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appearances, fo far as they afFed his courage, the critic maintains 

 to be errors of the underftanding; in fpite of which, imprcflions 

 of a very minute and dehcate nature, adapted to the critical fenfe 

 alluded to above, gain upon the heart and preferve their hold. 

 Now, in my opinion, thofc early impreiTions are rather notices 

 to that fenfe, and any following appearances that may feem 

 contradidory to them, I fhould incline to call errors of the un- 

 derftanding. My meaning is fimply this : the early impfeffions 

 of Falftaff's fpirit are certainly thofe of cowardice ; the heart I 

 think foon reckons this among the number of his infirmities, and 

 whatever appearances arife in the courfc of his dramatic life, 

 which might feem inconfiftent with them, cannot eafily make 

 their way to the heart, already prcdifpofedj fo that if there be 

 any fuch they would have lefs influence to determine the whole 

 impreffion of his charadter, as they have been delayed to be 

 brought forward. 



Whe^h^'r there be any fuch, remains to be enquired : and' 

 here I fhall follow the able critic upon his own plan. 



He firft confiders what impreflions Sir John FalftafF made on 

 the charaders of the drama, and in what cftimation he is fup- 

 pofed to ftand with mankind in general as to the point of per- 

 fonal courage. His firft authorities are Snare, the conftable, and 

 Hoftefs Qpickly. " It may chance," fays Snare, " to coft fomc 

 " of us our lives, for he will ftab." 



Hostess. " Alafs, the day, take heed of him : he ftabbed me 

 " in mine own houfe, aild that moft beaftly ; he cares not what 



" mifchief 



