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Shrewfbury, appears to have been fuggcfted in this fcene, and 

 almoft in the fame words by the fcrvant waiting on the chief 

 juftice. 



Chief Juji ice. " What's he that goes there ? 



Servant. " FalftafF, a'nt pleafe your lordfhip. 



Chief Jiiflice. *' He that was in queftion for the robbery ? 



Servant. " He, my lord ; but he hath fince done good fervices 

 " at Shrewfbury." 



It would have been wholly impertinent to have put this ob- 

 fervation into the mouth of the waiting gentleman, if the chief 

 juftice be fuppofed to have been circumftantially acquainted with 

 the military character of every ofEcer. The natural imprefTion 

 of the paffage is, in my opinion, clearly this :. he had known 

 him as a criminal when there were matters againft him for his 

 life ; the bufinefs was hulhed up through the interference of the 

 prince, and FalftafF was fent off to the wars. Upon his return, 

 the chief juflice meets him, and is informed that fince his former 

 mifcondud he had done good fervice. The whole fcene can be 

 perfedly accounted for in this way ; and to refort to any foreign 

 matter, upon a fuppofition of the chief juflice's acquaintance with 

 his v/hole charader, is as unnecefTary as it is forced and un- 

 natural. The introdudion of FalftafF into the royal prefence, 

 and the eager fearch after him to bring him to court, amount in 

 my mind to very flendcr evidence of his refpedability as a 



counfellor 



