Notes and Queries

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Notes.

FALSTAFF AND THE FLEET PRISON

"I do not see why Falstaff was carried to the

Fleet. We have never lost sight of him since his

dismission from the King; he has committed no

new fault, and therefore incurred no punishment;

but the different agitations of fear, anger, and

surprise in him and his company made a good

scene to the eye of our author, who wanted them

no longer on the stage, and was glad to find this

method of sweeping them away.'

scene

This comment on the last

2 Henry IV.' was written by Dr. Samuel
Johnson, and was probably the first of
many expressions of perplexity. One of the
latest is from the pen of Prof. Bradley, who

writes thus :-

impression that they are satisfied with their
own reasoning.

The episode is undeniably painful and

out of keeping with Prince Hal's attitude to

Falstaff, which throughout had been tolerant

and kindly. It is true that, as the drama

proceeds, he learns more and more of the

worthlessness of the old knight's character,

and, as his own affairs become increasingly

serious, the sparkling wit loses much of its

glamour; still his intention had evidently

been to dismiss the old man privately and

kindly while making sure of his future means

of living. The publicity of the dismissal

was forced upon him by Falstaff's own

action, and Henry seems to be seeking to

avoid this when he says to Gascoigne

(presumably in an undertone) :-

My Lord Chief Justice, speak to that vain man

upon which the Justice addresses Falstaff,

probably in an urgent whisper :-

Have you your wits?

speak?

Know you what 'tis you

But Falstaff forces the King's attention, and

draws from him an answer stern enough to

repress the unseemly jests that are rising to

his lips. It is a repetition, enhanced by

circumstances, of the scene in the tavern

1 Henry IV.,' II. iv. 536).

But that the young King should have

aimed a further blow at his old companion
is almost incredible. Need one believe it?

The proposition I venture to make is that
the supposition is an error, and the scene
incorrectly interpreted.

"Enter

When reading our modern editions of
Shakespeare it is certainly difficult to come
to any but the generally accepted conclusion.
The episode occurs in the fifth scene of
the last act of 2 Henry IV.,' and is
opened by the stage direction :
King Henry V. and his train, the Lord Chief
Falstaff shouts his

Justice among them."

greeting to the King; the King rebukes him
and sentences him to banishment, and then
"Exeunt King

follows the direction:

Henry V. and his train." Of course, as the

Remembering his father's words about Henry, Lord Chief Justice has just been described

Being incensed he's flint,' and remembering in as being "among" his train, we are com-

Henry V. his ruthlessness in killing the prisonerspelled to conclude that he departed with the

when he is incensed, we may imagine that, after others, although his royal master has just

he had left Falstaff, and was no longer influenced commanded him to see performed the

by the face of his old companion, he gave way to

tenour of his word with regard to Falstaff.

anger at the indecent familiarity which had

provoked a compromising scene on the most The conversation between Sir John and

ceremonious of occasions, and in the presence Justice Shallow about the borrowed thousand

alike of court and crowd, and that he sent the pounds next takes place, occupying about

Chief Justice back to take vengeance."

twenty lines, and then occurs a fresh stage

direction: "Re-enter John of Lancaster, the

Lord Chief Justice, Officers with them."

Neither explanation sounds convincing,

nor do the writers themselves give the

With this reading there is no alternative but to suppose that some fresh understanding had been arrived at between the King and the Lord Chief Justice, and that the latter had been sent back to take vengeance for some inexplicable offence on the already crestfallen old man.

In the First Folio edition of the plays, however, the whole forms a continuous and unbroken episode. Not only do we, as Johnson says, not lose sight of Falstaff till he is carried to the Fleet," but we do not lose sight of the Chief Justice either, as the following exact copy from the Folio will

show:

The Trumpets sound. Enter KING HENRIE THE
FIFT, BROTHERS, LORD CHIEFE JUSTICE.

Falst. Save thy Grace, King Hall, my Royall

Hall.

Pist. The heavens thee guard, and keepe, most royall Impe of Fame.

Fal. 'Save thee my sweet Boy.

John. I like this faire proceeding of the Kings =
He hath intent his wonted Followers
Shall all be very well provided for:
But all are banisht, till their conversations
Appeare more wise, and modest to the world.
Ch. Just. And so they are.

According to the above, the King alone
leaves the stage, while the Chief Justice
remains till the procession has passed, keep-
ing Falstaff under observation until he makes
a move to depart, when he orders his arrest.
How otherwise could he have known where
to find Sir John? What guarantee had he
that the irrepressible old knight would not
once more try to force himself into the
King's presence? How tedious might have
been the search, involving, perhaps, as once
before,
A dozen captains,

Bare-headed, sweating, knocking at the taverns,
And asking every one for Sir John Falstaff.
II. iv. 392 (Oxford Shakespeare.')
ere he could have assured his royal

King. My Lord Chiefe Justice, speake to that master that Sir John had been duly escorted

vaine man.

Ch. Just. Have you your wits? Know you what 'tis you speake?

Falst. My King, my Jove; I speake to thee
my heart.

King. I know thee not, old man: Fall to thy
Prayers: &c.

Till then, I banish thee, on paine of death,
As I have done the rest of my Misleaders,
Not to come neere our Person by ten mile.
For competence of life, I will allow you,
That lacke of meanes enforce you not to evill:
And as we heare you do reforme your selves,
We will according to your strength, and qualities,
Give you advancement. Be it your charge (my
Lord)

To see perform'd the tenure of our word. Set on :
Exit KING.
Fal. Master Shallow, I owe you a thousand
pound.

Shal. I marry Sir John, which I beseech you to let me have home with me.

you

Fal. That can hardly be, M. Shallow, do not grieve at this: I shall be sent for in private to him: Looke you, he must seeme thus to the world feare not your advancement: I will be the man yet, that shall make you great.

Shal. I cannot well perceive how

Fal. Sir, I will be as good as my word. This that you heard was but a colour.

Shall. A colour I feare, that you will dye, in
Sir John.

Fal. Feare no colours, go with me to dinner:
Come Lieutenant Pistol, come Bardolfe,
I shall be sent for soone at night.

Ch. Just. Go carry Sir John Falstaffe to the

Fleete,

Take all his Company along with him.
Fal. My Lord, my Lord.

to the ten-mile limit, and that arrangements
had been made by which he would receive
his " competence of life." The words speak
for themselves :-

Be it your charge, my Lord,
To see performed the tenour of our word.

[Exit KING.

How would the King have looked if, after receiving this charge, the Chief Justice had calmly continued his course in the procession, leaving Falstaff to the freedom of his will?

One thing, perhaps, the Justice might have done. He might have executed all the arrangements for Falstaff's allowance and banishment immediately; but he was not prepared to sacrifice the festivities of the coronation for the sake of his old antagonist; therefore, having received full authority, he prefers to make his person secure in the meantime, and attend to the details later.

The episode may be looked upon, perhaps, as the revenge of the Lord Chief Justice, and in this light is dramatic enough for Shakespeare's purpose. The two old men have been brought into frequent opposition throughout the Second Part of Henry IV.,' and the opposition reaches its climax in the words of Prince Clarence to the Chief Justice after the death of Henry IV. :—

Well, you must now speak Sir John Falstaff fair
Which swims against your stream of quality.

Ch. Just. I cannot now speake, I will heare you But the tables are turned, and Falstaff can

soone:

Take them away.

no longer browbeat authority and speak as having power to do wrong (II. i. 145). Plain conscientious adherence to duty has

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