King Henry IV, the First Part

by William Shakespeare

FALSTAFF.
There’s no more faith in thee than in a stewed prune, nor no more truth in thee than in a drawn fox; and, for woman-hood, Maid Marian may be the deputy’s wife of the ward to thee. Go, you thing, go.

HOSTESS.
Say, what thing, what thing?

FALSTAFF.
What thing? Why, a thing to thank God on.

HOSTESS.
I am no thing to thank God on, I would thou shouldst know it! I am an honest man’s wife, and, setting thy knighthood aside, thou art a knave to call me so.

FALSTAFF.
Setting thy womanhood aside, thou art a beast to say otherwise.

HOSTESS.
Say, what beast, thou knave, thou?

FALSTAFF.
What beast? Why, an otter.

PRINCE.
An otter, Sir John? Why an otter?

FALSTAFF.
Why, she’s neither fish nor flesh; a man knows not where to have her.

HOSTESS.
Thou art an unjust man in saying so, thou or any man knows where to have me, thou knave, thou.