Notes and Queries, Number 50, October 12, 1850 | Page 3

a very
elegant translation into Portuguese, by the Chevalier Antonio de
Aracejo (afterwards Minister of Foreign Affairs at Lisbon and at Rio de
Janeiro), to whose friendship he was indebted many years ago for a
copy of it. It was privately printed at Lisbon towards the close of the
last century, and was subsequently reprinted at Paris in 1802, in a work
called _Traductions interlinéaires, en six Langues_, by A.M.H.
Boulard.
P.C.S.S.
* * * * *
FURTHER NOTES ON THE AUTHORSHIP OF SHAKSPEARE'S
HENRY VIII.
The Gentleman's Magazine for the present month contains a letter from
Mr. Spedding, the author of the essay which appeared in the August
{307} number of that magazine on the authorship of _Henry VIII._
After expressing himself "gratified but not surprised" by the
coincidence between his views and those of Mr. Hickson in "NOTES
AND QUERIES" (Vol. ii., p. 198.), Mr. Spedding proceeds:
"The resemblance of the style, in some parts of the play, to Fletcher's,
was pointed out to me several years ago by Alfred Tennyson (for I do
not know why I should not mention his name); and long before that, the
general distinctions between Shakspeare's manner and Fletcher's had
been admirably explained by Charles Lamb in his note on the _Two
Noble Kinsmen_, and by Mr. Spalding in his Essay. And in respect to
this I had myself derived additional light, more, perhaps, than I am
aware of, from Mr. Hickson himself, if he be (as I suppose he is) the
S.H. of the Westminster Review. But having been thus put upon the
scent and furnished with principles, I followed the inquiry out by
myself, without help or communication. That two independent
inquirers should thus have arrived at the same conclusions upon so

many particulars, must certainly be considered very singular, except
upon one supposition; viz., that the conclusions are according to reason.
Upon that supposition, nothing is more natural; and I must confess, for
my own part, that I should have been more surprised if the coincidence
had been less exact."
We will borrow one more paragraph from Mr. Spedding's
communication (which is distinguished throughout by the liberality of
tone of a true scholar), and we doubt not that the wish expressed at its
conclusion is one in which our readers join as heartily as ourselves:--
"I hope, however, that Mr. Hickson may be induced to pursue his own
investigation further, and to develop more fully the suggestion which
he throws out as to a difference of style discernible in the scenes which
he attributes to Shakspeare. If I understand him rightly, he sees traces
in this play of the earlier as well as the later hand of both poets. I
cannot say that I perceive any indications of this myself, nor, if it be so,
can I well make out how it should have come to pass. But I should be
glad to hear more about it."
It will be seen by the following extract from Mr. Emerson's
_Representative Men_, for which we are indebted to our correspondent
A.R., that the subject had attracted the attention of that distinguished
writer.--
"In _Henry VIII._, I think I see plainly the cropping out of the original
rock on which his (Shakspeare's) own finer stratum was laid. The first
play was written by a superior, thoughtful man, with a vicious ear. I can
mark his lines, and know well their cadence. See Wolsey's Soliloquy,
and the following scene with Cromwell, where, instead of the metre of
Shakspeare, whose secret is, that the thought constructs the tune, so that
reading for the sense will best bring out the rhythm; here the lines are
constructed on a given tune, and the verse has even a trace of pulpit
eloquence. But the play contains, through all its length, unmistakeable
traits of Shakspeare's hand; and some passages, as the account of the
coronation, are like autographs. What is odd, the compliment to Queen
Elizabeth is in the bad rhythm."
* * * * *
QUEEN ELIZABETH AND SIR HENRY NEVILL.
Many years ago I copied the following note from a volume of
Berkshire pedigrees in the British Museum, my reference to which is

unluckily lost.
"Queen Elizabeth, in her first progress at Maidenhithe Bridge, being
mett by all the Nobility, Kn'ts, and Esquires of Berks, they kneeling on
both sides of her way, shee alighted at the bridge foot, and walked on
foote through the midst, and coming just agaynst Sir Henry Nevill of
Billingbear, made a stay, and leyd her glove on his head, saying, 'I am
glad to see thee, Brother Henry.' Hee, not pleased with the expression,
swore she would make the court believe hee was a bastard, at which
shee laughed, and passed on."
The masquing scene in _Henry VIII._, as described by Holinshed,