[ XX ] 



But we have at laft come to the field of adion -j.here we fee 

 FalftafF laying upon the poor helplefs travellers without mercy ; 

 while he and his three companions are fharing the booty, the 

 prince and Poins come upon them and demand their money ; 

 the reft run away ; and FalftafF, after a blow or two, runs away 

 too, leaving the booty behind him. Here again the poet has 

 diftinguilhed him from his rafcally companions, but he has not 

 even condefcended to give the argument of his courage, derived, 

 from this random blow or two, a place of higher dignity and 

 obfervation than a marginal note; and it is by no means certain,, 

 or even probable, that the poet had any ftiare in this argument 

 at all: it is more hkely the note was a mere diredion for the 

 players, inferted by the manager. And that we may clearly fee 

 the poet's own fenfe of the tranfadlion, let us hear the prince's 

 remarks : 



P. Hen^ Got with much eafe : now merrily to horfe ; 



The thieves are fcattered, and poflefled with fear 



So ftrongly, that they dare not meet each other, 



• FalftaiF fweats to death, 



And lards the lean earth as he walks along : 



Wer't not for laughing I (hould pity him.^ 

 Poins. How the rogue roar'd ! 



The ingenious critic feems to doubt the truth of this refledion 

 made upon him by Poins ; but it is hardly conceivable that Poins 

 would have made it without fufficient grounds ; and ftill lels fb 

 that the prince would have urged it again upon FalftaiF in a 

 future fcene uncontradidted, where we may obferve he advances 

 nothing but fads, and puts him down with a plain tale ; fa 



( B 2 ) that 



