The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-10-03
FALSTiFF--HIS HISTORY.

| ia is Falstaf, and that there has been
but one such on the face of the GARTH
But how he became what be turned out
to be, it has probably occurred to but few
to investigate, And yet, by cleaning
the circumstances Of his life, SO far as di-
rectly or indirecly given by Shakespeare,
we can piece together history that is
not, by any means, without its moral.
1t seems probable that his early days
were passed in the country, fer, in The
Merry Wives Of Windsor, he speaks of
having practsed piece of rural barbar
ity when boy and on his death-bed,
the greer fields are present to him.
That he received liberal education is
likely, from his making various classical
illusions, and from the style in which
Ford, whether in jest or in earnest, twice
addresses him.
That he was Of honorable lineage may
be assumed from the fact mentioned by
Shallow: There was Jack Falstaff,
now, Sir John, boy; and page to Tom
as Mowbry, Duke Of Norfolk He could
scarcely have attained this position
in the household OF SO important a
parsonage without good birth; and as
We never near his doing anything cred
liable during his life, we may be the
more assured that any honor which at
taches to the Sir was inherited.
A wild lad was he at this time, for the
same authority declares: i saw him,
break Slogans head, at the court-ga!e
when he was a crack not thus high.'----
And not long after, as we learn from the
comparing of the notes between himself
and Shallow, he was already premature
ly initiated in all the vices Of London.
Then comes a long hiatus, which we
may, however, fairly enough gil up with
a gradual descent in the scale of society,
until we are introduced to him in person
in the first part of Henry w." as the
presiding genius of gang Of highway
robbers, tame chaaters,' pickpockets, and
other depraJators on the common
wealth.
We only know that, during this in
terval, he had fallen, and remained so
low as to have weekly sworn to marry
since perceived the first white hair on
my chin odd mistress Ursula other
wise Mrs. Quickly, and subse luentIy Mrs.
Pistol; who, in her second estate, angrly
reminds him of those occasions, with
time, place and circumstance, of corrobor
alton i'll full.
He has now became, as he afterward
describes his ragged regiment such o
one as those that grow up in large com
murities-'the cankers of calm world
and long peace intimates his age at
some fifty or, by'r lady, inclining to
thee score;' and confesses to white
hairs and to being odd (the more the
pity)
His first specific adventure Of which
we learn is personal complication in q
highway robbery. We next find him by
Prince Halls favor, captain Of foot in
charge Of hundred and fifty slaves as
ragged as Lazorus in the painted cloth,
and in no haste to put himself in harms
way. Presently we behold him actually
in battle, and altogether DESTROYS to have
an end of it, yet ready to boast in mon
strous fashion, even in the midst of his
dismay showing the white feather I'M
mistakenly; yet, when all is over, claim
ing to have done tho deed that decides
the fortunes Of the day.
Then back in London, unsuccessfuIly
attempting to swindle tailor; and sue
cessfully for the time, battling the chief
justice on the robbery charge; again,
shortly after, still lingering in the capitol,
when he should have been well on his
way to New York, arrested at the suit
of Mrs. Quickly, on whose score (as she
conplains) he's an infnitive thing;;' and
escaping from her aud the chief justice
from her by dint of a few more fiat
tering promises, and from him, on the
plea of imperative public business. Then
intervene other incidents of q discredita-
bic nature, and which need not be enum-
Grated here. Then we find him once
more on his way to the wars, and, as be-
fore, misusing the kings press damna-
bly, and muslng to himself how he may
bleed justice Shallow. Thereafter he
captures the knight 'Cyleyille of the dale;
quips with prince John of lancaster
moralizes on sack returns to Shallow, of
whom he obtains no less sum than one
thousand pounds, and on the death of
Henry w. is, in his own expectation
and that Of everybody else, as Pistol an