The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-03-31
SIR JOHN FALSTAFF.
THE LIFE AND CHARA CTER OF THE
JOLLY OLD REPROB4TE.

A Brilliant Lecture by Professor Miles
on Shakespenre's Humorous Master
piece.
Professor j. w. Miles delivered the fifth OF
his series Of lectures upon the Shakespearian
drama at The Confederate Home, last Satur-
day evening, The subject OF the lecture being
the character of Falstaff. The lecturer began
by remarking that, OF all the historical dramas
Of Shakespeare, with the single exception of
hls Richard III, none had 30 perslstenty kept
the slags and had been 30 frequently per.
formed from the Time of Shakespeare down to
the present day as the two parts OF Henry Nv.
This was partly due no doubt to lis being q
better "acting play" than most Of the others,
but 1t was also owing 10 great degree
to the great artlatlc merit OF the char.
acter of Falstaff which enlIvened the whole
action of the piece, relieved the heaVlness OF
| its tragic parts, and made 1t neyer-failiDg
favorite Of the stage. In the creation of this
character the great poet appeared to have
abandoned himself 10 revelry in wit and
humor for its own sake. The genial, Jovial,
kindly, plump old Jester was wilhal great
| sinner, bnt his overfowing bonhonnaie averts
our indignation, and his manifest shrewdness
ofintellect rescues him from contempt. He was,
TO be sure, an abominable 6b5er, but the objects
and effects of his lies were chiefly TO enhance
the humor OF his jesls and Increase the merr.
ment which constantly surrounded him. His
lies lacked the element of malice, and indeed
| were told with no Intention OF decelVlng, tor
he knew that bis auditors knew that he
was lying. It was the habit Of exag-
geratlon and invention In the narration
generated finally into downright lying. 1t
was admitted that there was no small degree
of meanness In his systematically gulling his
landlady out OF her money under repeated
promises OF marriage, which he never had the
slightest thought of keeping, and II was
rather shocking to 1nd him proaLiDg By the
theits of his servant; but these were rather
the results of his chronic straits and inge-
nuity than of studied rascalily, and on the
whole he was easily tolerated as witty rogne
who knew they didn't believe him. He
formed pleasant foil 10 the prince, and the
heavier characters of the play and his mex.
haustible humor gilded even the battle field.
It was relief TO turn from the plots and
scenes of civil war to his enlveuing jokes,
and this feeling was not unaccompanied with
certain selfsatisfaclion at discovering
the subller touches OF his humor, and the coz
lrast showed that the loose morality of the
others was more harmful than his own. The
play of Henry Nv was no grand, heroic story,
but Shakespeare had 80 indlvlduallzsd the
leaders oil the drama as 10 make them studies.
The two Harrys were the Tragic heroes of the
drama, The Ajax and Achilles Of this Henrlad.
The lecturer then described the amusing
colouny between Prince Hal and Falstaf at
the first appearance of The latter In the second
scene of Act /. in which the rollickng humor
of the old rebrooate is well exhibited. In this
scene it was shown also that Prince nsl was
not the graceess young proaigate that he
was esteemed to be by the people OF the court
whom he tOrsook for the roysterers Of the
tavern. This was made manifest In his solio-
guy, beginning
"I know YOU all, and will while uphold
The unyok'd humor Of your idlenesf;'
az we'll as In various sIlghter touches inter-
spersed in The colloquy, az when he aaya,
swell, then, once In my days I'll be mad
CAP" and especially his increased alacrity to
Join the proposed maraudlng party when, by
The s,ratagem of Polns, 1t is turned into o plan
for making merry with and at Falstaff.
In the robbng scene the jesling humor of
IL lipn
ouy, aud he even cajoles himself for want of
another butt for his wit, for he must have hls
les: even G. his own expense. Even In his
fright he is still witty, as when being re-
preached with cowardice by Prince Hal, who
rallies him on his size by calling him "sir John
Paunch," he retorts with the pup, ''Iadeed l
am not John of Gaunt, your grandfather; but
yet no coward, Hal"
The scene In Act 2, In which Fslstaf's bonn
bastlc lies are discovered, was mentioned as
being In some respects the masterpiece OF the
play. Falstaff, after having with his three
followers robbed The travellers, was set upon
In turn by the Prince and Pons in The dis
guise of robbers, and after the slightest pos.
sible resistance had taken to their heels and
abandoned their just acquired booty, but, not
| knowing that the Prince and Pons had been
their despollers, he proceeds 10 entertain
them when they rendezvous at the Inn with
an account Of the prodigles OF valor he had
| displayed In repelliug the attack upon him OF
a hundred rogues In buckram,"i In proof OF
| which he shows his hacked sword, which he
had notched with dagger for this purpose.
The prince Is nightly amused, and draws him
out until Falstaff reaches the very climax OF
his Invention, and then the prince, evidently
expecting 10 overwhelm the veteran romancer
| With confusion, tells him the true story of the
encounter as follows:
| Prince Henry. "We two saw you four set
on four; you bound them and were master oil
| their wealth. Mark now, how u plain tale
/ shall put YOU down. Then did we Two Bet Oh
you four, and with q word, outfaced you from
your prize, and have IL; yea. aud can show II
you here in the house; and, Falstaff, you car
red your CUTS away as nimbly, and with as
quick dexlerity, and roared Ior mercy, and
sill ran and roared, as ever heard bull calf.
What q slave art thou, to hack thy sword as
thou hast done, and then say 1t was In fight
What trick, what device, what startiDg-hole,
canst thou now fDd our, 10 hide thee from
this open and apparent shame %
This would appear 10 be as complete turn.
Ing Of the tables as could be imagined; but the
ready-wilted reprobate was not to be thrown
ofr hia uuard pvpn hv tkia II unlnokpd ior reve.