William Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor

ACT IV. SCENE 2. A room in FORD'S house. (continued)

[Re-enter MISTRESS FORD, with two SERVANTS.]

MRS. FORD.
Go, sirs, take the basket again on your shoulders;
your master is hard at door; if he bid you set it down, obey
him. Quickly, dispatch.

[Exit.]

FIRST SERVANT.
Come, come, take it up.

SECOND SERVANT.
Pray heaven, it be not full of knight again.

FIRST SERVANT.
I hope not; I had lief as bear so much lead.

[Enter FORD, PAGE, SHALLOW, CAIUS, and SIR HUGH EVANS.]

FORD.
Ay, but if it prove true, Master Page, have you any
way then to unfool me again? Set down the basket, villain!
Somebody call my wife. Youth in a basket! O you panderly
rascals! there's a knot, a ging, a pack, a conspiracy
against me. Now shall the devil be shamed. What, wife, I
say! Come, come forth! behold what honest clothes you
send forth to bleaching!

PAGE.
Why, this passes, Master Ford! you are not to go loose
any longer; you must be pinioned.

EVANS.
Why, this is lunatics! this is mad as a mad dog.

SHALLOW.
Indeed, Master Ford, this is not well, indeed.

FORD.
So say I too, sir.--

[Re-enter MISTRESS FORD.]

Come hither, Mistress Ford, the honest woman, the modest
wife, the virtuous creature, that hath the jealous fool
to her husband! I suspect without cause, Mistress, do I?

MRS. FORD.
Heaven be my witness, you do, if you suspect
me in any dishonesty.

FORD.
Well said, brazen-face! hold it out. Come forth, sirrah.

[Pulling clothes out of the basket.]

PAGE.
This passes!

MRS. FORD.
Are you not ashamed? Let the clothes alone.

FORD.
I shall find you anon.