Duke. The more degenerate and base art thou, Val. I thank your Grace; the gift hath made me happy. Duke. I grant it for thine own, whate'er it be. Are men endu'd with worthy qualities: Val. And as we walk along, I dare be bold Duke. I think, the boy hath grace in him; he blushes. That you will wonder what hath fortuned. That done, our day of marriage shall be yours, 147 [Exeunt omnes. THE SIR John Falstaff. Fenton, a young Gentleman of small Fortune, in Love with Mrs. Anne Page. Shallow, a Country Justice. Slender, Cousin to Shallow, a foolish Country Squire. Sir Hugh Evans, a Welch Parson. Dr. Caius, a French Doctor. Host of the Garter, a merry talking Fellow. Bardolph, Nym, Sharpers, attending on Falstaff. Robin, Page to Falstaff. William Page, a Boy, Son to Mr. Page. Simple, Servant to Slender. Rugby, Servant to Dr. Caius. Mrs. Page, Wife to Mr. Page. Mrs. Ford, Wife to Mr. Ford. Mrs. Anne Page, Daughter to Mr. Page, in Love with Fenton. Mrs. Quickly, Servant to Dr. Caius. Servants to Page, Ford, &c. SCENE, Windfor: and the Parts adjacent. THE (1) MERRY WIVES of Windfor. ACTI. SCENE, before Page's House in Windfor. Enter Justice Shallow, Slender, and Sir Hugh Evans. S SHALLOW. IR Hugh, perswade me not; I will make a Star-Chamber matter of it: if he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs, he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, Esq; Slen. In the county of Gloucester, justice of peace, and Coram. Shal. Ay, cousin Slender, and Custalorum. (1) The Merry Wives of Windfor.] Queen Elizabeth was so well pleas'd with the admirable Character of Falstaff in the Two Parts of Henry IV, that, as Mr. Rowe informs us, She commanded Shakespeare to continue it for one Play more, and to shew him in Love. To this Command We owe this Comedy of the Merry Wives of Windfor: which, Mr. Gildon says, he was very well assur'd, our Author finish'd in a Fortnight. But this must be meant only, as Mr. Pope has observ'd, of the first imperfect Sketch of this Comedy, printed in 1619. The Notice of a Play, publish'd seventeen years after Queen Elizabeth's Death, does no ways come in Support of the Tradition, that it was perform'd for that Princess's Entertainment. But I have another old Quarto Edition of this Comedy, (which, I presume, Mr. Pope never faw;) printed in 1602; which fays in the Title-page - As it hath been diverse times acted both before her Majesty and elsewhere. The Reader will find the Title of this old Play at length, in my Catalogue of Editions prefix'd to this Work. Slen. |