A Room in Doctor Caius's House.
 Enter MISTRESS QUICKLY and SIMPLE.

Quickly	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.

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 telltale 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-coloured 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: Anne is 
	a good girl, and I wish-

                             Re-enter RUGBY.

Rugby	Out, alas, here comes my master!

Quickly	We shall all be shent. Run in here, good young man; go 
	into this closet. He will not stay long.
										[SIMPLE steps into the closet.

	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.
												[Exit RUGBY.
	[Sings.] And down, down, adown-a, etc.

                           Enter DOCTOR CAIUS.

Caius	Vat is you sing? I do not like dese toys. Pray you, go and 
	vetch me in my closet un boitier vert - a box, a green-a 
	box. Do intend vat I speak? A green-a box.

Quickly	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  
	la cour - la grande affaire.

Quickly	Is it this, sir?

Caius	Oui, mettez le au mon pocket: dpchez, quickly. Vere is 
	dat knave Rugby?

Quickly	What, John Rugby! John!

                              Re-enter RUGBY

Rugby	Here, sir!

Caius	You are John Rugby, and you are Jack Rugby. Come, take-a 
	your rapier, and come after my heel to the court.

Rugby	'Tis ready, sir, here in the porch.

Caius	By my trot, I tarry too long. Od's me, Qu'ay j'oubli? 
	Dere is some simples in my closet dat I vill not for the 
	varld I shall leave behind.

Quickly	[Aside.] Ay me, he'll find the young man there, and be 
	mad.

Caius	O diable, diable! Vat is in my closet? Villainy, larron!
												[Pulling SIMPLE out.
	Rugby, my rapier!

Quickly	Good master, be content.

Caius	Wherefore shall I be content-a?

Quickly	The young man is an honest man.

Caius	What shall de honest man do in my closet? Dere is no 
	honest man dat shall come in my closet.

Quickly	I beseech you, be not so phlegmatic. Hear the truth of it: 
	he came of an errand to me from Parson Hugh.

Caius	Vell?

Simple	Ay, forsooth; to desire her to-

Quickly	Peace, I pray you.

Caius	Peace-a your tongue! [To SIMPLE.] Speak-a your tale.

Simple	To desire this honest gentlewoman, your maid, to speak a 
	good word to Mistress Anne Page for my master in the way 
	of marriage.

Quickly	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, ballow me some paper.
												[RUGBY fetches paper.
	Tarry you a little-a while.
												[Writes.

Quickly	[Aside to SIMPLE.] 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 you 
	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-

Simple	[Aside to QUICKLY.] 'Tis a great charge to come under one 
	body's hand.

Quickly	[Aside to SIMPLE.] Are you avised 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	[To SIMPLE.] You, jack'nape, give-a this letter to Sir 
	Hugh. By gar, it is a shallenge. I will cut his troat in 
	de Park, and I will teach a scurvy jackanape priest to 
	meddle or make. You may be gone; it is not good you tarry 
	here. By gar, I will cut all his two stones; by gar, he 
	shall not have a stone to throw at his dog.
												[Exit SIMPLE.

Quickly	Alas, he speaks but for his friend.

Caius	It is no matter-a ver 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 Jarteer 
	to measure our weapon. By gar, I will myself have Anne 
	Page.

Quickly	Sir, the maid loves you, and all shall be well. We must 
	give folks leave to prate: what the goodyear!

Caius	Rugby, come to the court with me.
	[To QUICKLY.] By gar, if I have not Anne Page, I shall 
	turn your head out of my door. Follow my heels, Rugby.

Quickly	You shall have An-
												[Exeunt CAIUS and RUGBY.
	- 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.

Fenton	[Within.] Who's within there? Ho!

Quickly	Who's there, I trow? Come near the house, I pray you.

                              Enter FENTON.

Fenton	How now, good woman, how dost thou?

Quickly	The better that it pleases your good worship to ask.

Fenton	What news? How does pretty Mistress Anne?

Quickly	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.

Fenton	Shall I do any good, thinkest thou? Shall I not lose my 
	suit?

Quickly	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?

Fenton	Yes, marry have I; what of that?

Quickly	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.

Fenton	Well, I shall see her today. Hold, there's money for thee; 
	let me have thy voice in my behalf: if thou seest her 
	before me, commend me.

Quickly	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.

Fenton	Well, farewell; I am in great haste now.

Quickly	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.
