Give ear to his motions, Master Slender: I will description the matter to you, if you pe capacity of it.SLENDER
Nay, I will do as my cousin Shallow says; I pray you pardon me; he's a justice of peace in his country, simple though I stand here.
EVANS
But that is not the question; the question is concerning your marriage.
SHALLOW
Ay, there's the point, sir.
EVANS
Marry is it; the very point of it; to Mistress Anne Page.
SLENDER
Why, if it be so, I will marry her upon any reasonable demands.
EVANS
But can you affection the 'oman? Let us command to know that of your mouth or of your lips; for divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth: therefore, precisely, can you carry your good will to the maid?
SHALLOW
Cousin Abraham Slender, can you love her?
SLENDER
I hope, sir, I will do as it shall become one that would do reason.
EVANS
Nay, Got's lords and his ladies! you must speak possitable, if you can carry her your desires towards her.
SHALLOW
That you must. Will you, upon good dowry, marry her?
SLENDER
I will do a greater thing than that upon your request, cousin, in any reason.
SHALLOW
Nay, conceive me, conceive me, sweet coz; what I do is to pleasure you, coz. Can you love the maid?
SLENDER
I will marry her, sir, at your request; but if there be no great love in the beginning, yet heaven may decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are married and have more occasion to know one another; I hope upon familiarity will grow more contempt. But if you say "Marry her," I will marry her; that I am freely dissolved, and dissolutely.
EVANS
It is a fery discretion answer; save, the fall is in the ort "dissolutely:" the ort is, according to our meaning, "resolutely." His meaning is good.
SHALLOW
Ay, I think my cousin meant well.
SLENDER
Ay, or else I would I might be hanged, la!
SHALLOW
Here comes fair Mistress Anne.
[Re-enter ANNE PAGE.]
Would I were young for your sake, Mistress Anne!
ANNE
The dinner is on the table; my father desires your worships' company.
SHALLOW
I will wait on him, fair Mistress Anne!
EVANS
Od's plessed will! I will not be absence at the grace.
[Exeunt SHALLOW and EVANS.]
ANNE
Will't please your worship to come in, sir?
SLENDER
No, I thank you, forsooth, heartily; I am very well.
ANNE
The dinner attends you, sir.
SLENDER
I am not a-hungry, I thank you, forsooth. Go, sirrah, for all you are my man, go wait upon my cousin Shallow.
[Exit SIMPLE.]
A justice of peace sometime may be beholding to his friend for a man. I keep but three men and a boy yet, till my mother be dead. But what though? Yet I live like a poor gentleman born.
ANNE
I may not go in without your worship: they will not sit till you come.
SLENDER
I' faith, I'll eat nothing; I thank you as much as though I did.
ANNE
I pray you, sir, walk in.
SLENDER
I had rather walk here, I thank you. I bruised my shin th' other day with playing at sword and dagger with a master of fence; three veneys for a dish of stewed prunes—and, by my troth, I cannot abide the smell of hot meat since. Why do your dogs bark so? Be there bears i' the town?
ANNE
I think there are, sir; I heard them talked of.
SLENDER
I love the sport well; but I shall as soon quarrel at it as any man in England. You are afraid, if you see the bear loose, are you not?
ANNE
Ay, indeed, sir.
SLENDER
That's meat and drink to me now. I have seen Sackerson loose twenty times, and have taken him by the chain; but I warrant you, the women have so cried and shrieked at it that it passed; but women, indeed, cannot abide 'em; they are very ill-favoured rough things.
[Re-enter PAGE.]
PAGE
Come, gentle Master Slender, come; we stay for you.
SLENDER
I'll eat nothing, I thank you, sir.
PAGE
By cock and pie, you shall not choose, sir! come, come.
SLENDER
Nay, pray you lead the way.
PAGE
Come on, sir.
SLENDER
Mistress Anne, yourself shall go first.
ANNE
