Notes and Queries, Number 55, November 16, 1850

Notes and Queries, Number 55, November 16, 1850

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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 and Queries, Number 55, November 16, 1850
Author: Various
Release Date: March 1, 2005 [EBook #15216]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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{401} 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. 55.] SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16. 1850. [Price Threepence. Stamped Edition 4d.
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CONTENTS.
NOTES:-- Authorship of "Henry VIII." by Samuel Hickson 401 On Authors and Books, No. IX., by Bolton Corney 403 Notes on the Second Edition of Mr. Cunningham's Handbook of London, by E.F. Rimbault 404 Folk-lore:--Laying a Ghost--A Test of Witchcraft 404 Minor Notes:--Quin's incoherent Story--Touchstone's Dial--America and Tartary--A Deck of Cards--Time when Herodotus wrote--"Dat veniuam corvis." &c. 405
QUERIES:-- Dryden's "Absalom and Achitophel" 406 Minor Queries:--The Widow of the Wood--Edward the Confessor's Crucifix and Gold Chain--Cardinal Erskine--Thomas Regiolapidensis--"Her Brow was fair"--Hoods worn by Doctors of Divinity of Aberdeen--Irish Brigade--Doctrine of immaculate Conception--Gospel Oak Tree at Kentish Town--Arminian Nunnery in Huntingdonshire--Ruding's annotated Langbaine--Mrs. Tempest--Sitting cross-legged--Twickenham: Did Elizabeth visit Bacon there?--Burial towards the West--Medal struck by Charles XII.--National Debt--Midwives licensed 406
REPLIES:-- The Black Rood of Scotland 409 Replies to Minor Queries:--H?mony--Byron's Birthplace--Modena Family--Nicholas Breton's Fantasticks--Gaudentio di Lucca--Weights for weighing Coins--Mrs. Partington--The East-Anglican Word "Mauther"--Cheshire Cat--"Thompson of Esholt"--Minar's Book of Antiquities--Croziers and Pastoral Staves--Socinian Boast--MSS. of Locke--Sir Wm. Grant--Tristan d'Acunha--Arabic Numerals--Luther's Hymns--Bolton's Ace--Hopkins the Witchfinder--Sir Richard Steel--Ale-draper--George Herbert--Notaries Public--Tobacconists--Vineyards 410
MISCELLANEOUS:-- Notes on Books, Sales, Catalogues, &c. 414 Books and Odd Volumes Wanted 415 Notices to Correspondents 415 Advertisements 415
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NOTES.
AUTHORSHIP OF "HENRY VIII."
In returning to the question of the authorship of _Henry VIII._, I am anxious to remove a misconception under which MR. SPEDDING appears to labour relative to the purport of a remark I made in my last communication to you (Vol. ii., p. 198.) on this subject. As we appear to be perfectly agreed as to the reasons for assigning a considerable portion of this play to Fletcher, and as upon this basis we have each worked out a result that so exactly coincides with the other, I conclude that MR. SPEDDING, as well as myself, has rested his theory solely on positive grounds; that is, that he imagines there is strong internal evidence in favour of all that he ascribes to this writer. It follows, therefore that the "third hand" which he thought he detected must be sought rather in what remained to Shakspeare, than in that which had been already taken from him. I never for an instant doubted that this was MR. SPEDDING's view; but the inequality which I supposed he had observed and accounted for in this way, I was disposed to refer to a mode of composition that must needs have been troublesome to Shakspeare. The fact is, that, with one or two exceptions, the scenes contributed by the latter are more tamely written than any but the earliest among his works; and these, different as they are, they recalled to my mind. But I have no doubt whatever that these scenes were all written about the same time; my feeling being, that after the opening Shakspeare ceased to feel any great interest in the work. Fletcher, on the other hand, would appear to have made a very great effort; and though some portions of the work I ascribe to him are tedious and overlaboured, no censure would weigh very strongly against the fact, that for more than two centuries they have been applauded as the work of Shakspeare.
As to the circumstances under which _Henry VIII._ was composed, it is an exceedingly difficult question; and if I venture, on the present occasion, to give the impression upon my mind, I do so, reserving to myself the full right to change my opinion whenever I shall have acquired more knowledge of the subject, or, from any other motive, shall see fit to do it. I consider this case, then, as one of joint authorship; in point of time not much later than the _Two Noble Kinsmen_, and in other respects similar to that play. If the conclusions of the article in the _Westminster Review_, to which MR. SPEDDING alludes, be accepted, the writer of the introductory notice to _Henry VIII._ in the _Illustrated Shakspeare_, published by Tyas, will recognise the "reverent disciple" whom