, servant to Doctor Caius.

MISTRESS FORD.
MISTRESS PAGE.
ANNE PAGE, her daughter.
MISTRESS QUICKLY, servant to Doctor Caius.

Servants to Page, Ford, &c.

SCENE--_Windsor, and the neighbourhood._

[Footnote 1: Not in Qq Ff. Inserted by Rowe.]

THE
MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

ACT I.

SCENE I. _Windsor. Before PAGE'S house._

_Enter JUSTICE SHALLOW, SLENDER, and SIR HUGH EVANS._

_Shal._ Sir Hugh, persuade me not; I will make a Star-chamber
matter of it: if he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs,
he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, esquire.

_Slen._ In the county of Gloucester, justice of peace
and 'Coram.' 5

_Shal._ Ay, cousin Slender, and 'Custalorum.'

_Slen._ Ay, and 'Rato-lorum' too; and a gentleman born,
master parson; who writes himself 'Armigero,' in any bill,
warrant, quittance, or obligation, 'Armigero.'

_Shal._ Ay, that I do; and have done any time these 10
three hundred years.

_Slen._ All his successors gone before him hath done't;
and all his ancestors that come after him may: they may
give the dozen white luces in their coat. 15

_Shal._ It is an old coat.

_Evans._ The dozen white louses do become an old coat
well; it agrees well, passant; it is a familiar beast to man,
and signifies love.

_Shal._ The luce is the fresh fish; the salt fish is an
old coat. 20

_Slen._ I may quarter, coz.

_Shal._ You may, by marrying.

_Evans._ It is marring indeed, if he quarter it.

_Shal._ Not a whit.

_Evans._ Yes, py'r lady; if he has a quarter of your 25
coat, there is but three skirts for yourself, in my simple
conjectures: but that is all one. If Sir John Falstaff have
committed disparagements unto you, I am of the church, and
will be glad to do my benevolence to make atonements and
compremises between you. 30

_Shal._ The council shall hear it; it is a riot.

_Evans._ It is not meet the council hear a riot; there is
no fear of Got in a riot: the council, look you, shall desire
to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear a riot; take your
vizaments in that. 35

_Shal._ Ha! o' my life, if I were young again, the sword
should end it.

_Evans._ It is petter that friends is the sword, and end
it: