Act IV, Scene 1

A street.

[Enter MISTRESS PAGE, MISTRESS QUICKLY, and WILLIAM PAGE]

• Mistress Page. Is he at Master Ford's already, think'st thou?

• Hostess 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. 1895

• 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? 1900

• Sir Hugh Evans. No; Master Slender is let the boys leave to play.

• Hostess 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. 1905

• 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. 1910

• Hostess 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.

• Hostess Quickly. Polecats! there are fairer things than polecats, sure. 1915

• 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. 1920

• 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 1925
  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, 1930
  accusative, hung, hang, hog.

• Hostess 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. 1935

• Sir Hugh Evans. Remember, William; focative is caret.

• Hostess 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? 1940

• William Page. Genitive case!

• Sir Hugh Evans. Ay.

• William Page. Genitive,—horum, harum, horum.

• Hostess Quickly. Vengeance of Jenny's case! fie on her! never name
  her, child, if she be a whore. 1945

• Sir Hugh Evans. For shame, 'oman.

• Hostess 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 1950
  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. 1955

• 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. 1960

• 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]