Act 4, Scene 1: A street

SCENE I. A street.

    Enter MISTRESS PAGE, MISTRESS QUICKLY, and WILLIAM PAGE

MISTRESS PAGE

    Is he at Master Ford's already, think'st thou?

MISTRESS QUICKLY

    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.

MISTRESS PAGE

    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?

SIR HUGH EVANS

    No; Master Slender is let the boys leave to play.

MISTRESS QUICKLY

    Blessing of his heart!

MISTRESS PAGE

    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.

SIR HUGH EVANS

    Come hither, William; hold up your head; come.

MISTRESS PAGE

    Come on, sirrah; hold up your head; answer your
    master, be not afraid.

SIR HUGH EVANS

    William, how many numbers is in nouns?

WILLIAM PAGE

    Two.

MISTRESS QUICKLY

    Truly, I thought there had been one number more,
    because they say, ''Od's nouns.'

SIR HUGH EVANS

    Peace your tattlings! What is 'fair,' William?

WILLIAM PAGE

    Pulcher.

MISTRESS QUICKLY

    Polecats! there are fairer things than polecats, sure.

SIR HUGH EVANS

    You are a very simplicity 'oman: I pray you peace.
    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
    does lend articles?

WILLIAM PAGE

    Articles are borrowed of the pronoun, and be thus
    declined, Singulariter, nominativo, hic, haec, hoc.

SIR HUGH EVANS

    Nominativo, hig, hag, hog; pray you, mark:
    genitivo, hujus. Well, what is your accusative case?

WILLIAM PAGE

    Accusativo, hinc.

SIR HUGH EVANS

    I pray you, have your remembrance, child,
    accusative, hung, hang, hog.

MISTRESS QUICKLY

    'Hang-hog' is Latin for bacon, I warrant you.

SIR HUGH EVANS

    Leave your prabbles, 'oman. What is the focative
    case, William?

WILLIAM PAGE

    O,--vocativo, O.

SIR HUGH EVANS

    Remember, William; focative is caret.

MISTRESS QUICKLY

    And that's a good root.

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.

MISTRESS QUICKLY

    Vengeance of Jenny's case! fie on her! never name
    her, child, if she be a whore.

SIR HUGH EVANS

    For shame, 'oman.

MISTRESS QUICKLY

    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!

SIR HUGH EVANS

    '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.

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,'
    your 'quaes,' and your 'quods,' you must be
    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.

    Exit SIR HUGH EVANS
    Get you home, boy. Come, we stay too long.

    Exeunt