Page 2542 - Shakespeare - Vol. 2

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Let’s obey his humour a little further; come [180] gentlemen.
Exeunt Ford, Page, Shallow, Caius, and Evans.

MISTRESS PAGE
Trust me, he beat him most pitifully.

MISTRESS FORD
Nay, by th’ mass, that he did not; he beat him most unpitifully, methought.

MISTRESS PAGE
I’ll have the cudgel hallowed and hung o’er [185] the altar; it hath done

meritorious service.

MISTRESS FORD
What think you: may we, with the warrant of womanhood and the witness of
a good conscience, pursue him with any further revenge?

MISTRESS PAGE
The spirit of wantonness is sure scared [190] out of him; if the devil have him
not in fee-simple, with fine and recovery, he will never, I think, in the way of

waste attempt us again.

MISTRESS FORD

Shall we tell our husbands how we have served him? [195]

MISTRESS PAGE
Yes, by all means − if it be but to scrape the figures out of your husband’s
brains. If they can find in their hearts the poor unvirtuous fat knight shall be
any further afflicted, we two will still be the ministers.

MISTRESS FORD

I’ll warrant they’ll have him publicly [200] shamed; and methinks there would
be no period to the jest should he not be publicly shamed.

MISTRESS PAGE
Come, to the forge with it, then; shape it: I would not have things cool.