Page 2485 - Shakespeare - Vol. 2

Marry, this is the short and the long of it; you have brought her into such a
canaries as ’tis wonderful. The best courtier of them all, when the court lay at
Windsor, could never have brought her to such a canary. Yet there has been
knights, and lords, and gentlemen, with [60] their coaches − I warrant you,

coach after coach, letter after letter, gift after gift − smelling so sweetly, all
musk, and so rushling, I warrant you, in silk and gold, and in such alligant
terms, and in such wine and sugar of the best and the fairest, that would
have won any woman’s heart; [65] and, I warrant you, they could never get

an eyewink of her; I had myself twenty angels given me this morning; but I
defy all angels − in any such sort, as they say − but in the way of honesty;
and, I warrant you, they could never get her so much as sip on a cup with the
proudest of them [70] all, and yet there has been earls, nay, which is more,

pensioners, but, I warrant you, all is one with her.

FALSTAFF
But what says she to me? Be brief, my good she-Mercury.

QUICKLY
Marry, she hath received your letter; for the [75] which she thanks you a
thousand times; and she gives you to notify that her husband will be absence
from his house between ten and eleven.

FALSTAFF

Ten and eleven.

QUICKLY

Ay, forsooth; and then you may come and see the [80] picture, she says, that
you wot of; Master Ford, her husband, will be from home. Alas, the sweet
woman leads an ill life with him: he’s a very jealousy man; she leads a very
frampold life with him, good heart.

FALSTAFF
Ten and eleven. Woman, commend me to her; I [85] will not fail her.

QUICKLY
Why, you say well. But I have another messenger to your worship: Mistress
Page hath her hearty commendations to you too; and let me tell you in your