The Merry Wives of Windsor, with line numbers E-Book

William Shakespeare

• Herausgeber: Seltzer Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 121

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

Classic Shakespeare comedy, with line numbers. According to Wikipedia: "William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright."

Leseprobe

The Merry Wives Of Windsor By William Shakespeare

Samizdat Express, Orange, CT, USA

established in 1974, offering over 14,000 books

Other comedies by William Shakespeare:

All's Well That Ends Well

As You Like It

The Comedy of Errors

Love's Labour's Lost

Measure for Measure

The Merchant of Venice

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Much Ado About Nothing

The Taming of the Shrew

Twelfth Night

Two Gentlemen of Verona

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Dramatis Personae

The Merry Wives Of Windsor

Act I

Scene I Windsor. Before Page's House.

Scene II The Same.

Scene III A Room In The Garter Inn.

Scene IV A Room In Doctor Caius' House.

Act II

Scene I Before Page's House.

Scene II A room in the Garter Inn.

Scene III A Field Near Windsor.

Act III

Scene I A Field Near Frogmore.

Scene II A Street.

Scene III A Room In Ford's House.

Scene IV A Room In Page's House.

Scene V A Room In The Garter Inn.

Act IV

Scene I A Street.

Scene II A Room In Ford's House.

Scene III A Room In The Garter Inn.

Scene IV A Room In Ford's House.

Scene V A Room In The Garter Inn.

Scene VI Another Room In The Garter Inn.

Act V

Scene I A Room In The Garter Inn.

Scene II Windsor Park.

Scene III A Street Leading To The Park.

Scene IV Windsor Park.

Scene V Another Part Of The Park.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Sir John Falstaff (Falstaff:)

Fenton, A Gentleman.

Shallow, A Country Justice.

Slender, Cousin To Shallow.

Two Gentlemen Dwelling At Windsor

Ford

Page

William Page, A Boy, Son To Page.

Sir Hugh Evans, A Welsh Parson.

Doctor Caius, A French Physician.

Host Of The Garter Inn. (Host:)

Sharpers Attending On Falstaff

Bardolph

Pistol

Nym

Robin, Page To Falstaff.

Simple, Servant To Slender.

Rugby, Servant To Doctor Caius.

Mistress Ford:

Mistress Page:

Anne Page, Her Daughter.

Mistress Quickly, Servant To Doctor Caius.

Servants to Page, Ford, &c.

 (Servant:)

 (First Servant:)

 (Second Servant:)

SCENE Windsor, and the neighbourhood.

THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR

ACT I

SCENE I Windsor. Before PAGE's house.

[Enter SHALLOW, SLENDER, and SIR HUGH EVANS]

(1) SHALLOW 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.

SLENDER In the county of Gloucester, justice of peace and

 'Coram.'

SHALLOW Aye, cousin Slender, and 'Custalourum.

SLENDER Aye, and 'Rato-lorum' too; and a gentleman born,

 master parson; who writes himself 'Armigero,' in any

(10) bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, 'Armigero.'

SHALLOW Aye, that I do; and have done any time these three

 hundred years.

SLENDER 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.

SHALLOW It is an old coat.

SIR HUGH EVANS The dozen white louses do become an old coat well;

(20) it agrees well, passant; it is a familiar beast to

 man, and signifies love.

SHALLOW The luce is the fresh fish; the salt fish is an old coat.

SLENDER I may quarter, coz.

SHALLOW You may, by marrying.

SIR HUGH EVANS It is marring indeed, if he quarter it.

SHALLOW Not a whit.

SIR HUGH EVANS Yes, py'r lady; if he has a quarter of your coat,

 there is but three skirts for yourself, in my

(30) 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.

SHALLOW The council shall bear it; it is a riot.

SIR HUGH 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.

(40) SHALLOW Ha! o' my life, if I were young again, the sword

 should end it.

SIR HUGH EVANS It is petter that friends is the sword, and end it:

 and there is also another device in my prain, which

 peradventure prings goot discretions with it: there

 is Anne Page, which is daughter to Master Thomas

 Page, which is pretty virginity.

SLENDER Mistress Anne Page? She has brown hair, and speaks

 small like a woman.

(50) SIR HUGH EVANS It is that fery person for all the orld, as just as

 you will desire; and seven hundred pounds of moneys,

 and gold and silver, is her grandsire upon his

 death's-bed--Got deliver to a joyful resurrections!

 --give, when she is able to overtake seventeen years

 old: it were a goot motion if we leave our pribbles

 and prabbles, and desire a marriage between Master

 Abraham and Mistress Anne Page.

(60) SLENDER Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred pound?

SIR HUGH EVANS Aye, and her father is make her a petter penny.

SLENDER I know the young gentlewoman; she has good gifts.

SIR HUGH EVANS Seven hundred pounds and possibilities is goot gifts.

SHALLOW Well, let us see honest Master Page. Is Falstaff there?

SIR HUGH EVANS Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar as I do

(70) despise one that is false, or as I despise one that

 is not true. The knight, Sir John, is there; and, I

 beseech you, be ruled by your well-willers. I will

 peat the door for Master Page.

[Knocks]

 What, hoa! Got pless your house here!

PAGE [Within]  Who's there?

 [Enter PAGE]

SIR HUGH EVANS Here is Got's plessing, and your friend, and Justice

 Shallow; and here young Master Slender, that

 peradventures shall tell you another tale, if

 matters grow to your likings.

(80) PAGE I am glad to see your worships well.

 I thank you for my venison, Master Shallow.

SHALLOW Master Page, I am glad to see you: much good do it

 your good heart! I wished your venison better; it

 was ill killed. How doth good Mistress Page?--and I

 thank you always with my heart, la! with my heart.

PAGE Sir, I thank you.

SHALLOW Sir, I thank you; by yea and no, I do.

(90) PAGE I am glad to see you, good Master Slender.

SLENDER How does your fallow greyhound, sir? I heard say he

 was outrun on Cotsall.

PAGE It could not be judged, sir.

SLENDER You'll not confess, you'll not confess.

SHALLOW That he will not. 'Tis your fault, 'tis your fault;

 'tis a good dog.

PAGE A cur, sir.

SHALLOW Sir, he's a good dog, and a fair dog: can there be

 more said? he is good and fair. Is Sir John

(100) Falstaff here?

PAGE Sir, he is within; and I would I could do a good

 office between you.

SIR HUGH EVANS It is spoke as a Christians ought to speak.

SHALLOW He hath wronged me, Master Page.

PAGE Sir, he doth in some sort confess it.

SHALLOW If it be confessed, it is not redress'd: is not that

 so, Master Page? He hath wronged me; indeed he

 hath, at a word, he hath, believe me: Robert

(110) Shallow, esquire, saith, he is wronged.

PAGE Here comes Sir John.

[Enter FALSTAFF, BARDOLPH, NYM, and PISTOL]

FALSTAFF Now, Master Shallow, you'll complain of me to the king?

SHALLOW Knight, you have beaten my men, killed my deer, and

 broke open my lodge.

FALSTAFF But not kissed your keeper's daughter?

SHALLOW Tut, a pin! this shall be answered.

FALSTAFF I will answer it straight; I have done all this.

 That is now answered.

(120) SHALLOW The council shall know this.

FALSTAFF 'Twere better for you if it were known in counsel:

 you'll be laughed at.

SIR HUGH EVANS Pauca verba, Sir John; goot worts.

FALSTAFF Good worts! good cabbage. Slender, I broke your

 head: what matter have you against me?

SLENDER Marry, sir, I have matter in my head against you;

 and against your cony-catching rascals, Bardolph,

 Nym, and Pistol.

(130) BARDOLPH You Banbury cheese!

SLENDER Aye, it is no matter.

PISTOL How now, Mephostophilus!

SLENDER Aye, it is no matter.

NYM Slice, I say! pauca, pauca: slice! that's my humour.

SLENDER Where's Simple, my man? Can you tell, cousin?

SIR HUGH EVANS Peace, I pray you. Now let us understand. There is

 three umpires in this matter, as I understand; that

(140) is, Master Page, fidelicet Master Page; and there is

 myself, fidelicet myself; and the three party is,

 lastly and finally, mine host of the Garter.

PAGE We three, to hear it and end it between them.

SIR HUGH EVANS Fery goot: I will make a prief of it in my note-

 book; and we will afterwards ork upon the cause with

 as great discreetly as we can.

FALSTAFF Pistol!

(150) PISTOL He hears with ears.

SIR HUGH EVANS The tevil and his tam! what phrase is this, 'He

 hears with ear'? why, it is affectations.

FALSTAFF Pistol, did you pick Master Slender's purse?

SLENDER Aye, by these gloves, did he, or I would I might

 never come in mine own great chamber again else, of

 seven groats in mill-sixpences, and two Edward

 shovel-boards, that cost me two shilling and two

(160) pence apiece of Yead Miller, by these gloves.

FALSTAFF Is this true, Pistol?

SIR HUGH EVANS No; it is false, if it is a pick-purse.

PISTOL Ha, thou mountain-foreigner! Sir John and Master mine,

 I combat challenge of this latten bilbo.

 Word of denial in thy labras here!

 Word of denial: froth and scum, thou liest!

SLENDER By these gloves, then, 'twas he.

NYM Be avised, sir, and pass good humours: I will say

(170) 'marry trap' with you, if you run the nuthook's

 humour on me; that is the very note of it.

SLENDER By this hat, then, he in the red face had it; for

 though I cannot remember what I did when you made me

 drunk, yet I am not altogether an ass.

FALSTAFF What say you, Scarlet and John?

BARDOLPH Why, sir, for my part I say the gentleman had drunk

(180) himself out of his five sentences.

SIR HUGH EVANS It is his five senses: fie, what the ignorance is!

BARDOLPH And being fap, sir, was, as they say, cashiered; and

 so conclusions passed the careires.

SLENDER Aye, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no

 matter: I'll ne'er be drunk whilst I live again,

 but in honest, civil, godly company, for this trick:

 if I be drunk, I'll be drunk with those that have

(190) the fear of God, and not with drunken knaves.

SIR HUGH EVANS So Got udge me, that is a virtuous mind.

FALSTAFF You hear all these matters denied, gentlemen; you hear it.

[Enter ANNE PAGE, with wine; MISTRESS FORD and MISTRESS PAGE, following]

PAGE Nay, daughter, carry the wine in; we'll drink within.

[Exit ANNE PAGE]

SLENDER O heaven! this is Mistress Anne Page.

PAGE How now, Mistress Ford!

FALSTAFF Mistress Ford, by my troth, you are very well met:

(200) by your leave, good mistress.

[Kisses her]

PAGE Wife, bid these gentlemen welcome. Come, we have a

 hot venison pasty to dinner: come, gentlemen, I hope

 we shall drink down all unkindness.

 [Exeunt all except SHALLOW, SLENDER, and SIR HUGH EVANS]

SLENDER I had rather than forty shillings I had my Book of

 Songs and Sonnets here.

[Enter SIMPLE]

 How now, Simple! where have you been? I must wait

 on myself, must I? You have not the Book of Riddles

 about you, have you?

(210) SIMPLE Book of Riddles! why, did you not lend it to Alice

 Shortcake upon All-hallowmas last, a fortnight

 afore Michaelmas?

SHALLOW Come, coz; come, coz; we stay for you. A word with

 you, coz; marry, this, coz: there is, as 'twere, a

 tender, a kind of tender, made afar off by Sir Hugh

 here. Do you understand me?

SLENDER Aye, sir, you shall find me reasonable; if it be so,

 I shall do that that is reason.

SHALLOW Nay, but understand me.

(220) SLENDER So I do, sir.

SIR HUGH EVANS Give ear to his motions, Master Slender: I will

 description the matter to you, if you be capacity of it.

SLENDER Nay, I will do as my cousin Shallow says: I pray

 you, pardon me; he's a justice of peace in his

 country, simple though I stand here.

SIR HUGH EVANS But that is not the question: the question is

 concerning your marriage.

SHALLOW Aye, there's the point, sir.

(230) SIR HUGH EVANS Marry, is it; the very point of it; to Mistress Anne Page.

SLENDER Why, if it be so, I will marry her upon any

 reasonable demands.

SIR HUGH EVANS But can you affection the 'oman? Let us command to

 know that of your mouth or of your lips; for divers

 philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the

 mouth. Therefore, precisely, can you carry your

 good will to the maid?

(240) SHALLOW Cousin Abraham Slender, can you love her?

SLENDER I hope, sir, I will do as it shall become one that

 would do reason.

SIR HUGH EVANS Nay, Got's lords and his ladies! you must speak

 possitable, if you can carry her your desires

 towards her.

SHALLOW That you must. Will you, upon good dowry, marry her?

SLENDER I will do a greater thing than that, upon your

 request, cousin, in any reason.

(250) SHALLOW Nay, conceive me, conceive me, sweet coz: what I do

 is to pleasure you, coz. Can you love the maid?

SLENDER I will marry her, sir, at your request: but if there

 be no great love in the beginning, yet heaven may

 decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are

 married and have more occasion to know one another;

 I hope, upon familiarity will grow more contempt:

 but if you say, 'Marry her,' I will marry her; that

(260) I am freely dissolved, and dissolutely.

SIR HUGH EVANS It is a fery discretion answer; save the fall is in

 the ort 'dissolutely:' the ort is, according to our

 meaning, 'resolutely:' his meaning is good.

SHALLOW Aye, I think my cousin meant well.

SLENDER Aye, or else I would I might be hanged, la!

SHALLOW Here comes fair Mistress Anne.

[Re-enter ANNE PAGE]

 Would I were young for your sake, Mistress Anne!

(270) ANNE PAGE The dinner is on the table; my father desires your

 worships' company.