![Cover of The Merry Wives of Windsor The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.]](/covers/23044.jpg)
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In: Humour·Plays/Films/Dramas·British Literature
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #23044.
The volume presents Shakespeare’s comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor as part of the Cambridge edition of the complete works, edited by William George Clark and John Glover. The front matter explains that the text follows the original line numbering, retains all line breaks and brackets, and includes detailed notes drawn from three early quartos (1602, 1619, 1630) as well as later folio editions. The opening scene places the action in Windsor, outside Master Page’s house, where Justice Shallow, his cousin Slender, and the Welsh parson Sir Hugh Evans argue over a marriage proposal for the young Anne Page. Their banter quickly introduces Sir John Falstaff and his companions, Bardolph, Pistol, and Nym, setting up the tangled schemes and comic misunderstandings that will drive the play.
The language reflects Elizabethan drama, with its lively wordplay, puns, and occasional archaic spelling, while the scholarly apparatus preserves the play’s textual history. Readers who enjoy witty repartee, richly drawn characters such as the boisterous Falstaff, and a glimpse into early‑modern theatrical practice will find this edition both entertaining and illuminating.
The opening · free to read
The | Merry Wives | of Windsor. | with the humours of Sir John Falstaffe, | as also, The swaggering Vaine of Ancient | Pistoll, and Corporall Nym. |WRITTEN BY William Shake-speare. | Newly corrected. | LONDON: | printed by T. H. for R. Meighen and are to be sold | at his Shop, next to the Middle-Temple Gate, and in | S. Dunstan’s Church-yard in Fleet Street. | 1630.
Q1 and Q2 are editions of an early sketch of the same play. The variations between the text of these quartos and the received text are so great that collation cannot be attempted. The text printed at the end of the play is taken literatim from Q1, the edition of 1602, of which a copy is preserved among Capell’s SHAKESPEARIANA, and this text is collated verbatim with Q2, the second quarto printed in 1619. Q1 was reprinted in 1842 for the Shakespeare Society by Mr J. O. Halliwell. This text, which differs in one or two places from Capell’s Q1, has also been collated. Q2 is given among TWENTY OF THE PLAYS OF SHAKESPEARE, edited by Steevens. Their titles are as follows:
(1) A | Most pleasaunt and | excellent conceited Co-|medie, of Syr John Falstaffe, and the | Merrie Wiues of Windsor. | Enter-mixed with sundrie | variable and pleasing humors of Syr Hugh | the Welch Knight, Justice Shallow, and his | wise Cousin M. Slender. | With the Swaggering vaine of Auncient | Pistoll, and Corporall Nym. | By William Shakespeare. | As it hath been diuers times Acted by the right Honorable | my Lord Chamberlaines seruants. Both before her | Maiestie, and else-where. | London. | Printed by T. C. for Arthur Johnson, and are to be sold at | his shop in Powles Church-yard, at the signe of the | Flower de Leuse and the Crowne. | 1602.
[This consists of 7 Quires of 4. In the Quire G one line, which we have included in brackets, has been cut away by the binder. We have supplied it from Halliwell’s edition and Q2.]
(2) A | Most pleasant and ex-|cellent Comedy, | of Sir John Falstaffe, and the | merry Wives of Windsor. | With the swaggering vaine of An|cient Pistoll, and Corporall Nym. | Written by W. SHAKESPEARE. | Printed for Arthur Johnson, 1619.
DRAMATIS PERSONÆ[1].
SIR JOHN FALSTAFF. FENTON, a gentleman. SHALLOW, a country justice. SLENDER, cousin to Shallow. FORD, } two gentlemen dwelling at Windsor. PAGE, } WILLIAM PAGE, a boy, son to Page. SIR HUGH EVANS, a Welsh parson. DOCTOR CAIUS, a French physician. Host of the Garter Inn. BARDOLPH, } PISTOL, } sharpers attending on Falstaff. NYM, } ROBIN, page to Falstaff. SIMPLE, servant to Slender. RUGBY, servant to Doctor Caius.
MISTRESS FORD. MISTRESS PAGE. ANNE PAGE, her daughter. MISTRESS QUICKLY, servant to Doctor Caius.
Servants to Page, Ford, &c.
SCENE--_Windsor, and the neighbourhood._
[Footnote 1: Not in Qq Ff. Inserted by Rowe.]
THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.
Shal. Sir Hugh, persuade me not; I will make a Star-chamber matter of it: if he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs, he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, esquire.
Slen. In the county of Gloucester, justice of peace and ‘Coram.’ 5
Shal. Ay, cousin Slender, and ‘Custalorum.’
Slen. Ay, and ‘Rato-lorum’ too; and a gentleman born, master parson; who writes himself ‘Armigero,’ in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, ‘Armigero.’
Shal. Ay, that I do; and have done any time these 10 three hundred years.
Slen. All his successors gone before him hath done’t; and all his ancestors that come after him may: they may give the dozen white luces in their coat. 15
Shal. It is an old coat.
Evans. The dozen white louses do become an old coat well; it agrees well, passant; it is a familiar beast to man, and signifies love.
Shal. The luce is the fresh fish; the salt fish is an old coat. 20
Slen. I may quarter, coz.
Shal. You may, by marrying.
Evans. It is marring indeed, if he quarter it.
Shal. Not a whit.
Evans. Yes, py’r lady; if he has a quarter of your 25 coat, there is but three skirts for yourself, in my simple conjectures: but that is all one. If Sir John Falstaff have committed disparagements unto you, I am of the church, and will be glad to do my benevolence to make atonements and compremises between you. 30
Shal. The council shall hear it; it is a riot.
Evans. It is not meet the council hear a riot; there is no fear of Got in a riot: the council, look you, shall desire to hear the fear of Got, and not to hear a riot; take your vizaments in that. 35
Shal. Ha! o’ my life, if I were young again, the sword should end it.
Evans. It is petter that friends is the sword, and end it: and there is also another device in my prain, which peradventure prings goot discretions with it:--there is Anne 40 Page, which is daughter to Master Thomas Page, which is pretty virginity.
Slen. Mistress Anne Page? She has brown hair, and speaks small like a woman.
Evans. It is that fery person for all the orld, as just as 45 you will desire; and seven hundred pounds of moneys, and gold and silver, is her grandsire upon his death’s-bed (Got deliver to a joyful resurrections!) give, when she is able to overtake seventeen years old: it were a goot motion if we leave our pribbles and prabbles, and desire a marriage between 50 Master Abraham and Mistress Anne Page.
Slen. Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred pound?
Evans. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny.
Slen. I know the young gentlewoman; she has good gifts. 55
Evans. Seven hundred pounds and possibilities is goot gifts.
Shal. Well, let us see honest Master Page. Is Falstaff there?
Evans. Shall I tell you a lie? I do despise a liar as I do 60 despise one that is false, or as I despise one that is not true. The knight, Sir John, is there; and, I beseech you, be ruled by your well-willers. I will peat the door for Master Page. [_Knocks_] What, hoa! Got pless your house here!
Evans. Here is Got’s plessing, and your friend, and Justice Shallow; and here young Master Slender, that peradventures shall tell you another tale, if matters grow to your likings.
Page. I am glad to see your worships well. I thank 70 you for my venison, Master Shallow.
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