Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-02-28
WERE THEY ar EIARs1
a Chicago Weekly Has NO Patience
with DonneiIy.

Equity.
Ignatius Donnelly and his "Crypto-
gram" are like Banquo's ghost, they will
mot down. Ithe whole English-spesking
world has been surfeited with the puny
attempts OF this charlatan to prove what
is not, and now he breaks forth again In
an interview with representative of the
Minneapolis Journal, in which he vsinly
tries. In wretched drivel, to explain why
the English critics refuse to give up their
belief In Shakespeare. It is not, how
ever, their belief In Shakespeare alone
that they refuse to give up. They de-
cline to brand as infamous liars crowd
of men who were personally acquainted
with the Bard of Avon. As this ID vital
point that has been overlooked, so far as
Equity knows, by the critics on this
country II may be as we'll to direct some
thing more than passing attention to
it. Francis Meres, in his "Wits' Treas
ury,n writes OF Shakespeare as admittedly
the ''most excellent among the English
for both kinds OF tragedy and comedy"
Was Meres liar when he wrote this J.?
Tho first collected edition of Shake
apaare's dramas was published in 1923 by
John Haminge and henrie Oondell, his
friends and ooproprietors in the Black
friars aud Globe theatres. 10 the dedics-
,ion in this book to the esrls of Pembroke
and Montgomery the publishers said
ave have but collected them (the playe)
and done au office to the dead 10 procure
his Orphanes Guardians; without ambi-
ton, either OF selfe-proft or fame onley
to keep the memory of so worthy
friend and fellow alive, as was our
Shakespeare, by humble offer Of his
piayes, to your most noble patronage"
Was this lie2 In the address to the
great variety OF readers Messrs. Heminge
and Condell say
Was this tissue OF deliberate lies
Otherwise ii proves one thing beyond dis
pute, and that ia that HemiDge and
Copdell had ia their possession the plays
in Shsk7ueare's handwriting Folio wing
the address Is the poetis tribute paid by
| Ben Jpnsun 'tTo tho IN emery of my
beloved the Author Mr.. William Shakes
/ peare; and what be hath left u.s." Was
/ tributesa poetic eiTusiou upon the Lines
aud Life Of the famous Scenieke Poet,
Master William Shakespeare. Was he
another !iar2 There are also contribu.
tious from l.. Digges and l. III. We're
they couple OF miserable lisrs, too? Did
all these men enter into vile conspiracy
to deceive this public? Did Hernipga and
Condell grossly deceive their patrons4
at hNd been thing, we confesse,
worthie to have hsne wished, that the
author himself had liy'd TO have sst forth
ard overseen bis own writings. But since
it hath bin ordain'd otherwise, and he by
death departed from that right, we pray
you do not enYis his Friends, the Office
of their care and paine, 10 have collected
and published them; and 30 to have pub.
lish'd them, as where (betore) you were
abus'd with diverse gtolne, and sutrepti.
tious copies, manned and detormed By
the frauds and ste8ithes OF inVidious i'm
posters, that exposed them; even those
are now offered to your view our'd, and
perfect Of their limbeR; and ali the rest
absolute Ia their numbers, as he con
ceiyed them Who, as he was a bRppi,
im;tstor of Nature, was a most gentle ex
preeser OF il. dis mind and baud wen
together. And what no thought, he ut
tered vita that easineSse, that wee hav,
scarce received from him blot in BIZ
1 papers"
This moss Of evidence, nearly 800 year
!. ola, OF his contemporaries, that Shake
! speare w,ote the plays atirihted to him
! and That thoy are truly set forth accord
/ M 10 theil irq' Gri1sps II tar ssp 500
\ yicoiug te be 10 ITO itssi 4itee,sd ~ ~
Imposition that . aaigus UoOpli n
h one else may attempt to foist upon th
= public, neither can the men referred I
: be branded as band of conspiring liars
\ The endeavor to do so can only reac
!. upon such men as Donnelly, aud prov
!. them to BIZ with him the impcsters thu,
"a are.