| ACT III SCENE IV | A room in PAGE'S house. | |
| | Enter FENTON and ANNE PAGE | |
| FENTON | I see I cannot get thy father's love; | |
| | Therefore no more turn me to him, sweet Nan. | |
| ANNE PAGE | Alas, how then? | |
| FENTON | Why, thou must be thyself. | 5 |
| | He doth object I am too great of birth--, | |
| | And that, my state being gall'd with my expense, | |
| | I seek to heal it only by his wealth: | |
| | Besides these, other bars he lays before me, | |
| | My riots past, my wild societies; | 10 |
| | And tells me 'tis a thing impossible | |
| | I should love thee but as a property. | |
| ANNE PAGE | May be he tells you true. | |
| FENTON | No, heaven so speed me in my time to come! | |
| | Albeit I will confess thy father's wealth | 15 |
| | Was the first motive that I woo'd thee, Anne: | |
| | Yet, wooing thee, I found thee of more value | |
| | Than stamps in gold or sums in sealed bags; | |
| | And 'tis the very riches of thyself | |
| | That now I aim at. | 20 |
| ANNE PAGE | Gentle Master Fenton, | |
| | Yet seek my father's love; still seek it, sir: | |
| | If opportunity and humblest suit | |
| | Cannot attain it, why, then,--hark you hither! | |
| | They converse apart | |
| | Enter SHALLOW, SLENDER, and MISTRESS QUICKLY | |
| SHALLOW | Break their talk, Mistress Quickly: my kinsman shall | 25 |
| | speak for himself. | |
| SLENDER | I'll make a shaft or a bolt on't: 'slid, 'tis but | |
| | venturing. | |
| SHALLOW | Be not dismayed. | |
| SLENDER | No, she shall not dismay me: I care not for that, | 30 |
| | but that I am afeard. | |
| MISTRESS QUICKLY | Hark ye; Master Slender would speak a word with you. | |
| ANNE PAGE | I come to him. | |
| | Aside | |
| | This is my father's choice. | |
| | O, what a world of vile ill-favor'd faults | 35 |
| | Looks handsome in three hundred pounds a-year! | |
| MISTRESS QUICKLY | And how does good Master Fenton? Pray you, a word with you. | |
| SHALLOW | She's coming; to her, coz. O boy, thou hadst a father! | |
| SLENDER | I had a father, Mistress Anne; my uncle can tell you | |
| | good jests of him. Pray you, uncle, tell Mistress | 40 |
| | Anne the jest, how my father stole two geese out of | |
| | a pen, good uncle. | |
| SHALLOW | Mistress Anne, my cousin loves you. | |
| SLENDER | Ay, that I do; as well as I love any woman in | |
| | Gloucestershire. | 45 |
| SHALLOW | He will maintain you like a gentlewoman. | |
| SLENDER | Ay, that I will, come cut and long-tail, under the | |
| | degree of a squire. | |
| SHALLOW | He will make you a hundred and fifty pounds jointure. | |
| ANNE PAGE | Good Master Shallow, let him woo for himself. | 50 |
| SHALLOW | Marry, I thank you for it; I thank you for that good | |
| | comfort. She calls you, coz: I'll leave you. | |
| ANNE PAGE | Now, Master Slender,-- | |
| SLENDER | Now, good Mistress Anne,-- | |
| ANNE PAGE | What is your will? | 55 |
| SLENDER | My will! 'od's heartlings, that's a pretty jest | |
| | indeed! I ne'er made my will yet, I thank heaven; I | |
| | am not such a sickly creature, I give heaven praise. | |
| ANNE PAGE | I mean, Master Slender, what would you with me? | |
| SLENDER | Truly, for mine own part, I would little or nothing | 60 |
| | with you. Your father and my uncle hath made | |
| | motions: if it be my luck, so; if not, happy man be | |
| | his dole! They can tell you how things go better | |
| | than I can: you may ask your father; here he comes. | |
| | Enter PAGE and MISTRESS PAGE | |
| PAGE | Now, Master Slender: love him, daughter Anne. | 65 |
| | Why, how now! what does Master Fenton here? | |
| | You wrong me, sir, thus still to haunt my house: | |
| | I told you, sir, my daughter is disposed of. | |
| FENTON | Nay, Master Page, be not impatient. | |
| MISTRESS PAGE | Good Master Fenton, come not to my child. | 70 |
| PAGE | She is no match for you. | |
| FENTON | Sir, will you hear me? | |
| PAGE | No, good Master Fenton. | |
| | Come, Master Shallow; come, son Slender, in. | |
| | Knowing my mind, you wrong me, Master Fenton. | 75 |
| | Exeunt PAGE, SHALLOW, and SLENDER | |
| MISTRESS QUICKLY | Speak to Mistress Page. | |
| FENTON | Good Mistress Page, for that I love your daughter | |
| | In such a righteous fashion as I do, | |
| | Perforce, against all cheques, rebukes and manners, | |
| | I must advance the colours of my love | 80 |
| | And not retire: let me have your good will. | |
| ANNE PAGE | Good mother, do not marry me to yond fool. | |
| MISTRESS PAGE | I mean it not; I seek you a better husband. | |
| MISTRESS QUICKLY | That's my master, master doctor. | |
| ANNE PAGE | Alas, I had rather be set quick i' the earth | 85 |
| | And bowl'd to death with turnips! | |
| MISTRESS PAGE | Come, trouble not yourself. Good Master Fenton, | |
| | I will not be your friend nor enemy: | |
| | My daughter will I question how she loves you, | |
| | And as I find her, so am I affected. | 90 |
| | Till then farewell, sir: she must needs go in; | |
| | Her father will be angry. | |
| FENTON | Farewell, gentle mistress: farewell, Nan. | |
| | Exeunt MISTRESS PAGE and ANNE PAGE | |
| MISTRESS QUICKLY | This is my doing, now: 'Nay,' said I, 'will you cast | |
| | away your child on a fool, and a physician? Look on | 95 |
| | Master Fenton:' this is my doing. | |
| FENTON | I thank thee; and I pray thee, once to-night | |
| | Give my sweet Nan this ring: there's for thy pains. | |
| MISTRESS QUICKLY | Now heaven send thee good fortune! | |
| | Exit FENTON | |
| | A kind heart he hath: a woman would run through | 100 |
| | fire and water for such a kind heart. But yet I | |
| | would my master had Mistress Anne; or I would | |
| | Master Slender had her; or, in sooth, I would Master | |
| | Fenton had her; I will do what I can for them all | |
| | three; for so I have promised, and I'll be as good | 105 |
| | as my word; but speciously for Master Fenton. Well, | |
| | I must of another errand to Sir John Falstaff from | |
| | my two mistresses: what a beast am I to slack it! | |
| | Exit | |
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