Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-17
enabling OF Green Fields"


2Sth by Mr.. Locke Richardson, who is,
believe, a reciter Of Shakespeare's
plays. Mr.. Richardson attempts in his
article to prove that Falstaff's dying
words, as quoted-or. rather, misquoted-
by Mrs. Quickly. were the 2d Psalm,
which the old sinner was familiar with
in his religious youth; he thinks 1t Is
clear that Mrs. Quickly's description,
"a babbled of green fields" bore I'M
mistakable reference TO Davids, He
maketh me to lie down in green pas
lures" which the knight was repeating,
and, in support of his contention, he
refers to Falstaffs having been choir
boy. "versed in the Greed and the Cate
chism." "well instructed in Christian
doctrines and virtues; the need of re-
pentance; the scheme Of salvation" ETC.,
etc.
There is no question that Falstaff was
well versed in the fundamental doc
trines of the Christian religion, but adj
hitting that is far from proving that
Davids words were on his lips as their
last utterance, when we have only four
words of an ignorant, vulgar, ill-bred
tavern hostess TO "clinch" the claim,
and which words could refer only to
small portion of the Scriptural passage.
Why shouldn't she have said, as well.
that he babbled OF shepherds, or Of still
waters" or Of death valleys? She
was present with him, was probably
bending over him, and must have heard
him clearly. AS a matter of fact, he
did not "babble of green fields" if
Mr.. Richardson's Interpretation Is the
correct one. In referring to this, he
says: MAY we not here detect another
Shakespearian touch, in thus making
Mrs. Quickly misunderstood and mis-
quote FalstafTs words? Even at the last
moment there is an intimation or the
social difference in rank and intelligence
between Sir John and the low-born nos
tess Of a tavern" 1t does not seem at
all probable that such a person as Mis-
tress Quickly would do anything OF the
sort. She was literal, If anything. as
the ignorant usually are, and green
pastures" would have been to her, as
primrose was in another case, green
pastures and nothing else, unless it be
"green pasters" We would not expect
a person like Mistress Quickly to be pro-
life of synonyms Her description OF
the fat knights death was minute and
circumstantial to a hair. II could not
have been more so had she been testify
ing before a "crowner's quest" More
over. the trustful. comforting words OF
the Psalmist would not be likely to be on
the lips of such a sinner as Falstaf
was, in extremis, and would not at all
harmonic with his subsequent agonized,
perhaps despairing, invocation of God,
God, Godw which led Mistress Quickly to
comfort him. and bid him mot to think
of God" And, again, it is hard TO con-
ceive of the dying knight fumbling with
the sheets, playing with flowers and
smiling upon his fingers ends-manifest-
ing ante-mortem mental decay-reve-
rently repeating at the same time
psalm Of David or any Scriptural verse
or logical discourse whatever, and making
his Ieace with God. Rather would
we think Of him as, in his mind, child
again. wandering in the scenes of his
innocency and youth, and prattling in
coherently about them, as there is no
doubt that Shakespeare intended to de-
lineate him. And 1t seems evident that
inst before the end consciousness re-
turned (as is often the easel to him, and
with it the fear of death, which. had al
WAYS haunted him, and hence his invo-
cation or supplication OF GOD, God,
Godw and his request to have more
clothes laid on his feet The whole death
bed scene is perfectly natural
simple one, and the description of 1t was,
appropriately, put in the mouth of per-
would seem, therefore, unnecessary and
superfuous TO search for a strained and
far-fetched explanation or ''interpreta-
tom of what is itself so complete and
patent.
AS to the point made by Pro-
fessor Hart, that there were no
green pastures in the 23d Psalm" at the
time of Falstafrs death, l cannot speak,
nor have 1 written at all, as scholar or
critic. as it is, perhaps, unnecessary for
me to say, but merely as one who takes
an interest in such questions; but
Mr.. Harris contention is fact, Mr..
Richardson is disposed Of without more
ado. and he will probably be sorry" that
he spoke"
In what | have written, as in Mr.. Rich
ardson's and Mr.. Harris articles, also,
Theobalds emendation Of "babbled," is,
of course, allowed. 1t is interesting 10
note the substitutes which have at
various times been proposed for Mistress
Ouickly's phrase, as reproduced by MI.
richardson from the last Cambridge
Edition-namely, upon a table OF green
fells"; ION a table of green frieze as
stu5ble on shorn fields; ION a table or
greasy fell" land the bill OF green
finch" Taking all things into considera-
tion-the greatness of the poet, the char
actef OF tnt SubJtSN' eh~ 'NN 'N-'.rA~
of speech employed-it is hard to under
stand how any one of these substitutes
could have been seriously proposed. III
we reject Theobald's emendation we are
free to suit ourselves; then, taking into
account the knights personal appear
ance-his ponderous bulk, "surfeit-swell-
ed" which "larded the lean earth"
his 'knotty pate'-and his Unsuitable,
bibulous appetite; and, also, Mistress
Ouicklys avocation, which should reason
ably suggest a professional smile before
another sort might we not construct
phrase which would be more in keeping
with the FITNESS of things than are
those above given? The fat knights nose
was most certainly of the 'knobby," or,
hubby sort. the "old topers" nose, and
the nroduct of innumerable potations OF
sack When, on his death-bed, ii had
lost this familiar appearance, so as TO
attract the professional eye of Mistress
Quickly and ,ause her TO comment on
II would it not be reasonable, II not
plausible. to suppose her saying HIS
nose was as sharp as a pin. and not
dubbed Of good fiuids?' There we have
a nerfectly consistent description, and we
don't have TO get away from the facts
IN explain IL. and Mistress Quickly's sud-
den discussion is done for. L cheerfully
donate This reading TO those critics who
think IL is necessary to go a thousand
miles off TO hunt for what Is Immediately
under their nose. They will, OF course,
appreciate the seriousness with which the
gift is made. u. w. Z.