Speeches (Lines) for Slender
in "Merry Wives of Windsor"
Total: 56

1

I,1,5

Robert Shallow. Sir Hugh, persuade me not; I will make a Star-
chamber matter of it: if he were twenty Sir John
Falstaffs, he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, esquire.

Slender. In the county of Gloucester, justice of peace and
'Coram.'

2

I,1,8

Robert Shallow. Ay, cousin Slender, and 'Custalourum.

Slender. Ay, and 'Rato-lorum' too; and a gentleman born,
master parson; who writes himself 'Armigero,' in any
bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, 'Armigero.'

3

I,1,13

Robert Shallow. Ay, that I do; and have done any time these three
hundred years.

Slender. All his successors gone before him hath done't; and
all his ancestors that come after him may: they may
give the dozen white luces in their coat.

4

I,1,21

Robert Shallow. The luce is the fresh fish; the salt fish is an old coat.

Slender. I may quarter, coz.

5

I,1,44

Sir Hugh Evans. It is petter that friends is the sword, and end it:
and there is also another device in my prain, which
peradventure prings goot discretions with it: there
is Anne Page, which is daughter to Master Thomas
Page, which is pretty virginity.

Slender. Mistress Anne Page? She has brown hair, and speaks
small like a woman.

6

I,1,54

Sir Hugh Evans. It is that fery person for all the orld, as just as
you will desire; and seven hundred pounds of moneys,
and gold and silver, is her grandsire upon his
death's-bed—Got deliver to a joyful resurrections!
—give, when she is able to overtake seventeen years
old: it were a goot motion if we leave our pribbles
and prabbles, and desire a marriage between Master
Abraham and Mistress Anne Page.

Slender. Did her grandsire leave her seven hundred pound?

7

I,1,56

Sir Hugh Evans. Ay, and her father is make her a petter penny.

Slender. I know the young gentlewoman; she has good gifts.

8

I,1,81

Page. I am glad to see you, good Master Slender.

Slender. How does your fallow greyhound, sir? I heard say he
was outrun on Cotsall.

9

I,1,84

Page. It could not be judged, sir.

Slender. You'll not confess, you'll not confess.

10

I,1,115

Falstaff. Good worts! good cabbage. Slender, I broke your
head: what matter have you against me?

Slender. Marry, sir, I have matter in my head against you;
and against your cony-catching rascals, Bardolph,
Nym, and Pistol.

11

I,1,119

Bardolph. You Banbury cheese!

Slender. Ay, it is no matter.

12

I,1,121

Pistol. How now, Mephostophilus!

Slender. Ay, it is no matter.

13

I,1,123

Nym. Slice, I say! pauca, pauca: slice! that's my humour.

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

14

I,1,138

Falstaff. Pistol, did you pick Master Slender's purse?

Slender. Ay, by these gloves, did he, or I would I might
never come in mine own great chamber again else, of
seven groats in mill-sixpences, and two Edward
shovel-boards, that cost me two shilling and two
pence apiece of Yead Miller, by these gloves.

15

I,1,149

Pistol. Ha, thou mountain-foreigner! Sir John and Master mine,
I combat challenge of this latten bilbo.
Word of denial in thy labras here!
Word of denial: froth and scum, thou liest!

Slender. By these gloves, then, 'twas he.

16

I,1,153

Nym. Be avised, sir, and pass good humours: I will say
'marry trap' with you, if you run the nuthook's
humour on me; that is the very note of it.

Slender. By this hat, then, he in the red face had it; for
though I cannot remember what I did when you made me
drunk, yet I am not altogether an ass.

17

I,1,162

Bardolph. And being fap, sir, was, as they say, cashiered; and
so conclusions passed the careires.

Slender. Ay, you spake in Latin then too; but 'tis no
matter: I'll ne'er be drunk whilst I live again,
but in honest, civil, godly company, for this trick:
if I be drunk, I'll be drunk with those that have
the fear of God, and not with drunken knaves.

18

I,1,173

(stage directions). [Exit ANNE PAGE]

Slender. O heaven! this is Mistress Anne Page.

19

I,1,182

(stage directions). [Exeunt all except SHALLOW, SLENDER, and SIR HUGH EVANS]

Slender. 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?

20

I,1,195

Robert Shallow. Come, coz; come, coz; we stay for you. A word with
you, coz; marry, this, coz: there is, as 'twere, a
tender, a kind of tender, made afar off by Sir Hugh
here. Do you understand me?

Slender. Ay, sir, you shall find me reasonable; if it be so,
I shall do that that is reason.

21

I,1,198

Robert Shallow. Nay, but understand me.

Slender. So I do, sir.

22

I,1,201

Sir Hugh Evans. Give ear to his motions, Master Slender: I will
description the matter to you, if you be capacity of it.

Slender. 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.

23

I,1,208

Sir Hugh Evans. Marry, is it; the very point of it; to Mistress Anne Page.

Slender. Why, if it be so, I will marry her upon any
reasonable demands.

24

I,1,216

Robert Shallow. Cousin Abraham Slender, can you love her?

Slender. I hope, sir, I will do as it shall become one that
would do reason.

25

I,1,222

Robert Shallow. That you must. Will you, upon good dowry, marry her?

Slender. I will do a greater thing than that, upon your
request, cousin, in any reason.

26

I,1,226

Robert Shallow. Nay, conceive me, conceive me, sweet coz: what I do
is to pleasure you, coz. Can you love the maid?

Slender. I will marry her, sir, at your request: but if there
be no great love in the beginning, yet heaven may
decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are
married and have more occasion to know one another;
I hope, upon familiarity will grow more contempt:
but if you say, 'Marry her,' I will marry her; that
I am freely dissolved, and dissolutely.

27

I,1,237

Robert Shallow. Ay, I think my cousin meant well.

Slender. Ay, or else I would I might be hanged, la!

28

I,1,247

Anne Page. Will't please your worship to come in, sir?

Slender. No, I thank you, forsooth, heartily; I am very well.

29

I,1,249

Anne Page. The dinner attends you, sir.

Slender. 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.

30

I,1,259

Anne Page. I may not go in without your worship: they will not
sit till you come.

Slender. I' faith, I'll eat nothing; I thank you as much as
though I did.

31

I,1,262

Anne Page. I pray you, sir, walk in.

Slender. I had rather walk here, I thank you. I bruised
my shin th' other day with playing at sword and
dagger with a master of fence; three veneys for a
dish of stewed prunes; and, by my troth, I cannot
abide the smell of hot meat since. Why do your
dogs bark so? be there bears i' the town?

32

I,1,269

Anne Page. I think there are, sir; I heard them talked of.

Slender. I love the sport well but I shall as soon quarrel at
it as any man in England. You are afraid, if you see
the bear loose, are you not?

33

I,1,273

Anne Page. Ay, indeed, sir.

Slender. That's meat and drink to me, now. I have seen
Sackerson loose twenty times, and have taken him by
the chain; but, I warrant you, the women have so
cried and shrieked at it, that it passed: but women,
indeed, cannot abide 'em; they are very ill-favored
rough things.

34

I,1,281

Page. Come, gentle Master Slender, come; we stay for you.

Slender. I'll eat nothing, I thank you, sir.

35

I,1,283

Page. By cock and pie, you shall not choose, sir! come, come.

Slender. Nay, pray you, lead the way.

36

I,1,285

Page. Come on, sir.

Slender. Mistress Anne, yourself shall go first.

37

I,1,287

Anne Page. Not I, sir; pray you, keep on.

Slender. I'll rather be unmannerly than troublesome.
You do yourself wrong, indeed, la!

38

II,3,1120

Page. Now, good master doctor!

Slender. Give you good morrow, sir.

39

III,1,1232

Robert Shallow. How now, master Parson! Good morrow, good Sir Hugh.
Keep a gamester from the dice, and a good student
from his book, and it is wonderful.

Slender. [Aside] Ah, sweet Anne Page!

40

III,1,1300

Robert Shallow. Trust me, a mad host. Follow, gentlemen, follow.

Slender. [Aside] O sweet Anne Page!

41

III,2,1365

Robert Shallow. I must excuse myself, Master Ford.

Slender. And so must I, sir: we have appointed to dine with
Mistress Anne, and I would not break with her for
more money than I'll speak of.

42

III,2,1370

Robert Shallow. We have lingered about a match between Anne Page and
my cousin Slender, and this day we shall have our answer.

Slender. I hope I have your good will, father Page.

43

III,4,1657

Robert Shallow. Break their talk, Mistress Quickly: my kinsman shall
speak for himself.

Slender. I'll make a shaft or a bolt on't: 'slid, 'tis but
venturing.

44

III,4,1660

Robert Shallow. Be not dismayed.

Slender. No, she shall not dismay me: I care not for that,
but that I am afeard.

45

III,4,1670

Robert Shallow. She's coming; to her, coz. O boy, thou hadst a father!

Slender. I had a father, Mistress Anne; my uncle can tell you
good jests of him. Pray you, uncle, tell Mistress
Anne the jest, how my father stole two geese out of
a pen, good uncle.

46

III,4,1675

Robert Shallow. Mistress Anne, my cousin loves you.

Slender. Ay, that I do; as well as I love any woman in
Gloucestershire.

47

III,4,1678

Robert Shallow. He will maintain you like a gentlewoman.

Slender. Ay, that I will, come cut and long-tail, under the
degree of a squire.

48

III,4,1685

Anne Page. Now, Master Slender,—

Slender. Now, good Mistress Anne,—

49

III,4,1687

Anne Page. What is your will?

Slender. My will! 'od's heartlings, that's a pretty jest
indeed! I ne'er made my will yet, I thank heaven; I
am not such a sickly creature, I give heaven praise.

50

III,4,1691

Anne Page. I mean, Master Slender, what would you with me?

Slender. Truly, for mine own part, I would little or nothing
with you. Your father and my uncle hath made
motions: if it be my luck, so; if not, happy man be
his dole! They can tell you how things go better
than I can: you may ask your father; here he comes.

51

V,2,2515

Page. Come, come; we'll couch i' the castle-ditch till we
see the light of our fairies. Remember, son Slender,
my daughter.

Slender. Ay, forsooth; I have spoke with her and we have a
nay-word how to know one another: I come to her in
white, and cry 'mum;' she cries 'budget;' and by
that we know one another.

52

V,5,2749

(stage directions). [Enter SLENDER]

Slender. Whoa ho! ho, father Page!

53

V,5,2751

Page. Son, how now! how now, son! have you dispatched?

Slender. Dispatched! I'll make the best in Gloucestershire
know on't; would I were hanged, la, else.

54

V,5,2754

Page. Of what, son?

Slender. I came yonder at Eton to marry Mistress Anne Page,
and she's a great lubberly boy. If it had not been
i' the church, I would have swinged him, or he
should have swinged me. If I did not think it had
been Anne Page, would I might never stir!—and 'tis
a postmaster's boy.

55

V,5,2761

Page. Upon my life, then, you took the wrong.

Slender. What need you tell me that? I think so, when I took
a boy for a girl. If I had been married to him, for
all he was in woman's apparel, I would not have had
him.

56

V,5,2767

Page. Why, this is your own folly. Did not I tell you how
you should know my daughter by her garments?

Slender. I went to her in white, and cried 'mum,' and she
cried 'budget,' as Anne and I had appointed; and yet
it was not Anne, but a postmaster's boy.