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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9"> s. v. JAN. is, 1000.

examination of edit. 1812, 14, and other people's speculation on that edition.

The utmost I have ever heard hazarded was in the paper on Mason, and it amounted only to this. Here is a man, never named or hinted at, who might have written the Letters not a word to show that he did write them. I could, perhaps, throw out other and even better speculative possibilities, I have, indeed, some vague general characteristics which I think might help the inquirer, and a thorough conviction that all specu- lators, led and misled by edit. 1812, 14, are hunting in a ivrony direction ; but for myself I have never even put on top-boots and leathers, never even entered the field as a sportsman, and doubt if I ever shall. Yours very truly,

C. W. DILKE.

Not the least pregnant of Mr. Dilke's remarks is one to the effect that he had a " thorough conviction that all speculators, led and misled by edit. 1812, 14, are hunt- ing in a wrong direction." In that edition, which George Woodfall gave to the world, there are upwards of a hundred letters which are supposed to have proceeded from Junius's pen. No proof of authorship has been adduced. Yet it is the letters thus fathered upon Junius which have been cited as evi- dence that Francis was the man. An edition of Junius's authentic letters seems to me to be a desideratum. I have tried to convince more than one publisher of this. The pre- vailing opinion among publishers appears to be that the editions (George Woodfall and Bohn) containing the spurious letters are good enough for the public.

W. FRASER RAE.

WAS SHAKESPEARE MUSICAL?

THE editor of the " Pitt Press Shakespeare for Schools" (Mr. A. W. Verity, M.A.) thinks so in his notes to ' King Richard II.' (1899). He says :

" No one can doubt that Shakespeare himself had a great love of music, and considerable knowledge too ; though not, I suppose, the scientific know- ledge of it that Milton had."

His " great love of music " I do not im- peach ; but I very much question his "consider- able knowledge'" of it. Mere allusions and they are copious, as every one knows to it, as appreciation of it, hardly constitute a proof of a practical acquaintance with any musical instrument, nor even of a knowledge of the technique of the art. It is mere supposition (and a somewhat strained one) to argue other- wise. That the poet used music in the per- formance of his plays is a more reasonable conjecture, and quite another question. When, therefore, Mr. Verity states that "Shakespeare's use of music is a suggestive subject of study," he is, in my judgment, on

solid ground ; but to deduce the inference from the statement that the dramatist was therefore possessed of a " considerable know- ledge" of music is clearly to make the con- clusion wider than the premises. An author may put such words into his puppets' mouths as ('Richard II.,' V. v.)

Music do I hear ?

Ha, ha ! keep time : how sour sweet music is, When time is broke and no proportion kept !

or as (' Merchant of Venice,' V. i.)

How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank ! Here we will sit, and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears : soft stillness, and the night, Become the touches of sweet harmony,

and yet be utterly devoid of music. If a small personality be permissible to empha- size my point, music, vocal or instrumental, is to me "a thing of beauty " and "a joy for ever "; yet I know no more of the scales than a cow does of the zodiac ; and I too have sung in humble verse the glories of Calliope, though powerless to twang a string cor- rectly on her divine lyre.

Again, that music is a powerful and neces- sary adjunct to the complete enjoyment and set-off of a dramatic piece is outside discus- sion. Shakespeare was practical enough to recognize this, and accordingly made pro- vision for its introduction. When Mr. Verity, then, further says that " on the stage, especially in pathetic scenes, a musical ac- companiment almost always adds charm," I am thoroughly at one with him. But a sensible recognition of this factor in dra- matic success no more argues a musical edu- cation or talent than the possession of a Stradivarius or a Sternberg does. Once more, that "music is a great feature in modern representations of Shakespeare" no one can reasonably question ; without it, in fact, even the elaborate staging of the plays by Irving and Benson would lack three -fourths of its attractiveness. But surely this is a poor plea for the poet's "con- siderable knowledge " of music. Never was a weaker defence of a lost cause. In ventur- ing thus to arraign Mr. Verity at the bar of historical accuracy, I am not conscious of the remotest wish to undervalue his excellent labours as editor of the " Pitt Press Series," still less of a desire to belittle " the poet of all nations and the idol of his own " to shift an allusion from Moore's shoulders to those of Shakespeare. Good work, like virtue, is its own reward, so is sound scholarship ; all the more reason why, whilst those receive their due appreciation, unsupported state- ments should be sternly pilloried. As for Shakespeare, the denying to him one