The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-06
IMPUDENT FORGERY.
1T WAS THE MOST BRILLIANT THING
OF ITS KIND ON RECORD.


Named Ireland ard Attributed to
Shalsespcare-Prescnt Only Once.
Just about century ago "Vortigern and
Rowena" was performed for tho first and
last time at Drury Lane. Up to the very
evening of tho performance great numbers
of people hoped and many believed that a
genuineplay of Shakcspcarc's had been dis.
covered But ono representation was suf.
ficient to dispel these hopes.
The real author of this blank verse play,
William Henry Ireland, YVES almost q boy.
Born in 1777, by tho time he was 10 he
had proved himself almost as marvellous"
boy rs Chattcrton, whose story ALWAYS
had n remarkable fascination for him from
the timo when his father read it aloud to
him. Old Samuel Ireland was himself o
remarkable man, who, starting in life rs a
Spitalsficld weaver, had become an en-
gravcr and an author of some note and had
received medal from the Society of Arts.
There Is considerable doubt rs to the
legitimacy Of his son William Henry, but
however that may have been the father
spared no pains in the education of the son,
and after course of private schools in
London and Franco took up the finishing
OF his Instructions himself. Perhaps the
two times which told most upon the boys
subsequent career were that reading aloud
OF tho story of Chattcrton and visit to
Stratford- on Avon about 1904 in the course
OF which they imbibcd Il number of ridic-
ulous fables, particularly ono as to n recent
destruction of IL mass of Shalcspcarcan
manuscripts by an ignorant owner of Clop-
ton House
In tho autumn of 1894 William Henry
entered upon his career of fraud Getting
hold of some old looking kind of ink, he
inscribed on the fly leaf of an Elizabcthan
tract II dcdcatory letter from the author
to Queen Elizabeth. Encouraged by th.,
complete manner in which this document
duped his father, he proceeded in Dccem-
Der to the first of tho Shakcspcarcan for
gcries which he was soon to carry TO such
lengths
On picco cut out of an Elzabethan
parchment deed, to which he had access.
he drew up Il decd of mortgage bctwccp
Shakespeare and John Hcmmingc on the
one part and Richard Fraser and his wife
on tho other, initiating the poets sigma
turo from facsimile of n genuine decd of
1912 and adding seals abstractcd from va
rious genuine deeds of Shakcspcarc's time
Renewed success encouraged him to a Dcr.
feet hailstorm Of "Shakcspcarcan" relics
Verses and letters of the poet inscribed on
fly leaves old printed books with Shakes
peare'S name on the title page and notes
ana verses in the same handwriting on the
margin followed i'll bcwildcring succession
There were even extracts from Hamlet"
and transcript of King Lear" the latter
differing in Il fcw small details from the
current vcrson-a highly ingenious stroke
on tho forgcr'S part.
~ young friend of tho youth accident
ally discovered him constructing one of
these relics, but was prevailed upon to say
M f.,, ~.
NJ. H." story, which he invented to OK
plain the mystery of these discoveries"
to his father. NJ. II" was u rich gentle
man, in whose possession these documents
were and who was so fond of Ireland that
he put them ut his disposal. In fact, IN
II. " presently began to send letters about
1t to the old man, inclOsing among other
things II play called civilian tho Con.
queror, )" admittedly by young Ireland and
highly commended by his generous patron,
an. H"
In February, 1896, there was show of
oil tho relics at old Ircland's house, and
many OF the leading literary men of the
day were deceived. The officers of the
College Of Arms announced themselves as
champions of the authenticity of the relics.
DIR. Joseph Wharton dcc] lred that Il certain
profession of faith by Shakespeare" was
liner than anything i'll the Liturgy. Bos-
we'll fell on his knees and kissed the docu-
mcnts, and the Laureate Pyc and rs other
literary lights signed n certificate of belief
Finally, in March, the young man pre-
duccd ''Vortigcrn' and Henry H." the
last in his own handwriting but processing
to be copy of Shakespeare play of that
name. There was also Il corrOboratc decd
showing that an Ireland of Shakespeare
day had saved the poet from drowning and
hn6 hpnr, 1n1I hi Al.
of publication of Shakcspcarc's unknown
plays assigned to him and his descendants
1t was aftcrward contendcd that Il youth
OF 10 could never have been clever enough
to produce such forgery rs 'Vorti germ"
Dut lrclandS subsequent publications
sufficiently disprovc this objection, and ho
satisfactorily confuted it himself in after
days. Old Ireland and others were com
plctcly deceived ut the time and the ole
man, even after his sons confession seems
to have gone to his grave in the belief that
Shakespeare really wrote ''Vorti germ.
But Malone, Stevens and others saw
through the fraud from the first.
There was an exciting newspaper war
about the question, and Person, by way of
ridiculing the affair, published a Greek
version Of "1hrcc Children Sliding ON tho
Ice" which he attributed to Sophoclcs.
Sheridan of Drury Lame agreed to present
the play, but Kemblc's doubts caused its
production to be delayed. Mrs. Palmer
backed out of appearing in it on the ground
OF Ill health, and Ireland rejected tho
prologue written for it by Pyc rs not being
confident enough. On the very eve of its
production appeared Naloncs enquiry
Into Authenticity" to which Ireland re
piled by handful begging the public to
give the play II chance. And so, on April
:, Drlry Lane was crowded. Kcmblc i'll.
deed had urged that April would be q
more appropriate day and had insisted on