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" Earbary hen, if her feathers turn back in any fhew of re- 

 « fiftance." The critic himfelf appears to rely very Httle upon 

 this proof of his courage, but endeavours to draw another from 

 FalftafF's expreffion : " A rafcal bragging flave ; the rogue fled 

 " from me like quickfilver." " Which words," fays the critic, " as 

 " they remember the cowardice of Piftol, feem to prove' that 

 " Falftaff did not value himfelf on the adventure." This I think 

 is a refinement : the plain and obvious impreffion is nothing more 

 than that the rafcal had teazed them with his bragging and 

 bombaft, and that FalftafF had put him to flight for it. If any 

 thing further be fought in the words, I fliould rather think his 

 expreflion, " the rogue fled from me like quickfilver," an attempt 

 to refled a luftre on his own prowefs, in reprefenting Piftol as 

 imprefll;d with fo great terror. 



The next appeal is to Juftice Shallow, who had known him 

 when a boy and page to Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk 

 He faw him break Schogan's head at the court gate, when he' 

 was a crack not thus high. The critic fuppofes this Schogan to 

 be fome boifterous fencer, for what reafon we know not. It is 

 much more probable that he was fome jefter or buffoon about the 

 court. There was one of his name in Edward the IVth's time 

 whofe jefts were now in the mouths of every body ; and in all 

 likelihood Shakefpear has applied the name of this eminent 

 buffbon to fome one of a fimilar charader and profeffion in 

 Henry's t,me. Shallow fays that FalftafF was a good backfwords 

 man ; which might have been the cafe without his pofTefTrng true 

 courage, as it is at this day the cafe with many a good fencer • 

 but m fad the whole teftimony of this Mafter Shallow is a 



( ^ ) miferable 





