Credence: Diplomatic Language in Henry Neville and Shakespeare

I keep collecting these examples because they demonstrate what I believe to be a real pattern. I believe that we can trace words and phrases that Neville began using during his time as Ambassador to France and then found their way into the plays and poems.

Some of these words are unusual, like cicatrice. Others are much less so. But actually, I think the ability to trace how more common words enter the canon provides stronger evidence of authorship.

In a letter from 19 February 1599, before he left for France, Neville wrote: "I would see both my letters of credence and my instructions, before they be signed."

The OED kindly explains what that means: Chiefly (now only) Diplomatic. Something, usually a document, which gives claim to credit or confidence; a letter of credence, a person's credentials.

The word "credence" was not new in 1599 nor unusual. A search on EEBO shows it to be quite common. But before 1599, the word does not appear at all in Shakespeare's works.

The first appearance is in All's Well That Ends Well, 1.2:

KING OF FRANCE. Nay, 'tis most credible; we here received it
A certainty, vouch'd from our cousin Austria,
With caution that the Florentine will move us
For speedy aid; wherein our dearest friend
Prejudicates the business and would seem
To have us make denial.

FIRST LORD. His love and wisdom,
Approved so to your majesty, may plead
For amplest credence.

And then again, 3.2:

DUKE OF FLORENCE. The general of our horse thou art; and we,
Great in our hope, lay our best love and credence
Upon thy promising fortune.

What's interesting is how the context lines up. Neville is using this word in a diplomatic context, describing a letter he needs to prove his credentials to the King of France as ambassador. Then later in a play, the word pops up during an audience with the King of France. It's a fancy, French-sounding word. At the time, in French, this letter was called a "lettre de credence". Here is an example from 1576:

And one from 1609:

Under the William Shakespeare paradigm, identifying words and phrases like this would be unthinkable. Under the Neville paradigm, explanations for words, phrases, and scenes become possible. They can be traced to Henry Neville's personal experiences.