New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-05-01

dressed 10 Mr. Thomas Amyot. These Instruments
were represented to have been found in bundles Of
manuscript, probably not opened since the time OF
Lord Chancellor Ellesmere. Mfr. Collier expressed
no doubt Of their authenticity; but the Rev. Jo-
seph Hunter, from intrinsic evidence, was led to
entertain an opinion adverse to their pretensionss
as genuine documents, and in 1858 Mr. Halliweil
printed fnr private circulation pamphlet IN which
he unhesitatingy pronounced them forgeres. W
these papers, which were examined by Sir Fred
eric Madden, DIR. Kingsley Uord Eliesmere's libra
rianl and Mr. Hamilton, the last observes, with
one exception, these documents display their spuri-
GUS character at glance, whilst two Of the num-
bers are such manifest forgeres, that It seems m
credible how they could have cheated Mr.. Golfers
observation
From the Brdgewater papers Mr. Hamilton
passes to the manuscripts in Dulwich College IA
1S4l MIR. Collier edited for the Shakespeare Society
volume entitled Memoirs Of Edward AIeyn.n
Amongst the documents published by Mr.. Collier
in this volume, is one correctly stated 10 De an
original letter from Mrs. Aeyn, wife OF the found
er Of Dulwich College, and addressed 70 ler nus
band. The letter in itself is interesting but tine
point upon which Mr.. Collier mainly insists, as con-
shutting its peculiar value is paragraph he prints
as contained in it relative to "Mr. shakespeare OF
the Globe, and from which he proceeds TO draw raw
| various deductions. On collating this letter with
the original, it appears TO have been entirely mis-
read by Mr.. Collier as there is not the smallest
trace of authority for any illusions 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. 4 cleverly executed
fac-simile Of this portion Of the letter accompanies
| Mr.. Hamitons book, showing clearly that, while
inserting words which could never have belonged
to it, Mr.. Collier has omitted others which are
plainly visible.
Although this letter Of Mrs. Alleyn, with the ex-
ceptons mentioned, is genuine, Dulwich College is
no more exempt from Shaksperean fabrcations
than Bridgewater House. Mr.. Hamilton adduces
three instances. all first printed by Mr.. Collier
authentic documents. The first is letter purport-
ing to be written by Marston, the playwright, and
ab mo 6a sam IN Mr. Enll Mpmn ira nF
Edward Alleyn, p. l54. The writing of this letter
is good resemblance of Marston's han1; but
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 folios
before mentioned. The next of the Dulwich coun-
terfeits is copy of verses, first published in Mr..
Golfers Memoirs of Alleyn, p. ID, beginning
Sweete Nedde, wynne another wager,
which il pronounced by DIR. Hamilton to be
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
them, first published by Mr.. Collier, and written
evidently in the same hand as the rest Of these
denominations. We now reach the last and most
remarkable of the impositions disclosed by Mr..
known as the Petition 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,
to believe not only that the writing was not anthem
tic, but that it had been executed by the same
hand the fictitious instruments before discussed.
An application to the Master of the Rolls was fol-
lowed by an official inquiry into the genuineness Of
the document.
On the Both of January, Sir Francis Pafgrave,
Deputy Keeper of Public Records, Sir Frederick
Madden, 7. Duffus 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 that the
Players Petition was spurious and the Master of
the Rolls directed that their attestation should DO
appended to the document condemned Such is
the result of the inquiry so far but it is obviously
impossible it can rest here. Every Shakspearean
document brought to light during the last half
century, whether discovered at Deyonshire or
Bridgewater House, in Dulwich College, or in our
State Record Offices, must, after these startling
revelations, undergo 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, upon Mr.. Collier him
self