The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-04-18
THE SHAKESPEARE FoRGERIEs.

/ review OF work entitled Gan Inquiry into tn
oenulheness of the Manuscript Corrections in Mr.
falne Golfers Annotated Shakespeare. Folio
i.' no'1' ana OF certain Shakesperian Document
likewise published by Collier, by N. f. S.A Ham
iton," says:
=, Mr.: Hamllton's work is devoted to a ouestion n
the highest Importance to the interest of IT,
lure ana 10 the personal honor of an industrious
! and well-known writer. The editors of SbaLoon
| peare-the late Mr.. Singer, Mr.. Dvco NJ
Staunton, Mr.. knight, and Mr.. HaliweII2unor
internal evidence, were long ago convinced n
nearly everything in these Corrections that an
peared new was not good, and what was pood wa
not new; but the question of their genuinenas,
can only be determined to the satisfaction a
the world at large on photographic grounds
:. e., by the testimony of persons skilled
in ancient writing. For this reason Dr..
OF pathological anachronisms, and exhibits
a mass OF clrcumstantial evidence to show that the
t9lIG was at least tampered with while in Mr..
4tneI itnns nan9s though of the highest value and
interest to scholars, is of less weipht in tho oaI
OF general opinion than the more technical ornso,
lum by Mr.. Hamilton. In this we have fst or
account OF the circumstances which led To tbo vol
ume being sent to the British Museum fn,, 81 81;
Frederic Madden's own hand: 'I had a great
wish to see the volume, after this second avowoi
OF doubts expressed by Mr.. Staunton and DR.
lngleby, but my mind was so free from any HAS
that did not entertain the least suspicion of for
81 - anu III oGpIemDer, lS0S, eagerly aVailpd
myself OF the opportunity afforded me by Mr.
Collier (who had sent me a copy of the Hamlet
of 1908, autographed at the expense of the Dnka
OF DeVonshlre) to express to him my wish to see
the annotated oho, but not having the honor to be
acquainted with the now Duke of Deyopshire |
asked Mr. Collier if he could manage to gain me
access to the volume. To this request Mr. Collier
never made any reply
Sir Frederic Madden's Independent examina-
ton OF the writing convinced him of its fcti
uous character, and his convictions were at once
endorsed by Mr.. Panizzi, Mr.. Bond and MIR Han
ilton OF the Museum, as well as by Mr. T. Duffns
Hardy, the Rev. Joseph Hunter, Professor Brawar
and host of skillful photographers, who had baoD
invited to inspect the folio. 1t was found that
although evidently written by the same hand tbc
forms OF the letters were anamoous One page
exhibited words or letters characteristic of t6e
sixteenth century, while in close iuxtaposition the
same word or letter bore every appearance of bav-
ing been written within the present century The
ink employed was discovered to be a mere wash
or pant colored to resemble faded ink, and num-
oerless partially Obliterated pencil corrections
corresponding with the quasi-antique corrections
were visible throughout the margins IInon
the application of a microscope it was found.
100 In many instances, that these pencilIings
In modern hand actually underlin tho ,rrft
ing IN the feigned old hand Arain who'll
syllables or words were discovered To- ocrur
in pencil partially rubbed out but still Iooibia
while close to them the same syllable or word is re-
peated IN the antique writing. The inevitable
clusion to all which is that the pencil-writing had
been placed on the margins to direct the altera
tions afterwards made in pigment. Mr. Hamilton
next proceeds to consider Mr.. Golfers oft repeated
assertion that he has published every letter svIIa
BILE, word and line of the corrections and proves
undlsputaby by literal collation. of sinrie pIav
lHamlet), that, so far from this being the truth
he has not printed one-haf the textual alterations
which are visible upon the margin of his folio
w { have not space to enter upon the yeyed ouas-
ton OF the folio's pedigree. Upon that point the
reader can consult Mr.. Hamilton's book and an ad-
mlraby conclusive article by Mr.. j. A. Arnold the
police magistrate, in froser's Magazne of the pre-
sent month. Having brought the evidences against
the authenticity of the Correct Folio" 1882 to a
close, Mr. Hamilton goes on to say: "But the facts
am now about to advert to are far graver than
the question OF the authenticity of that or any
other particular volume. They have reference to
series of systematic forgeries which have been
perpetrated, apparently, within the last half CEN
tury, and are in connection, generally, with the
history of Shakespeare and ohakespearian litera-
ture, although other subjects have occasionally
been introduced" The first instance adduced
is the magnificent copy of the folio 1923, in
the possession of Lord Ellesmere. In 1912,
Mr. Collier, to whom the late Lord Ellesmere
then Lord Francis EdgertOn, had lent the
volume, announced the discovery of certain MS
annotations on its margins, which he attributed
to the time of the Commonwealth. UpOn eyami-
nation OF this book by Sir Frederic Madden MIR
FanizM, Mr.. Bond and Mr.. Hamilton, the margi-
nal emendations were found to have been indicated
first in pencil and afterwards in ink and to be in
the same handwriting as the emendations on the
Corrected Folio" 1882 The next case is more
surprising still. In 1886 Mr.. Collier discovered in
the library of Bridgewater House some documents
regarding the life of Shakespeare which he com
munIcated to the public through letter addressed
to Mr.. Thomas Amyot. These instruments were
represented tOhave been found in bundles OF manu-
script, probably not opened since the time of Lord
Chancellor Elesmere. Mr. Collier EXPRESSED no
doubt OF their authenticity; but the Rev. Joseph
Hunter, from intrinsic evidence, was led to enter
tain an opinion adverse to their pretensions as
genuine documents, and inlS53 Mr.. IaIwell print
ed Tor private circulation pamphlet in which he
pronounced them fOrgeries. OF these
papers, which were examined by Sir Frederic Mad
den, DR.. Kingsley (Lord Ellesmeres hbarian) and
Mr.. Hamilton, the last observes "With one eycen-
ton,t these documents display their spurious charac
ter at glance, whilst two of the numbers are such
manifest torgeries, that it seems incredible how
they could have cheated Mr. Golfers observation"
FROM the Brldgewater papers Mr.. Hamilton
passes to the manuscripts in Dulwich College =
I'm lS4l Mr.. Collier edited for the Shakespeare So
ciety volume entitled "Memoirs of Edward AL
leyn." Amongst the documents published by Mr..
Coiller IN TINS volume Is one correctly stated to be
an original letter from Mrs. Alleyn, wife of the
founder of Dulwich College, and addressed to her
husband. The letter in itself is interesting; but
the point upon which Mr.. Collier mainly insists,
as constituting its peculiar value, is a paragraph
he prints contained in it relative to MIR Shakes
peare of the Globe and from which he proceeds
to draw various deductions. On collating this
letter with the original, it appears to have been
entirely msread by Mr.. Collier, as there is not the
smallest trace of authority for any alusion to
Shakespeare or to any of the words concerning
him found there by Mr.. Collier and printed by
him as forming part of the original document
A clever y executed fac-simile of this portion of
the letter accompanies Mr.. Hamilton's book,
showing clearly that, while inserting words which
could never have belonged to it, Mr. Collier mas
omitted Others which are plainly visible
Although this letter of Mrs. Alleyn, with the ex-
ceptiOns MENTIONED is genuine, Dulwich College is
no more exempt from Shakespearean fabrications
than Bridgewater House. Mr.. Hamilton adduces
three instances all first printed by Mr. Collier as
authentic documents. The first is letter purport-
ing to be written by Marston, the playwright and
which may be seen in Mr.. Golfers ''Memoirs of
Edward Aleyn," p. l51. The writing of this letter
is good resemblance of MarstOns hand; but a
careful inspection revealed that the whole Of the
words had been first traced out in pencil as is the
case with the corrections in the annotated ioliOs
before mentioned. The next of the Dulwch counter
feits is a copy of verses first published in Mr..
Golfers "Memoirs OF Alleyn,' p IS, beginning
Sweete Nedde, wynne another wager,
which is pronounced by DR.. Hamilton to be a
forgery from beginning to end.
The third document is genuine, and has been
quoted by Malone. What brings it in the category
Of fictitious papers is an appended "List of Play
ers" with 'iShakespeare " Of course amono them
first published by Mr.. Collier, and written evident
" in the same hand as the rest of these abomina-
tions. We now reach the last and most remarkable
of the impositions disclosed by Mr.. Hamilton The
document in question, which is known as the ''le-
titiOn of the Players" 1885, was first printed by
Mr.. Collier, who found it in the State Paper Office.
1t has no date, and is written on a half sheet OF
foolscap paper, without water-mark. On
animation Mr.. Hamilton was led to believe not only
that the writing not authentic but that it had
been executed by the same hand as the fictitious
instruments before discussed. An application to
the Master of the Rolls followed by an official
inquiry into the genunenesS of the document. On
the 30th of January Sir Francis Palgrave, Deputy
Keeper of Public Records, Sir Frederick Madden,
I. Duifus Hardy, Esq, Assistant Keeper of Public
Records, Professor Brewer, Reader at the Rolls,
and Mr.. Hamilton, assembled for the purpose of
investigation. After minute and careful scrutiny,
these gentlemen decided unanimously that the
Players Petition was spurious, and the Master of
the Rolls directed that their attestation should be
appended to the dOcumnnt condemned! Such is
the result of the inquiry far; but it is obviously
impossible it can rest here. Every Shakespearean
document brought to light during the last half
century, whether discovered at Devonshire OF
Bridgewater House, in Dulwich College, or in our
State Record offices, must, after these startling rev
Citations, undergo Il rigid scrutiny, and upon no
person is it so incumbent to render every assist
ance in separating what is genuine from what is
false among these papers, as upon Mr.. Collier him
self.
A -LEAP-YEAR PARTY.-The young ladies of
Blountsville (Ala.) recently gave leap year par
ty to the gentlemen of that place. They sent out
invitations in due form, and at a becoming hour
called upon them to escort them to the designated
place. The ladies selected their own partners and
ner of course. Many heard to remark that
npTlHn mot houn hnnn hntt oil tl,o