Act 1, Scene IV - Page 2

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