ked into a washing-basket and carried away from under
Mr. Fluth's nose by two men, who are bidden to put the contents in a
canal near the Thames, and the jealous husband, finding nobody,
receives sundry lectures from his offended wife.

In the second act Mr. Fluth, mistrusting his wife, makes Falstaff's
acquaintance, under the assumed name of Bach, and is obliged to hear an
account of the worthy Sire's gallant adventure with his wife and its
disagreeable issue. Fluth persuades Falstaff to give him a rendezvous,
swearing inwardly to punish the old coxcomb for his impudence.

In the evening Miss Anna meets her lover Fenton in the garden, and
ridiculing her two suitors, Spaerlich and Dr. Caius, a Frenchman, she
{227} promises to remain faithful to her love. The two others, who are
hidden behind some trees, must perforce listen to their own dispraise.

When the time has come for Falstaff's next visit to Mrs. Fluth, who of
course knows of her husband's renewed suspicion, Mr. Fluth surprises
his wife and reproaches her violently with her conduct. During this
controversy Falstaff is disguised as an old woman and when the
neighbors come to help the husband in his search, they find only an old
deaf cousin of Mrs. Fluth's who has come from the country to visit her.
Nevertheless the hag gets a good thrashing from the duped and angry
husband.

In the last act everybody is in the forest, preparing for the festival
of Herne the hunter. All are masked, and Sir John Falstaff, being led
on by the two merry wives is surprised by Herne (Fluth), who sends the
whole chorus of wasps, flies and mosquitos on to his broad back. They
torment and punish him, till he loudly cries for mercy. Fenton in the
mask of Oberon has found his Anna in Queen Titania, while Dr. Caius and
Spaerlich, mistaking their masks for Anna's, sink into each other's
arms, much to their mutual discomfiture.

Mr. Fluth and Mr. Reich, seeing that their wives are innocent and that
they only made fun of Falstaff, are quite happy and the whole scene
ends with a general pardon.

{228}

MIGNON.

Opera in three acts by AMBROISE THOMAS

Text by MICHEL CARRE and JULES BARBIER.

This opera is full of French grace and vivacity, and has been favorably
received in Germany. The authors have used for their libretto Goethe's
celebrated novel "Wilhelm Meister", with its typical figure Mignon as
heroine, though very much altered. The two first acts take place in