Queen Elizabeth and the "Merry Wives" [pp. 348-358]

[887.] QUEEN ELIZABETH AND " THE MERRY WIV.Es'." 355
Again in III. ii. I03, the scene being France, before Rouen "An Alarum-Exgcursions. En/er SIR JOHN FASTOLFE anda Captain.
"Caitazit.-Whither away, Sir John Fastolfe, in such haste?
"Fastofe.-Whither away! to save myself by flight; we are like to have
the overthrow again.
"Caitain.-What! will you fly, and leave Lord Talbot?
"Fastolfe.-Ay, all the Talbots in the world, to save my life."
Again at IV.. I. 9 we have:
Paris. A4 Hall of State. Enter the KING, GLOSTER, BISHOP OF WIN CHESTER, YORK, SUFFOLK, SOMERSET, WARWICK, TALBOT, EXETER,
the Governor of Paris, and others.
Enter SIR JOHN FASTOLFE.
"Fastolfe. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais,
To haste unto your coronation,
A letter was deliver'd to my hands,
Writ to your grace from the Duke of Burgundy.
"Talbot. Shame to the Duke of Burgundy and thee!
I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next,
To tear the garter from thy craven's leg.
(Plucking it off.)
..Pardon me, princely Henry and the rest:
This dastard, at the battle of Patay,
When but in all I was six thousand strong,
And that the French were almost ten to one,
Before we met or that a stroke was given,
Like to a trusty squire did run away."
Which is the last appearance of Sir John upon the Shaksperean
stage until, in Henry V. and The.Zerry Wives, he takes the place
of Sir John Oldcastle and his name is changed to Falstaff. But
there is such a conspicuous irregularity in the spelling of the old
folios, both of common and proper names, that on that alone we
cannot assume a difference of character.
Fuller does not appear to have heard of the representation of
Fastolffe as a coward in I. Henry IV., but he is quite as indignant
at this latter employment as at the former use of Sir John Oldcastle as a butt:
" To avouch him [Fastolffe] by many arguments valiant is to maintain
that the sun is bright; though since the stage has been over-bold with his
memory, making him a Thrasonical puff, and emblem of mock valor. True
it is Sir John Oldcastle did first bear the brunt, being made the makesport
in plays for a coward. Now, as I am glad that Sir John Oldcastle is put
out, so I am sorry that Sir John Fastolfe is put in, to relieve his memory in
this base service, to be the anvil for every dull wit to strike upon. Now, is
our comedian excusable by some alteration of his name, writing him Sir
John Folstafe (and making him the property and pleasure of King Henry