No Fear Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor: Act 4 Scene 1

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The Merry Wives of Windsor

William Shakespeare

Original Text

Modern Text

Original Text

Modern Text

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Original Text	Modern Text
Enter MISTRESS PAGE, MISTRESS QUICKLY, and WILLIAM.	Enter MISTRESS PAGE, MISTRESS QUICKLY, and WILLIAM.
MISTRESS PAGE Is he at Master Ford’s already, think’st thou?	MISTRESS PAGE Is he at Master Ford’s already, think’st thou?
MISTRESS QUICKLY Sure he is by this, or will be presently. But truly he is very courageous mad about 5 his throwing into the water. Mistress Ford desires you to come suddenly.	MISTRESS QUICKLY Sure he is by this, or will be presently. But truly he is very courageous mad about 5 his throwing into the water. Mistress Ford desires you to come suddenly.
MISTRESS PAGE I’ll be with her by and by. I’ll but bring my young man here to school. Enter SIR HUGH EVANS. Look where his master comes. ’Tis a playing day, I 10 see.—How now, Sir Hugh, no school today?	MISTRESS PAGE I’ll be with her by and by. I’ll but bring my young man here to school. Enter SIR HUGH EVANS. Look where his master comes. ’Tis a playing day, I 10 see.—How now, Sir Hugh, no school today?
SIR HUGH No. Master Slender is let the boys leave to play.	SIR HUGH No. Master Slender is let the boys leave to play.
MISTRESS QUICKLY Blessing of his heart!	MISTRESS QUICKLY Blessing of his heart!
MISTRESS PAGE Sir Hugh, my husband says my son 15 profits nothing in the world at his book. I pray you, ask him some questions in his accidence.	MISTRESS PAGE Sir Hugh, my husband says my son 15 profits nothing in the world at his book. I pray you, ask him some questions in his accidence.
SIR HUGH Come hither, William. Hold up your head. Come.	SIR HUGH Come hither, William. Hold up your head. Come.
MISTRESS PAGE Come on, sirrah. Hold up your head. 20 Answer your master. Be not afraid.	MISTRESS PAGE Come on, sirrah. Hold up your head. 20 Answer your master. Be not afraid.
SIR HUGH William, how many numbers is in nouns?	SIR HUGH William, how many numbers is in nouns?
WILLIAM Two.	WILLIAM Two.
MISTRESS QUICKLY Truly, I thought there had been one number more, because they say “ ’Od’s nouns.”	MISTRESS QUICKLY Truly, I thought there had been one number more, because they say “ ’Od’s nouns.”
SIR HUGH 25 Peace your tattlings!—What is “fair,” William?	SIR HUGH 25 Peace your tattlings!—What is “fair,” William?
WILLIAM Pulcher.	WILLIAM Pulcher.
MISTRESS QUICKLY Polecats? There are fairer things than polecats, sure.	MISTRESS QUICKLY Polecats? There are fairer things than polecats, sure.
SIR HUGH 30 You are a very simplicity ’oman. I pray you, peace.—What is lapis, William?	SIR HUGH 30 You are a very simplicity ’oman. I pray you, peace.—What is lapis, William?
WILLIAM A stone.	WILLIAM A stone.
SIR HUGH And what is “a stone,” William?	SIR HUGH And what is “a stone,” William?
WILLIAM A pebble.	WILLIAM A pebble.
SIR HUGH 35 No. It is lapis. I pray you, remember in your prain.	SIR HUGH 35 No. It is lapis. I pray you, remember in your prain.
WILLIAM Lapis.	WILLIAM Lapis.
SIR HUGH That is a good William. What is he, William, that does lend articles?	SIR HUGH That is a good William. What is he, William, that does lend articles?
WILLIAM 40 Articles are borrowed of the pronoun and be thus declined: singulariter, nominativo, hic, haec, hoc.	WILLIAM 40 Articles are borrowed of the pronoun and be thus declined: singulariter, nominativo, hic, haec, hoc.
SIR HUGH Nominativo, hig, haeg, hog. Pray you, mark: genitivo, huius. Well, what is your accusative case?	SIR HUGH Nominativo, hig, haeg, hog. Pray you, mark: genitivo, huius. Well, what is your accusative case?
WILLIAM 45 Accusativo, hinc.	WILLIAM 45 Accusativo, hinc.
SIR HUGH I pray you, have your remembrance, child. Accusativo, hung, hang, hog.	SIR HUGH I pray you, have your remembrance, child. Accusativo, hung, hang, hog.
MISTRESS QUICKLY “Hang-hog” is Latin for bacon, I warrant you.	MISTRESS QUICKLY “Hang-hog” is Latin for bacon, I warrant you.
SIR HUGH 50 Leave your prabbles, ’oman.—What is the focative case, William?	SIR HUGH 50 Leave your prabbles, ’oman.—What is the focative case, William?
WILLIAM O—vocativo—O—	WILLIAM O—vocativo—O—
SIR HUGH Remember, William, focative is caret.	SIR HUGH Remember, William, focative is caret.
MISTRESS QUICKLY And that’s a good root.	MISTRESS QUICKLY And that’s a good root.
SIR HUGH 55 ’Oman, forbear.	SIR HUGH 55 ’Oman, forbear.
MISTRESS PAGE , to MISTRESS QUICKLY Peace!	MISTRESS PAGE , to MISTRESS QUICKLY Peace!
SIR HUGH What is your genitive case plural, William?	SIR HUGH What is your genitive case plural, William?
WILLIAM Genitive case?	WILLIAM Genitive case?
SIR HUGH Ay.	SIR HUGH Ay.
WILLIAM 60 Genitive: horum, harum, horum.	WILLIAM 60 Genitive: horum, harum, horum.
MISTRESS QUICKLY Vengeance of Ginny’s case! Fie on her! Never name her, child, if she be a whore.	MISTRESS QUICKLY Vengeance of Ginny’s case! Fie on her! Never name her, child, if she be a whore.
SIR HUGH For shame, ’oman!	SIR HUGH For shame, ’oman!
MISTRESS QUICKLY You do ill to teach the child such 65 words.—He teaches him to hick and to hack, which they’ll do fast enough of themselves, and to call “whorum.”—Fie upon you!	MISTRESS QUICKLY You do ill to teach the child such 65 words.—He teaches him to hick and to hack, which they’ll do fast enough of themselves, and to call “whorum.”—Fie upon you!
SIR HUGH ’Oman, art thou lunatics? Hast thou no understandings for thy cases and the numbers of the 70 genders? Thou art as foolish Christian creatures as I would desires.	SIR HUGH ’Oman, art thou lunatics? Hast thou no understandings for thy cases and the numbers of the 70 genders? Thou art as foolish Christian creatures as I would desires.
MISTRESS PAGE , to MISTRESS QUICKLY Prithee, hold thy peace.	MISTRESS PAGE , to MISTRESS QUICKLY Prithee, hold thy peace.
SIR HUGH Show me now, William, some declensions of 75 your pronouns.	SIR HUGH Show me now, William, some declensions of 75 your pronouns.
WILLIAM Forsooth, I have forgot.	WILLIAM Forsooth, I have forgot.
SIR HUGH It is qui, quae, quod. If you forget your qui’s, your quae’s, and your quod’s, you must be preeches. Go your ways and play, go.	SIR HUGH It is qui, quae, quod. If you forget your qui’s, your quae’s, and your quod’s, you must be preeches. Go your ways and play, go.
MISTRESS PAGE 80 He is a better scholar than I thought he was.	MISTRESS PAGE 80 He is a better scholar than I thought he was.
SIR HUGH He is a good sprag memory. Farewell, Mistress Page.	SIR HUGH He is a good sprag memory. Farewell, Mistress Page.
MISTRESS PAGE Adieu, good Sir Hugh.—Get you home, 85 boy. (To MISTRESS QUICKLY.) Come. We stay too long.	MISTRESS PAGE Adieu, good Sir Hugh.—Get you home, 85 boy. (To MISTRESS QUICKLY.) Come. We stay too long.
They exit.	They exit.