The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-01-16
A BRACE OF LIMITATIONS.
Indianapolis Herald.l

] deyer attempt in it to initiate the phrase, z calibre and cunning of Sir /eha Ft1ksfaf, ve have been furnished, in a rather sim S sular way, with a companion piece look iag to the same intent-an imitation of the old Shakespearian favorite, the knight of 4 the burly figure.
 Last Monday morning we found on \ the floor of the Herdkd's sanctum man. uscript that had evidently been dropped < in through the opening cut in the door sor the reception of mail and other con- munications. We examined the Ms, and was both pleased and displeased with it. We found it entertaining, but without responsible signature, the only eidence of its authorship being the sim pie indorsment, Joc,' scrawled in doubt ful characters at the bottom. The intent of the communication, how ever, was clear enough, and. as we de- dded, after reading it, to suspend the rule excluding anonymous contributions for the time being, we will let the MS. ex- plain itself. Here it is, entire
 "EDIToR HERALD: MT. ]. w. Riley's ingenious but rather free imitation in his new book-of the Shakspearean ext as spoken by /ohn FalstaG embol- dens me to resurrect scrap produced by myself some years ago, while under the influence of that spell which has sometimes been diagnosed as 'Shaks- peare worship" This is the first time my fragment has been offered for publi- cation, and must say have little ex pectation of seeing it printed in the Her aH, as am resolved to put it on its merits, declining the while to reveal my name, or give you any key to my identity. l find this reticence impossible to over come, and if you choose to reject my ef- fort on any ground wh whatsoever-well and good no one will be the wiser, as your Contribution Box can do nc worse than lire away at me in the dark.
 @I have taken the liberty to copy MT Riley's imitation from his book, append ing mine to it ;; not that wish to chal- epge a comparison, but am sure that ityou decide to use mine, your readers will not be satisfied without fair pre-. sentation of its more polished rival. begin therefore with the
 EXTRACT FROM 1.-THE BOSS GIRL" Falstaf.-I call him dog, forsooth, because
 Snarls, dye hearl-and laves his rabid
 In slobberfroth that drips in slimy gouts
 Ofvenomous islander. Out upon the cur
 He sets his mangy foet upon the sod,
 And grass grows rank and withers at the
 touch,
 And taages into wiry thatch for snakes
 To spawn beneath. The very air he
 breAthes
 Becomes poison gas, and generates
 Disease and pestilence. Would he were
 here,
 That I might whet my sword against his
 ribs,
 Although his rotten, putrid soul unhoused Would breed a stench worse than my bar
 ber's breath.
 The dog he damnable- fstol.-Hist! here he com ss
 Gods body, master, has he overheard
 lis cock crow with thy ghost Rsfev Poins
 Poins.-How now, my Jack
 Prince ass of lacks methought I heard
 thee bray.
 Falstaf.-Aye, we'll and marry for this varlet
 here
 Deserves more brays ttan praise, the scurvy Good lack! Thou might'st have heard me
 call him dog
 A pebbles toss from this; but now that
 thou art come
 My dagger-points of wrath do melt away
 Before thy genial smile, as iccles
 Might ooze to nothingness at summer noon. That other flask, you dog and have a care thou handle it more gently than the first,
 Lest 1. ss thou didst it, thy noddle burst.
 It will be seen that MT. Riley, in the above imitation, has amended" the method of dealing with FaLsfaf who was obliged by his creator to "dress his lines" as best he might, in the loose flowing idiom of English prose. can only guess at the Hoosier poet S motive in forcing the fat knight to step forth in new buttons, as it were, and keep dme-quite gracefully, it must be owned to epic measure-a privilege denied him by his true master and, as you will see, not insisted upon by your humble servant. The scene is supposed to be an incidental colloquy held between sir knight and his page some time prior to Act 1, Scene 2nd, in the Second Part si King Henry the Fourth:
 THE ANONYMOUS IMITATION.
 Falstaff-Sirrah, thou gilded earthy atom, bring me my sword. PAge-And the sheath, too, your wor- shipS fAlstan-Why one without the other, dolt? Is 1t fl 6.ting that the word be with put the scabbard, save in battle9 Must mention the belt-and avert further caviling with an inventory of hilt, buckle, and trappings in detail? Marry, villain, lend alacrity of action to that of thy and dispatch. 71e page /efeA<s tAe sav0rdl Thou seem'st another David, boy, ap- 'roaching the fallen Goliath and bearing | lis sword wherewith to finish the work of he sling. But, by my faith, I'll thwart he old saw, and prevent the coincidence 'f history by disarming the shepherd and lolding fast to my head. / Page-I yield, good Philistine, and so rave thy clemency. Falstaf-Granted, lad, with a groat for ay cleveness-that is, q groat in per- pective and twopence in hand, as part aSWmnAnf CnrnA nn- Cs~