| ACT III SCENE II | A street. | |
| | Enter MISTRESS PAGE and ROBIN | |
| MISTRESS PAGE | Nay, keep your way, little gallant; you were wont to | |
| | be a follower, but now you are a leader. Whether | |
| | had you rather lead mine eyes, or eye your master's heels? | |
| ROBIN | I had rather, forsooth, go before you like a man | 5 |
| | than follow him like a dwarf. | |
| MISTRESS PAGE | O, you are a flattering boy: now I see you'll be a courtier. | |
| | Enter FORD | |
| FORD | Well met, Mistress Page. Whither go you? | |
| MISTRESS PAGE | Truly, sir, to see your wife. Is she at home? | |
| FORD | Ay; and as idle as she may hang together, for want | 10 |
| | of company. I think, if your husbands were dead, | |
| | you two would marry. | |
| MISTRESS PAGE | Be sure of that,--two other husbands. | |
| FORD | Where had you this pretty weather-cock? | |
| MISTRESS PAGE | I cannot tell what the dickens his name is my | 15 |
| | husband had him of. What do you call your knight's | |
| | name, sirrah? | |
| ROBIN | Sir John Falstaff. | |
| FORD | Sir John Falstaff! | |
| MISTRESS PAGE | He, he; I can never hit on's name. There is such a | 20 |
| | league between my good man and he! Is your wife at | |
| | home indeed? | |
| FORD | Indeed she is. | |
| MISTRESS PAGE | By your leave, sir: I am sick till I see her. | |
| | Exeunt MISTRESS PAGE and ROBIN | |
| FORD | Has Page any brains? hath he any eyes? hath he any | 25 |
| | thinking? Sure, they sleep; he hath no use of them. | |
| | Why, this boy will carry a letter twenty mile, as | |
| | easy as a cannon will shoot point-blank twelve | |
| | score. He pieces out his wife's inclination; he | |
| | gives her folly motion and advantage: and now she's | 30 |
| | going to my wife, and Falstaff's boy with her. A | |
| | man may hear this shower sing in the wind. And | |
| | Falstaff's boy with her! Good plots, they are laid; | |
| | and our revolted wives share damnation together. | |
| | Well; I will take him, then torture my wife, pluck | 35 |
| | the borrowed veil of modesty from the so seeming | |
| | Mistress Page, divulge Page himself for a secure and | |
| | wilful Actaeon; and to these violent proceedings all | |
| | my neighbours shall cry aim. | |
| | Clock heard | |
| | The clock gives me my cue, and my assurance bids me | 40 |
| | search: there I shall find Falstaff: I shall be | |
| | rather praised for this than mocked; for it is as | |
| | positive as the earth is firm that Falstaff is | |
| | there: I will go. | |
| | Enter PAGE, SHALLOW, SLENDER, Host,SIR HUGH EVANS, DOCTOR CAIUS, and RUGBY | |
| SHALLOW | | | 45 |
| | | | |
| PAGE | | Well met, Master Ford. | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| FORD | Trust me, a good knot: I have good cheer at home; | 50 |
| | and I pray you all go with me. | |
| SHALLOW | I must excuse myself, Master Ford. | |
| SLENDER | And so must I, sir: we have appointed to dine with | |
| | Mistress Anne, and I would not break with her for | |
| | more money than I'll speak of. | 55 |
| SHALLOW | We have lingered about a match between Anne Page and | |
| | my cousin Slender, and this day we shall have our answer. | |
| SLENDER | I hope I have your good will, father Page. | |
| PAGE | You have, Master Slender; I stand wholly for you: | |
| | but my wife, master doctor, is for you altogether. | 60 |
| DOCTOR CAIUS | Ay, be-gar; and de maid is love-a me: my nursh-a | |
| | Quickly tell me so mush. | |
| Host | What say you to young Master Fenton? he capers, he | |
| | dances, he has eyes of youth, he writes verses, he | |
| | speaks holiday, he smells April and May: he will | 65 |
| | carry't, he will carry't; 'tis in his buttons; he | |
| | will carry't. | |
| PAGE | Not by my consent, I promise you. The gentleman is | |
| | of no having: he kept company with the wild prince | |
| | and Poins; he is of too high a region; he knows too | 70 |
| | much. No, he shall not knit a knot in his fortunes | |
| | with the finger of my substance: if he take her, | |
| | let him take her simply; the wealth I have waits on | |
| | my consent, and my consent goes not that way. | |
| FORD | I beseech you heartily, some of you go home with me | 75 |
| | to dinner: besides your cheer, you shall have | |
| | sport; I will show you a monster. Master doctor, | |
| | you shall go; so shall you, Master Page; and you, Sir Hugh. | |
| SHALLOW | Well, fare you well: we shall have the freer wooing | |
| | at Master Page's. | 80 |
| | Exeunt SHALLOW, and SLENDER | |
| DOCTOR CAIUS | Go home, John Rugby; I come anon. | |
| | Exit RUGBY | |
| Host | Farewell, my hearts: I will to my honest knight | |
| | Falstaff, and drink canary with him. | |
| | Exit | |
| FORD | Aside | |
| | with him; I'll make him dance. Will you go, gentles? | |
| All | Have with you to see this monster. | 85 |
| | Exeunt | |
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