SCENE IV. A room in DOCTOR CAIUS' house. The Merry Wives of Windsor  Shakespeare homepage  |  Merry Wives of Windsor  | Act 1, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE IV. A room in DOCTOR CAIUS' house. 

 Enter MISTRESS QUICKLY, SIMPLE, and RUGBY  MISTRESS QUICKLY  What, John Rugby! I pray thee, go to the casement, 

 and see if you can see my master, Master Doctor 

 Caius, coming. If he do, i' faith, and find any 

 body in the house, here will be an old abusing of 

 God's patience and the king's English. 

 RUGBY  I'll go watch. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  Go; and we'll have a posset for't soon at night, in 

 faith, at the latter end of a sea-coal fire. 



 Exit RUGBY  An honest, willing, kind fellow, as ever servant 

 shall come in house withal, and, I warrant you, no 

 tell-tale nor no breed-bate: his worst fault is, 

 that he is given to prayer; he is something peevish 

 that way: but nobody but has his fault; but let 

 that pass. Peter Simple, you say your name is? 

 SIMPLE  Ay, for fault of a better. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  And Master Slender's your master? 

 SIMPLE  Ay, forsooth. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  Does he not wear a great round beard, like a 

 glover's paring-knife? 

 SIMPLE  No, forsooth: he hath but a little wee face, with a 

 little yellow beard, a Cain-coloured beard. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  A softly-sprighted man, is he not? 

 SIMPLE  Ay, forsooth: but he is as tall a man of his hands 

 as any is between this and his head; he hath fought 

 with a warrener. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  How say you? O, I should remember him: does he not 

 hold up his head, as it were, and strut in his gait? 

 SIMPLE  Yes, indeed, does he. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  Well, heaven send Anne Page no worse fortune! Tell 

 Master Parson Evans I will do what I can for your 

 master: Anne is a good girl, and I wish-- 



 Re-enter RUGBY  RUGBY  Out, alas! here comes my master. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  We shall all be shent. Run in here, good young man; 

 go into this closet: he will not stay long. 



 Shuts SIMPLE in the closet  What, John Rugby! John! what, John, I say! 

 Go, John, go inquire for my master; I doubt 

 he be not well, that he comes not home. 



 Singing  And down, down, adown-a,  & c. 



 Enter DOCTOR CAIUS  DOCTOR CAIUS  Vat is you sing? I do not like des toys. Pray you, 

 go and vetch me in my closet un boitier vert, a box, 

 a green-a box: do intend vat I speak? a green-a box. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  Ay, forsooth; I'll fetch it you. 



 Aside  I am glad he went not in himself: if he had found 

 the young man, he would have been horn-mad. 

 DOCTOR CAIUS  Fe, fe, fe, fe! ma foi, il fait fort chaud. Je 

 m'en vais a la cour--la grande affaire. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  Is it this, sir? 

 DOCTOR CAIUS  Oui; mette le au mon pocket: depeche, quickly. Vere 

 is dat knave Rugby? 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  What, John Rugby! John! 

 RUGBY  Here, sir! 

 DOCTOR CAIUS  You are John Rugby, and you are Jack Rugby. Come, 

 take-a your rapier, and come after my heel to the court. 

 RUGBY  'Tis ready, sir, here in the porch. 

 DOCTOR CAIUS  By my trot, I tarry too long. Od's me! 

 Qu'ai-j'oublie! dere is some simples in my closet, 

 dat I vill not for the varld I shall leave behind. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  Ay me, he'll find the young man here, and be mad! 

 DOCTOR CAIUS  O diable, diable! vat is in my closet? Villain! larron! 



 Pulling SIMPLE out  Rugby, my rapier! 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  Good master, be content. 

 DOCTOR CAIUS  Wherefore shall I be content-a? 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  The young man is an honest man. 

 DOCTOR CAIUS  What shall de honest man do in my closet? dere is 

 no honest man dat shall come in my closet. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  I beseech you, be not so phlegmatic. Hear the truth 

 of it: he came of an errand to me from Parson Hugh. 

 DOCTOR CAIUS  Vell. 

 SIMPLE  Ay, forsooth; to desire her to-- 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  Peace, I pray you. 

 DOCTOR CAIUS  Peace-a your tongue. Speak-a your tale. 

 SIMPLE  To desire this honest gentlewoman, your maid, to 

 speak a good word to Mistress Anne Page for my 

 master in the way of marriage. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  This is all, indeed, la! but I'll ne'er put my 

 finger in the fire, and need not. 

 DOCTOR CAIUS  Sir Hugh send-a you? Rugby, baille me some paper. 

 Tarry you a little-a while. 



 Writes  MISTRESS QUICKLY  [Aside to SIMPLE]  I am glad he is so quiet: if he 

 had been thoroughly moved, you should have heard him 

 so loud and so melancholy. But notwithstanding, 

 man, I'll do you your master what good I can: and 

 the very yea and the no is, the French doctor, my 

 master,--I may call him my master, look you, for I 

 keep his house; and I wash, wring, brew, bake, 

 scour, dress meat and drink, make the beds and do 

 all myself,-- 

 SIMPLE  [Aside to MISTRESS QUICKLY]  'Tis a great charge to 

 come under one body's hand. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  [Aside to SIMPLE]  Are you avised o' that? you 

 shall find it a great charge: and to be up early 

 and down late; but notwithstanding,--to tell you in 

 your ear; I would have no words of it,--my master 

 himself is in love with Mistress Anne Page: but 

 notwithstanding that, I know Anne's mind,--that's 

 neither here nor there. 

 DOCTOR CAIUS  You jack'nape, give-a this letter to Sir Hugh; by 

 gar, it is a shallenge: I will cut his troat in dee 

 park; and I will teach a scurvy jack-a-nape priest 

 to meddle or make. You may be gone; it is not good 

 you tarry here. By gar, I will cut all his two 

 stones; by gar, he shall not have a stone to throw 

 at his dog: 



 Exit SIMPLE  MISTRESS QUICKLY  Alas, he speaks but for his friend. 

 DOCTOR CAIUS  It is no matter-a ver dat: do not you tell-a me 

 dat I shall have Anne Page for myself? By gar, I 

 vill kill de Jack priest; and I have appointed mine 

 host of de Jarteer to measure our weapon. By gar, I 

 will myself have Anne Page. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  Sir, the maid loves you, and all shall be well. We 

 must give folks leave to prate: what, the good-jer! 

 DOCTOR CAIUS  Rugby, come to the court with me. By gar, if I have 

 not Anne Page, I shall turn your head out of my 

 door. Follow my heels, Rugby. 



 Exeunt DOCTOR CAIUS and RUGBY  MISTRESS QUICKLY  You shall have An fool's-head of your own. No, I 

 know Anne's mind for that: never a woman in Windsor 

 knows more of Anne's mind than I do; nor can do more 

 than I do with her, I thank heaven. 

 FENTON  [Within]  Who's within there? ho! 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  Who's there, I trow! Come near the house, I pray you. 



 Enter FENTON  FENTON  How now, good woman? how dost thou? 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  The better that it pleases your good worship to ask. 

 FENTON  What news? how does pretty Mistress Anne? 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  In truth, sir, and she is pretty, and honest, and 

 gentle; and one that is your friend, I can tell you 

 that by the way; I praise heaven for it. 

 FENTON  Shall I do any good, thinkest thou? shall I not lose my suit? 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  Troth, sir, all is in his hands above: but 

 notwithstanding, Master Fenton, I'll be sworn on a 

 book, she loves you. Have not your worship a wart 

 above your eye? 

 FENTON  Yes, marry, have I; what of that? 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  Well, thereby hangs a tale: good faith, it is such 

 another Nan; but, I detest, an honest maid as ever 

 broke bread: we had an hour's talk of that wart. I 

 shall never laugh but in that maid's company! But 

 indeed she is given too much to allicholy and 

 musing: but for you--well, go to. 

 FENTON  Well, I shall see her to-day. Hold, there's money 

 for thee; let me have thy voice in my behalf: if 

 thou seest her before me, commend me. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  Will I? i'faith, that we will; and I will tell your 

 worship more of the wart the next time we have 

 confidence; and of other wooers. 

 FENTON  Well, farewell; I am in great haste now. 

 MISTRESS QUICKLY  Farewell to your worship. 



 Exit FENTON  Truly, an honest gentleman: but Anne loves him not; 

 for I know Anne's mind as well as another does. Out 

 upon't! what have I forgot? 



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