his death-bed, when
"'a cried out God! God! God! three or four times," and when "his nose
was as sharp as a pen, and 'a babbled o' green fields."

A good and faithful study of _King Henry IV._, and especially of the
second part of that play, is essential for a right appreciation of
Falstaff. Those scenes with the Chief-Justice are unmatched in
literature. The knight stands royally forth in them, clothed with his
entire panoply of agile intellect, robust humour, and boundless comic
effrontery. But the arrogant and expeditious Falstaff of _The Merry
Wives_--so richly freighted with rubicund sensuality, so abundant in
comic loquacity, and so ludicrous in his sorry plights--is a much less
complex person, and therefore he stands more level than the real
Falstaff does with the average comprehension of mankind. The American
stage, accordingly, by which more than by the printed book he has
become known to our people, has usually given its preference to the
Falstaff of the comedy. _The Merry Wives_ was first acted in New York on
October 5, 1788 at the John Street theatre, with Harper as Falstaff. On
April 1, 1807 it was produced at the old Park, and the Falstaff then was
John E. Harwood. The same stage offered it again on January 16, 1829,
with Hilson as Falstaff. A little later, about 1832, James H. Hackett
took up the character of Falstaff, and from that time onward
performances of _The Merry Wives_ occurred more frequently in different
cities of America. Nor was the historical play neglected. On August 7,
1848 a remarkably fine production of the comedy was accomplished at the
Astor Place Operahouse, New York, with Hackett as Falstaff, who never in
his time was equalled in that character, and has not been equalled
since. Another Falstaff, however, and a remarkably good one, appeared at
Burton's theatre on August 24, 1850, in the person of Charles Bass. On
March 14, 1853 _The Merry Wives_ was again given at Burton's theatre,
and Burton himself played Falstaff, with characteristic humour; but
Burton never acted the part as it stands in _Henry IV._ Hackett, who
used both the history (Part I.) and the comedy, continued to act
Falstaff almost to the end of his life and Hackett did not die till
1871. A distinguished representative of Falstaff in the early days of
the American theatre--the days of the renowned Chestnut in
Philadelphia--was William Warren (1767-1832), who came from England in
1796. In recent years the part has been ac