SIMP. Yonder he is coming, this way, fir Hugh. EVA. He's welcome:-

To fhallow rivers, to whofe falls

Heaven profper the right!—What weapons is he? SIM. No weapons, fir: There comes my master, mafter Shallow, and another gentleman from Frogmore, over the ftile, this way.

Eva. Pray you, give me my gown; or else keep it in your arms.

Enter PAGE, SHALLOW, and SLENDER.

SHAL. How now, master parfon? Good-morrow, good fir Hugh. Keep a gamefter from the dice, and a good student from his book, and it is wonderful.

SLEN. Ah, fweet Anne Page!

PAGE. Save you, good fir Hugh!

EVA. 'Plefs you from his mercy fake, all of you! SHAL. What! the fword and the word! do you study them both, master parson?

PAGE. And youthful ftill, in your doublet and hose, this raw rheumatick day?

Eva. There is reasons and caufes for it.

PAGE. We are come to you, to do a good office, master parson.

The word rivers, in the fecond line, may be fuppofed to have been brought to Sir Hugh's thoughts by the line of Marlowe's madrigal that he has juft repeated; and in his fright he blends the facred and prophane fong together. The old quarto has" There lived a man in Babylon," which was the first line of an old fong, mentioned in Twelfth Night :-but the other line is more in character. MALONE.

404

EVA. Fery well: What is it?

PAGE. Yonder is a moft reverend gentleman, who belike, having received wrong by fome perfon, is at most odds with his own gravity and patience, that ever you saw.

SHAL. I have lived fourfcore years, and upward; + 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; mafter doctor Caius, the renowned French physician.

4 I have liv'd fourfcore years, and upward;] We muft certainly read-threefcore. In The Second Part of K. Henry IV. during Falftaff's interview with Mafter Shallow, in his way to York, which Shakspeare has evidently chosen to fix in 1412, (though the Archbishop's infurrection actually happened in 1405,) Silence obferves that it was then fifty-five years fince the latter went to Clements Inn; fo that, fuppofing him to have begun his ftudies at fixteen, he would be born in 1341, and, confequently, be a very few years older than John of Gaunt, who, we may recollect, broke his head in the tiltyard. But, befides this little difference in age, John of Gaunt at eighteen or nineteen would be above fix feet high, and poor Shallow, with all his apparel, might have been trufs'd into an eelskin. Dr. Johnfon was of opinion that the prefent play ought to be 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 impoffible to furmount. But, let it be placed where it may, the fcene is clearly laid between 1402, when Shallow would be fixty one, and 1412, when he had the meeting with Falftaff: Though one would not, to be fure, from what paffes upon that occafion, imagine the parties had been together fo lately at Windfor; much lefs that the Knight had ever beaten his worship's keepers, kill'd his deer, and broke open his lodge. The alteration now propofed, however, is in all events neceffary; and the rather fo, as Falstaff must be nearly of the fame age with Shallow, and fourfcore feems a little too late in life for a man of his kidney to be making love to, and even fuppofing himself admired by, two at a time, travelling in a buck-basket, thrown into a river, going to the wars, and making prifoners. 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 "fome fifty, or, by'r lady, inclining to thrɛ Efcore."

RITSON.

EVA. Got's will, and his paffion of my heart! I had as lief you would tell me of a mefs of porridge.

PAGE. Why?

EVA. He has no more knowledge in Hibocrates and Galen,—and he is a knave befides; a cowardly knave, as you would defires to be acquainted withal. PAGE. I warrant you, he's the man fhould fight. with him.

SLEN. O, fweet Anne Page!

SHAL. It appears fo, by his weapons:-Keep them afunder;-here comes doctor Caius.

Enter HOST, CAIUS and RUGBY.

PAGE. Nay, good mafter parfon, keep in your

weapon.

SHAL. So do you, good mafter doctor.

Hosr. Difarm them, and let them queftion; let them keep their limbs whole, and hack our Eng

lish.

CAIUS. I pray you, let-a me fpeak 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-ftogs to other men's humours; I defire you in friendfhip, and I will one way or other make you amends :-I will knog your urinals about your knave's cogscomb, for miffing your meetings and appointments.

5 for milling your meetings and appointments.] Thefe words, which are not in the folio, were recovered from the quarto, by Mr. Pope, MALONE.

CAIUS. Diable!-Jack Rugby,-mine Hoft de Farterre, have I not stay for him, to kill him? have I not, at de place I did appoint?

EVA. As I am a chriftians foul, now, look you, this is the place appointed; I'll be judgement by mine hoft of the Garter.

HOST. Peace, I fay, Guallia and Gaul, French and Welch; foul-curer and body-curer.

CAIUS. Ay, dat is very good! excellent!

HOST. Peace, I fay; hear mine hoft of the Garter. Am I politick? am I subtle? am I a Machiavel? Shall I lofe my doctor? no; he gives me the potions, and the motions. Shall I lose my parfon? my priest? my fir Hugh? no; he gives me the proverbs and the no-verbs. -- Give me thy hand, terrestial; fo:-Give me thy hand, celestial; fo.———— 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 fack be the iffue.Come, lay their fwords to pawn:-Follow me, lad of peace; follow, follow, follow.

SHAL. Truft me, a mad hoft :-Follow, gentlemen, follow.

SLEN. O, fweet Anne Page!

[Exeunt SHALLOW, SLENDER, PAGE, and Host. CAIUS. Ha! do I perceive dat? have you make-a de fot of us? ha, ha!

6 Peace, I fay, Guallia and Gaul, French and Welch ;] Sir Thomas Hanmer reads-Gallia and Wallia: but it is objected that Wallia is not cafily corrupted into Gaul. Poffibly 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 readsPeace I fay, Gawle and Gawlia, French and Welch, &c. MALONE. -make-a de fot of us?] Sot, in French, fignifies a fool.

MALONE.

EVA. This is well; he has made us his vloutingftog.-I defire you, that we may be friends; and let us knog our prains together, to be revenge on this fame fcall, fcurvy, cogging companion, the hoft of the Garter.

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 fmite his noddles:-Pray you follow.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

The fireet in Windfor.

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?

ROB. I had rather, forfooth, go before you like a man, than follow him like a dwarf.

MRS. PAGE. O, you are a flattering boy; now, I fee, you'll be a courtier.

8fcall, fcurvy,] Scall was an old word of reproach, as fcab was afterwards.

Chaucer imprecates on his fcrivener:

"Under thy longe lockes mayeft thou have the fcalle."

JOHNSON. Scall, as Dr. J. interprets it, is a fcab breaking out in the hair, and approaching nearly to the leprofy. It is ufed by other writers of Shakspeare's time. You will find what was to be done by perfons afflicted with it, by looking into Leviticus, 13 ch. v. 30, 31, and feqq. WHALLEY.