d. Sir Balthazar then went
to America, where he seems to have been very ill treated by the Dutch, and
narrowly escaped with his life. He afterwards returned to England, and
designed the triumphal arch for the reception of Charles the Second. He
died at Hempsted-marshal, in 1667, whilst engaged in superintending the
mansion of Lord Craven, and was buried in the chancel of that church.

In conclusion, it may be as well to mention, that, prior to the
establishment of the "Museum Minervae," a committee had been appointed in
the House of Lords, consisting of the Duke of Buckingham and others, for
taking into consideration the state of the public schools, and method of
education. What progress was made in this inquiry is not known, but in all
probability the academies of Sir Francis Kynaston and Sir Balthazar Gerbier
owed their origin to the meetings of this committee.

EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.

* * * * *

SHAKSPEARE AND FLETCHER.

I feel greatly obliged to your correspondent C. B. for the attention he has
bestowed on the question of Fletcher's connexion with _Henry VIII._, as it
is only through the concurrent judgments of those who think the subject
worthy of their full and impartial consideration, that we can hope to
arrive at the truth. His remarks (Vol. iii., p. 190.) are the more
valuable, as they coincide with a doubt in my own mind, which has, to a
great extent, ripened since I last communicated with you on the subject;
and, indeed, I have no need to hesitate in saying, that I had more
difficulty in coming to a conclusion with regard to the scene (Act III. Sc.
2.) in which the passages occur quoted by C. B., than with any other scene
in the whole play. The suggestions, that Shakspeare might have touched
scenes of which the mass had been written by Fletcher, is a point which I
had not overlooked, and which indeed, to some extent, might be said to
follow from the view I took of the relation of Shakspeare and Fletcher as
master and scholar. Yet this suggestion is especially valuable regarding
this scene, and may account for that which, without it, is not so easily
explained.

If, however, there be any lurking notion in your correspondent's mind, that
the scene in _Antony and Cleopatra_ (Act III. Sc. 1) referred to by X. Z.
(Vol. iii., p. 139.) is, judging from certain coincidences of expression,
an interpolation, and not by Shakspeare, I beg at once to be allowed to
express my total dissent