The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-07-22
sHAKEsPEARIAN FORGERIES.

DED EXAMINATIONS OF THE TEXT.
To the Editor Of tie London lines
SIR: Perhaps amid the press and distraction of
politics which now agtating the great world
you find room for the account OF most extraor-
binary deception which has been practised in the
republic Of letters, some details of which now beg
to lay before you.
In 1852 Mr.. John Payne Collier published vol
ume containing numerous and important 'FNotes
and lamentations" ofthe text ofShakespeare, made,
rs he stated on the faith of copy OF the folio edition
of 1882, purchased by him of Mr. Thomas Rodd in
lo49 and exhibiting vast number of marginal cor
rections and alterations in handwriting asserted
by Mr. Collie" to be- to the best OF his belief, con-
temporary, or nearly 50, with the date of the edi-
ton.
Such has been the effect of that publication
throughout Europe that since the date of its issue
tile text OF Shakespeare has been extensively
changed, and this, notwithstanding the strongest
remonstrance and opposition from various quar-
ters- need not go over this ground, familiar as
it is to all who know anything of the Literary
history of the last ten years.
In 1858 Mr.. Collier published second edition of
his work, together with edition of Shakespeare
founded on the corrected folio; and in 1856 what
protesSed to be complete list of all the readings
Il have says he in his preface to this last work
Up. lxxiX), soften gone the thousands of
marks Of all kinds in its margins but will take
this opportunity of pointing two cancellations of
considerable Importance, which, happening not to
to be IN the margins, and being written with very
pale INK, escaped my eye until some time after the
appearance Of my second edition. as well as of the
Gnc-vOumc Shakespeare. For the purpose of the
latter portion OF my present work have recently
re-examined every line and letter of the folio 1882
and can safely assert that other sin of omission
on my part can be discovered"
These publications were accompanied by what
protested to be minute account of the appearance
and history OF the recently discovered folio. 1t is
however, notorious that by considerable number
of persons interested in the subject the descrip-
| tions thus given deemed sufficient or
satisfactory in matter of such deep literary i'm
portance.
In common with others, | had often desired to
see the volume, which meanwhile had become the
property of the Duke of Devonshire. This wish
has at length been gratifed. Some two months
ago, his grace, the present duke, literally placed
the folio in the hands of Sir Frederick Madden,
Keeper of the MSS. in the British Museum with
the understanding that while it should be kept by
Sir Frederick Madden in the strictest custody, it
might yet be examined under proper restrictions
by any and all literary persons who were anxious
to do so. at once seized the opportunity, and de-
termined, avoiding all Shakespearian criticism, to
attempt an accurate and unbiased description of the
volume from the literary point of view alone Dis
coveres occurred, to which it seems advisable
immediate publicity should be given, and which
now send you in clear a manner as the narrow
scope of a letter will permit.
The volume is bound in rough calf (probably
about the middle of George IFS reign) the water
mark OF the leaves pasted inside the cover being
crown surmountng the letters &c. r. (Georgias
Rer), and the Dutch lion within a paling, with the
legend pro pdtrtu; and there is evidence to show
that the corrections. thou III intended to resemble
a hand of the middle of the seventeenth century
could not have been written on the margins of the
volume until after it was bound, and consequently
not at the earliest until towards the middle of the
eighteenth.
should enter more infinitely into this feature of
the case, did not the corrections themselves when
closely examined, furnish facts so precise and so
startling in their character that all collateral and
constructive evidence seems unnecessary and nsig-
ni6cant
They at first sight seem to be of two kinds-those
namely, which have been allowed to remain and
those which have been oblierated with more or less
success, sometimes by erasure with penknife or
the employ ment of chemical agency, and sometimes
By tearing and cutting away parts of the margin.
The corrections thus variously obiterated are prob
ably almost as numerous as those suffered to re-
main, ana IN importance equal to them. Whole
lines, entire words stage directions, have been at
tempted to be got rid of, though in many instances
without success, glance at the various readings
OF a first portion of Hamlet, which | suboin, will
show:
the corrections allowed to stand, some on
hasty glance, might, so far as the handwriting is
concerned, pass as genuine, while others have been
strangely tempered WITH, touched up painted
over, modern character being dexterousy altered
by touches of the pen into more antique FORM
There is, moreover, a kind of exaggeration in the
shape of the letters throughout difficult if not i'm
possible, to reconcile with belief in the genuine
ness of the hand; not to mention the frequent and
strange juxtapostion of stiff chancery capital let
tiers of the form in two centuries ago with
others OF quite modern appearances and it is well
here to state that all the corrections evident
ly by one hand and that, consequently, what
ever invadates destroys the credit of part,
must be considered equally damaging and fatal to
the whole. X q. .-. a-s..-.
At times the correction first put in the margin
has been obliterated, and second emendation sub
stituted in its stead, of which will mention two
examples which occur in Cymbe2ine (fol. 1892 p.
400, col. y; ~.
"With Cakes unshakeable and roaring Waters"
where Cakes has first been made into Cities,
and subsequently into Rockies. Again Up. 40l,
col. p: AZ
Whose Roofs low ours: Sleepe Boyes, this gate'
on the margin Ca pencil cross having been made in
the first insance) Sleep is corrected into Stseete,
afterwards Sreeee has been crossed out, and Soope
written above. ~.
There is scarcely single page throughout the
volume IN which these deliberations do not occur.
Az the time they effected it is possible the
oonteration may have appeared complete; but the
action OF the atmosphere in the course of some
years seems IN the majority of instances to have so
lar negatlved the chemical agency as to enable the
corrections TO be readily deciphered Examines of
these accompany this letter land shall be SURPRISED
IL IN the hands OF Shakspearian critics they do noi
furnish clue to the real history of the corrector
and his corrections. 0sei
! now come to the most astounding result of these
Investigations, in comparison with which all other
facts concerning the corrected folio become insie
nifcant. On a CLOSE examination of the MARGINS