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in very ftriking colours, we at leaft exped fome delicate touches 

 to inform the fenfe. Thefe obfervations I believe will be found 

 to apply to moft dramatic charaders, and to Shakefpear's moft 

 eminently. But if a writer fhould negledl them, he would at 

 leaft avoid all early impreflions of an oppofite nature: for thefe 

 might engage and miflead the heart too far, and become the 

 fources of incorrigible errors. Can we fuppofe then that Shake- 

 fpear, if he had defigned to exhibit Falftafl" as naturally brave, 

 would in the firft fcene of our acquaintance with him have given 

 ftrong intimations of his cowardice? which he has unqueftion- 

 ably done in the fcheme laid for him by Poins, and in the 

 obfervations made upon the probable condud of Falftaff. " The 

 " virtue of this jeft," fays Poins, " will be the incomprehenfible 

 " lies this fame fat rogue will tell us when we meet at fupper : 

 " how thirty at leaft he fought with ; what wards, what blows, 

 " what extremities he endured ; and in reproof of this lies the 

 " jeft." All this clearly implies that he would play the firft part 

 of a coward in adion, and the fecond in lying and boafting. 

 And as if the poet were not content with thefe ftrong appearances, 

 grounded upon the opinion of Poins, Falftaff's intimate com- 

 panion, he appeals in the next fcene to fads and the judgment 

 of the fpedator himfelf. There we fee FalftafF, with his three 

 fcurvy companions, put to flight by Hal and Poins, and hear 

 him roaring for mercy. But as the queftion of Falftaif's courage 

 muft turn in a great meafure upon thefe two fcenes, I will 

 examine the ingenious critic's elaborate vindication of him on 

 thefe occafions. 



I DO 



