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•' clay, man, is not able to invent any thing that tends to 

 " laughter more than I invent, or is invented on me: I am 

 *' not only witty in myfelf, but the caufe that M^it is in other 

 " men." Here we have his very effence : and it was with a 

 view to this, that every inimitable fcene, in which he appears, was 

 contrived by the wonderful poet. But to return : We may obferve 

 that Lancafter's charge has a reference to former mifcondud of a 

 like nature. His opinion had evidently been formed before this 

 occafion ; and therefore if FalftafF could even account for his 

 tardy tricks in the prefent cafe, it would have only proved that 

 his condud was now lefs blameable than ufual. As to his de- 

 fence I cannot think he meant it to be rational and fober. We 

 find in it the fame humorous extravagance as in every other 

 narrative of his exploits. The fadt, indeed, was true, that Sir 

 John Colville had furrendered to him ; but it does not appear 

 from any teftimony, except his own and Falftaff's, that he was a 

 man of courage; and if he even were, the circumftances of the 

 tranfadions, in my opinion, give Falftaff very little to boaft of 

 perfonal bravery. The rebel army had been betrayed and dif- 

 fipated. In this fituation of affairs, the refiftance of a brave 

 officer, deferted by his troops, would have been utterly fruitlefs, 

 fo that there was no great hazard in the attack. The dialogue 

 between the knights, from which the critic would infer, that his 

 hero's name was fo terrible to the enemy, conveys not to my 

 liiind the beft idea of his courage. Had this been the poet's 

 defign would he have given hi.n fiich fentiments as thefe ? 

 " Do ye yield. Sir .? Or fhall I fweat for you ? If I do fweat^ 

 " they arc drops of thy lovers, and they weep for thy death j 

 " therefore roufe up, fear and trembling, and do obfervance to 



( D 2 ) "my 



