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The Sir John Fastolfe of "Henry VI." is a craven knight; this is quite a distinct character from the witty Falstaff; his punishment is summary, as will be seen in the accompanying extract from Act iv., Scene 1, of "Henry VI.," Part 1 :

:

"Enter SIR JOHN FASTOLFE.

"Fast. 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.

(Which I have done) because unworthily
Thou wast installed in that high degree.—
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 ;

In which assault we lost twelve hundred men;
Myself, and divers gentlemen beside,
Were there surpris'd, and taken prisoners.
Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss;
Or whether that such cowards ought to wear
This ornament of knighthood, yea, or no.

Gloster. To say the truth, this fact was infamous,
And ill beseeming any common man ;

Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader.

Tal. When first this order was ordain'd, my lords,

Knights of the garter were of noble birth;
Valiant, and virtuous, full of haughty courage.
Such as were grown to credit by the wars;
Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress,
But always resolute in most extremes.

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He then, that is not furnish'd in this sort,
Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight,
Profaning this most honourable order;
And should (if I were worthy to be judge,)
Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain
That doth presume to boast of gentle blood.

K. Hen. Stain to thy countrymen! thou hear'st thy doom:
Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight;
Henceforth we banish thee, on pain of death.—

[Exit FASTOLFE."

In this play there is a manly sentiment placed in the mouth of Charles the Dauphin, afterwards king of France. It occurs when it is proposed to hack the bones asunder of the gallant Talbot and his no less dauntless son, who are carried off dead :

"Charles. O, no; forbear: for that which we have fled During the life, let us not wrong it dead."

The last scene of "Macbeth" exhibits a fine military trait in old Siward, when informed of his son's death:

"Siward. Had he his hurts before?

Rosse. Ay, on the front.

Siward. Why, then, God's soldier be he!

Had I as many sons as I have hairs,

I would not wish them to a fairer death;

And so his knell is knoll'd.

Malcolm. He's worth more sorrow,

And that I'll spend for him.

Siward. He's worth no more;

They say, he parted well, and paid his score:
So, God be with him!"

In the article on the works of William Shakspere, the text revised by the Rev. Alexander Dyce, in the Quarterly Review, for January, 1859, allusion is

made to Mr. Collier's adoption of "report of war," on the ground, that "point of war" has no meaning. The quotation is from "Henry IV.,” Part 2, Act iv., Scene 1 :

"Westmoreland. And your tongue divine

To a loud trumpet, and a point of war."

Mr. Dyce quotes Peele's "Edward I.," from Mr. Collier's edition of Dodsley's Plays :

"Matravers, thou

Sound proudly here a perfect point of war
In honour of thy sovereign's safe return."

"Point of war" is, however, the true phrase, and the following shows that Shakspere was more proficient in military phraseology than some of his editors.

"Point of war, a loud and impressive beat of the drum, the perfect execution of which requires great skill and activity. The point of war is beat when a battalion charges."-James's Military Dictionary, 1810.

These are only some of the passages which indicate the subtle knowledge possessed by the great dramatist of all shades of military life; but the careful student will find the martial characters in his works thoroughly imbued with the soldier's modes of thought. Surely the great Duke of Marlborough undeservedly sneered at for the admission that his knowledge of English history was derived from Shakspere's Historical Plays, affording, as they do, a valuable picture of the warlike days of old, true to the spirit, if not always to the letter.

was

STERNE.

"The broken soldier, kindly bade to stay, Sat by his fire, and talk'd the night away;

Wept o'er his wounds, or, tales of sorrow done,

Shoulder'd his crutch, and show'd how fields were won."

THE DESERTED VILLAGE,