thou didst desire to eat some; whereby I told thee they were ill for a
green wound? And didst thou not, when she was gone downstairs, desire
me to be no more so familiarity with such poor people; saying that ere
long they should call me madam? And didst thou not kiss me, and bid me
fetch thee thirty shillings? I put thee now to thy book-oath; deny it
if thou canst!'

We feel no doubt that if Mistress Quickly had given this evidence in
action for breach of promise of marriage, and goodwife Keech
corroborated it, the jury would have found a verdict for the
plaintiff, unless indeed they brought in a special verdict to the
effect that Falstaff made the promise, but never intended to keep it.
But Mistress Quickly contented herself with upbraiding Falstaff, and
he cajoled her with his usual skill, and borrowed more money of her.

Falstaff's attachment for Doll Tearsheet lasted many years, but did
not lead to matrimony. From the Clement's Inn days till he was
threescore he lived in London celibate, and his habits and amusements
were much like those of other single gentlemen about town of his time,
or, for that matter, of ours. He had only himself to care for, and he
cared for himself well. Like his page, he had a good angel about him,
but the devil outbid him. He was as virtuously given as other folk,
but perhaps the devil had a handle for temptation in that congenital
thirst of his. He was a social spirit too, and he tells us that
company, villainous company, was the spoil of him. He was less than
thirty when he took the faithful Bardolph into his service, and only
just past that age when he made the acquaintance of the nimble Poins.
Before he was forty he became the constant guest of Mistress Quickly.
Pistol and Nym were later acquisitions, and the Prince did not come
upon the scene till Falstaff was an old man and knighted.