3.  A  fat  man  is  the  nearest  to  that  most  perfect  of
figures,  a  mathcmdtical  sphere ;  a  tlan  man,  to  that  most
limited  of  conceivable  dimensions,  a  simple  line.  A  fat
man  is  a  being  of  harnuhiious  volume,  and  holds  relations
to  the  material  universe  in  every  direction  ;  a  thhi  man
has  nothing  but  length ;  a  thin  man,  in  fact,  is  but  the
continuation  of  a  2'>oint.
4.  Well  then  might  Falstaff  e.xult  in  his  size;  Avell
might  he  mock  at  the  p)rince,  and  his  other  lean  contem-
poraries;  and,  accordingly,  when  he  would  address  the
prince  in  terms  the  most  degrdding,  he  heaps  epithet
upon  epithet,  each  expressive  of  the  utmost  leanness.
"  Au'dy,  you  starveling"  he  exclaims ;  "  you  eel-shin ;  you
dried  ?iea^'s- tongue;  you  stdek-^^h..  O  for  breath  to  utter
what  is  like  thee  ! "

5.  Falstaff  was  an  epicure,  but  no  gliXtton.  He  was
not  a  great  eater,  for  his  bill  contained  a  halfpenny-
worth of  brlad  to  an  intolerable  quantit}''  of  sdck.  And
although  FalstalT  was  a  large  driah:r,  he  was  no  inebriate.
SCHOOL    ELOCUTION.  297

And  here  we  conceive  a  consummate  art  in  Shakespeare,
who  sustains  Falstaff  throughout  in  our  intellectital
respect.     .     ..
6.  As  to  lies,  they  were  in  the  way  of  his  vocation.
