SHAKSPEARE'S "ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA."

(Vol. iii., p. 139.)

The scene in Antony and Cleopatra contains two expressions which are in Henry VIII.—

"Learn this, Silius."

"Learn this, brother."—Hen. VIII.

"The Captain's captain."

"To be her Mistress' mistress, the Queen's queen."—Hen. VIII.

The first of these passages is in a scene in Henry VIII., which Mr. Hickson gives to Fletcher (and of which, by-the-bye, it may be observed, that, like the scene in Antony and Cleopatra, it has nothing to do with the business of the play). The other is in a scene which he gives to Shakspeare.

But, perhaps, there may be doubts whether rightly. I am exceedingly ignorant in Fletcher; but here is a form of expression which occurs twice in the scene, which, I believe, is more conformable to the practice of Fletcher:—

"A heed was in his countenance."

"And force them with a constancy."

There is very great stiffness in the versification: one instance is quite extraordinary:

"Yet I know her for

A spleeny Lutheran; and not wholesome to

Our cause, that she should lie i' the bosom of

Our hard rul'd king."

There is great stiffness and tameness in the matter in many places.

Lastly, what Mr. Hickson hopes he has taken off Shakspeare's shoulders, the compliments to the Queen and the King, is brought in here most forcedly:—

"She (i.e. A. Boleyn) is a gallant creature, and complete

In mind and feature. I persuade me, from her

Will fall some blessings to this land, which shall

In it be memoriz'd."

But there is also the general question, whether, either upon à priori probability, or inferences derived from particular passages, we are bound to suppose that the two authors wrote scene by scene. Shakspeare might surely be allowed to touch up scenes, of which the mass might be written by Fletcher.

As to the dates, Mr. Collier is persuaded that Henry VIII. was written in the winter of 1603-4. The accession of James was in March, 1603. Mr. Collier thinks that the compliments to Queen Elizabeth were not written in her lifetime. He thinks that, even in the last year of her long reign, no one would have ventured to call her an "aged princess," though merely as a way of saying that she would have a long reign; and he says, there is not the slightest evidence that the compliment to King James was an interpolation. But surely it is strong evidence that if there is no interpolation, this passage—

"As when

The bird of wonder dies, the maiden phœnix,"

afterwards—

"When Heav'n shall call her from this cloud of darkness,"

and then, after disposing of the King—

"She shall be to the happiness of England

An aged princess . . .

. . . . . .

Would I had known no more—but she must die;

She must—the saints must have her yet a virgin," &c.

would be ridiculous. All that can be said is, that either way it is partly ridiculous to make it a matter of prophecy and lamentation that a human being must, sometime or other, die.

But it is very difficult to conceive that the compliments to Elizabeth should have been written after her death.

Fletcher, born in 1579, did not, in Mr. Dyce's opinion, bring out anything singly or jointly with Beaumont till 1606 or 1607.

The irrelevant scenes, like that of Ventidius, are introduced with two objects—one to gain time, the other for the sake of naturalness: of the latter of which there are two instances in Macbeth; one where the King talks of the swallows' nests: the other, relating to the English king touching for the evil, seems remarkably suited to the mind of Shakspeare.

C. B.