The reading of the present text appears to the left of the square bracket. Unless otherwise noted, the reading to the left of the bracket is from F, the First Folio text (upon which this edition is based). The earliest sources of readings not in F are indicated as follows: Q is the Quarto of 1602; Q3 is the Quarto of 1630; F2 is the Second Folio of 1632; F3 is the Third Folio of 1663–64; Ed. is an earlier editor of Shakespeare, beginning with Rowe in 1709. No sources are given for emendations of punctuation or for corrections of obvious typographical errors, like turned letters that produce no known word. SD means stage direction; SP means speech prefix; uncorr. means the first or uncorrected state of the First Folio; corr. means the second or corrected state of the First Folio; ~ stands in place of a word already quoted before the square bracket; ^ indicates the omission of a punctuation mark.
1.1
0. SD Enter . . . Evans] Ed.; Enter Iustice Shallow, Slender, Sir Hugh Euans, Master Page, Falstoffe, Bardolph, Nym, Pistoll, Anne Page, Mistresse Ford, Mistresse Page, Simple. F; Enter Iustice Shallow, Syr Hugh, Maister Page, and Slender. Q
2. matter of it.]~~~, F
19 and hereafter. SP SIR HUGH] This ed.; Euans F
22. fresh fish. The salt fish^] ~~, ~~~, F
28. py ’r Lady] F (per-lady)
33–34. compromises] F (compremises)
46. Thomas] F
65 and repeatedly but not invariably hereafter. Master] F (Mr and also Mr. and M.)
73 and hereafter in this scene. SP PAGE] Ed.; Mr. Page. (elsewhere in this scene also M., Ma.) F
74. Got’s] F (go’t’s)
105. hath;] ~, F
106. SD Enter . . . Pistol.] Q (Enter Syr Iohn Falstaffe, Pistoll, Bardolfe, and Nim.)
137. Garter] Gater F
139. goot] F (goo’t)
156. latten] Q (laten); F (Latine)
175. careers] F (Car-eires)
176. Latin] F (Latten)
181. virtuous] vertuons F
183. SD Enter . . . wine.] Ed.; Enter Mistresse Foord, Mistresse Page, and her daughter Anne. Q
189. SD He kisses her.] Q (Syr Iohn kisses her.); not in F
192. SD All . . . exit.] Ed.; Exit all, but Slender and mistresse Anne. Q; not in F
209. motions, Master Slender.] ~; (~~) F
218. Mistress] F (Mi.)
225. can] F (cã)
226. the] F (ye)
248. discretion answer] discetion-answere F
258. absence] F (absẽce)
293. SD Enter Page.] Q (Enter Maister Page.); not in F
1.2
5. wringer] F (Ringer)
9. acquaintance] F (acquaintãce)
1.3
14. lime] Q; liue F
14. SD Host exits.] Q; not in F
19. thou] F (yu)
20. SD Bardolph exits.] Q; not in F
21–22. conceited] F (cõceited)
40. waist] F (waste)
52. legion] Ed.; legend F
60. oeillades] Ed.; illiads F
85. humor] Q; honor F
86. SD Falstaff . . . exit.] Q (Exit Falstaffe, and the Boy.); not in F
1.4
0. SD Enter . . . Simple.] Q; Enter Mistris Quickly, Simple, Iohn Rugby, Doctor, Caius, Fenton. F
1 and hereafter. SP MISTRESS QUICKLY] Ed.; Qu. F
39. SD Simple exits.] Ed.; He steps into the Counting-house. Q; not in F
44 and hereafter. SP DOCTOR CAIUS] Ed.; Ca. F
45–46. un boîtier vert] Ed.; vnboyteene verd F
52. Ma] mai F
52–53. fort chaud. Je m’en vais à la cour—la grande affaire] Ed.; for ehando, Ie man voi a le Court la grand affaires F
55. Oui, mets-le à] Ouy mette le au F
55. Dépêche] de-peech F
59. and] aad F
64. Qu’ai-j’oublié] que ay ie oublie F
70. Larron] Ed.; La-roone F
92. baille] Ed.; ballow F
93. SD Rugby . . . writes.] Q (The Doctor writes.); not in F
97. you] F (yoe)
99. the] F (ye)
101. wring] F (ring)
127. goodyear] F (good-ier)
132. SD Caius . . . exit.] Exit Doctor. Q; not in F
150. Fenton] Feuton F
170. him] hiim F
2.1
0. SD Enter Mistress Page reading a letter.] Ed.; Enter Mistris Page, Mistris Ford, Master Page, Master Ford, Pistoll, Nim, Quickly, Host, Shallow. F; Enter Mistresse Page, reading of a letter. Q
1. I] Q3; omit F
2. holiday] F (holly-day)
20. Jewry] F (Iurie)
31. SD Enter Mistress Ford.] Q
36. believe] beleeee F
57. praised] Ed.; praise F
62. Hundredth Psalm] Ed.; hundred Psalms F
108. SD Enter . . . Nym.] Enter Ford, Page, Pistoll and Nym. Q
128. SD He exits.] Q (Exit Pistoll); not in F
138. SD He exits.] Q (Exit Nym.); not in F
150. Whither] F (Whether)
159. SD Enter Mistress Quickly.] Q after equivalent of line 150
167. SD Mistress . . . exit.] Q (Exit Mistresse Ford, Mis. Page, and Quickly.); not in F
187. SD Enter Host.] Enter Host and Shallow. Q
202. SD The Host . . . aside.] Ford and the Host talkes. Q; not in F
210. SP FORD] Q; Shal. F
212 and hereafter. Brook] Q; Broome F
216. ameers] Ed.; An-heires F
228. SD Page . . . exit.] Exit Host and Shallow. Q; not in F
230. wife’s] F (wiues)
235. SD He exits.] Exeunt. F; Exit omnes. Q
2.2
0. SD Enter . . . Pistol.] Ed.; Enter Syr Iohn, and Pistoll. Q; Enter Falstaffe, Pistoll, Robin, Quickly, Bardolffe, Ford. F
22. honor] hononor F
23,
52. God] Q; heauen F
32. SD Enter Mistress Quickly.] Q
115. infection] F (infectiō)
133–34. SD Mistress . . . exit.] Ed.; Exit Mistresse Quickly. Q; not in F
144. SD Enter . . . wine.] Q (Enter Bardolfe.); not in F
154. SD Enter . . . Brook.] Enter Foord disguised like Brooke. Q
155. God bless] Ed.; ’Blesse F; God saue Q
240. exchange] enchange F
293. SD Falstaff exits.] Q; not in F
313. ruminates] rumiuates F
316. God] Q; Heauen F
321. SD He exits.] Exti. F
2.3
0. SD Enter . . . Rugby.] Ed.; Enter the Doctor and his man. Q; Enter Caius, Rugby, Page, Shallow, Slender, Host. F
17. SD Enter . . . Host.] Enter Shallow, Page, my Host, and Slender. Q
18. God bless] Q; ’Blesse F
19. God save] Q (where speech is attributed to Page); ’Saue F
26. thy] Ed.; thee F
33. Urinal^] ~: F
38. Doctor] Docto)r F
57. word] Q; not in F
81. SP PAGE, SHALLOW, and SLENDER] Ed.; All. F
82. SD Page . . . exit.] Q (Exit all but the Host and Doctor.); not in F
3.1
0. SD Enter . . . gown.] Ed.; Enter Euans, Simple, Page, Shallow, Slender, Host, Caius, Rugby. F; Enter Syr Hugh and Simple. Q
5. Petty-ward] Ed.; pittie-ward F
16. rivers] Ruiers F
25–26. To shallow rivers, to whose falls | Melodious birds sings madrigals.] Ed.; To shallow, &c. F
41. God save] Q; ’Saue F
42. God pless] Q; ’Plesse F
67. acquainted] acquaiuted F
73. SD Enter . . . fight.] Ed.; Enter Doctor and the Host, they offer to fight. Q
81–82. patience.] ~^ F
88. By Jeshu] Q; not in F
98. excellent] excellant F
104–5. Give me thy hand, terrestrial; so.] Q (Giue me thy hand terestiall, So^); not in F
111. lads] Q; Lad F
111. SD Host exits.] Q; not in F
112. Afore God] Q; Trust me F
126. SD Sir Hugh . . . exit.] Q (Exit omnes); not in F
3.2
0. SD Enter . . . Mistress Page.] Ed.; Mist. Page, Robin, Ford, Page, Shallow, Slender, Host, Euans, Caius. F
9. Whither] F (whether)
32. wife’s] F (wiues)
43. cue] F (Qu)
47. SD Enter . . . Rugby.] Enter Shallow, Page, host, Slender, Doctor, and sir Hugh. Q
83. SD Shallow . . . exit.] Q; not in F
86. SD He exits.] Q (Exit host.); not in F
90. SP PAGE, DOCTOR CAIUS, and SIR HUGH] Ed.; All. F
3.3
0. SD Enter . . . Mistress Page.] Ed.; Enter M. Ford, M. Page, Seruants, Robin, Falstaffe, Ford, Page, Caius, Euans. F; Enter Mistresse Ford, with two of her men, and a great buck busket. Q
3. Robert] Ed.; Robin F
12. That] F (ye)
13. haste] F (hast)
13. Datchet] Ed.; Dotchet F
19. SD John . . . exit.] Ed.; Exit seruant. Q
24,
47,
98,
142,
189–90. Mistress] F (Mist.)
36. cue] F (Qu)
41. SD Enter . . . Falstaff.] Q (Enter Sir Iohn.)
72. like^] ~. F
73. Bucklersbury] Ed.; Bucklers-berry F
76. Mistress] F (M.)
79. lime-kiln] F (Lime-kill)
92. SD 1–2. Falstaff . . . Page.] Q (“Enter Mistresse Page.” after line 79, Q omitting lines 80–90; “Falstaffe stands behind the aras.”); not in F
105. hither] F (hether)
137. Falstaff] Faistaffe F
137–38. SD (Aside to him.)] Q (Aside); not in F
140. SD Falstaff . . . clothes.] Q (Sir Iohn goes into the basket, they put cloathes ouer him, the two men carries it away: Foord meetes it, and all the rest, Page, Doctor, Priest, Slender, Shallow.); not in F
150,
153. Whither] F (Whether)
152. SP ROBERT and JOHN] Ed.; Ser. F
155,
213. the] F (ye)
172. SD Page . . . exit.] Exit omnes. Q
189. foolish] foolishion F
194. SD Enter . . . Sir Hugh.] Ed.; Enter all. Q
211. ashamed] ashɐm’d F
217. ’omans] F (o’mans)
223. Mistress] F (Mi.)
224. heartily] F (hartly)
3.4
0. SD Enter . . . Anne Page.] Ed.; Enter Fenton, Anne, Page, Shallow, Slender, Quickly, Page, Mist. Page. F; Enter M. Fenton, Page, and mistresse Quickly. Q
13. SP FENTON] Q3; not in F
40. Mistress] F (M.)
42,
81. Mistress] F (Mist.)
70. Fenton] Fenter F
74. Fenton,] ~. F
104. SD Fenton exits.] Exit Fen. Q
113. SD She exits.] Q (Exit.); Exeunt F
3.5
0. SD Enter Sir John Falstaff.] Q; Enter Falstaffe, Bardolfe, Quickly, Ford. F
8. ’Sblood] Q; not in F
17. By the Lord] Q; not in F
19,
35. Mistress] F (M.)
25. SD Enter Mistress Quickly.] Q
31. sperm] Spersme F
36,
86. Mistress] F (Mist.)
57. SD Mistress Quickly exits.] Q; not in F
59. SD Enter . . . Brook.] Ed.; Enter Brooke. Q
60. he] F3; be F
61. God] Q; not in F
80,
88. wife’s] F (wiues)
91. By the Lord] Q; Yes F
140. SD Falstaff exits.] Q
154. SD He exits.] Ed.; Exeunt. F; Exit omnes. Q
4.1
0. SD Enter . . . William.] Ed.; Enter Mistris Page, Quickly, William, Euans. F
30,
50,
55,
63,
68. ’oman] F (o’man)
35. remember] remeɯber F
47. hung] Ed.; hing F
67. whorum] F (horum)
68. lunatics] Lunaties F
77. quae] Ed.; que F
78. quae’s] Ed.; Ques F
82–83. Mistress] F (Mis.)
4.2
0. SD Enter . . . Mistress Ford.] Ed.; Enter Falstoffe, Mist. Ford, Mist. Page, Seruants, Ford, Page, Caius, Euans, Shallow. F; Enter misteris Ford and her two men. (“Enter Syr Iohn.” 4 Q lines later) Q
1. Mistress] F (Mi.)
4. Mistress] F (Mist.)
5. compliment] F (complement)
10. SD 1. Falstaff exits.] He steps behind the arras. Q
10. SD 2. Enter Mistress Page.] Q
11. who’s] F (whose)
21. lunes] Ed.; lines F
58. SP MISTRESS PAGE] Ed.; not in F
58. kiln-hole] F (Kill-hole)
66. SP PAGE] Ed.; Ford F
76 and hereafter. Brentford] Ed.; F (Brainford)
80. Mistress] Mistriis F
83. SD Falstaff exits.] Ed.; Exit Mis. Page, & Sir Iohn. Q; not in F
99. direct] direct direct F
103. him] F2; omit F
111,
113. SP ROBERT] Ed.; I Ser. F
112. SP JOHN] Ed.; 2 Ser. F
113. SD Enter . . . Shallow.] Q (Enter M. Ford, Page, Priest, Shallow, the two men carries the basket, and Ford meets it.)
118. gang] Ed.; gin F; ging F2
127. this] thi F
142,
164. wife’s] F (wiues)
180. not] Q3; omit F
180. SD Enter . . . old woman.] Q (Enter Falstaffe disguised like an old woman, and misteris Page with him, Ford beates him, and hee runnes away.)
192,
193. ’oman] F (o’man)
194. her] Q; his F
200. SD Ford . . . exit.] Q (Exit omnes.)
4.3
1. Germans desire] Ed.; Germane desires F
7. them] Q; him F
9. house] Q; houses F
4.4
1,
22. ’oman] F (o’man)
6. thou] F (yu)
7. cold] Ed.; gold F
27. when] F (whẽ)
28,
48. thither] F (thether)
34. makes] F2; make F
44. device] F (deuise)
53. aufs] F (Ouphes)
88. SD Page . . . exit.] Exit omnes. Q; not in F
4.5
0. SD Enter . . . Simple.] Q; Enter Host, Simple, Falstaffe, Bardolfe, Euans, Caius, Quickly. F
1–2. have, boor? What, thick-skin?] Ed.; ~? (~)~? (~~) F
22. SD Enter Sir John Falstaff.] Enter Sir Iohn. Q (after line 24)
30. through] F (thorough)
43. SP SIMPLE] Ed.; Fal. F
56. Thou art] Q; Thou are F
61. SD Enter Bardolph.] Q
78. Readings] F (Readins)
78. Colnbrook] Cole-brooke F
92. SD Host . . . exit.] Ed.; Exit. Q; not in F
103. SD Enter Mistress Quickly.] Q
4.6
5. gold^] ~, F
27. ever] Ed.; euen F
39. denote] Ed.; deuote F
50. in] F corr.; id F uncorr.
5.1
0. SD Enter . . . Mistress Quickly.] Ed.; Enter Falstoffe, Quickly, and Ford. F
6. SP MISTRESS QUICKLY] Qai. F
23. Goliath] Goliah F
25. haste] F (hast)
26. Brook.] Broome:) F
32. SD They exit.] Ed.; Exennt. F
5.2
10. struck] F (strooke)
10. o’clock] F (a’ clocke)
5.3
0. SD Mistress] F (Mist.) (twice)
13. Hugh] Ed.; Herne F
5.5
0. SD Enter . . . head.] Enter sir Iohn with a Bucks head vpon him. Q; Enter Falstaffe, Mistris Page, Mistris Ford, Euans, Anne Page, Fairies, Page, Ford, Quickly, Slender, Fenton, Caius, Pistoll. F
1. struck] F (stroke)
2. hot-blooded] Ed.; hot-bloodied F
11. foul] F (fowle)
15. SD Enter . . . Mistress Ford.] Q
32,
36. SDD A noise of horns within. The two women run off.] Ed.; Q (There is a noise of hornes, the two women run away.); not in F
39. SD Enter . . . tapers.] Ed. Enter sir Hugh like Satyre, and boyes drest like Fayries, mistresse Quickly, like the Queene of Fayries: they sing a song about him, and afterward speake. Q; Enter Fairies. F
62. aufs] F (Ouphes)
71. ring.] ~, F
73. More.] F2; Mote F
79. o’clock] F (a clocke)
94. SD Sir Hugh . . . starts.] Ed.; They put the Tapers to his fingers, and he starts. Q
98. SD Here . . . Anne Page.] Ed.; Here they pinch him, and sing about him, & the Doctor comes one way & steales away a boy in red. And Slender another way he takes a boy in greene: And Fenton steales misteris Anne, being in white. And a noyse of hunting is made within: and all the Fairies runne away. Falstaffe pulles of his bucks head, and rises vp. And enters M. Page, M. Ford, and their wiues, M. Shallow, Sir Hugh. Q
99. SP FAIRIES sing] Ed.; The Song. F
115. who’s] F (whose)
136. SP SIR HUGH] Euant. F
205. white] Ed.; greene F
210,
217. green] Ed.; white F
214. un garçon] oon Garsoon F
214. un paysan] oon pesant F
220. SD Enter . . . Anne Page.] Q (Enter Fenton and Anne.); not in F