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."
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