Act 5. Scene III

SCENE III. Gloucestershire. SHALLOW'S orchard.

Enter FALSTAFF, SHALLOW, SILENCE, DAVY, BARDOLPH, and the Page
SHALLOW
Nay, you shall see my orchard, where, in an arbour,
we will eat a last year's pippin of my own graffing,
with a dish of caraways, and so forth: come,
cousin Silence: and then to bed.

FALSTAFF
'Fore God, you have here a goodly dwelling and a rich.

SHALLOW
Barren, barren, barren; beggars all, beggars all,
Sir John: marry, good air. Spread, Davy; spread,
Davy; well said, Davy.

FALSTAFF
This Davy serves you for good uses; he is your
serving-man and your husband.

SHALLOW
A good varlet, a good varlet, a very good varlet,
Sir John: by the mass, I have drunk too much sack
at supper: a good varlet. Now sit down, now sit
down: come, cousin.

SILENCE
Ah, sirrah! quoth-a, we shall
Do nothing but eat, and make good cheer,

Singing

And praise God for the merry year;
When flesh is cheap and females dear,
And lusty lads roam here and there
So merrily,
And ever among so merrily.

FALSTAFF
There's a merry heart! Good Master Silence, I'll
give you a health for that anon.

SHALLOW
Give Master Bardolph some wine, Davy.

DAVY
Sweet sir, sit; I'll be with you anon. most sweet
sir, sit. Master page, good master page, sit.
Proface! What you want in meat, we'll have in drink:
but you must bear; the heart's all.

Exit

SHALLOW
Be merry, Master Bardolph; and, my little soldier
there, be merry.

SILENCE
Be merry, be merry, my wife has all;

Singing

For women are shrews, both short and tall:
'Tis merry in hall when beards wag all,
And welcome merry Shrove-tide.
Be merry, be merry.

FALSTAFF
I did not think Master Silence had been a man of
this mettle.

SILENCE
Who, I? I have been merry twice and once ere now.

Re-enter DAVY

DAVY
There's a dish of leather-coats for you.

To BARDOLPH

SHALLOW
Davy!

DAVY
Your worship! I'll be with you straight.

To BARDOLPH

A cup of wine, sir?

SILENCE
A cup of wine that's brisk and fine,

Singing

And drink unto the leman mine;
And a merry heart lives long-a.

FALSTAFF
Well said, Master Silence.

SILENCE
An we shall be merry, now comes in the sweet o' the night.

FALSTAFF
Health and long life to you, Master Silence.

SILENCE
Fill the cup, and let it come;

Singing

I'll pledge you a mile to the bottom.

SHALLOW
Honest Bardolph, welcome: if thou wantest any
thing, and wilt not call, beshrew