William Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor

ACT II. SCENE 1. Before PAGE'S house

[Enter MISTRESS PAGE, with a letter.]

MRS. PAGE.
What! have I scaped love-letters in the holiday-time
of my beauty, and am I now a subject for them? Let me see.

'Ask me no reason why I love you; for though Love use
Reason for his precisian, he admits him not for his counsellor.
You are not young, no more am I; go to, then, there's
sympathy: you are merry, so am I; ha! ha! then there's
more sympathy; you love sack, and so do I; would you
desire better sympathy? Let it suffice thee, Mistress Page
at the least, if the love of soldier can suffice, that I love
thee. I will not say, pity me: 'tis not a soldier-like phrase;
but I say, Love me. By me,
   Thine own true knight,
   By day or night,
   Or any kind of light,
   With all his might,
   For thee to fight,
                       JOHN FALSTAFF.'

What a Herod of Jewry is this! O wicked, wicked world!
One that is well-nigh worn to pieces with age to show
himself a young gallant. What an unweighed behaviour
hath this Flemish drunkard picked, with the devil's name!
out of my conversation, that he dares in this manner
assay me? Why, he hath not been thrice in my company!
What should I say to him? I was then frugal of my mirth:--
Heaven forgive me! Why, I'll exhibit a bill in the parliament
for the putting down of men. How shall I be revenged on him?
 for revenged I will be, as sure as his guts are made of
puddings.

[Enter MISTRESS FORD.]

MRS. FORD.
Mistress Page! trust me, I was going to your house.

MRS. PAGE.
And, trust me, I was coming to you. You look
very ill.

MRS. FORD.
Nay, I'll ne'er believe that; I have to show to
the contrary.

MRS. PAGE.
Faith, but you do, in my mind.

MRS. FORD.
Well, I do, then; yet, I say, I could show you to
the contrary. O, Mistress Page! give me some counsel.