Now, Sir, on reading Henry VIII., and meeting with each of these instances, I felt that I remembered "the trick of that voice;" and, without having at present by me any means for reference, I feel confident that of the commonest examples not so many can be found among all the rest of the reputed plays of Shakspeare, as in Henry VIII. alone, or rather in those parts of Henry VIII. which I reject as Shakspeare's; while of the more remarkable, I think I might challenge the production of a single instance.
My original intention in the present paper was merely to call attention to a few such expressions as the foregoing; but I cannot resist the impulse to quote one or two parallels of a different character:—
Henry VIII.:
"The dews of heaven fall thick in blessings on her!"—Act IV. 2.
Fletcher:
"The dew of sleep fall gently on you, sweet one!"—Elder Brother, IV. 3.
"Blessings from heaven in thousand showers fall on ye!"—Rollo, II. 3.
"And all the plagues they can inflict, I wish it,
Fall thick upon me!"—Knight of Malta, III. 2.
Henry VIII.: