William Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor

ACT I. SCENE 4. A room in DOCTOR CAIUS'S house. (continued)

CAIUS.
O diable, diable! vat is in my closet?--Villainy! larron!
[Pulling SIMPLE out.] Rugby, my rapier!

QUICKLY.
Good master, be content.

CAIUS.
Verefore shall I be content-a?

QUICKLY.
The young man is an honest man.

CAIUS.
What shall de honest man do in my closet? dere is
no honest man dat shall come in my closet.

QUICKLY.
I beseech you, be not so phlegmatic. Hear the
truth of it: he came of an errand to me from Parson Hugh.

CAIUS.
Vell.

SIMPLE.
Ay, forsooth, to desire her to--

QUICKLY.
Peace, I pray you.

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.

QUICKLY.
This is all, indeed, la! but I'll ne'er put my finger
in the fire, and need not.

CAIUS.
Sir Hugh send-a you?--Rugby, baillez me some paper: tarry
you a little-a while. [Writes.]

QUICKLY.
 I am glad he is so quiet: if he had been throughly 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.
'Tis a great charge to come under one body's hand.