SHAL. I have lived fourscore years, and upward;2 I never heard a man of his place, gravity, and learning, so wide of his own respect. EVA. What is he? PAGE. I think you know him; master doctor Caius, the renowned French physician. EVA. Got's will, and his passion of my heart! I * I have lived fourscore years, and upward;] We must certainly read-threescore. In The Second Part of K. Henry IV. during Falstaff's interview with Master Shallow, in his way to York, which Shakspeare has evidently chosen to fix in 1412, (though the Archbishop's insurrection actually happened in 1405,) Silence observes that it was then fifty-five years since the latter went to Clement's Inn; so that, supposing him to have begun his studies at sixteen, he would be born in 1341, and, consequently, be a very few years older than John of Gaunt, who, we may recollect, broke his head in the tilt-yard. But, besides this little difference in age, John of Gaunt at eighteen or nineteen would be above six feet high, and poor Shallow, with all his apparel, might have been truss'd into an eelskin. Dr. Johnson was of opinion that the present play ought to bę read between the First and Second Part of Henry IV. an arrangement liable to objections which that learned and eminent critick would have found it very difficult, if not altogether impossible, to surmount. But, let it be placed where it may, the scene is clearly laid between 1402, when Shallow would be sixty one, and 1412, when he had the meeting with Falstaff: Though one would not, to be sure, from what passes upon that occasion, imagine the parties had been together so lately at Windsor; much less that the Knight had ever beaten his worship's keepers, kill'd his deer, and broke open his lodge. The alteration now proposed, however, is in all events necessary; and the rather so, as Falstaff must be nearly of the same age with Shallow, and fourscore seems a little too late in life for a man of his kidney to be making love to, and even supposing himself admired by, two at a time, travelling in a buck-basket, thrown into a river, going to the wars, and making prisoners. Indeed, he has luckily put the matter out of all doubt, by telling us, in The First Part of K. Henry IV. that his age was "some fifty, or, by'r lady, inclining to threescore." RITSON. you would tell me of a mess of por had as lief EVA. He has no more knowledge in Hibocrates and Galen, and he is a knave besides; a cowardly knave, as you would desires to be acquainted withal. PAGE. I warrant you, he's the man should fight with him. SLEN. O, sweet Anne Page! SHAL. It appears so, by his weapons:-Keep them asunder;-here comes doctor Caius. Enter Host, CAIUS, and RUGBY. PAGE. Nay, good master parson, keep in your weapon. SHAL. So do you, good master doctor. HOST. Disarm them, and let them question; let them keep their limbs whole, and hack our English. CAIUS. I pray you, let-a me speak a word vit your ear: Verefore vill you not meet a-me? EVA. Pray you, use your patience: In good time. CAIUS. By gar, you are de coward, de Jack dog, John ape. EVA. Pray you, let us not be laughing-stogs to other men's humours; I desire you in friendship, and I will one way or other make you amends :-I will knog your urinals about your knave's cogscomb, for missing your meetings and appointments.3 3 for missing your meetings and appointments.] These words, which are not in the folio, were recovered from the quarto, by Mr. Pope. MALONE. CAIUS. Diable!-Jack Rugby,-mine Host de Jarterre, have I not stay for him, to kill him? have I not, at de place I did appoint? EVA. As I am a christians soul, now, look you, this is the place appointed; I'll be judgement by mine host of the Garter. HOST. Peace, I say, Guallia and Gaul, French and Welch; soul-curer and body-curer. CAIUS. Ay, dat is very good! excellent! HOST. Peace, I say; hear mine host of the Garter. Am I politick? am I subtle? am I a Machiavel? Shall I lose my doctor? no; he gives me the potions, and the motions. Shall I lose my parson? my priest? my sir Hugh? no; he gives me the proverbs and the no-verbs.-Give me thy hand, terrestial; so:-Give me thy hand, celestial; so.Boys of art, I have deceived you both; I have directed you to wrong places: your hearts are mighty, your skins are whole, and let burnt sack be the issue.-Come, lay their swords to pawn :-Follow me, lad of lad of peace; follow, follow, follow. SHAL. Trust me, a mad host :-Follow, gentlemen, follow. SLEN. O, sweet Anne Page! [Exeunt SHALLow, Slender, Page, and Host. Peace, I say, Guallia and Gaul, French and Welch ;] Sir Thomas Hanmer reads-Gallia and Wallia: but it is objected that Wallia is not easily corrupted into Gaul. Possibly the word was written Guallia. FARMER. Thus, in K. Henry VI. P. II. Gualtier for Walter. STEEVENS. The quarto, 1602, confirms Dr. Farmer's conjecture. It reads-Peace I say, Gawle and Gawlia, French and Welch, &c. MALONE. CAIUS. Ha! do I perceive dat? have you make-a de sot of us? ha, ha! EVA. This is well; he has made us his vlouting stog. I desire you, that we may be friends; and let us knog our prains together, to be revenge on this same scall, scurvy, cogging companion, the host of the Garter. 6 CAIUS. By gar, vit all my heart; he promise to bring me vere is Anne Page: by gar, he deceive me too. EVA. Well, I will smite his noddles:-Pray you, follow. [Exeunt. SCENE II. The Street in Windsor. Enter Mistress PAGE and ROBIN. MRS. PAGE. Nay, keep your way, little gallant; you were wont to be a follower, but now you are a leader: Whether had you rather, lead mine eyes, or eye your master's heels? -make-a de sot of us?] Sot, in French, signifies a fool. MALONE. 6 scall, scurvy,] Scall was an old word of reproach, as scab was afterwards. Chaucer imprecates on his scrivener: "Under thy longe lockes mayest thou have the scalle." JOHNSON, Scall, as Dr. Johnson interprets it, is a scab breaking out in the hair, and approaching nearly to the leprosy. It is used by other writers of Shakspeare's time. You will find what was to be done by persons afflicted with it, by looking into Leviticus, 13 ch. v. 30, 31, and seqq. WHALLEY. ROB. I had rather, forsooth, go before you like a man, than follow him like a dwarf. MRS. PAGE. O you are a flattering boy; now, I see, you'll be a courtier. Enter FORD. FORD. Well met, mistress Page: Whither go you? MRS. PAGE. Truly, sir, to see your wife: Is she at home? FORD. Ay; and as idle as she may hang together, for want of company: I think, if your hus-. bands were dead, you two would marry. MRS. PAGE. Be sure of that,-two other husbands. FORD. Where had you this pretty weather-cock? MRS. PAGE. I cannot tell what the dickens his name is my husband had him of: What do you call your knight's name, sirrah? ROB. Sir John Falstaff. FORD. Sir John Falstaff! MRS. PAGE. He, he; I can never hit on's name. -There is such a league between my good man and he!-Is your wife at home, indeed? FORD. Indeed, she is. MRS. PAGE. By your leave, sir ;-I am sick, till I see her. / [Exeunt Mrs. PAGE and ROBIN. · FORD. Has Page any brains? hath he any eyes? hath he any thinking? Sure, they sleep; he hath no use of them. Why, this boy will carry a letter twenty miles, as easy as a cannon will shoot point |