SCENE IV. A room in PAGE'S house. The Merry Wives of Windsor  Shakespeare homepage  |  Merry Wives of Windsor  | Act 3, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  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. 

 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; 

 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 

 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. 

 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 

 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, 

 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 

 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 

 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. 

 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. 

 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? 

 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 

 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. 

 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. 

 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. 



 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 

 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 

 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. 

 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 

 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 

 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! 



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