Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
Act 4 - Scene 1
A street.
Mistress Page : Is he at Master Ford's already, think'st thou?
Mistress Page : I'll be with her by and by; I'll but bring my young
[p]man here to
school. Look, where his master comes;
[p]'tis a playing-day, I
see.
[p][Enter SIR HUGH EVANS]
[p]How now, Sir Hugh! no school
to-day?
Sir Hugh Evans : No; Master Slender is let the boys leave to play.
Mistress Page : Sir Hugh, my husband says my son profits nothing in
[p]the world at
his book. I pray you, ask him some
[p]questions in his accidence.
Sir Hugh Evans : Come hither, William; hold up your head; come.
Mistress Page : Come on, sirrah; hold up your head; answer your
[p]master, be not
afraid.
Sir Hugh Evans : William, how many numbers is in nouns?
William Page : Two.
Sir Hugh Evans : Peace your tattlings! What is 'fair,' William?
William Page : Pulcher.
Sir Hugh Evans : You are a very simplicity 'oman: I pray you peace.
[p]What is 'lapis,'
William?
William Page : A stone.
Sir Hugh Evans : And what is 'a stone,' William?
William Page : A pebble.
Sir Hugh Evans : No, it is 'lapis:' I pray you, remember in your prain.
William Page : Lapis.
Sir Hugh Evans : That is a good William. What is he, William, that
[p]does lend
articles?
William Page : Articles are borrowed of the pronoun, and be thus
[p]declined,
Singulariter, nominativo, hic, haec, hoc.
Sir Hugh Evans : Nominativo, hig, hag, hog; pray you, mark:
[p]genitivo, hujus. Well,
what is your accusative case?
William Page : Accusativo, hinc.
Sir Hugh Evans : I pray you, have your remembrance, child,
[p]accusative, hung, hang,
hog.
Sir Hugh Evans : Leave your prabbles, 'oman. What is the focative
[p]case, William?
William Page : O,--vocativo, O.
Sir Hugh Evans : Remember, William; focative is caret.
Sir Hugh Evans : 'Oman, forbear.
Mistress Page : Peace!
Sir Hugh Evans : What is your genitive case plural, William?
William Page : Genitive case!
Sir Hugh Evans : Ay.
William Page : Genitive,--horum, harum, horum.
Sir Hugh Evans : For shame, 'oman.
Sir Hugh Evans : 'Oman, art thou lunatics? hast thou no
[p]understandings for thy cases
and the numbers of the
[p]genders? Thou art as foolish Christian
creatures as
[p]I would desires.
Mistress Page : Prithee, hold thy peace.
Sir Hugh Evans : Show me now, William, some declensions of your pronouns.
William Page : Forsooth, I have forgot.
Sir Hugh Evans : It is qui, quae, quod: if you forget your 'quies,'
[p]your 'quaes,'
and your 'quods,' you must be
[p]preeches. Go your ways, and play;
go.
Mistress Page : He is a better scholar than I thought he was.
Sir Hugh Evans : He is a good sprag memory. Farewell, Mistress Page.
Mistress Page : Adieu, good Sir Hugh.
[p][Exit SIR HUGH EVANS]
[p]Get you home, boy.
Come, we stay too long.
Previous: Act 3 - Scene 5
Next: Act 4 - Scene 2
