A Room in PAGE’S House. | |
| |
Enter FENTON, ANNE PAGE, and MISTRESS QUICKLY. MISTRESS QUICKLY stands apart. | |
| Fent. I see I cannot get thy father’s love; | |
| Therefore no more turn me to him, sweet Nan. | 4 |
| Anne. Alas! how then? | |
| Fent. Why, thou must be thyself. | |
| He doth object, I am too great of birth, | |
| And that my state being gall’d with my expense, | 8 |
| I seek to heal it only by his wealth. | |
| Besides these, other bars he lays before me, | |
| My riots past, my wild societies; | |
| And tells me ’tis a thing impossible | 12 |
| I should love thee but as a property. | |
| Anne. May be he tells you true. | |
| Fent. No, heaven so speed me in my time to come! | |
| Albeit I will confess thy father’s wealth | 16 |
| 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 | 20 |
| That now I aim at. | |
| Anne. Gentle Master Fenton, | |
| Yet seek my father’s love; still seek it, sir: | |
| If opportunity and humblest suit | 24 |
| Cannot attain it, why, then,—hark you hither. [They converse apart. | |
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Enter SHALLOW and SLENDER. | |
| Shal. Break their talk, Mistress Quickly: my kinsman shall speak for himself. | |
| Slen. I’ll make a shaft or a bolt on’t. ’Slid, ’tis but venturing. | 28 |
| Shal. Be not dismayed. | |
| Slen. No, she shall not dismay me: I care not for that, but that I am afeard. | |
| Quick. Hark ye; Master Slender would speak a word with you. | |
| Anne. I come to him. [Aside.] This is my father’s choice. | 32 |
| O, what a world of vile ill-favour’d faults | |
| Looks handsome in three hundred pounds a year! | |
| Quick. And how does good Master Fenton? Pray you, a word with you. | |
| Shal. She’s coming; to her, coz. O boy, thou hadst a father! | 36 |
| Slen. I had a father, Mistress Anne; my uncle can tell you good jests of him. Pray you, uncle, tell Mistress Anne the jest, how my father stole two geese out of a pen, good uncle. | |
| Shal. Mistress Anne, my cousin loves you. | |
| Slen. Ay, that I do; as well as I love any woman in Glostershire. | |
| Shal. He will maintain you like a gentlewoman. | 40 |
| Slen. Ay, that I will, come cut and long-tail, under the degree of a squire. | |
| Shal. He will make you a hundred and fifty pounds jointure. | |
| Anne. Good Master Shallow, let him woo for himself. | |
| Shal. Marry, I thank you for it; I thank you for that good comfort. She calls you, coz: I’ll leave you. | 44 |
| Anne. Now, Master Slender. | |
| Slen. Now, good Mistress Anne.— | |
| Anne. What is your will? | |
| Slen. 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. | 48 |
| Anne. I mean, Master Slender, what would you with me? | |
| Slen. Truly, for mine own part, I would little or nothing with you. Your father and my uncle have 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. | 52 |
| 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 dispos’d of. | |
| Fent. Nay, Master Page, be not impatient. | 56 |
| Mrs. Page. Good Master Fenton, come not to my child. | |
| Page. She is no match for you. | |
| Fent. Sir, will you hear me? | |
| Page. No, good Master Fenton. | 60 |
| Come, Master Shallow; come, son Slender, in. | |
| Knowing my mind, you wrong me, Master Fenton. [Exeunt PAGE, SHALLOW, and SLENDER. | |
| Quick. Speak to Mistress Page. | |
| Fent. Good Mistress Page, for that I love your daughter | 64 |
| In such a righteous fashion as I do, | |
| Perforce, against all checks, rebukes and manners, | |
| I must advance the colours of my love | |
| And not retire: let me have your good will. | 68 |
| Anne. Good mother, do not marry me to yond fool. | |
| Mrs. Page. I mean it not; I seek you a better husband. | |
| Quick. That’s my master, Master doctor. | |
| Anne. Alas! I had rather be set quick i’ the earth, | 72 |
| And bowl’d to death with turnips. | |
| Mrs. 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, | 76 |
| And as I find her, so am I affected. | |
| ’Till then, farewell, sir: she must needs go in; | |
| Her father will be angry. | |
| Fent Farewell, gentle mistress. Farewell, Nan. [Exeunt MISTRESS PAGE and ANNE. | 80 |
| Quick. This is my doing, now: ‘Nay,’ said I, ‘will you cast away your child on a fool, and a physician? Look on Master Fenton.’ This is my doing. | |
| Fent. I thank thee: and I pray thee, once to-night | |
| Give my sweet Nan this ring. There’s for thy pains. | |
| Quick. Now heaven send thee good fortune! [Exit FENTON.] A kind heart he hath: a woman would run through 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 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. | 84 |