1789. Shakespeare's Dramatic Character of Sir John Falstaff. table to fociety; fo acceptable as to make it feem unneceflary for him to acquire any other virtue. Hence perhaps his continued debaucheries and diffipations of every kind: he feems by nature to have had a mind free from malice or any evil principle, but he never took the trouble of acquiring any good one: he found himself esteemed and beloved with all his faults; nay, for his faults, which were all connected with humour, and for the moft part grew out of it. As he had, poffibly, no vices but fuch as he thought might (openly be profeffed, fo he appeared more diffolute through oftentation. To the character of wit and humour, to which all his other qualities feem to have conformed themfelves, he appears to have added a very neceffary fupport, that of the profeffion of a foldier. He had from nature, as I prefume to fay, fpirit of boldness and enterprise, which in a military age, though employment was only occafional, kept him always above contempt, fecured him an honourable reception among the great, and suited beft both with his particular mode of humour and of vice. Thus living continually in fociety, may even in taverns, and indulging himfelf, and being indulged by others in every debauchery; drinking, whoring, gluttony and cafe; affuming a liberty of fiction neceffary perhaps to his wit, and often falling into fallity and lies, he feems to have fet by degrees all fober reputation at defiannce; and finding eternal refources in his wit, he borrows, shirts, defrauds, and even robs without difhonour: laughter and approbation attend his greateft excelles, and being go. verned vifibly by no fettled bad principle or ill defign, fun and humour account for and cover all. By degrees, however, and thro' indulgence, he acquires bad habits, becomes an humeurift, grows enormoully corpulent, and falls into the infirmities of age; yet never quits, all the time, one fingle levity or vice of youth, or lofes any of that chearfulnels of mind which had enabled him to pafs through this course with eafe to himself, and delight to others; and thus at laft mixing youth and age, enterprize and corpulency, wit and folly, poverty and expence, title and buffoonery, innocence as to purpose, and wickednefs as to practice; neither incurring hatred by bad principle, or contempt by cowardice, yet involved in circumftances productive of imputation in both; a butt, and a wit, a humourift and a man of humour, a touchitone and a laughing-ftock, a jefter and jeft; has Sir John Falfaff, taken at that period of his life in which we fee him, become the moft perfect comic character that perhaps ever was exhibited.” Such is the Falftaff of Mr. Morgan, of Shakespeare, of Nature.-What each may be in his focial capacity, we confefs ourselves Hib. Mag. Jan. 1789. 25 ignorant; but taking their conception of this character, as a guide to their own, we believe few of our readers would hefitate between the critics, were they to chufe a friend or a companion: the afperity of the one, the the good-nature (a word honourable to our language as untranflatable) of the other appears on the furface. We have faid, that of Shakefpeare's Characters we may difcufs and reason; ftill more is it to his honour that from them we can feel. So thoroughly_are we ourselves attached to "fweet Jack Falftaff, true Jack Falstaff, valiant Jack Falftaff," that we enter heartily into his refentments, and cannot be eafily in charity with Profeffor Richardfon, for his attack on our old friend: "Had FALSTAFF lived, he durft not se bave tempted him.” In Mr. Morgan's "Effay on the Dramatic Character of Falftaff," which we have quoted above, and contrafted with Mr. Richardfon's, there is one affèrtion which will probably furprife the generality of our readers; viz. that the knight was valiant, notwithftanding the various judicious appearances of cowardice which befel him through the play. Of this, until our perufal of his admirable effay, we were never confcious; and even yet we know not what to fay, fi non é vera é bon trovato. If his hypothefis be not true, it deferves to be fo, from the ingenuity he difplays in defence of it, yet one objection we will throw out, which feems to have efcaped him. Prince Henry, no ill judge of mankind, and perfectly acquainted with Falstaff, tells him gravely and expressly to his face, that he is a natural coward without infline;" an opinion which it will not, on Mr. Morgan's principles, be easy to adopt, yet is equally hard to be refuted. For our parts, we muft declare with Sir Roger de Coverly, "that much may be faid on both fides." The galleries of our theatres are clamorous against the courage of the knight; Mr. Morgan, though alone, is ftrenuous and "bold in his defence." «FiЯrix cáu fa D113 placuit, fed villa Catoni !" -The But we forget Mr. Richardfon.great objection which we have to his Effay, after its ill-nature to our old friend, is the extreme metaphyfical abftrufeness of it: Locke and Mallebranche are not more difficult; and to illuftrate and explain Shakespeare by wrapping him in impenetrable darkness, is a mode more novel than praiseworthy. Of his remarks, very many are juft, very many more too profound, and not a few spun of too fubtile a thread to be by us disentangled: our immortal bard is wrapped in a critical cobweb, which the befous Report of the Phyficians refpecting the King's Health. Jan, of common fenfe muft fweep away into the duft-hole of oblivion! ་་ In one or two places he palpably mistakes his author. Falftaff is, according to Mr. Richardfon, even hypocritital, and tells the Chief Juftice that he has loft his voice SINGING OF ANTHEMS." In the original it is, "HALLO0ING and finging of anthems;" and fo far from hypocrify, Falftaff is fairly employed in bantering the Chief Juftice, whom indeed he treats with a levity highly indecent, but by no means hypocritical. "He that will caper with me, fays the unwieldy Jack, for a thousand marks, let him lend me the money, and have at him." Surely challenging thus indirectly the Chief Juftice of England to a game at leap-frog, though fufficiently ludicrous, is very far from hy pocrify; a vcie much too difficult of attainment for Falftaff, whofe cafe is his idol, ever to attempt. In another place we differ from the Profeffor. "Among many others, the firft fcene between Falstaff and the Chief Juftice is highly humorous. It contains no wit in the beginning, which is indeed the most amusing part of the dialogue: and the witticifms inroduced in the conclufion, excepting the hrit or fecond puns, are neither of a fuperior kind, nor executed with great fuccefs." The Juftice comes to reprove Falfiaff: and the amusement confifts in Falstaff s pretending, first of all, not to fee him; and then, in pretending deafness, fo as neither to anderftand bis meffage, nor the purport of his converfation.- — Cb. Juf. Sir John Falftaff, a word with you. Falfeff. My good ford! God give your lordfhip good time of day. I am lad to fee your lordship abroad: I heard fay your lordship was fick: I hope your Lordhip goes abroad by advice.-Ch. Juf. Sir John, I fent for you, before your expedition to Shrewsbury. Falhaf. If it pleafe your lord hip, I hear his majefty is returned with fome difcomfort from Wales—Cb. Juf. I talk not of his majefty. You would not come when I fent for you.-Fal. And I hear, moreover, his highnefs is fallen into this fame whorefon apoplexy.-Cb. Juf. Well, Heaven mend him. I pray, let me fpeak with you.-Fal. This apoplexy is, as I take it, a kind of lethargy, an't please your lordship; a kind of fleeping in the blood; a whoreton singling,—Ch. Jus. What tell you me of it! be it as it is.--Fal. It hath its original in much grief; from fudy, and perturbation of the brain, &c.-The Chief Juftice be comes at length impatient, and compels Falstaff to hear and give him a direct answer. But the Knight is not without his refources. Driven out of the Arong hold of humour, he bet, kes himfelf to the weapons of wit "Ch. Juf. Your means are very flender, and ar wake great.-Fal. I would is wat otherwife. I would my means were greater, and my waist flenderer.-Falstaff is not unacquainted with the nature and value of his talents. He empleys them not merely for the fake of merriment, but to promote fome defign. He wifes by his drollery in this fcene, tocajole the Chief Juftice." In the first part of this paffage in italics, furely we need not a critical finger-poft to point out the way; the difficulty would be to mifs humour fo very broad. As a fault of lefs import, we object to the jejune, pitiful and inadequate word "amusement, applied to the mellow, rich and glowing fancy, fun and wit of the jolly Knight. We cannot but contemn the fincerity of him who is "amused" by Falftaff, yet affects to relish Shakespeare. In the fecond paffage we are told, that "be wishes by bis drollery in this fcene to cajole the CHIEF JUSTICE." Fas from it: he banters and laughs at him to his face: he confiders himself as entirely his equal; "his humble duty remembered, be will not be A SUITOR to bis lordship :" he holds him at defiance on another occafion; he retorts the Chief Juftice's unpoliteness in not attending to his speaking by fimilar conduct of his own, when his lordship addrefies him; and fo far is he from wishing to cajole one whom he certainly did not fear, that he tells him his ill manners is "a trick he learned of one just now," meaning his lordship: "top for tap, my lord, and fo part fair." This is a very new mode, and were it not for Profeffor Richardfon's affertion, we would call it a very extraordinary mode of cajoling a great man: but the truth is, Falfaff food on higher ground than he could be raised to by the favour of the Chief Juftice, who, though judicially, he might lift him to 66 as bigb a flow as the ridge of the gallows," yet in any other department would find him too hot and too heavy to handle, relying as he did on his courage for protection, and his wit and humour for his defence. On the whole, we are forry we cannot applaud this work, of Profeffor Richardfon, though we will not affirm that in our opini on we are not biaffed by our affection for the chef d'œuvre of Shakespeare. "We could have better spared a better man ;" and old Jack fhall never want an advocate or a defender, while we can brandish the stump of a pen: Elfe wherefore breathe we in a Christian land? 1789. Report of the Phyficians refpecting the King's Health. incapacitates him from meeting his Parlia 2-Do you think his Majefty's disorder a curable or incurable malady? A.-I think the disorder is a curable malady. 2-Upon what do you ground your opi nion? Sir George Baker examined upon oath. His evidence was pretty nearly the fame as Doctor Warren's, with the addition that he took upon him to fay, that the diforder was curable, from a variety of inftances, in which perfons labouring under a fimilar ma lady were reftored to their former health; and that it was his opinion, there was a probability of his Majesty being relieved, and reinftated in a fituation of mind and body, equal to what he enjoyed before he was vifited by his prefent illness. Sir Lucas Pepys examined upon oath. His opinion in respect to the disorder being curable, confirmed that of the two gentlemen whose examination preceded him. He faid, that the malady not being hereditary, made it the more easy to be removed, and that from what he had known in his own practice, and from perfons attending different hospitals, there was every reason to believe that his Majesty's disorder would be removed, but as to the time he could not wake upon him to afcertain it-it might be weeks or months. Dr. Reynolds examined upon oath. The Dottor coincided in opinion, that the diforder was curable, and that there were variety of inftances to warrant the jufice of that opinion. Every phyfical man, he kid, had in his practice met with one or more of thole cales, and they all tended to verify the fact of such a malady being re Loveable. Dr. Addington examined upon oath. -Do you think that his Majefty's prefa diforder incapacitates him for public buAnels? 4-I do. -Can you take upon you to fay the Eerder is of fuch a nature, that a cure may he perfected? -1 can affirm that to be my opinion. 27 2-On what do you ground that op:nion? A-On fimilar cafes which have come within my own knowledge. I have known many perfons labouring under the fame dif temper, and in a worse state, perfe&ly cured ; and I have every reafon to expect fuch will in time be his Majesty's relief. 2-In what time do you fuppofe this malady may be removed? A.-I cannot take upon me precifely to determine; it may be in a week, or in a month; fome have not been relieved in lefs than a year. This I can aver, that finding perfons in the neighbourhood of Reading much addicted to that unhappy diforder, built a house there, and at times have had eight or ten under my care, all of whom were perfectly cured within the year. They might indeed have been ill, perhaps, many months before they were fent to me; but this I can aver upon oath, I never knew an inftance during iny practice, wherein a patient afflicted with that kind of malady, under which his Majefty labours, and whom I deemed curable, that was not restored perfectly to his former ftate of health, and as capable as ever of transacting bufinefs; and, on the contrary, those that I deemed incurable, never did recover. To each gentleman the leading question was, Whether the King was capable of tranf acting bufinefs? And to which they refpeetively answered, that he was not. The Rev. Dr. Francis Willis 'called in and examined. Whether, in his opinion, the ftate of his Majefty's health is, or is not, fuch as to render his Majefty incapable, either of coming to Parliament, or of attending to publie bafinefs? He certainly is not capable. What hopes has Dr. Willis of his Majefty's recovery? I have great hopes of his Majefty's recovery. If it were any other perfon but his Majefty, I fhould fcarce entertain a doubt: when his Majefty reflects upon an illness of this kind, it may deprefs his fpirits, and retard his cure more than a common perfon. Can Dr. Willis form any judgment, or probable conjecture, of the time which his Majefty's illness is likely to laft ? I cannot. or upon his experience of the diforder in general, or upon both? Upon both. Whether, in his Majefty's diforder, Dr. Willis fees any prefent figns of convaleféence? I cannot fay that I do; at the fame time there is every thing leading towards it, as the irritation has, in a great measure, subfided, which must precede convalefcence, or any appearance of it: it must come on very gradually. Whether Dr. Willis learns from experience, that the greater number of perions, who have been afflicted with this diforder, have recovered? A very great majority; I do not think I fhould fpeak falfe, if I said nine out of ten, of thofe that have been put under my care, within three months after they had begun to be afflicted with the diforder. Whether every cure in the fame perfon, of a diforder which has returned, is included in the calculation of the whole number of cures? If a perfon has been twice brought under my care, and twice cured, I reckon two cures, as I fhould of a fever. Has the greater number of men, that has been afflicted with this diforder, recovered? I never calculated that; I did not think there was any difference between the two sexes as to the facility of cure. “ What ftate of his patients does he confider as a cure? Their being able to take upon themselves the conduct of their own affairs, and to do the fame bufiness they were used to do before they fell ill. What is the fhortest space of time within which, in his experience, he has known perfons, affected as his Majesty is, reføred to health? Six weeks or two months is the shortest, I believe. Does Dr. Willis fee any thing in his Majefty's cafe, which enables him to pronounce that his Majefty will be reftored to health within that ipace of time? I cannot prefume to fay that he will. What has been the longeft fpace of time for which the diforder has lafted, in the cafe of fuch patients as have been brought to him within three months from the beginning of the attack, and have recovered? A year and an half, I believe, has been the longest of fuch patients as have been brought to me; and few have been to long. What is the molt ordinary space of time he has found necefiary for the cure of fuch patients? I should think five or fix months, as near Jan. How long has Dr. Willis attended his Ma jefty? Since Friday morning laft. Whether, from your own observation, or from the particulars which have been communicated to you, you can affign any known caufe to which, in your judgment, his Majefty's diforder is referable? From my own experience with regard to his Majefty, I cannot fay any thing; but from a very particular detail of his mode and manner of life for twenty-feven years, I do imagine, that weighty business, levere exercife, and too great abiteriousness, and little reft, has been too much for his conftitution. It is very early to give an opinion, and I may be mistaken; but I ain the more inclined to think myfelf right, becaule the medicine that has been given his Majefty ever fince Sunday morning, and was intended to meet and counteract thele caufes, has had as much effect as I could wish; and his Majefty has certainly been gradually better from the first six hours of his taking it. Whether you have reason to believe, that the circumftances you have enumerated aro frequently caufes of this diforder? I believe they are very frequently. Where the diforder has ariten trom such caufes, have you frequently known it cured ? Very frequently. Have the greater number of those cafes been cured or not? Certainly. I believe they are more cafily to be cured, than where the diforder proceeds from exceflive drinking, or other intemperance, or some other causes. [Withdraws. Evander and Caramanta : A Love Romance. PRINCE Evander the Cleophilus, and the humble difguife of a shepherd, had retired to Legæum, a small town in Arcadia, where it was his good fortune to meet with the poet Theocritus, and Simas, a faithful fervant of the righful heirs to the throne of Arcadia. To, them he made no fecret of his illuftrious birth, and acquainted them, that his being informed that Caramanta, the Queen of that country, was to be prefent at the games to be celebrated in honour of the god Pan, was the occafion which induced him to fettle at Legæum. The good and virtuous Simas readily promifed to order matters fo, that the Prince might not be involved in the dangers to which this imprudent ftep feemed likely to expole hun. "In order to celebrate his victory," faid Evander," the King of Argos ordered magnificent tournament, and the prize to be given to the conqueror by the Princets Ca ramania. 1789. Evander and Caramanta. ramanta. On the appointed day, the King, better equipped than the ftranger was; I his beautiful daughter, and all the ladies placed themfelves on scaffolds erected for their better accommodation, Teffander, having entered the lifts with his followers, at one gate; I came in at the ether, leading my champions dreffed in a manner fimilar to those of the Prince, and placed myself by him, not wiling to tilt with Teflander, left I should incur his difpleafure. My armour was filver, but plain; my fhield, of the fame metal, reprelented the blind goddels, holding the plate of steel and a graver, which the offered to the god of love, with this motto, Whatever you pleaje to give the Princess to underfland, that however ill I had been treated by fortune, it was in the power of love to better my defliny, whenever it pleafed the mighty deity, That Caramanta might more fully comprehend my meaning, i whilpered to her as I paffed along; "You fee, Madam, that fortune alone is not to blame; it is in the power of love to counteract her malice." "Teffander was the firft to take his career. He fought with advantage against two Argian knights, and a third had juft yielded to him, when a ftranger made his appearance. He was mounted on a black ficed: his armour of polished steel, was fet with precious tones: and he had for device on his hield a Cupid in the attitude of terters on an anvil, with this motto; Of theje I jail a jeepter make. And having obtained leave to enter the lifts, he made up towards the place where Telfander waited to receive him, and they began a jouit which ended difgracefully for the Prince; his aflailant having received the thruft of Tellander's lance on his fhield, without fo much as being moved, ftruck at him with fuch force that he was unhorfed, and fo ftunned by the fall, that his Efquires were obliged to bear him away from the lifts. The intrepid stranger made an eafy conqueft of those whom he fought after this exploit. He was about to be proclaimed conqueror, when, rushing with impetuofity from the poft I occupied, I cried out to him, "it is with me, brave ftranger, thou muit contend for a prize to be given by Caraman ta." Four lanées we broke without either of us gaining any advantage; at lalt laying hold of the fourth, I pushed at him with luch force, that by the fhock he fell to the ground where he had fent fo many Argian knights. A general fhout proclaimed my victory; but, whillt i was preparing to go towards the ladies Icaffold, another firanger approached the lifts, and requeifed leave to be admitted, and try his kill against the tanqueror. The guards refuted it, as contrary to the laws of tournament to admit my knight, dressed in plain armour, and ne gave orders, nevertheless for him to be let in. He ran gainft me with great impetuofity and feeming anger; it appeared evident that he was not actuated by the love of glory, as our jouft refembled a bloody duel between two furious rivals. This unaccountable rage made me not fpare him, and gave me great advantage over an enemy who fought with more petulance than courage. I made fo desperate a thruit at him, that I beat to the ground the enraged tilter, who fell above ten yards from me. He fet up a hideous groan, and the lace of his helmet being broke, every fpectator beheld with aftonishment the well-known features of the Prince of Argos. I was feized with horror at the fight, and ran to help him up. "Am I then lo unfortunate, faid I to him, as to dilpute any thing againft fo revered a friend? Believe me, my Lord, the crime is fortune's, not mine; it never shall be said that Evander contended wilfully for a prize which you pretended to. No, my Lord; I give up all claim which may give offence to the ton of my benefactor." Fellander could not contain the transports of his rage, and darting at me a moft furious look, "Avaunt, faid he, preferve thy trophies as thou can't! thy laurels will foon fade, and I hope that a word fhall better antwer my purpole than that brittle lance has done." The King overheard theie laft words with indignation, and having ordred the Prince to withdraw, faid to me, "Come, noble Evander, thou haft gained more than one victory this day; be it my care to reward thy deferts:" then laying hold of my hand, he conducted me to the Princefs; who, with joy iparkling in her eyes, gave me her picture, fet round with molt coftly brilliams. Great fearch was made after the stranger whom I had first overcome, but he was gone from Argos; and I, alas! foon reaped the bitter fruits of my fatal triumph. Teflander, as foon as he could appear in public, informed his father of all that he knew concerning my love for the Princeis ; fwearing, that were he to lose his life in the attempt, he would oppofe lo audacious a defign. The King did not chule to upbraid his fon for want of respect, and only inlifted upon laying down all rancour and animofity adding, that he would never grant me any thing that might do him the leatt prejudice: then going to nis daughter's apartments, he acquainted her with the converiation which had juft paffed between him and Tellander, and begged her in the mildest terms, to remember that perions of her rank thould well guard their hearts against any furprize; being by their birth deftined to be facrificed to the frit man whom the political welfare of the ftate fhould point out for their husband. « Caram |