Notes and Queries, Number 55, November 16, 1850

Notes and Queries, Number 55,
November 16, 1850

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November 16,
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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.
* * * * *
"When found, make a note of."--CAPTAIN CUTTLE.
* * * * *

No. 55.] SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16. 1850. [Price Threepence.
Stamped Edition 4d.
* * * * *
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:--Hæmony--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
* * * * *
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