William Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor

ACT II. SCENE 1. Before PAGE'S house (continued)

FORD.
What name, sir?

PISTOL.
The horn, I say. Farewell:
Take heed; have open eye, for thieves do foot by night;
Take heed, ere summer comes, or cuckoo birds do sing.
Away, Sir Corporal Nym.
Believe it, Page; he speaks sense.

[Exit.]

FORD.
[Aside] I will be patient: I will find out this.

NYM.
[To PAGE] And this is true; I like not the humour of
lying. He hath wronged me in some humours: I should
have borne the humoured letter to her; but I have a sword,
and it shall bite upon my necessity. He loves your wife;
there's the short and the long. My name is Corporal Nym;
I speak, and I avouch 'tis true. My name is Nym, and
Falstaff loves your wife. Adieu. I love not the humour
of bread and cheese; and there's the humour of it. Adieu.

[Exit Nym.]

PAGE.
[Aside.] 'The humour of it,' quoth 'a! Here's a fellow
frights English out of his wits.

FORD.
I will seek out Falstaff.

PAGE.
I never heard such a drawling, affecting rogue.

FORD.
If I do find it: well.

PAGE.
I will not believe such a Cataian, though the priest o'
the town commended him for a true man.

FORD.
'Twas a good sensible fellow: well.

PAGE.
How now, Meg!

MRS. PAGE.
Whither go you, George?--Hark you.

MRS. FORD.
How now, sweet Frank! why art thou melancholy?

FORD.
I melancholy! I am not melancholy. Get you home, go.

MRS. FORD.
Faith, thou hast some crotchets in thy head now.
Will you go, Mistress Page?

MRS. PAGE.
Have with you. You'll come to dinner, George?
[Aside to MRS. FORD] Look who comes yonder: she shall
be our messenger to this paltry knight.