Windsor. A street
Enter MISTRESS PAGE, MISTRESS QUICKLY, and WILLIAM
Is he at Master Ford's already, think'st thou?
Sure he is by this; or will be presently; but truly
he is very courageous mad about his throwing into the
water. Mistress Ford desires you to come suddenly.
I'll be with her by and by; I'll but bring my
young man here to school. Look where his master comes;
'tis a playing day, I see.Enter SIR HUGH EVANS
How now, Sir Hugh, no school to-day?
No; Master Slender is let the boys leave to play.
Blessing of his heart!
Sir Hugh, my husband says my son profits
nothing in the world at his book; I pray you ask him some
questions in his accidence.
Come hither, William; hold up your head; come.
Come on, sirrah; hold up your head; answer your
master; be not afraid.
William, how many numbers is in nouns?
Two.
Truly, I thought there had been one number
more, because they say 'Od's nouns.'
Peace your tattlings. What is 'fair,' William?
Pulcher.
Polecats! There are fairer things than polecats,
sure.
You are a very simplicity oman; I pray you, peace.
What is 'lapis,' William?
A stone.
And what is 'a stone,' William?
A pebble.
No, it is 'lapis'; I pray you remember in your prain.
Lapis.
That is a good William. What is he, William, that
does lend articles?
Articles are borrowed of the pronoun, and be
thus declined: Singulariter, nominativo; hic, haec, hoc.
Nominativo, hig, hag, hog; pray you, mark: genitivo,
hujus. Well, what is your accusative case?
Accusativo, hinc.
I pray you, have your remembrance, child.
Accusativo, hung, hang, hog.
'Hang-hog' is Latin for bacon, I warrant you.
Leave your prabbles, oman. What is the focative
case, William?
O-vocativo, O.
Remember, William: focative is caret.
And that's a good root.
Oman, forbear.
Peace.
What is your genitive case plural, William?
Genitive case?
Ay.
Genitive: horum, harum, horum.
Vengeance of Jenny's case; fie on her! Never
name her, child, if she be a whore.
For shame, oman.
YOU do ill to teach the child such words. He
teaches him to hick and to hack, which they'll do fast
enough of themselves; and to call 'horum'; fie upon you!
Oman, art thou lunatics? Hast thou no understandings
for thy cases, and the numbers of the genders? Thou
art as foolish Christian creatures as I would desires.
Prithee hold thy peace.
Show me now, William, some declensions of your
pronouns.
Forsooth, I have forgot.
It is qui, quae, quod; if you forget your qui's, your
quae's, and your quod's, you must be preeches. Go your
ways and play; go.
He is a better scholar than I thought he was.
He is a good sprag memory. Farewell, Mistress Page.
Adieu, good Sir Hugh.Exit SIR HUGH
Get you home, boy. Come, we stay too long.
Exeunt