quick. Why you fay well: But I have another messenger to your worship: Mistress Page hath her hearty commendations to you too ;-and let me tell you in your ear, fhe's as fartuous a civil modeft wife, and one (I tell you) that will not mifs you morning nor evening prayer, as any is in Windfor, whoe'er be the other: and the bade me tell your worship, that her husband is feldom from home; but, fhe hopes, there will come a time. I never knew a woman fo dote upon a man: furely, I think you have charms, la; yes, in truth.

Fal. Not I, I affure thee; fetting the attraction of my good parts afide, I have no other charms.

Quick. Bleffing on your heart for't!

Fal. But, I pray thee, tell me this: has Ford's wife, and Page's wife, acquainted each other how they love me?

Quick. That were a jeft, indeed!-they have not fo little grace, I hope:-that were a trick, indeed! But mistress Page would defire you to fend her your little page, of all loves; 3 her husband has a marvellous infection to the little page and, truly, mafter Page is an honeft man. Never a wife in inWdfor leads a better life than fhe does; do what fhe will, fay what fhe will, take all, pay all, go to bed when fhe lift, rife when she lift, all is as the will; and, truly, she deferves it; for if there be a kind woman in Windsor, she is one. You must fend her your page; no remedy.

Fal. Why, I will.

Quick. Nay, but do fo then: and, look you, he may come and go between you both; and, in any cafe, have a nay-word, that you may know one another's mind, and the boy never need to understand any thing: for 'tis not good that children fhould know any wickednefs: old folks, you know, have discretion, as they say, and know the world.

Fal. Fare thee well: commend me to them both: there's

my

Thus, in The Isle of Gulls- What a goodyer aile you mother? are you frampull? know you not your own daughter ?" HENLEY.

3 Of all loves, is an adjuration only, and fignifies no more than if she had faid, defires you to fend him by all means. STEEVENS.

4 i. e. a watch-word. So, in a fubfequent fcene: "We have a nay-word to know one another," &c. STEEVENS,

my purfe; I am yet thy debtor.-Boy, go along with this woman.-This news diftracts me!

Exeunt QUICKLY and ROBIN. Pift. This punk is one of Cupid's carriers :-5 Clap on more fails; purfue, up with your fights;" Give fire; fhe is my prize, or ocean whelm them all! Exit PISTOL,

Fal. Say'ft thou fo, old Jack? go thy ways; I'll make more of thy old body than I have done. Will they yet look after thee? Wilt thou, after the expence of fo much money, be now a gainer? Good body, I thank thee: Let them fay, 'tis grofsly done; fo it be fairly done, no matter.

Bard. Sir John, there's one mafter Brook below would fain 5 Punk is a plausible reading, yet abfurd on examination. For are not all punks Cupid's carriers? Shakspeare certainly wrote:

This PINK is one of Cupid's carriers :

And then the fenfe is proper, and the metaphor, which is all the way taken from the marine, entire. A pink is a veffel of the small craft, employed as a carrier (and fo called) for merchants. Fletcher ufes the word in his Tamer Tamed:

"This PINK, this painted foift, this cockle-boat.

WARBURTON.

So, in The Ladies' Privilege, 1640: "Thefe gentlemen know better to cut a caper than a cable, or board a pink in the bordells, than a pinnace at fea." A fmall falmon is called a falmon pink.

Dr. Farmer, however, obferves, that the word punk has been unneceffarily altered to pink. In Ben Jonson's Bartbolomew Fair, juftice Overdo fays of the pig-woman; "She hath been before me, punk, pinnace, and bawd, any time thefe two and twenty years." STEEVENS.

6 The word fights, was then, and, for aught I know, may be now, a common fea-term. Sir Richard Hawkins in his Voyages, p. 66, says:

For once we cleared her deck; and had we been able to have fpared but a dozen men, doubtless we had done with her what we would; for the had no clofe FIGHTS," i. e. if I understand it right, no small arms. So that by fights is meant any manner of defence, either small arms or cannon. So, Dryden, in his tragedy of Amboyna':

"Up with your FIGHTS,

And your nettings prepare," &c. WARBURTON.

The quotation from Dryden might at least have raised a fufpicion that fights were neither small arms, nor cannon. Fights and nettings are properly joined. Fights, I find, are cloaths hung round the ship to conceal the mer from the enemy; and clofe fights are bulk-bends, or any other thelter that the fabrick of a fhip affords. JOHNSON.

fain fpeak with you, and be acquainted with you; and hath fent your worship a morning's draught of fack.2

Fal. Brook, is his name?

Bard. Ay, fir.

Fal. Call him in; [Exit BARDOLPH.] Such Brooks are welcome to me, that o'erflow fuch liquor. Ah! ha mistress Ford and mistress Page, have I encompafs'd you? go to;

via !3

Re-enter BARDOLPH, with FORD difguifed.

Ford. Blefs you, fir.

Fal. And you, fir: Would you fpeak with me?
Ford. I make bold, to prefs with fo little preparation upon

you.

Fal. You're welcome; What's your will? Give us leave, drawer. [Exit BARDOLPH. Ford Sir, I am a gentleman that have spent much; my name is Brook.

Fal. Good mafter Brook, I defire more acquaintance of

you,

Ford. Good fir John, I fue for yours; not to charge you ;4 for I must let you understand, I think myfelf in better plight for a lender than you are: the which hath fomething embolden'd me to this unfeafon'd intrufion; for they fay, if money go before, all ways do lie open.

2 It feems to have been a common custom at taverns, in our author's time, to fend prefents of wine from one room to another, either as a mea morial of friendship, or (as in the prefent inftance) by way of introduction to acquaintance. Of the existence of this practice the following anecdote of Ben Jonfon and the ingenious Bishop Corbet furnishes a proof, "Ben Jonfon was at a tavern, and in comes Bishop Corbet (but not fo then) into the next room. Ben Jonfon calls for a quart of raw wine, and gives it to the tapfter. Sirrah, fays he, carry this to the gentleman in the next chamber, and tell him, I facrifice my fervice to him.' The fellow did, and in thofe words. Friend, fays Dr. Corbet, I thank him for his love; but 'pr'ythee tell him from me that he is mistaken; for facrifices are always burnt." Merry Paffages and Feafts, MSS. Harl. 6395. MALONE.

3 Markham ufes this word as one of the vocal helps neceffary for reviving a horfe's fpirit, in galloping large rings, when he grows flothful. Hence this cant phrafe (perhaps from the Italian, via) may be used on other occafions to quicken the pulfe or courage. TOLLET.

4 That is, not with a purpose of putting you to expence, or being bur the fame. JOHNSON.

VOL. I.

L

Fal.

Fal. Money is a good foldier, fir, and will on.

Ford. Troth, and I have a bag of money here troubles me: if you will help me to bear it, fir John, take all, or half, for eafing me of the carriage.

Fal. Sir, I know not how I may deferve to be your porter. Ford. I will tell you, fir, if you will give me the hearing. Fal. Speak, good master Brook; I fhall be glad to be your fervant.

Ford. Sir, I hear you are a fcholar,- I will be brief with you ;and you have been a man long known to me, though I had never fo good means, as defire, to make myself acquainted with you. I fhall difcover a thing to you, wherein I muft very much lay open mine own imperfection: but, good fir John, as you have one eye upon my follies, as you hear them unfolded, turn another into the register of your own; that I may pafs with a reproof the eafier, fith you yourfelf know, how eafy it is to be fuch an offender. Fal. Very well, fir; proceed.

Ford. There is a gentlewoman in this town, her husband's name is Ford.

Fal. Well, fir.

Ford. I have long loved her, and, I proteft to you, beflow'd much on her; follow'd her with a doting obfervance ; engrofs'd opportunities to meet her; fee'd every flight occafion, that could but niggardly give me fight of her; not only bought many prefents to give her, but have given largely to many, to know what he would have given: briefly, I have purfued her, as love hath pursued me; which hath been, on the wing of all occafions. But whatsoever I have merited, either in my mind, or in my means, meed, I am fure, I havę received none; unlefs experience be a jewel: that I have purchased at an infinite rate; and that hath taught me to fay this:

Love like a fhadow flies, when fubftance love purfues;
Purfuing that that flies, and flying what pursues.

Fal. Have you received no promife of fatisfaction at her

hands?

Ford. Never.

Fal. Have you importuned her to fuch à purpofe?
Ford. Never.

Fal.

Fal. Of what quality was your love then?

Ford. Like a fair houfe, built upon another man's ground; fo that I have loft my edifice, by mistaking the place where I erected it.

Fal. To what purpose have you unfolded this to me?

Ford. When I have told you that, I have told you all. Some fay, that, though the appear honeft to me, yet, in other places, the enlargeth her mirth fo far, that there is fhrewd conftruction made of her. Now, fir John, here is the heart of my purpose: You are a gentleman of excellent breeding, admirable difcourfe, of great admittance, authentick in your place and perfon, generally allowed for your many warlike, court-like, and learned preparations.

Fal. O, fir!

6

Ford. Believe it, for you know it:-There is money; fpend it, fpend it; fpend more; spend all I have; only give me fo much of your time in exchange of it, as to lay an amiable fiege to the honefty of this Ford's wife: ufe your art of wooing, win her to confent to you; if any man may, you may as foon as any.

7

Fal. Would it apply well to the vehemency of your affection, that I should win what you would enjoy? Methinks, you prefcribe to yourfelf very prepofterously.

Ford. O, understand my drift! fhe dwells fo fecurely on the excellency of her honour, that the folly of my foul dares not prefent itself; fhe is too bright to be look'd again?. Now, could I come to her with any detection in my hand, my defires had inftance and argument & to commend themfelves; I could drive her then from the ward of her purity,9 her reputation, her marriage vow, and a thoufand other her defences, which now are too ftrongly embattled against me: What fay you to't, fir John?

L 2

5. e. admitted into all, or the greatest companies. STEEVENS. 6 Allowed is approved. STEVENS.

7 i. e. a fiege of love. MALONE.

8

Infiance is example. JOHNSON.

9 i. e. The defence of it. STEEVENS.

Fal.

What Ford means to fay is, that if he could once detect her in a crime, he fhould then be able to drive her from thofe defences with which he would otherwife ward off his addreffes, fuch as her purity, her reputation, her marriage vow, &c. M. MASON.