Notes and Queries, Number 53, November 2, 1850

Notes and Queries, Number 53, November 2, 1850

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Notes & Queries, No. 53. Saturday, November
2, 1850, by Various This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Notes & Queries, No. 53. Saturday, November 2, 1850 A Medium Of Inter-Communication For Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, Etc.
Author: Various
Release Date: September 27, 2004 [EBook #13540]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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NOTES AND QUERIES:
A MEDIUM OF INTER-COMMUNICATION FOR LITERARY MEN, ARTISTS, ANTIQUARIES, GENEALOGISTS, ETC.
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"When found, make a note of."--CAPTAIN CUTTLE.
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No. 53.] SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1850 [Price Threepence. Stamped Edition 4d.
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CONTENTS.
NOTES:--Page
Shakspeare and Marlowe, by Samuel Hickson. 369 A Plan for a Church-History Society. 371 Burnet as a Historian. 372 Epigrams from Buchanan. 372 Mistakes about George Chapman the Poet. 372 Minor Notes:--Shakspeare and George Herbert--Old Dan Tucker--Lord John Townsend--Croker's Boswell--Misquotation--Tindal's New Testament--The Term "Organ-blower"--"Singular" and "Unique". 373
QUERIES:-- Early Poetry, &c., Five Bibliographical Queries respecting. 374 Minor Queries:--History of Newspapers--Steele's Burial place--Socinian Boast--Descent of Edward IV.--Viscount Castlecomer--Judge Cradock, afterwards Newton--Totness Church--Meaning of "Harissers"--Ringelbergius: Drinking To Excess--Langue Pandras--The Coptic Language--Cheshire Cat--Mrs. Partington--Cognation of the Jews and Lacedemonians. 375
REPLIES:-- Fairfax's Translation of Tasso. 377 Small Words. 377 Replies to Minor Queries:--Concolinel-Wife of the Poet Bilderdijk--Schweickhardt the Artist--Noli me tangere--Chimney Money--Passage from Burke--Nicholas Assheton's Journal--Scotch Prisoners--Long Friday--Bradshaw Family--Julin, the Drowned City--Dodsley's Poems--Shunamitis Poema--Jeremy Taylor's Works--D[au]ctor Dubitantium--A?rostation--Gwyn's London and Westminster--"Regis ad Exemplum totus compositur Orbis"--St. Uncumber, &c. 378
MISCELLANEOUS:-- Notes on Books, Sales, Catalogues, &c. 382 Books and Odd Volumes Wanted. 382 Notices to Correspondents. 382 Advertisements. 383
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NOTES
SHAKSPEARE AND MARLOWE.
A special use of, a use, indeed, that gives a special value to your publication, is the communication through its means of facts and conclusions for the information or assistance of editors or intending editors. I do not suppose that any gentleman occupying this position would be guilty of so much disrespect to the many eminent names which have already appeared in your columns, as would be implied in not giving all the attention it deserved to any communication you might see fit to publish; and with this feeling, and under this shelter, I return to the subject of Marlowe, and his position as a dramatic writer relative to Shakspeare. I perceive that a re-issue of Mr. Knight's Shakspeare has commenced, and from the terms of the announcement, independently of other considerations, I conclude that the editor will take advantage of this opportunity of referring to doubtful or disputed points that may have made any advance towards a solution since his previous editions. I have read also an advertisement of an edition of Shakspeare, to be superintended by Mr. Halliwell[1], which is to contain the plays of "doubtful authenticity, or in the composition of which Shakspeare is supposed only to have taken a part." Neither of these gentlemen can well avoid expressing an opinion on the subject I have adverted to, and to them more especially I would address my observations.
I think I have observed that the claims of Marlowe have been maintained with something very like party spirit. I have seen latterly several indications of this, unmistakeable, though expressed, perhaps, but by a single word. Now it is true both Mr. Collier and Mr. Dyce are committed to a positive opinion on this subject; and it would be unreasonable to expect either of those gentlemen to change their views, except with the fullest proof and after the maturest consideration. But who, besides these, is interested in maintaining the precedence of Marlowe? These remarks have been called forth by an article in the _Athen?um_, containing the following passages:--
"All Marlowe's works were produced prior, we may safely assert, to the appearance of Shakspeare _as a writer for the stage_, or as an author, in print.
"It is now universally admitted among competent critics, that Shakspeare commenced his career as a dramatic author, by remodelling certain pieces written {370} either separately or conjointly by Greene, Marlowe, Lodge, and Peele."
An anonymous writer commits himself to nothing, and I should not have noticed the above but that they illustrate my position. In the passage first cited, if the writer mean "as a writer for the stage _in print_," it proves nothing; but if the words "in print" are not intended to be so connected, the assertion cannot be proved, and many "competent critics" will tell him it is most improbable. The assertion of the second quotation is simply untrue; Mr. Knight