SEARCH TEXTS  

Plays  +  Sonnets  +  Poems  +  Concordance  +  Advanced Search  +  About OSS

Speeches (Lines) for Ford
in "Merry Wives of Windsor"

Total: 99

---
# Act, Scene, Line
(Click to see in context)
Speech text

1

II,1,670

Well, I hope it be not so.

2

II,1,673

Why, sir, my wife is not young.

3

II,1,677

Love my wife!

4

II,1,681

What name, sir?

5

II,1,688

[Aside] I will be patient; I will find out this.

6

II,1,701

I will seek out Falstaff.

7

II,1,703

If I do find it: well.

8

II,1,706

'Twas a good sensible fellow: well.

9

II,1,711

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

10

II,1,727

You heard what this knave told me, did you not?

11

II,1,729

Do you think there is truth in them?

12

II,1,734

Were they his men?

13

II,1,736

I like it never the better for that. Does he lie at
the Garter?

14

II,1,742

I do not misdoubt my wife; but I would be loath to
turn them together. A man may be too confident: I
would have nothing lie on my head: I cannot be thus satisfied.

15

II,1,759

Good mine host o' the Garter, a word with you.

16

II,1,770

None, I protest: but I'll give you a pottle of
burnt sack to give me recourse to him and tell him
my name is Brook; only for a jest.

17

II,1,787

Though Page be a secure fool, an stands so firmly
on his wife's frailty, yet I cannot put off my
opinion so easily: she was in his company at Page's
house; and what they made there, I know not. Well,
I will look further into't: and I have a disguise
to sound Falstaff. If I find her honest, I lose not
my labour; if she be otherwise, 'tis labour well bestowed.

18

II,2,949

Bless you, sir!

19

II,2,951

I make bold to press with so little preparation upon
you.

20

II,2,955

Sir, I am a gentleman that have spent much; my name is Brook.

21

II,2,957

Good Sir John, I sue for yours: not to charge you;
for I must let you understand I think myself in
better plight for a lender than you are: the which
hath something embolden'd me to this unseasoned
intrusion; for they say, if money go before, all
ways do lie open.

22

II,2,964

Troth, and I have a bag of money here troubles me:
if you will help to bear it, Sir John, take all, or
half, for easing me of the carriage.

23

II,2,968

I will tell you, sir, if you will give me the hearing.

24

II,2,971

Sir, I hear you are a scholar,—I will be brief
with you,—and you have been a man long known to me,
though I had never so good means, as desire, to make
myself acquainted with you. I shall discover a
thing to you, wherein I must very much lay open mine
own imperfection: but, good Sir John, as you have
one eye upon my follies, as you hear them unfolded,
turn another into the register of your own; that I
may pass with a reproof the easier, sith you
yourself know how easy it is to be such an offender.

25

II,2,982

There is a gentlewoman in this town; her husband's
name is Ford.

26

II,2,985

I have long loved her, and, I protest to you,
bestowed much on her; followed her with a doting
observance; engrossed opportunities to meet her;
fee'd every slight occasion that could but niggardly
give me sight of her; not only bought many presents
to give her, but have given largely to many to know
what she would have given; briefly, I have pursued
her as love hath pursued me; which hath been on the
wing of all occasions. But whatsoever I have
merited, either in my mind or, in my means, meed,
I am sure, I have received none; unless experience
be a jewel that I have purchased at an infinite
rate, and that hath taught me to say this:
'Love like a shadow flies when substance love pursues;
Pursuing that that flies, and flying what pursues.'

27

II,2,1001

Never.

28

II,2,1003

Never.

29

II,2,1005

Like a fair house built on another man's ground; so
that I have lost my edifice by mistaking the place
where I erected it.

30

II,2,1009

When I have told you that, I have told you all.
Some say, that though she appear honest to me, yet in
other places she enlargeth her mirth so far that
there is shrewd construction made of her. Now, Sir
John, here is the heart of my purpose: you are a
gentleman of excellent breeding, admirable
discourse, of great admittance, authentic in your
place and person, generally allowed for your many
war-like, court-like, and learned preparations.

31

II,2,1019

Believe it, for you know it. There is money; spend
it, spend it; spend more; spend all I have; only
give me so much of your time in exchange of it, as
to lay an amiable siege to the honesty of this
Ford's wife: use your art of wooing; win her to
consent to you: if any man may, you may as soon as
any.

32

II,2,1029

O, understand my drift. She dwells so securely on
the excellency of her honour, that the folly of my
soul dares not present itself: she is too bright to
be looked against. Now, could I could come to her
with any detection in my hand, my desires had
instance and argument to commend themselves: I
could drive her then from the ward of her purity,
her reputation, her marriage-vow, and a thousand
other her defences, which now are too too strongly
embattled against me. What say you to't, Sir John?

33

II,2,1042

O good sir!

34

II,2,1044

Want no money, Sir John; you shall want none.

35

II,2,1053

I am blest in your acquaintance. Do you know Ford,
sir?

36

II,2,1061

I would you knew Ford, sir, that you might avoid him
if you saw him.

37

II,2,1073

What a damned Epicurean rascal is this! My heart is
ready to crack with impatience. Who says this is
improvident jealousy? my wife hath sent to him; the
hour is fixed; the match is made. Would any man
have thought this? See the hell of having a false
woman! My bed shall be abused, my coffers
ransacked, my reputation gnawn at; and I shall not
only receive this villanous wrong, but stand under
the adoption of abominable terms, and by him that
does me this wrong. Terms! names! Amaimon sounds
well; Lucifer, well; Barbason, well; yet they are
devils' additions, the names of fiends: but
Cuckold! Wittol!—Cuckold! the devil himself hath
not such a name. Page is an ass, a secure ass: he
will trust his wife; he will not be jealous. I will
rather trust a Fleming with my butter, Parson Hugh
the Welshman with my cheese, an Irishman with my
aqua-vitae bottle, or a thief to walk my ambling
gelding, than my wife with herself; then she plots,
then she ruminates, then she devises; and what they
think in their hearts they may effect, they will
break their hearts but they will effect. God be
praised for my jealousy! Eleven o'clock the hour.
I will prevent this, detect my wife, be revenged on
Falstaff, and laugh at Page. I will about it;
better three hours too soon than a minute too late.
Fie, fie, fie! cuckold! cuckold! cuckold!

38

III,2,1320

Well met, Mistress Page. Whither go you?

39

III,2,1322

Ay; and as idle as she may hang together, for want
of company. I think, if your husbands were dead,
you two would marry.

40

III,2,1326

Where had you this pretty weather-cock?

41

III,2,1331

Sir John Falstaff!

42

III,2,1335

Indeed she is.

43

III,2,1338

Has Page any brains? hath he any eyes? hath he any
thinking? Sure, they sleep; he hath no use of them.
Why, this boy will carry a letter twenty mile, as
easy as a cannon will shoot point-blank twelve
score. He pieces out his wife's inclination; he
gives her folly motion and advantage: and now she's
going to my wife, and Falstaff's boy with her. A
man may hear this shower sing in the wind. And
Falstaff's boy with her! Good plots, they are laid;
and our revolted wives share damnation together.
Well; I will take him, then torture my wife, pluck
the borrowed veil of modesty from the so seeming
Mistress Page, divulge Page himself for a secure and
wilful Actaeon; and to these violent proceedings all
my neighbours shall cry aim.
[Clock heard]
The clock gives me my cue, and my assurance bids me
search: there I shall find Falstaff: I shall be
rather praised for this than mocked; for it is as
positive as the earth is firm that Falstaff is
there: I will go.
[Enter PAGE, SHALLOW, SLENDER, Host,]
SIR HUGH EVANS, DOCTOR CAIUS, and RUGBY]

44

III,2,1362

Trust me, a good knot: I have good cheer at home;
and I pray you all go with me.

45

III,2,1387

I beseech you heartily, some of you go home with me
to dinner: besides your cheer, you shall have
sport; I will show you a monster. Master doctor,
you shall go; so shall you, Master Page; and you, Sir Hugh.

46

III,2,1399

[Aside] I think I shall drink in pipe wine first
with him; I'll make him dance. Will you go, gentles?

47

III,3,1542

Pray you, come near: if I suspect without cause,
why then make sport at me; then let me be your jest;
I deserve it. How now! whither bear you this?

48

III,3,1548

Buck! I would I could wash myself of the buck!
Buck, buck, buck! Ay, buck; I warrant you, buck;
and of the season too, it shall appear.
[Exeunt Servants with the basket]
Gentlemen, I have dreamed to-night; I'll tell you my
dream. Here, here, here be my keys: ascend my
chambers; search, seek, find out: I'll warrant
we'll unkennel the fox. Let me stop this way first.
[Locking the door]
So, now uncape.

49

III,3,1559

True, Master Page. Up, gentlemen: you shall see
sport anon: follow me, gentlemen.

50

III,3,1589

I cannot find him: may be the knave bragged of that
he could not compass.

51

III,3,1593

Ay, I do so.

52

III,3,1595

Amen!

53

III,3,1597

Ay, ay; I must bear it.

54

III,3,1606

'Tis my fault, Master Page: I suffer for it.

55

III,3,1611

Well, I promised you a dinner. Come, come, walk in
the Park: I pray you, pardon me; I will hereafter
make known to you why I have done this. Come,
wife; come, Mistress Page. I pray you, pardon me;
pray heartily, pardon me.

56

III,3,1620

Any thing.

57

III,3,1623

Pray you, go, Master Page.

58

III,5,1802

Bless you, sir!

59

III,5,1805

That, indeed, Sir John, is my business.

60

III,5,1808

And sped you, sir?

61

III,5,1810

How so, sir? Did she change her determination?

62

III,5,1819

What, while you were there?

63

III,5,1821

And did he search for you, and could not find you?

64

III,5,1826

A buck-basket!

65

III,5,1831

And how long lay you there?

66

III,5,1860

In good sadness, I am sorry that for my sake you
have sufferd all this. My suit then is desperate;
you'll undertake her no more?

67

III,5,1868

'Tis past eight already, sir.

68

III,5,1876

Hum! ha! is this a vision? is this a dream? do I
sleep? Master Ford awake! awake, Master Ford!
there's a hole made in your best coat, Master Ford.
This 'tis to be married! this 'tis to have linen
and buck-baskets! Well, I will proclaim myself
what I am: I will now take the lecher; he is at my
house; he cannot 'scape me; 'tis impossible he
should; he cannot creep into a halfpenny purse,
nor into a pepper-box: but, lest the devil that
guides him should aid him, I will search
impossible places. Though what I am I cannot avoid,
yet to be what I would not shall not make me tame:
if I have horns to make one mad, let the proverb go
with me: I'll be horn-mad.

69

IV,2,2008

Which way should be go? how should I bestow him?
Shall I put him into the basket again?

70

IV,2,2075

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!

71

IV,2,2086

So say I too, sir.
[Re-enter MISTRESS FORD]
Come hither, Mistress Ford; 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?

72

IV,2,2094

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

73

IV,2,2098

I shall find you anon.

74

IV,2,2101

Empty the basket, I say!

75

IV,2,2103

Master Page, as I am a man, there was one conveyed
out of my house yesterday in this basket: why may
not he be there again? In my house I am sure he is:
my intelligence is true; my jealousy is reasonable.
Pluck me out all the linen.

76

IV,2,2114

Well, he's not here I seek for.

77

IV,2,2116

Help to search my house this one time. If I find
not what I seek, show no colour for my extremity; let
me for ever be your table-sport; let them say of
me, 'As jealous as Ford, Chat searched a hollow
walnut for his wife's leman.' Satisfy me once more;
once more search with me.

78

IV,2,2124

Old woman! what old woman's that?

79

IV,2,2126

A witch, a quean, an old cozening quean! Have I not
forbid her my house? She comes of errands, does
she? We are simple men; we do not know what's
brought to pass under the profession of
fortune-telling. She works by charms, by spells,
by the figure, and such daubery as this is, beyond
our element we know nothing. Come down, you witch,
you hag, you; come down, I say!

80

IV,2,2138

I'll prat her.
[Beating him]
Out of my door, you witch, you hag, you baggage, you
polecat, you runyon! out, out! I'll conjure you,
I'll fortune-tell you.

81

IV,2,2147

Hang her, witch!

82

IV,2,2151

Will you follow, gentlemen? I beseech you, follow;
see but the issue of my jealousy: if I cry out thus
upon no trail, never trust me when I open again.

83

IV,4,2200

Pardon me, wife. Henceforth do what thou wilt;
I rather will suspect the sun with cold
Than thee with wantonness: now doth thy honour stand
In him that was of late an heretic,
As firm as faith.

84

IV,4,2212

There is no better way than that they spoke of.

85

IV,4,2263

The children must
Be practised well to this, or they'll ne'er do't.

86

IV,4,2268

That will be excellent. I'll go and buy them vizards.

87

IV,4,2276

Nay I'll to him again in name of Brook
He'll tell me all his purpose: sure, he'll come.

88

V,1,2492

Went you not to her yesterday, sir, as you told me
you had appointed?

89

V,5,2684

Now, sir, who's a cuckold now? Master Brook,
Falstaff's a knave, a cuckoldly knave; here are his
horns, Master Brook: and, Master Brook, he hath
enjoyed nothing of Ford's but his buck-basket, his
cudgel, and twenty pounds of money, which must be
paid to Master Brook; his horses are arrested for
it, Master Brook.

90

V,5,2695

Ay, and an ox too: both the proofs are extant.

91

V,5,2706

Well said, fairy Hugh.

92

V,5,2708

I will never mistrust my wife again till thou art
able to woo her in good English.

93

V,5,2724

What, a hodge-pudding? a bag of flax?

94

V,5,2727

And one that is as slanderous as Satan?

95

V,5,2729

And as wicked as his wife?

96

V,5,2737

Marry, sir, we'll bring you to Windsor, to one
Master Brook, that you have cozened of money, to
whom you should have been a pander: over and above
that you have suffered, I think to repay that money
will be a biting affliction.

97

V,5,2780

This is strange. Who hath got the right Anne?

98

V,5,2798

Stand not amazed; here is no remedy:
In love the heavens themselves do guide the state;
Money buys lands, and wives are sold by fate.

99

V,5,2811

Let it be so. Sir John,
To Master Brook you yet shall hold your word
For he tonight shall lie with Mistress Ford.

Return to the "Merry Wives of Windsor" menu