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Between two hawks, which flies the higher pitch;
Between two dogs, which hath the deeper mouth;
Between two blades, which bears the better temper;
Between two horses, which doth bear him best;
Between two girls, which hath the merriest eye,&1

      — King Henry VI. Part I, Act II Scene 4

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1-20 of 21 total

KEYWORD: simple

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# Result number

Work The work is either a play, poem, or sonnet. The sonnets are treated as single work with 154 parts.

Character Indicates who said the line. If it's a play or sonnet, the character name is "Poet."

Line Shows where the line falls within the work.

The numbering is not keyed to any copyrighted numbering system found in a volume of collected works (Arden, Oxford, etc.) The numbering starts at the beginning of the work, and does not restart for each scene.

Text The line's full text, with keywords highlighted within it, unless highlighting has been disabled by the user.

1

Merry Wives of Windsor
[I, 1]

Sir Hugh Evans

25

Yes, py'r lady; if he has a quarter of your coat,
there is but three skirts for yourself, in my
simple conjectures: but that is all one. If Sir
John Falstaff have committed disparagements unto
you, I am of the church, and will be glad to do my
benevolence to make atonements and compremises
between you.

2

Merry Wives of Windsor
[I, 1]

Slender

123

Where's Simple, my man? Can you tell, cousin?

3

Merry Wives of Windsor
[I, 1]

Slender

182

I had rather than forty shillings I had my Book of
Songs and Sonnets here.
[Enter SIMPLE]
How now, Simple! where have you been? I must wait
on myself, must I? You have not the Book of Riddles
about you, have you?

4

Merry Wives of Windsor
[I, 1]

Slender

201

Nay, I will do as my cousin Shallow says: I pray
you, pardon me; he's a justice of peace in his
country, simple though I stand here.

5

Merry Wives of Windsor
[I, 1]

Slender

249

I am not a-hungry, I thank you, forsooth. Go,
sirrah, for all you are my man, go wait upon my
cousin Shallow.
[Exit SIMPLE]
A justice of peace sometimes may be beholding to his
friend for a man. I keep but three men and a boy
yet, till my mother be dead: but what though? Yet I
live like a poor gentleman born.

6

Merry Wives of Windsor
[I, 2]

(stage directions)

290

[Enter SIR HUGH EVANS and SIMPLE]

7

Merry Wives of Windsor
[I, 4]

(stage directions)

404

[Enter MISTRESS QUICKLY, SIMPLE, and RUGBY]

8

Merry Wives of Windsor
[I, 4]

Hostess Quickly

411

Go; and we'll have a posset for't soon at night, in
faith, at the latter end of a sea-coal fire.
[Exit RUGBY]
An honest, willing, kind fellow, as ever servant
shall come in house withal, and, I warrant you, no
tell-tale nor no breed-bate: his worst fault is,
that he is given to prayer; he is something peevish
that way: but nobody but has his fault; but let
that pass. Peter Simple, you say your name is?

9

Merry Wives of Windsor
[I, 4]

Hostess Quickly

439

We shall all be shent. Run in here, good young man;
go into this closet: he will not stay long.
[Shuts SIMPLE in the closet]
What, John Rugby! John! what, John, I say!
Go, John, go inquire for my master; I doubt
he be not well, that he comes not home.
[Singing]
And down, down, adown-a, &c.

10

Merry Wives of Windsor
[I, 4]

Doctor Caius

469

O diable, diable! vat is in my closet? Villain! larron!
[Pulling SIMPLE out]
Rugby, my rapier!

11

Merry Wives of Windsor
[I, 4]

Hostess Quickly

491

[Aside to SIMPLE] I am glad he is so quiet: if he
had been thoroughly moved, you should have heard him
so loud and so melancholy. But notwithstanding,
man, I'll do you your master what good I can: and
the very yea and the no is, the French doctor, my
master,—I may call him my master, look you, for I
keep his house; and I wash, wring, brew, bake,
scour, dress meat and drink, make the beds and do
all myself,—

12

Merry Wives of Windsor
[I, 4]

Hostess Quickly

502

[Aside to SIMPLE] Are you avised o' that? you
shall find it a great charge: and to be up early
and down late; but notwithstanding,—to tell you in
your ear; I would have no words of it,—my master
himself is in love with Mistress Anne Page: but
notwithstanding that, I know Anne's mind,—that's
neither here nor there.

13

Merry Wives of Windsor
[I, 4]

(stage directions)

516

[Exit SIMPLE]

14

Merry Wives of Windsor
[III, 1]

(stage directions)

1190

[Enter SIR HUGH EVANS and SIMPLE]

15

Merry Wives of Windsor
[III, 1]

Sir Hugh Evans

1191

I pray you now, good master Slender's serving-man,
and friend Simple by your name, which way have you
looked for Master Caius, that calls himself doctor of physic?

16

Merry Wives of Windsor
[III, 1]

(stage directions)

1218

[Re-enter SIMPLE]

17

Merry Wives of Windsor
[III, 3]

Falstaff

1467

What made me love thee? let that persuade thee
there's something extraordinary in thee. Come, I
cannot cog and say thou art this and that, like a
many of these lisping hawthorn-buds, that come like
women in men's apparel, and smell like Bucklersbury
in simple time; I cannot: but I love thee; none
but thee; and thou deservest it.

18

Merry Wives of Windsor
[III, 5]

Falstaff

1776

Simple of itself; I'll no pullet-sperm in my brewage.
[Exit BARDOLPH]
How now!

19

Merry Wives of Windsor
[IV, 2]

Falstaff

1967

Mistress Ford, your sorrow hath eaten up my
sufferance. I see you are obsequious in your love,
and I profess requital to a hair's breadth; not
only, Mistress Ford, in the simple
office of love, but in all the accoutrement,
complement and ceremony of it. But are you
sure of your husband now?

20

Merry Wives of Windsor
[IV, 2]

Ford

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!

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