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A New Source for Falstaff and the Henry IV Plays: Thomas Salter's Contention Betweene Three Bretheren

In this article I examine an obscure 1580 pamphlet by Thomas Salter called A Contention Betweene Three Bretheren. The work is a warning against the vices of drinking, gambling and lechery, but with much humour in its presentation. I investigate how the Contention influenced the language, imagery, characterisation and tone of the Falstaff plays. The greatest attention is paid to 2 Henry IV, where Salter's text contributes to the famous speech in honour of sack, and Henry's “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown” soliloquy. Perhaps most importantly, Salter's text features a reference to the Homeric story of the Cyclops Polyphemus. Recognising this text as a source strengthens the case for a mythological understanding of the problematic “old utis” passage, such as was suggested originally by critic Edmund Allen Meredith. This demonstrates yet again Shakespeare's innovative engagement with the classical tradition.