Jean Pierre Simon 'John Peter Simon, the Younger' Reverend Matthew William Peters

Shakspeare. Merry Wives of Windsor. Act III, Scene III. Publish'd Decr. 24. 1793 John. & Josiah. Boydell, at the Shakspeare Gallery Pall Mall, & Cheapside Engraved by I. P. Simon. Painted by the Revd. W. Peters.

Mistress Ford. Why, alas, what's the matter?

Mistress Page. Your husband's coming hither, woman, with all the officers in Windsor, to search for a gentleman that he says is here now in the house by your consent, to take an ill advantage of his assence: you are undone.

Mistress Ford. 'Tis not so, I hope.

Mistress Page. Pray heaven it be not so, that you have such a man here! but 'tis most certain your husband's coming, with half Windsor at his heels, to search for such a one. I come before to tell you If you know yourself clear, why, I am glad of it; but if you have a friend here convey, convey him out. Be not amazed; call all your senses to you; defend your reputation, or bid farewell to your good life fore ever.

Mrs. Page. For shame, never stand you had rather, and you had rather; your husband's here at hand; bethink you of some conveyance; in the house you cannot hide him. - O, how have you deceived me!- Look, here is a basket; if he be of reasonable stature, he may creep in here; and throw foul linen upon him, as if it were going to bucking: or, it is whiting-time, send him by your two men to Datchet mead.

Mrs. Ford. He's too big to go in there: What shall I do?

[Re-enter Falstaff]

Falstaff. [Coming forward] Let me see't, let me see't! O let me see't! Ill in, I'll in; follow your friend's counsel;- I'll in.

Mrs. Page. What! sir John Falstaff! Are these your letters, knight?

Falstaff. I love thee. Help me away: let me creep in here; I'll never --

[He goes into the basket; they cover him with foul linen]

Mrs. Page. Help to cover your master, boy: Call your men, mistress Ford: - You dissembling knight!

Mistress Ford. What, John! Robert! John!

[Exit Robin]

Go take up these clothes here quickly. Where's the cowl-staff? look, how you drumble! Carry them to the laundress in Datchet-meat; quickly, come.

This original Jean Pierre Simon engraving was created after a painting created by the Reverend Matthew William Peters as commissioned by Boydell for the Shakespeare Gallery to represent Act Three, Scene Three from a play entitled, Merry Wives of Windsor. Mrs. Page, Mrs. Ford and Falstaff. by William Shakespeare. The scene depicts Falstaff slipping into the basket while Mrs. Page and Mrs. Ford attempt to conceal him with foul linen. The women have set a trap for the fat, and aging courtly lover, Sir John Falstaff, and as their punishment for his wickedness, they plan to have the servants dump the laundry basket (with Falstaff in it), into a muddy ditch close by the Thames side. They are startled by the arrival of the jealous Mr. Ford, and his friends, Mr. Page, Doctor Caius, and Sir Hugh Evans who expect to find Ford's wife in a compromising situation. Much to the delight of the women and the disappointment of Ford, they manage to get Falstaff out of the house, fooling both Falstaff and Mr. Ford. Although Sir John Falstaff is a scoundrel, he is also easily deceived by others. He is most often jovial and at times, even a likable character. In "Merry Wives of Windsor", Falstaff schemes unsuccessfully to swindle and seduce Mistress Margaret Page and Mistress Alice Ford but instead, winds up being outwitted by them. For this scene, William Shakespeare includes the characters, of Sir John Falstaff (a corpulent, conceited, cowardly and jovial, old rogue whose only interest in life is to delight himself in such pleasures as sake (drink), women and other fineries. He is constantly scheming, and deceiving, a seducer, and a thief who has little regard for the property of others), Robin (Falstaff's unfaithful page), Mrs. Margaret Page (Wife of Master George Page, mother of Anne Page and William Page), Mrs. Alice Ford (wife of the jealous, Master Francis Ford ), Mr. Francis Ford (the irrational jealous husband of Mistress Ford who has little faith in women's fidelity), his friends, Mr. George Page (a good natured and trusting man, husband of Mistress Margaret, father of Anne and William), Doctor Caius (a bad tempered French physician who is courting Anne Page), and Sir Hugh Evans (the Welsh parson and schoolmaster of Windsor).

This original engraving is a 'First Edition Impression'. 4. 'First Edition Impressions'. The completed set of Boydell's Shakespeare engravings was published in London in 1803. The full publisher's address appears along the lower margin as well as the text for the play. The heading, 'Shakspeare', is now filled in with stippling. The text below the image of this first edition impression reads;

"Shakspeare. Merry Wives of Windsor. Act III, Scene III. Publish'd Decr. 24. 1793 John. & Josiah Boydell, at the Shakspeare Gallery Pall Mall, & Cheapside Engraved by I. P. Simon. Painted by the Revd. W. Peters.

Falstaff. I love thee. Help me away:
let me creep in here; I'll never___

[He goes into the basket; they cover him with foul linen]

Mrs. Page. Help to cover your master, boy: Call your
men, mistress Ford: - You dissembling knight!"

An Important Note on Boydell States and Editions: Proof impressions and true first edition impressions are easily identified by their fine lines and strong contrasts of black and white tones. Later more common editions print in a more overall grey tone and contain areas of re-working. Briefly, the publishing history of these great engravings can be categorized into five states or editions:

1. 'Artist's Proofs'. These are the earliest of states and were printed in only a handful of impressions. They are identified not only by their vibrant lines and tones but by the fact that they lack any letters along the lower margin.
2. 'Proofs Before Title'. These impressions usually contain the names of the artist, publisher and engraver along the lower margin. They lack the title of the specific play depicted and usually the heading -- 'Shakspeare' -- is smaller than in the published edition. Once again, this state was printed in a very small numbers.
3. 'Open Letter Proofs'. These impressions bear the title of the play. the heading, 'Shakspeare' (Shakespeare), is yet to be filled in with stippling. These impressions were printed before the publication of the first edition and were probably struck from the plate at a customer's request. Perhaps ten to twenty Open Letter Proofs exist for each engraving.
4. 'First Edition Impressions'. The completed set of Boydell's Shakespeare engravings was published in London in 1803. The full publisher's address appears along the lower margin as well as the text for the play. The heading, 'Shakspeare', is now filled in with stippling. Both first edition impressions and proofs were most often printed on either hand-made, laid paper or wove paper bearing the 'J. Whatman' watermark.
5. 'Posthumous Impressions and Restrikes' As early as 1807, John Stockdale of London issued a second edition of the Shakespeare prints. They continued to be published throughout the first half of the nineteenth century. Finally, in 1852, an enterprising dentist in New York City (with the delightful name of Shearjashub Spooner) acquired the plates, restored them and produced the last edition. These prints are most commonly offered for sale.

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