The Merry Wives of Windsor
The full text of Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor : Act 1 Scene 4| << The Merry Wives of Windsor - Act 1 Scene 3 | The Merry Wives of Windsor - Act 2 Scene 1 >> |
A Room in DOCTOR CAIUS'S House | ||
Enter MISTRESS QUICKLY and SIMPLE. | ||
| Quick. What, John Rugby!— | ||
Enter 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. | ||
| Rug. I'll go watch. | ||
| Quick. 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? | ||
| Sim. Ay, for fault of a better. | ||
| Quick. And Master Slender's your master? | ||
| Sim. Ay, forsooth. | ||
| Quick. Does he not wear a great round beard like a glover's paring-knife? | ||
| Sim. No, forsooth: he hath but a little wheyface, with a little yellow beard—a cane-coloured beard. | ||
| Quick. A softly-sprighted 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. | ||
| Quick. How say you?—O! I should remember him: does he not hold up his head, as it were, and strut in his gait? | ||
| Sim. Yes, indeed, does he. | ||
| Quick. 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. | ||
| Rug. Out, alas! here comes my master. | ||
Quick. We shall all be shent. Run in here, good young man; go into this closet. [Shuts SIMPLE in the closet.] He will not stay long. What, John Rugby! John, what, John, I say! Go, John, go inquire for my master; I doubt he be not well, that he comes not home. [Exit RUGBY.] [Sings.]
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Enter DOCTOR CAIUS. | ||
| Caius. Vat is you sing? I do not like dese toys. Pray you, go and vetch me in my closet une boitine verde; a box, a green-a box: do intend vat I speak? a green-a box. | ||
| Quick. Ay, forsooth; I'll fetch it you. [Aside.] I am glad he went not in himself: if he had found the young man, he would have been horn-mad. | ||
| Caius. Fe, fe, fe, fe! ma foi, il fait fort chaud. Je m'en vais à la cour,—la grande affaire. | ||
| Quick. Is it this, sir? | ||
| Caius. Oui; mettez le au mon pocket; dépêchez, quickly.—Vere is dat knave Rugby? | ||
| Quick. What, John Rugby! John! | ||
Re-enter RUGBY. | ||
| Rug. Here, sir. | ||
| Caius. You are John Rugby, and you are Jack Rugby: come, take-a your rapier, and come after my heel to de court. | ||
| Rug. 'Tis ready, sir, here in the porch. | ||
| Caius. By my trot, I tarry too long.—Od's me! Qu'ay j'oublié? dere is some simples in my closet, dat I will not for de varld I shall leave behind. | ||
| Quick. [Aside.] Ay me! he'll find the young man there, and be mad. | ||
| Caius. O diable! diable! vat is in my closet?—Villain! larron! [Pulling SIMPLE out.] Rugby, my rapier! | ||
| Quick. Good master, be content. | ||
| Caius. Verefore shall I be content-a? | ||
| Quick. The young man is an honest man. | ||
| Caius. Vat shall de honest man do in my closet? dere is no honest man dat shall come in my closet. | ||
| Quick. I beseech you, be not so phlegmatic. Hear the truth of it: he came of an errand to me from Parson Hugh. | ||
| Caius. Vell. | ||
| Sim. Ay, forsooth, to desire her to— | ||
| Quick. Peace, I pray you. | ||
| Caius. Peace-a your tongue!—Speak-a your tale. | ||
| Sim. To desire this honest gentlewoman, your maid, to speak a good word to Mistress Anne Page for my master in the way of marriage. | ||
| Quick. This is all, indeed, la! but I'll ne'er put my finger in the fire, and need not. | ||
| Caius. Sir Hugh send-a you?—Rugby, baillez me some paper: tarry you a little-a while. [Writes. | ||
| Quick. 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 master what good I can; and the very yea and the no is, the French 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, make the beds, and do all myself,— | ||
| Sim. 'Tis a great charge to come under one body's hand. | ||
| Quick. 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. | ||
| Caius. You jack'nape, give-a dis letter to Sir Hugh; by gar, it is a challenge: I vill cut his troat in de Park; and I vill teach a scurvy jack-a-nape 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. | ||
| Quick. Alas! he speaks but for his friend. | ||
| Caius. 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 Jartiere to measure our weapon. By gar, I vill myself have Anne Page. | ||
| Quick. Sir, the maid loves you, and all shall be well. We must give folks leave to prate: what, the good-jer! | ||
| Caius. Rugby, come to the court vit me. By gar, if I have not Anne Page, I shall turn your head out of my door. Follow my heels, Rugby. [Exeunt CAIUS and RUGBY. | ||
| Quick. 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! | ||
| Quick. Who's there, I trow? Come near the house, I pray you. | ||
Enter FENTON. | ||
| Fent. How now, good woman! how dost thou? | ||
| Quick. The better, that it pleases your good worship to ask. | ||
| Fent. What news? how does pretty Mistress Anne? | ||
| Quick. 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, thinkest thou? Shall I not lose my suit? | ||
| Quick. 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? | ||
| Quick. 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 allicholy and musing. But for you—well, go to. | ||
| Fent. Well, I shall see her to-day. Hold, there's money for thee; let me have thy voice in my behalf: if thou seest her before me, commend me. | ||
| Quick. Will I? i' faith, that we will: and I will tell your worship more of the wart the next time we have confidence; and of other wooers. | ||
| Fent. Well, farewell; I am in great haste now. | ||
| Quick. Farewell to your worship.—[Exit FENTON.] 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. |
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