William Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor

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

MRS. PAGE.
I'll have the cudgel hallowed and hung o'er the
altar; it hath done meritorious service.

MRS. FORD.
What think you? May we, with the warrant of womanhood
and the witness of a good conscience, pursue him with
any further revenge?

MRS. PAGE.
The spirit of wantonness is sure scared out of
him; if the devil have him not in fee-simple, with fine and
recovery, he will never, I think, in the way of waste,
attempt us again.

MRS. FORD.
Shall we tell our husbands how we have served him?

MRS. PAGE.
Yes, by all means; if it be but to scrape the
figures out of your husband's brains. If they can find in their
hearts the poor unvirtuous fat knight shall be any further
afflicted, we two will still be the ministers.

MRS. FORD.
I'll warrant they'll have him publicly shamed;
and methinks there would be no period to the jest, should
he not be publicly shamed.

MRS. PAGE.
Come, to the forge with it then; shape it. I
would not have things cool.

[Exeunt.]