Record Number: 20404
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
[Signature] R.L.H. Stevenson 'You don�t know what H. means, ha? I have been reading Nym; and that�s the humour of it.'
Century:1850-1899
Date:Until: 8 Jun 1875
Country:Probably Scotland.
Timen/a
Place:city: Edinburgh
county: Lothian
(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Male
Date of Birth:13 Nov 1850
Socio-Economic Group:Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation:writer
Religion:lapsed presbyterian
Country of Origin:Scotland.
Country of Experience:Probably Scotland.
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:Henry V
Genre:Drama
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication DetailsPrinted 1600; the edition RLS refers to is not indicated.
Provenanceunknown
Source Information:
Record ID:20404
Source:Robert Louis s
Editor:Bradford A. Booth
Title:The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, April 1874-July 1879
Place of Publication:New Haven and London
Date of Publication:1994
Vol:2
Page:143
Additional Comments:
Letter 395, To Sidney Colvin, [7 or 8 June 1875], Swanston. Co-editor Ernest Mehew, The date in square brackets has been added by the editors.
Citation:
Robert Louis s, Bradford A. Booth (ed.), The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, April 1874-July 1879, (New Haven and London, 1994), 2, p. 143, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=20404, accessed: 24 March 2026
Additional Comments:
In Shakespeare�s Henry V, Corporal Nym, one of Falstaff�s followers, uses the phrase �that is/that�s the humour of it�, or words very similar, 4 times in Act II, i; and once again in II, iii and III, ii. The Editors� Note 2 on p.143 reads: �Nym uses the phrase several times in HenryV, II, i. RLS seems to mean he is adding the H. because it is his fancy to do so.�
